The Great Days of the Triduum
It is the afternoon of Good Friday.
We are in the midst of the tridiuum – the great three days ending on Easter. Some of us will not be ready for Easter, even in three days – some have been there for quite a while.
Maundy Thursday – the day of the great command to love can be difficult for many. We don’t want our feet washed. Actually it is a hospitality rite out of a different time and place. It was the duty of the lowest servant and Jesus demonstrated to his disciples how they must treat one another. The twelve had to learn that radical hospitality - even humiliating hospitality - was part of being a disciple. In our “me first” culture real service is hard. Jesus’ command at the table was to love one another just as he loves us. It is a big command which many of us struggle with – and so we may still be sitting at the table wondering if we can be a disciple if selfless service to others is a requirement.
As the story continues we also might be struggling with how we deny and betray Jesus’ gospel and his life. Part of the passion story isn’t just that Peter and Judas turned away – it is that we do too. Being a disciple isn’t easy and so at times we too deny or betray or simply fall asleep when we need to stay awake with him.
So it is now Good Friday – God’s Friday. I love that some institutions like the Stock Exchange still close for Good Friday. Commerce ceases for one day as a reminder that there is something more important than the market. Tonight’s service at Renton United Christian Church will offer time to contemplate the crucifixion and its meaning. We will be a people prepared for Easter if we take time to consider all the days of the triduum.
Holy Saturday is now just hours away…a time of reflection but for most of us a time to get ready for the Holy Day of Easter. There are eggs to boil, dresses to be laid out, and errands to do. Easter is not only a religious holiday but one for families to gather – brunch or Easter Dinner to prepare. Some will be ready for Easter to dawn…others are still feeling like they still live in Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. For some Easter is a time to embrace death in the journey to resurrection. For others it is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation – something families and friends face daily brought more sharply into focus on this great day when life and joy abound.
You are invited to be with us to celebrate Easter this Sunday wherever you feel you fit into the story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. Our Easter will be filled with music and flowers – remember to bring flowers for the outdoor cross! Visitors will abound and so I ask those who can to park up in the back. It is our day to bring our best – to focus again on God’s great salvation story – and rejoice that all are welcomed to Christ’s gracious presence. It is the day the old ones say the sun dances for the joy of the risen Savior.
So we hope you join us this Easter – and if you cannot be with us may God bless you richly where ever you are and grant that this truly be the first day for resurrection and new life!
Pastor Joyce