For the first time in about 6 months, I went to church this morning together with Freda; it seemed an appropriate day to do so. Being the Good Friday service, it was quieter than a normal all-ages service; more subdued. It started with “There Is A Green Hill Far Away”, and ended in silence.
Then Simon, the rector, Ken the curate and one of the youth leaders all took up a hammer and a nail each, and approached a large wooden cross that lay on the floor of the sanctuary before the altar. The sound of their hammers as they drove the nails into the arms and foot of the cross were shockingly, disturbingly loud in the silence; sharp and harsh, leaving brittle echoes in their wake.
It was an unnerving and haunting end to the short service; an uneasy note of finality.
An Arkadian Path 
Dear Arkady,
A comment on the last three entries about your journey — I am with you in the need to face the ‘silence’ — and listen for the still, small voice of God. I also recognise the strong influence that Christian music has had on my own journey into a deepening faith in Jesus Christ. I find some songs reflect my own doubts and also my positive spiritual conclusions very accurately. I find it encouraging that someone else not only experiences similar things to myself, but has the courage to sing about them, bringing it all out into the open for public discussion, as it were. Then people like you and me can benefit from their insight and use this to deepen our relationship with God.
The Good Friday service must have been stunning in more ways than one — obviously a strong impact on you, especially after what you expressed in Thursday’s entry. When I was beginning to become more attached to Jesus, quite a few years ago now, I went through a time when each Easter was an almost physical agony for me, as if I was re-living the crucifixion in some way. Currently I don’t experience the same physical impact but still find Easter an extremely important season of spiritual and religious observance. That ‘finality’ you noted is , of course, rendered null and void by the Easter Day resurrection — but the disciples didn’t immediately realise this and neither do many modern people. I’d be interested in your comments on how Resurrection Sunday was for you.
Looking forward to seeing you in a few months,
Blessings
Helen
Posted by Helen | Thursday, April 15, 2010, 3:21 pm