Friday or Sunday


 

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:24


It is the day after Easter. We've just been through the sadness of Good Friday and the victory of Easter Sunday. This year I attended two Good Friday services, one at my daughter's church, one at my own. At my daughter's church the pastor said, more than once, “Yes, today is Friday but Sunday is coming.” Later that evening at my own church our pastor led a Tenebrae service. During that service it gets progressively darker, a reminder that the world, was without the Light of Jesus for that time between Friday and Sunday. We left that service in reverent and frankly sad, silence. We're just visualizing but what would it have been like to actually be there? We wonder about that as we approach our cars, our lives, noise. As I thought about the readings we'd just heard, the increasing darkness, I thought of the statement from earlier that day, “Sunday is coming.” In the midst of my serious reflection I just had to smile. Once again, the world gets it wrong.
Joel Osteen wrote a book entitled, “Every Day A Friday” all about how our attitudes are lighter and we're more positive on Fridays. Like him or not, the man makes his point. I work in an elementary school and if I had a dime for every time I've heard, “Is it Friday yet?” I would no longer be working in an elementary school. Oh no, I would be basking on my private island. We all want Friday to come. Why wouldn't we? It's the start of the weekend!

Now go back to Jesus, to Holy Week. For Jesus, for the people of His time, when Friday came, He was taken away from them. He was tortured and killed on a Friday. We call it “good” because it means salvation for us but when we read through the events of that day, it's horrific. We shudder but we know that Sunday is coming.

Sunday is my mixed bag day. Sunday means church. It means worship with fellow believers. It means time to spend with my husband and sometimes our children. It also means that the next day is Monday. The day I most often hear, “Is it Friday yet?”

For those of us who believe there is no mixed message about Sunday where our faith is concerned. Sunday is victory day. Sunday is our “I told you so” day. Sunday shuts Friday up in a huge and undeniable way. SUNDAY!

So why didn't Joel Osteen write a book called “Every Day A Sunday”? Shouldn't that be our perspective? It should and once a year it is but God help us we're all human and we love our weekends. We know Sunday is the big news day. We are grateful that the one awful Friday came and that through it we have freedom, not just for a weekend but for eternity.

Yes, Sunday came but it couldn't have come without Friday so maybe it's okay for us to be Friday fans as long as we keep our eyes on Sunday and truly understand that every day, every single day from that “Good” Friday until we are called home, is a gift. If we do remember that and thank Jesus for it our attitudes would be more positive and our hearts would be lighter regardless of the name of the day.

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