Stillness - April 3
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 95** & 88; PM Psalm 27; Job 19:21-27a; Heb. 4:1-16
As the Good Friday service was drawing to a close last night, the sun was setting beneath the hills outside the church. The final hues of light were sinking away, and I felt myself drawn into the darkness of that first night. The end of that day, after Jesus had died. I could feel myself sitting in awe and emptiness, clinging to the last shards of light as the Light of the World slipped away, hanging upon beams of coarse wood. I could feel myself lamenting as darkness rose. The choir was singing the words, "Were you there, when they laid him in the grave?" and I felt the depth and emotional timbre of that mournful hymn. That first Good Friday ended in darkness.
While the sun rose the next day, the Son was still absent. God's hope and promise, instilled by Jesus in his disciples, were floundering in the fear and horror of Good Friday. And so, Holy Saturday is a day of stillness. A day of stunned emptiness. A day of few words -- so you will not have to read much more of mine today. Take note that in the lectionary - the Bible readings - appointed for today, there is no reading from the gospels. We have no words of Jesus' ministry or life, because on this Holy Saturday, the Son of God was in the tomb. In the Apostles' Creed, we profess that Jesus descended to the dead, or hell, to rescue those faithful souls from the bonds of damnation.
This action of salvation stirs the imagination and the soul...and it stirred the spirit of some ancient person of faith in possibly the 2nd century, who penned a work we call "An Ancient Homily on Holy Saturday". When I was in seminary, that was the homily read on this day. I remember standing in the garden outside of the seminary chapel as Dr. Tony Baker led worship that morning and rehearsed those ancient words. I commend them to you, friends.
On this cold morning in April, wherever you find yourself, in stunned silence or in the chaos of another Saturday morning's activities, I pray that you take a moment to reflect on the gravity of this day -- and then arise, for Jesus will not leave us comfortless. We know now that the darkness does not defeat the light. We know now that death is not the end of the story. So while it may be a day of numbness or discomfort, let us lift our eyes in hope. Let us trust that God makes good on the promise of faithfulness. Let us give thanks and find peace in the stillness.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
How hard or easy is it to sit in stillness? What are the distractions? Who could you invite to join you in the stillness and silence?
Daily Challenge
Take a few minutes to read this article about the ancient Holy Saturday homily, its genesis, and see how these words resonate with you today: https://www.unleashthegospel.org/.../an-ancient-homily.../