It’s Friday, but Sunday is Coming
Listen: “I Still Believe” by The Call
On April 2, 2021, I held my first event for Spirituality Adventures. It was the first time I had spoken in front of an audience in over two years (with the exception of a couple of small groups). I was nervous, but it felt like the right timing. I wanted to do it on Good Friday because the message I had on my heart was thematically tied to Good Friday.
I wasn’t sure if anybody would show up for a ticketed event with me speaking. However, I was overwhelmed by grace-filled people who attended the event to show support for me. The room was filled with love and grace. It was a beautiful experience.
Jessica Harp started off the evening with a thirty minute song set from her previous albums. I was so grateful to have Jessica perform at the event. I had always wanted to do something with her. After Jessica performed, I shared briefly about my vision for Spirituality Adventures, which is to ignite spiritual growth and transformation through blogs, podcasts, teaching series, events, and pastoral care. Derrison Palea performed a spoken word poem before I delivered my message.
In my message, I communicated three things: (1) I shared my story, focusing on my recent struggle with addiction, doubt, shame, and darkness; (2) I shared Jesus’ experience of abandonment, doubt, and darkness as he hung on the cross and quoted from Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”; and (3) I shared a message of hope rooted in the deep truth of the resurrection story. I wanted people to know that questions and doubt are part of the faith journey, and that shame can be healed through the love of grace-filled people.
Despite all the darkness and shame that I have gone through, I still have hope—hope that is rooted in the resurrection—hope that a new day will dawn and spring will bring forth new life. I still have hope for healing—hope that our emotional wounds and scars will one day feel no pain. I still have hope for grace—hope that our imperfections will tell a beautifully flawed story. I still have hope for true love—hope that our deepest needs for love and belonging will be fulfilled. I still have hope for new beginnings—hope that our past failures and sufferings will not be our final legacy. I still have hope for redemption—hope that our deepest fears will be swallowed up in faith. I still have hope that in any given moment all that we need is available.
When I was a young pastor, I would listen to sermons from some of my favorite African-American preachers. Sometimes their messages captured me with poetry, rhythm, cadence, and deep truth articulated with power and passion. I ended my message with one of my favorite Good Friday sermons by the preacher S. M. Lockridge entitled “It’s Friday.” Here are his words:
It’s Friday…
Jesus is praying
Peter is sleeping
Judas is betraying
…but Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
Pilate is struggling
The counsel is conspiring
The crowd is vilifying
…They don’t even know that Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
The disciples are running like sheep without a shepherd
Mary is crying
Peter is denying
…but they don’t know that Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
The Romans beat my Jesus
They robe him in scarlet
They crown him with thorns
…but they don’t know that Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
See Jesus walking to Calvary
His blood dripping
His body stumbling
And his spirit burdened
…but you see, it’s only Friday, Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
The world is winning
People are sinning
And evil is grinning
It’s Friday…
The soldiers nailed my savior’s hands to the cross
They nailed my savior’s feet to the cross
And then they raised him up next to criminals
It’s Friday, but let me tell you something, Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
The disciples are questioning what has happened to their king
The pharisees are celebrating
That their scheming has been achieved
…but they don’t know it’s only Friday, Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
He’s hanging on the cross
Feeling forsaken by his Father
Left alone and dying
Can nobody save him?
…Oh, it’s Friday, but Sunday is coming
It’s Friday…
The earth trembles
The sky grows dark
My king yields his spirit
It’s Friday…
Hope is lost
Death has won
Sin has conquered
And Satan’s just a laughing
It’s Friday…
Jesus is buried
A soldier stands guard
And a rock is rolled into place
But it’s Friday, it’s only Friday…
…Sunday is coming!
Shalom
©realfredherron, 2021
