Word Up

Good Friday.  At no other time of the year do so many of us sit in church in such uncomfortable silence.  The Eastern Church declares it Great Friday.  And he was right when he asked, "Why do we call it good, shouldn't it be called bad Friday since Jesus was crucified?"  I agreed with him but on a larger level...Many a heinous crime has been committed on Good Friday in the name of the one crucified and on some level I think that should give us more pause. You can test anyway you like but Jesus was dead.  I know many people who only go to church on Good Friday and do not come back on Sunday.  They feel it is a better match for their souls.  Sunday they feel is too cleaned up, too pretty.  And on many levels I agree with them too.  I really do love a Good Friday service.  I like the silence,  I like the darkness.  I like the stripping of the church.  It reminds us of the cost.  

One of my most favorite pieces of music is Seven  Last Words by Dubois.  Actually my favorite part is the benediction.  I will sit through that piece of dark, dramatic real music just to hear the benediction.  I love that benediction.  It almost doesn't fit the rest of the piece.  Stuck at the end almost as an afterthought is this lovely, peaceful benediction.  Christ We Do All Adore Thee..

I took my son to church Friday.  He has seen more various Good Friday services than the average 13 year old.  He has sat through Dubois four times now.  He has seen a Cruxifiction service.  He has seen low Protestant to high Protestant tradition on Good Friday.  And he is always full of questions.  I had high expectations of this choir Friday night.  I knew that it would be beautiful.  And it was. We were on word five.  

"I thirst.", when it began.  When my son began giggling so hard the church pew shook.  I probably would not have been nearly as embarrassed if we had not been sitting next to the senior pastor's wife.  Vance started it.  As always.  At times I think I need to sit in between the two of them so they will behave.  Vance loves to draw on bulletins. He loves to take one moment of the services and draw a cartoon and sometimes he just wants to know what we are having for lunch. Tonight he underlined letters.  W O R D  U  P.  And Davis began laughing so hard.  I began hear Cameo singing Word Up in my head right alongside of "I thirst."  Word Up was singing right along in my head as candle five, six and seven were extinguished and  it was still chanting in my head as the choir sang the benediction.  Christ We do All Adore Thee.  My most favorite benediction of all.  I want it sung at my funeral.  But not WORD UP.  Davis finally stopped laughing, he said he just had to get a laugh out.  I think Miriam my sit with us again if my two boys can behave.  I personally will never hear Dubois again without hearing WORD UP.  But it makes a good point.  The seven last words spoken from the one who was the WORD...The seven last words that completed his destiny.   WORD UP.  It was finished.  The teacher was now a teaching. He had shown them into the depths of God that caused some to see through and some could not.  He had demolished the rock around their hearts.  He had shown then dangerous ways to live.  His part was done.  WORD UP.  I had so wanted to open this post with the WORD UP video playing but my gadget is broken.  so sorry.