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{"id":38728,"date":"2013-03-29T06:51:07","date_gmt":"2013-03-29T11:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/?p=38728"},"modified":"2013-03-27T12:55:24","modified_gmt":"2013-03-27T17:55:24","slug":"good-friday-as-funeral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/2013\/03\/29\/good-friday-as-funeral\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Friday as Funeral"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a>By John Frye:<\/p>\n

Twice now in two different churches that I served, Good Friday became a very memorable occasion. Working with a team of people and local funeral homes, we borrowed an upscale casket, arranged colorful flowers and held a funeral service for Jesus. We actually had a black Cadillac hearse parked outside the church building entrance so that when people arrived their curiosity was immediately aroused. When people walked into the sanctuary, the initial visual of the coffin, the flowers and music rattled their sensitivities. The mood was immediately set. In quiet whispers you heard, \u201cWhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

We created an order of the memorial service as if a recent member of the church had died\u2026only this time the deceased was Jesus. What does a funeral service involve? It includes prayer, of course, and reading the Scriptures, a eulogy, singing hymns, perhaps a contemplative musical solo, and shared memories of family and friends. Mary, mother of Jesus, spoke of Jesus\u2019 birth, his often troubling ministry and his final hours on the cross. Lazarus told his startling story of being raised from the dead just a few weeks before. Peter spoke of being called and trained by Jesus and about the teachings and miracles of Jesus. Yes, he recounted the experience of walking on water. Even a fidgety Roman soldier who watched Jesus die slipped in the service and wanted to make a few stunning remarks. In many funeral services in which I presided, a time for open sharing about the deceased has been included. So, those attending the Good Friday funeral services were invited to express their reflections about Jesus. The congregation was drawn in as participants and not just spectators.<\/p>\n

We may get so use to talking about, maybe even arguing about the meaning<\/em> of Jesus\u2019 death that we miss the emotional<\/em> impact that a dear friend has died. We need to stop thinking only about why he died. We need to cease simply saying, \u201cThank you, God, that Jesus died for me.\u201d We must mourn<\/em> the loss of a loved one. We need to reflect on the life of the One who was in a highly valued relationship with us. Verily, there is a time and place for robust theological explorations into the meaning of Jesus\u2019 death, but not on Good Friday. Did I really type \u201cverily\u201d? Let\u2019s just sit and grieve. Let\u2019s lament. Let\u2019s feel the sorrow of Jesus\u2019 real death, not just ponder a central theological proposition.<\/p>\n

The overall impression made by these creative attempts at honoring Jesus and Good Friday was expressed in several ways. People said things like \u201cJesus\u2019 death felt so real\u201d and \u201cThe impact of the actual death of Jesus was driven deep. It was like one of my loved ones had died\u201d and \u201cI actually felt sad for the first time on Good Friday.\u201d Sisters and brothers, yes, indeed, a loved one died.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"