Good Friday

Last night I went to Maundy Thursday at St David's. I was keen to go for three reasons;

First, because Maria, our Curate, does Maundy Thursday exceptionally well. For the last two years she has encorporated elements of the Jewish Passover ceremony into the service, this year using proper Israeli unleavened bread, kindly donated by a Jewish friend, maintaining a focus on the Exodus story and using a passage in the Hebrew language at the start of the Eucharist. I think it is essential to acknowledge the culture from which our faith emerged, and this is a powerful way of doing so. She also brings other symbolic elements into the service - at the beginning of the service members of the congregation raise one another up by their hands showing how Christ raises us to life. This kind of symbology isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm all for experimental worship - keeping things fresh, not routine.

Second, sitting in the Lady Chapel after the Maundy Thursday service last year was the moment I decided to explore the priestly vocation further. It's something that has been niggling away at me for much of my adult life, but I had a renewed sense on Palm Sunday that God was trying to lead me in this direction, and it was the Thursday I prayed for God's help taking this further. And now I'm 11 days from a selection conference - funny that.

Thirdly, and most importantly, Maundy Thursday is undeniably one of the most special nights of the year for Christians. It is the night Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he broke bread, the night he told them to "love one another", and the night he was arrested, tried and sentanced to crucifixion. I'm trying not to get too preachy, and just be honest to my own feelings - there is a lot about theology I wrestle with, but the image of God incarnate going to the cross to die for love of His creation is so powerful that, despite my theological wranglings, I cannot but affirm it.

Good Friday, everyone.