Homily, Were You There? A Guided Meditation for Good Friday
Good Friday, 2025
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Plant City, FL
The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF
Today’s Lectionary Readings:
As we continue our observance of this Good Friday, I invite you into a guided meditation.
I invite you to find a comfortable but alert position for your body and if you are willing to close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths with me.
Now bring to mind the things
that are burdening you today.
Bring to mind the things about which you are worried.
Bring to mind the things that give you fear and pain and heartache.
What is it in your life that feels too heavy to bear?
It may avoid your gaze for a moment,
but be patient with it,
and welcome here in this sacred place.
Hold it in your mind for just a few seconds.
Feel the weight of it.
Now imagine you are at the gates of Jerusalem.
And you see in front of you Jesus.
He is coming towards you.
And as he draws closer he sees you.
He looks at you and you can see the wrinkles
around his eyes, the sweat on his brow, and the compassion in his face.
And even though you can feel the weight
of all your burdens,
as Jesus’ looks at you, you feel just a bit of hope.
Like somehow it’s going to be better.
You see grace.
As Jesus finally comes to where you are he reaches out and takes your hand
and walks past you, beckoning you to follow.
And so you do.
And as you turn, under the weight of your burdens
and look to see Jesus a few steps ahead of you,
you notice that he is carrying his cross.
It looks heavy and uncomfortable.
Rough and rugged.
But you follow Jesus as he leads.
He carrying his heavy burden, and you carrying yours.
And you walk up the hill together.
Slowly, step by step,
under the pressure of the weight, you walk.
It is crushing.
Your breath is short.
His is too.
Until you finally reach the top.
There is pain here.
You can feel it.
Your own pain. Jesus’ pain. The wounds of the world.
And then, as if it were too much to bear—
There is a final breath.
A stillness. A silence.
Permeated with raw grief.
The weight of your burden does not immediately go away.
But suddenly you notice there on the hill, a tomb.
You enter the dark and damp place and stop.
And there the weight you have been carrying
is laid gently on the ground.
You kneel for a moment beside it.
And then you slowly stand and turn
and walk out of the darkness.
You pause to take a deep, expansive breath.
And a stone is rolled in front of the opening.
Your burden buried and waiting to be transformed.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thoughts on Faith 