Missing Good Friday

I know that "Good Friday" services are becoming less and less attended. People are busy. On top of that, people would rather focus on the celebration of Palm Sunday, and the even greater celebration of Easter. Good Friday can be such a ... downer, right? The only problem is that without Good Friday, there is no Easter celebration. Without the death of Jesus, there is no Resurrection.

Over the past few years, in realizing that too many people were "missing" Good Friday, I've started Easter morning in what seems to be an odd place... the death of Jesus. This coming Sunday, I'll be focusing on a wonderful Bible verse: "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb." There it is... Easter's got to start in darkness, if we're ever going to be in awe of the Light.

Don't miss Good Friday. Don't rush through it either. Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but take some time to ponder... not the celebration of Palm Sunday, not the Resurrection of Easter... but that day of darkness, long ago, when the One who created the light of this world, died, so that He could become our Light.