WHAT MAKES THIS FRIDAY GOOD?

 Written after a wonderful Good Friday service, with songs, readings and scripture texts. 

I went home and wrote the following before the euphoria wore off!

 

The pressure mounts, the disciples wonder what comes next.

They loved the parade with Jesus being praised.

They shrank back as Jesus overthrew the Temple moneychangers!

What is the meaning of all this?

They get together for a grand, joyous passover meal,

Again they wonder what all the words of Jesus mean.

He talks about giving his blood and body in order that

They can be part of the kingdom; part of God’s body.

And what is this about Judas being sent to do “What you must do.”

The disciples are filled with wonderful food

But the  atmosphere remains somewhat tense because of Jesus’ words to Judas,

But this is a time of celebration; the passover brings joy.

The disciples want to celebrate, to spend quality time with Jesus.

He tells them to go with him into the garden

They thought that this is strange; why leave this comfortable upper room

Why now go the garden in the cool of the night

Jesus goes on further to pray and seek the Father’s will

Again the disciples are left to wonder why this seems so heavy

The passover was a joyous event and now this?

The lateness of the hour was heavy on their eyes.

Jesus says, “The time has come” and leaves this place of prayer.

There is a crowd, so late at night, with lanterns, spears and swords.

And leading all is Judas–What is he doing with these men?

He greets Jesus with a kiss, a sign of deep betrayal

The men rush forward to ask his name

Jesus tells them who he is and with that

The soldiers rudely grab him and march him to the judgment hall

The disciples scatter to save themselves

A few disciples sneak a peak as they follow far behind

What is this about? And are their lives in danger?

Surely Jesus is not the revolutionary the leaders think he is.

Whatever will happen to him now? What about us?

And this disaster is called “Good” Friday!

How could this be when all seems so for naught.

Jesus, the leader sent to be crucified;

The followers scared and scattered

What do we make of this day?

Are we afraid that we, like Peter, will deny our Lord?

We gather silently to mourn the Master’s death.

This is Friday, full of unjust words and actions.

This is Friday–what makes it “Good”

We sorrow and mourn as we note the Cross

The symbol of Christ’s horrible death.

And yet we call the day “Good”

We must not dwell on the sorrow and the pain,

But rather recognize that all will be revealed

When Christ leaves the tomb in triumph.

We look forward to the Good.

Today we look forward to the Good shown to us by God.

This may be Friday, called Good, that leaves us wondering.

But we can say with confidence.

This is Friday, but Sunday is coming!

GilbertG  26-04-03

Good Friday

Pilate or Jesus: Parade or Protest?

  My wife, Mary Funk, preached the Palm Sunday service at her church. Instead of the usual palm-waving story of the entry into Jerusalem, she spoke about the two parades–Pilate and Jesus. Mary brought out the drastic differences between Pilate’s parade as a show of force and the protest march of Jesus as a show of humbleness and love.  

After reading her sermon, I went to my computer and wrote the following. I hope you will get a message from this short poem, showing how Jesus brings us God’s love and caring.

PILATE OR JESUS: Parade or Protest?

Proud Pilate rode his steed into Jerusalem

Jesus humbled himself to ride a donkey

Pilate had Caesar and the Empire for support

Jesus started a protest march wanting to set his people free.

Pilate had no time for rebels and zealots 

Jesus wanted these offenders to follow him

Pilate stood for “Pax Romana” and killed to keep that peace

Jesus stood for his Father’s love and justice

Pilate expected Jesus to humble himself before him

Jesus never bowed; his protest confused Pilate

Pilate could not handle peaceful protests

Jesus protested peacefully and drew a crowd

 

Pilate had a parade and gained nothing

Jesus had a protest and started a movement

Pilate, the Governor, lost control and let Christ die

Jesus gained the upper hand because his protest led to life

GilbertG   2026-03-27

See I am Doing a New Thing!

 

I attended the Mennonite Church Manitoba Gathering Inspirational Evening. I listened to the stories and meditations, and was inspired by the speakers and the musicians. When I got home, I had the evening's event ringing in my mind's ear! This short poem is the result. I trust it will bring joy to you.

God says, “I am about to do a new thing!”

What is about to happen—what is happening?

We are part of this new thing.

God is guiding us in ways we may not understand,

In ways we did not expect.

When Isaiah listened to God and

Spoke these words, he did not live in our world;

He spoke of the animal world, the water in the desert;

He spoke of chariots and army battalions.

We live in a world where we hear of bombs and drones

And supposed enemies within and without our land.

What new thing is God doing in this world ?

Filled with pain and sorrow;

Filled with climate change and forests ablaze;

Filled with men and women who deny the realities,

Who somehow think they are masters of the world.

How little do they know—God is still the master

Who is doing a new thing in our world!

God, thank you for a church that desires to follow you.

Thank you for the larger fellowship that,

With hugging arms, has welcomed us and

Wants us to join in the new thing that God is doing.

Thank you for the many energetic leaders

That are guiding us as we see what God is doing.

Thank you for the welcoming group of churches

That show us such embracing love, and

We thank God for the new thing brought into our lives.

The Olympics - Tragedy or Euphoria

An athlete spends many years, 

And many hours daily

In preparation for a chance

To compete in trials

Hoping to be good enough

To gain a spot in their particular sport;

To make the national Olympic team.

What joy it brings to receive that call,

You are in; you have made it for the Olympics!

What euphoria; what excitement–but wait

This means the hours and hours of unrewarded 

Pain and  struggle will now continue,

For the major goal is still ahead–winning

An Olympic medal, preferably gold.

Now it's on to the Olympics!

This is the reason for all the hours of work.

Your event is soon before you

You nervously wonder, Will I be ready? Will I win a medal?

The race is on, you push until your legs and arms burn

Will you be first, last or somewhere in between?

You finish; you flop down and let the tears flow

All that pent up energy now is spent.

Your family and friends surround you;

They want you to feel their support.

Now the question remains,

Are the tears flowing because of tragedy and loss,

Or are the tears that of joyous euphoria?

PEOPLEWATCHING IN THE MALL

I sit quietly in the Mall’s food court

I wonder where each person

Is going, while I watch.

Some wander as though lost;

While some hold tightly to their kids.

Still others push a stroller,

Or maybe push a wheelchair,

Some stride with heavy purpose,

Looking for that special friend

With whom to chat while enjoying a snack.

Others meander aimlessly,

Helping an older adult find a place to rest,

Or maybe purchase some necessities

With help from that loved one pushing with joy.

Some try to navigate a walker amidst the crowd.

Friends meet friends

Joyously engaging in conversation.

Over a cup of coffee; or maybe an ice cream soda.

The chatter across the tables brings

A hum that fills the room with joyous vibes.

This is my inspiration for a mood 

That lifts me up and energizes me.

My cup of coffee is now cold,

But my heart is full and warm.

 

The New Year–2026

We open the puzzle box to check if this is an enigma.

Will we enjoy putting  the pieces together;

Or will we wish we had not started?

The box, besides the puzzle pieces, contains a picture;

A picture that should give us good directions, and

Make a difficult puzzle a straightforward task.

We work at the border first–we want to know 

The parameters within which to work.

Confidently, we work on the rest of the puzzle;

Looking at the picture as we forge ahead,

Confident that, if we follow the map 

We will accomplish the expected result.

As we move along, we begin to wonder,

What is happening, and why so many

Unexpected pieces that do not seem to fit!

Frustration sets in–we do not find any 

Matching pieces, but find a lot of others.

This really is a perplexity!

We realize that the picture shown,

Although revealing parts that are accurate,

Does not show us what we had visualized.

We stop for a period of peace and reflection.

What a conundrum;We want to finish the puzzle,

But the result will be different than expected.

This brings me to 2026.

How will the imagined picture develop,

And how different will the year end be?

Gratitude in the Midst of a Blue Christmas

Gratitude comes from the glad tidings brought by the Angels

But now the angels are long gone; now what?

I have been somewhat overwhelmed this Christmas by the many losses I have experienced in the past while. What do I say when friends ask if I’m going “home” for the Christmas season? Where is “Home”?

My parents are gone; my  siblings, except one in palliative care, are gone; my children have other places to be.  A number of years ago, my wife passed away, bringing more overwhelming loss. Nothing seems good, except the knowledge that this truly is a Blue Christmas.

When will the angels sing for me; when will they bring joy and peace to my heart?

But then, as I open myself to the love and gratitude brought by those around me, I realize that I have much to be thankful for. Not too long after Susan died, my daughter, SuAnn, suggested I have coffee with a dear friend of theirs who also was grieving a loss, that of her husband. Mary became a wonderful listener as she helped me process my grief. As love would have it, she helped me overcome my deep sorrow; and soon we expressed a deep love for each other. Now as my wife, she continues to bring cheer and joy into our lives. What a gift!  I am continually grateful for her and her influence on my life.              

My children show love by inviting us to their family dinner. They call; they text; they send emails just to make sure I am alright. How much more can a father ask? The grandchildren also chat to see how things are going; then they hug tightly, expressing a deep love for their grandfather. As I think of family I realize that children and grandchildren often go out of their way to bring joy into our relationship. Again, my heart is filled with gratitude.

My family and friends know how much I enjoy going out for a cup of coffee!  They call, or I call, and often the response is a resounding “yes” to a suggestion to head to a coffee shop nearby. Even Mary, who does not drink coffee, has made my day when she agrees to go to a Tims close at hand. What more can I ask? When I ponder these things, I cannot help but appreciate the fact that these friends and family are “angels” bringing joy and peace. 

I am truly grateful for these many expressions of love and closeness. My heart is full of gratitude; how can I not be moved by the love I feel from all around?

Yes, the angels are gone;

But their messages of glad tidings

Stay with us; with me,

As I meditate on what God has done.

The love expressed by God

As Christ came into this world

Not to redeem a select few, 

But to bring love and gratitude

Into our everyday lives.

The angels are gone 

But the glad tidings they brought

Are in us as we open our hearts

And accept with gratitude

The love shown by those around.

The family phone calls; the check-ups,

Questioning my physical and mental health.

These all make life a joyous feeling 

Of  glad tidings filled with overwhelming love.

The angels are gone, but we celebrate

The love they showered on the world.

I now know that angels are 

All around to lift our spirits.

The blue Christmas is swallowed up

By the overwhelming joy and love 

Of angels and people everywhere.

Thank you angels, for lifting our spirits.

And thank you friends and family for the lift you bring.

This is the Christmas season, a time when we exchange gifts, but more than that, we exchange joy and love and peace. Even if family is far away, or near at hand, the message of the angels still rings within our hearts and minds. The close ones give us hugs; the far ones send their love via Zoom or other electronic means. A feeling of gratitude and joy permeates the places where we live. The expressions of love warm our hearts. 

The feeling of joy far outweighs the feeling of being blue. Yes, the angels may not be here physically, but the words of the angels ring loudly as we celebrate the coming of God Incarnate. Thanks be to God for bringing this precious message of gladness and joy.

GilbertG  25-12-26/27