Churches enjoy return to normal Good Friday fellowship

Christian leaders basked in the promise of hope yesterday as for the first time since 2020, they were able to gather in large numbers to celebrate Good Friday, reflecting on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for mankind.

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus, coming at the end of Lent, a solemn period reflecting on His 40 days of fasting in the desert and enduring temptation.

For the last two yeas, much of the events had to be curtailed as COVID-19 restrictions relegated most worshippers to partake in services virtually.

With the lifting of restrictions on gathering last month, Reverend Linval Francis, pastor of the Longville Park Church of God in Clarendon, welcomed the chance for a deeper reflection and to better fellowship this year.

“This year, Good Friday was more meaningful in comparison to the period of restriction because the physical gathering gives you the opportunity to see each other in the real sense. Ultimately, the countenance of one brightens the countenance of another. Proverbs 27:17 depicts it quite nicely, ‘As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend’,” said Francis.

He added that meeting in the physical space on a regular basis with other believers provides a source of encouragement and strength.

“No worship experience is more beautiful and fulfilling than meeting in this fashion in the presence of God and the presence of believers. One can appreciate the saying of God in Hebrews 10:25: ‘Let us not neglect the assembly of meeting together’.”

For Reverend Garry Knowles, who leads the Toll Gate Circuit of Baptist Churches in Clarendon, while coming together physically was anticipated, virtual Good Friday services gave his team an opportunity to tap deeper emotions with audiovisual presentations of the Crucifixion of Christ.

“We were online last year, so we were able to use some amount of videos from YouTube and presentations, which gave a little more ‘Good Friday’ feeling, but [today], we just focused on the stories of His trial and crucifixion,” he said.

Knowles said that the pandemic yielded a positive for his congregation as he was able to reach more people with the gospel.

While returning to physical worship, he said that the church has decided to continue having virtual services to facilitate worshippers outside of Jamaica and continue growing.

Reverend Dr Zebulah Aiken of Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God of Prophecy in Clarendon was equally joyful.

“It feels great to be able to see our brethren coming out in their numbers to fellowship. However, we are still cautious about hugging, [and] we still do the elbow greetings. We don’t discourage mask wearing, [because] the DRMA might be over, but safety is still the best way forward,” he said, referring to COVID-19 orders and protocols.

Congregant Carol Officer said she had no problem wearing a mask.

“It’s an awesome feeling [to gather physically]. However, I will still wear my mask because I’m still not comfortable, seeing that other countries are having outbreaks,” she told The Gleaner.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com