Good Friday, 2021

It is Good Friday, the first time that I have Good Friday off in years.  Long ago, when I first started teaching in South Florida, we had both major Jewish holidays and major Christian holidays off.  Now, my county's community college does not celebrate any of them by giving a holiday.

If you were hoping that I would write a special reflection for Good Friday in a time of rising violence, Good Friday in the same week that the murder trial of the officer who is accused of killing George Floyd, I have written just such a reflection; see this post on my theology blog.

I am writing a bit later than usual because I slept a bit later and went for a walk and baked bread.  I had been thinking about how I used to celebrate Good Friday, and I remembered making hot cross buns back when I had just bought The Laurel's Kitchen Breadbook at the Book Warehouse.  I remembered buying currants at the Fresh Market, back when they had a bulk section that rivaled the one that the health food store had.  So I decided to adapt the recipe, using white flour and chopped raisins and dried cranberries.

Of course, I forgot that I was making hot cross buns.  My spouse came up with a way to capture the spirit of the bread by creating a cross for the whole loaf:

Oh what fun we could have, thinking about the spirit of the bread, the Holy Spirit, the sacrament.  Maybe I'll think more about these ideas during our lectio divina.

At noon, I will lead a session of lectio divina by way of a Zoom session.  All are welcome; if you want to join us, here's how to join:

Have you ever wanted to experience lectio divina? Have you been wanting a contemplative experience to enrich your Lent, Easter, and Pentecost? At noon today, Kristin Berkey-Abbott will lead a session of lectio divina virtually--we will contemplate Good Friday. What might God be saying to us in the text, the hymn, and a short guided meditation?

If the technology works in our favor, we will meet by way of Zoom, and it will be recorded later for those who can't join live.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://broward-edu.zoom.us/j/94456448856

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Meeting ID: 944 5644 8856

Passcode: 971996

In the past, for most Good Fridays of my life, I would have attended church in the traditional way, by going to a service in a building.  This year, we're doing a pre-recorded service, which I'll watch this afternoon or evening.

My spouse will spend Friday night teaching his class at the community college that no longer observes Good Friday as a holiday.  He's teaching from the back bedroom, and I'll be in the front bedroom, doing some writing and taking time along the way to contemplate the mysteries.