Weekend starts with Good Friday

Marisa O’Neil

This weekend marks one of the most holy in the Christian calendar and

local churches are marking it as both a somber and joyous time.

In Newport-Mesa, churches are presenting traditional liturgical

services as well as dramatic re-creations of Christ’s last days.

Today, Good Friday, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and Easter

Sunday services will celebrate the resurrection.

“Good Friday is a time for us to look back at Jesus and what he

did on our behalf,” said Tim Celek, pastor of the Crossing church in

Costa Mesa. “It’s also a time to look forward. It’s both a time for

reflection and celebration.”

Though “Good Friday” may sound like a puzzling name for the

holiday, Christians focus on the good that came from Christ’s

sacrifice for his faithful followers.

“Even though it’s mournful and sad, it is manifestly a good thing

he died for us,” said the Rev. Stephen Scarlett from St. Matthew’s

Anglican Church in Newport Beach. “We can experience that with a

feeling of joy and victory knowing it’s a good thing.”

At St. Matthew’s Maundy Thursday service, the altar was stripped

and the sacraments of bread and wine removed to represent Christ’s

betrayal, and will be returned in the Good Friday service and Sunday

communion, Scarlett said. The Harbor Christian Church and St. Mark

Presbyterian Church, both in Newport Beach, celebrated the evening

with a re-creation of the Last Supper, when Christ was betrayed.

Tonight, many churches will read the story of Christ’s last hours.

Some, like the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Costa Mesa,

will present full reenactments.

Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” has brought more

attention to the story and exposed it to people who might not

otherwise know the details of Christ’s brutal murder.

“[The movie] focused on the pain and suffering and didn’t give any

explanation of what it was all about,” said the Rev. Paul Bradley

from Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach. “He went through the

suffering inflicted by humanity because he wanted to give us eternal

life, unity and solidarity with him.”

On Easter Sunday, churches will celebrate Christ’s resurrection

with special services that take on a more joyous tone. Christ Church

by the Sea United Methodist Church will have a sunrise service on the

beach.

Many of the traditions celebrated in the services at the Roman

Catholic, Episcopal and Anglican churches are based on rites used for

the past 1,000 years, Scarlett said.

But the other, secular icons traditionally associated with Easter

-- eggs and bunnies -- may trace their roots back to early religions.

Pagan religions, Scarlett said, had spring festivals that celebrated

nature’s rebirth.

“We see the resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of that

theme, of the annual cycle of nature” he said. “Nature dies and is

reborn every year. Jesus died and is reborn eternally.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.