how do non-Catholics commemorate Good Friday

  • Thread starter Thread starter exiled
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

exiled

Guest
Just curious if there are any traditions, or “rituals” followed. I’m particularly interested in what “Bible Christians” do, as a friend of mine thinks almost anything I do is a meaningless “ritual”. I went by a Baptist Church on my was to Good Friday service, and I saw that the cross on the front of their lawn had a black sash, as opposed to the purple one that has been there since Lent began.
How can any protestant denominations reject so many Catholic spiritual exercises as meaningless, but then latch on to some and say that somehow those ones have meaning?
 
exiled said:
Just curious if there are any traditions, or “rituals” followed. I’m particularly interested in what “Bible Christians” do, as a friend of mine thinks almost anything I do is a meaningless “ritual”. I went by a Baptist Church on my was to Good Friday service, and I saw that the cross on the front of their lawn had a black sash, as opposed to the purple one that has been there since Lent began.
How can any protestant denominations reject so many Catholic spiritual exercises as meaningless, but then latch on to some and say that somehow those ones have meaning?
Click to expand...
If you can count JWs as “Bible Christians”, they don’t exactly commemorate Good Friday per say, but do have a commemoration of the last supper and Jesus’ death on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. However, they do not celebrate his resurrection as the rest of us Crhistians do.
 
Hi,

We have the purple sash and a crown of thorns on the cross. We have a Good Friday service at 7:30pm. The minister talks about what would probably be equal to the stations of the cross in the CC.

I believe though tonight we have a gentleman coming who is going to talk about the shroud(SP?)that they found that they think is Jesus’s.
👍
 
yessisan said:
If you can count JWs as “Bible Christians”, they don’t exactly commemorate Good Friday per say, but do have a commemoration of the last supper and Jesus’ death on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. However, they do not celebrate his resurrection as the rest of us Crhistians do.
Click to expand...
I forgot to add that they have a 30-45 minute speech with bible verses that “confirm” JWs have “earthly” hope. Then they pass around their unleavened bread on a plate and their wine in a cup so everyone can touch the plate and cup. But no one can partake on this unless they have “heavenly” hope. THey read more verses and say that after this was done Jesus was taken to be killed on a stake.

Then they sing and say a prayer to Jehovah and that’s about it. It lasts from 45 minutes to an hour…
 
ALLFORHIM said:
Hi,

We have the purple sash and a crown of thorns on the cross. We have a Good Friday service at 7:30pm. The minister talks about what would probably be equal to the stations of the cross in the CC.

I believe though tonight we have a gentleman coming who is going to talk about the shroud(SP?)that they found that they think is Jesus’s.
👍
Click to expand...
The shroud is simply amazing. I’m fairly certain that the blood on the shroud is related exactly to the blood of the Host from the Eucharistic miracle at Lanciano.

Anyways, when I was a United Methodist all they did on Good Friday was read a few scripture passages and tell us that Christ died for us and we should accept him as our saviour.

In Pax Christi
Andrew
 
I just went to a Baptist Good Friday service, and here’s what they did.

They had the sanctuary windows and doors covered in black paper, so as not to let the light in. They had candles lit everywhere. The choir was sitting on the (altar? stage? not sure what they call it) facing the congregation. They walked us through the Passion through song and narrations. Every now and then they would ring a bell and more candles would be snuffed out. Finally they had one candle burning in the entire sanctuary. A minister gave a heartfelt sermon saying he was there when they cruicified him. It’s like he drove the nails in, as Christ died for HIS sins. They sang an emotional song, and read that Christ died, and snuffed out the last candle. We all walked out in silence. It was the most moving thing I’ve ever witnessed. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.
 
During a my Protestant years, I never had a church service on Good Friday. Good Friday was an enigma as Hanukkah was.
 
In my church (Methodist), every Good Friday, the church is open from noon to 3 p.m.
Our choir director plays the organ, very beautifully, very quietly.
The kneelers that we use for Holy Communion are down, and the doors of the church are open.
Anyone who wishes may come in, and kneel & pray. Or just pray sitting in a pew. You may stay as long as you like, or can find time for…

We have Christians of all different churches who come in…My church is one of only 2 in town, & the only one open, so everyone who wants to pray during the hours that Jesus spent on the cross, is welcome to use this opportunity to pray.
 
exiled said:
Just curious if there are any traditions, or “rituals” followed. I’m particularly interested in what “Bible Christians” do, as a friend of mine thinks almost anything I do is a meaningless “ritual”. I went by a Baptist Church on my was to Good Friday service, and I saw that the cross on the front of their lawn had a black sash, as opposed to the purple one that has been there since Lent began.
How can any protestant denominations reject so many Catholic spiritual exercises as meaningless, but then latch on to some and say that somehow those ones have meaning?
Click to expand...
There may be Protestants who do not have any special services for Good Friday, but all of the ones I know do have services at their churches. I don’t know if services on Good Friday are becoming more common amongst Protestants or less common. I would not be surprised if more Protestants started having services though, since “The Passion of the Christ” movie was just as well-attended by Protestants as by Catholics. The movie probably led more Christians (Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox) to reconsider and/or reaffirm many old traditions.
 
Zooey said:
In my church (Methodist), every Good Friday, the church is open from noon to 3 p.m.
Our choir director plays the organ, very beautifully, very quietly.
The kneelers that we use for Holy Communion are down, and the doors of the church are open.
Anyone who wishes may come in, and kneel & pray. Or just pray sitting in a pew. You may stay as long as you like, or can find time for…

We have Christians of all different churches who come in…My church is one of only 2 in town, & the only one open, so everyone who wants to pray during the hours that Jesus spent on the cross, is welcome to use this opportunity to pray.
Click to expand...
Hello Zooey!

I was so interested in if your Church closes at 3:00 because of any reason.

Would I be assuming things to imagine its because that is the time that is believed to be when Christ died for us on the Cross?

PS- I was very touched reading your post. You are blessed to be in a good Church as you are.

And, I have read some of your posts, and find you to be a very pleasant and refreshing perspective. You speak with the Holy Spirit in your heart and it shows.

Thank you for your excellent Christian witness here. Even if we disagree in some matters, I find you to be in every single way a person I would like to learn from in many ways.

God be with you and yours.
 
I was so interested in if your Church closes at 3:00 because of any reason.
Click to expand...
Would I be assuming things to imagine its because that is the time that is believed to be when Christ died for us on the Cross?
Click to expand...
That is indeed the reason…🙂

I do feel greatly blessed to have the church that I have. I especially love the fact that we are able to interact in peace & Christian love with the other churches in the area.:yup:
 
I am Episcopalian and I believe that our stations of the cross would be almost identical to yours remembering back to when I was Catholic. Our priest and his wife who is also a priest wore black vestments and walked around with the cross and a candle to each station. On the station where Jesus dies on the cross, we all sang Were You There while a woman from the altar guild changed the vestments in the sanctuary from purple to black.
 
boppaid said:
I just went to a Baptist Good Friday service, and here’s what they did.

They had the sanctuary windows and doors covered in black paper, so as not to let the light in. They had candles lit everywhere. The choir was sitting on the (altar? stage? not sure what they call it) facing the congregation. They walked us through the Passion through song and narrations. Every now and then they would ring a bell and more candles would be snuffed out. Finally they had one candle burning in the entire sanctuary. A minister gave a heartfelt sermon saying he was there when they cruicified him. It’s like he drove the nails in, as Christ died for HIS sins. They sang an emotional song, and read that Christ died, and snuffed out the last candle. We all walked out in silence. It was the most moving thing I’ve ever witnessed. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.
Click to expand...
That sounds amazing.
 
In Orthodoxy we have Evening Prayer with veneration of the plaschanitsa (плащаница) copied of cloth of body of Christ in Tomb. This is carried by priest and men throughout church to the “little tomb” where people are to bow to ground and kiss the plachanitsa.

 
Volodymyr said:
In Orthodoxy we have Evening Prayer with veneration of the plaschanitsa (плащаница) copied of cloth of body of Christ in Tomb. This is carried by priest and men throughout church to the “little tomb” where people are to bow to ground and kiss the plachanitsa.

http://www.pravmir.ru/uploads/resize_of_file0075.jpg
Click to expand...
I saw an Orthodox Good Friday procession one year. It was a year that Eastern and Western Easter were different days. So I was at a coffeehouse with friends. We were sitting outside as the procession went past us. This was in an older neighbourhood in Cleveland where several Greek and Russian Orthodox parishes are located and they get together to do a huge procession. It was very beautiful and moving to witness.
 
For some years all the Christian denominations have had a joint walk of witness carrying the cross through the shopping centre praying and singing hymns. I have found it to be a moving experience we give out palm crosses with a message of hope attached.

It is such a wonderful feeling that Christ is present amongst us; as we are gathered in remembrance of him.

Eric
 
Eric_Hyom said:
For some years all the Christian denominations have had a joint walk of witness carrying the cross through the shopping centre praying and singing hymns. I have found it to be a moving experience we give out palm crosses with a message of hope attached.

It is such a wonderful feeling that Christ is present amongst us; as we are gathered in remembrance of him.

Eric
Click to expand...
That is beautiful. :heaven: :amen: :blessyou:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top