As a Baptist, Good Friday is something we never really celebrate too much. Sure we have the occasional Good Friday service, and most of us think about the significance of the day. But, overall we tend to shy away from celebrating it too much. We have liturgical phobia. The Baptist church was born out of other denominations which were much more liturgical in how they did things. We tend to reject liturgy because it often leads to dependence on works over grace as a means for salvation.
When I was in Bible college, we were in a very Catholic town. In fact, our campus was purchased from Notre Dame. It used to be some form of a military school or something. We didn't have Good Friday off from classes. We never had any required Good Friday services to attend. All the college did was tell us not to participate in any outdoor activities that day because it would offend the locals.
A lot of Baptists go as far as downplaying the day. They come up with all of these excuses about how it's not mentioned in the Bible, it should actually be on Thursday, etc. This frustrates me. The day Christ paid the punishment for my sins is a day I should hold in reverence. I really couldn't care less what day of the week it was supposed to be. Jesus wasn't born on December 25th either. So what? Without his death on the cross, I would have to pay my own punishment for my sin with eternity in hell.
Our church has a service tonight. I'm not going because my family is here, and we feel the need to spend time with one another at home. However, I'm taking this day very seriously and will be thinking about my Savior's sacrifice throughout the whole day.
If you don't really understand the whole significance of the day, check out Matthew 27. Or, check out this great website: www.needhim.org
If you're still confused, please contact me at melissajrhine(at)gmail(dot)com. I'd love to share my faith with you!
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