Good Friday

Tonight the four of us went to a Good Friday service at our church. We had already been through an Easter Egg hunt and baseball and limited amounts of sugar, so we were unsure of what to expect. Both kids did really well though, enjoying the music and listening to the readings during the family service.

We'd discussed Easter several times in the last week, making sure both kids understood the importance of both Good Friday and Easter. We talked about how sad Jesus' friends and family must have been on Friday, but how even Jesus knew that His death had to happen...it's what He was sent to do. And then we talked about how cool it was that God loves us so much that He would do whatever needed to be done to save us from our sins.

This was a really really cool stepping stone for Eli. He's enjoyed his elementary kid 'service' this year (they have worship and a sermon and everything), and he's gotten so much out of it. Add to that his love for reading his Action Bible, and Eli knows a lot about the Word. There were several opportunities for me to discuss Good Friday and Easter with Eli during the service, but I had no idea how he'd react. The first opportunity came when we were invited to find a poster around the room with words/sins and use red paint to cover them up. We were urged to find one that we struggled with most: internal sins of the heart (greed, jealousy, resentment), external sins (stealing, abuse, etc.) or another which is totally escaping me right now. I knelt down and whispered into Eli's ear, explaining what everyone around us was doing. Then I asked him if he wanted to participate. He did, so I then asked him which sin he wanted to ask God to help him with most right now, and I told him which one I struggled with. He told me "hitting", which isn't something he does a lot of, but he knows how seriously we take it. So we walked back to the poster that contained the word "fighting" and Eli painted a red cross over that word. Very cool.

The next opportunity came in the form of communion. I don't think we've had Eli take it before as it's something I've never really formalized my opinion on (regarding someone who might not realize the weight of the sacrament). So as people gathered, I hung back with Eli, again explaining things in his ear. I talked to him about what everyone was thinking about when they went up to accept communion, and I talked to him about what an honor and responsibility it was. He told me that he wanted to participate again, so off we went. Once we took our wafer and juice, I had him kneel down with me on the step. Then I told him that as he took part, it was a time to talk with Jesus about how thankful he was to have Him in his life. He could also talk to him about struggles, or praises, or anything he wanted. I asked Eli if he wanted to pray with me and he said no. Then I asked him if he wanted to pray out loud or in his head and, of course, he said in his head. Then I asked if he wanted me to pray out loud so he could hear and he said no. I bowed my head and quickly prayed, unsure of what Eli would do. When I opened my eyes he was holding his juice and looking straight forward, not noticing me at all. After about 30-seconds, his spell broke and he consumed the bread and juice. Oh to know what he was saying to God.....

Finally, we had an opportunity to write our names on a small paper and place it into hold drilled into a large wooden cross. This was to symbolize us recognizing that we belong to Jesus, and the cross. Just as before, we discussed and Eli asked to participate. Amazing, unforgettable, and awesome.... How lucky am I to be part of the journey Eli is on.