Have you ever noticed that Christianity seems to have a language of its own?

For example, think of some of the things you find in churches, ciborium, corporal, paten, purificator, chalice. These are the traditional names for some of the vessels and cloths we use at communion. Cassocks, surplices, stoles, dog collar, all clothes worn by clergy in worship. In some churches you might find thuribles, acolytes sacristans and crucifers,. I still have to google words like this sometimes!

However, it’s not just Christian objects which have special names, there are a whole range of churchy names for special days and seasons we celebrate like Lent, Advent, Pentecost, some of these are very familiar and for other a google search can help!

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, there are a number of interestingly names days. It might be obvious why Palm Sunday is so called if you know the story, but did you know that the Wednesday of Holy Week is sometimes called ‘Spy Wednesday’, as we remember Judas’ decision to betray Jesus. The following day Maundy Thursday is named after the Latin ‘mandatum’ meaning commandment and recalls that as the Last Supper after which Jesus was arrested, he commanded his followers to both love one another and to share bread and wine in remembrance of him. The word for our special easter candle is called a paschal candle derived from the Jewish work ‘pesach’ which means Passover which was both the festival of freedom Jesus was celebrating at the time of his death, and also a reminder that Jesus’ resurrection brings freedom from death and sin.

But of all the interesting names days we observe, perhaps the most interesting is Good Friday. I’m often asked ‘But why is Good Friday called good, when it is the day that Jesus died?’ Some explain that Good is a corruption of God’s Friday or that good simply means holy. But I think the goodness of this day is found in the meaning of Jesus’ death, The cross is the clearest expression of God’s love for us: as Jesus said, ’no one has greater love than this; to lay down their life for their friends (John 15:13) At the cross, we know our sins are forgiven, we see God’s amazing grace, we witness God’s amazing love for us and the world. In the darkness of that awful day, God’s love shines brightly.

This is why Good Friday is, as well as being full of sorrow, also very good.

So how are you going to mark Good Friday? Celebrating Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday is wonderful but its true meaning can only be found if we’ve stood at the cross.

So, this year I really encourage you to join us on Good Friday, whether at the Churches Together Walk of Witness leaving from the Baptism church at 10.30am, or for a meditation at Haselor at 2pm, or coming to experience the story of Easter in the stations at St Nicholas Alcester. Whilst these events have a very different tones, and the cross can feel like such a dark place, it’s only when we face it, that we an discover the amazing Good and Love that it holds, and the full joy of Easter be discovered.

I hope to see you at one of our Easter Celebrations across the minister .

With Easter Blessings

Katie