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Reviewed by Andrew D. Kinsey, Senior Pastor of Community United Methodist Church, Vincennes, Indiana. Thank God It’s Friday: Encountering the Seven Last Words of Christ by William H. Willimon, foreword by Marva J. Dawn “It isn’t too late to begin planning for Lent and Holy Week!” “And what do we do about Easter and Pentecost?” “But we haven’t made it through Advent and Christmas!” These observations may sound alarmist to both clergy and laity, but the fact is that preparations for Lent and Holy Week will arrive before we can blow out the last candle on Christmas Eve. The Christian Year has a way of helping us to mark time whether we are ready or not! As a wise professor of homiletics once told a group of wanna-be-preachers: the Holy Spirit doesn’t frown upon preparation, no matter what time it is! That wise professor was Fred Craddock, a professor many preachers have turned to for guidance. His thoughtful treatises on the art of preaching have provided a great deal of grist for the homiletical mill. Preparation is a preacher’s friend and ally, not to mention a gentle reminder Sunday is on the way. Now put Bishop William Willimon in line for a timely word on preparation. Former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and Professor of Ministry at the Divinity School, and presently bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, Willimon gives preachers (and the whole church) a thought-provoking work on a liturgical-theological topic many would like to avoid, let alone prepare: Good Friday. Willimon’s new book of sermons and prayers on the last seven words of Christ on the cross comes at a time when most have been focusing on silent nights and New Year’s resolutions. Given the challenges with planning during the church year, Willimon’s piece offers a way to look ahead to a darker and more ominous night on Calvary. Again, the Holy Spirit doesn’t frown upon preparation! The book itself is divided into seven chapters, each commenting on the last words of Jesus from the cross. A Foreword (or Forewarning) by Marva Dawn introduces the main corpus. An Afterward (by Willimon) gives readers an opportunity to delve into the theology of the cross at greater depth. Indexes for Names and Scriptures help readers to locate authors and biblical references. The seven last words provide the substance of the book: The First Word – Luke 23:32-38 The Second Word – Luke 23:39-43 The Third Word – John 19: 26-27 The Fourth Word – Matthew 27: 45-49 The Fifth Word – John 19:28-29 The Sixth Word – John 19:30 The Seventh Word – Luke 23:46-49 Like other works Willimon has written, the present volume serves as a touchstone for theological reflection and pastoral ministry. In typical Willimon fashion, there is always food for thought. The twist of phrase, the wit, the humor – all challenge readers to deal with the crux of the church’s proclamation: the cross. Ruminating on the Second Word, for example, we realize that the Paradise of which Jesus speaks is not so much a place we go someday as much as it is a relationship we enter today (p. 20). Wherever we are with Jesus we enter Paradise (p. 20). How this may play in the Wednesday morning Bible Study we can only imagine. The sting is meant to sting. As he goes on to state with respect to Jesus’ Third Word, we must “never forget that a major justification for the crucifixion of Jesus was the company he kept” (p. 35). And that includes his friends. The preacher will find much to consider as Holy Week approaches. It is with Lent and Holy Week in mind that many in the local church may want to use Willimon’s book as small group study guide or devotional tool. Throughout, readers will find references to events which have called for theological depth of insight. For example, how do we as the church in the United States think theologically about Hurricane Katrina? How do we reflect theologically about violence and terror, genocide and poverty, race and gender? What is the church’s witness amidst political and religious polarization? Willimon’s work, of course, does not offer a concrete program or agenda, but it can prompt timely discussion. (A set of questions at the end of each chapter would have helped in this regard.) But there are other points worth mentioning about Willimon’s work. First, while Willimon certainly sets forth to wake us from our mainline slumbers, he also raises a concern: how far can wit and sarcasm go before it leads to paralysis? That is, where is the line between prophetic critique and sarcastic cynicism? Willimon is a master of the phrase and punch line, and his grasp of the biblical material is astute. The church has benefited greatly over the years because Willimon has said what others did not, or would not, say. And yet, is there a point at which sardonic wit can leave us wondering if God really wants to use such sinful creatures as us? To be sure, our record is anything but good. History is littered with misdeeds and messes. And yet, we look to the preacher to point out how God can turn the worst into a sliver of hope. I would surmise that most people in the pews know this to be true. They know how messed up the world and their lives are. And what they are looking for is an honest, yet hopeful, word, a word in the midst of tragedy that calls for a kind of pastoral and theological engagement that goes beyond the cynical and witty, that goes to the heart of Christ’s love for us. This point is important. It is important, as Willimon shares, because we live in a deeply broken family. And though the church is our primary family as a result of baptism, we remain within the pull of our biological families. We remain in a tug-of-war with mother-and-daughter, brother-and-sister, father-and-son (Matt. 10:35). Loyalties remain divided when Christ comes on the scene. To be sure, the struggle continues to this day. And yet, in the midst of a culture that fragments families with one more thing to do, how will the preacher share a word from the Lord calling families to serve and share in the love of the Crucified? The family values debate not withstanding, how will the preacher stand in the pulpit and share about the family? Turning sister against brother? Turning mother against son? Most pastors deal with these conflicts on a daily basis. What we may need, then, is not another sermon that lays on more loyalties (the gospel will supply that grease on its own) but an approach to the sermon that realizes how complex the situation is for families. Yes, the church is our true family, but our true families also remain with us as well, huddled beneath crosses this society has not fully found the words to name. Willimon’s work reminds us all that Jesus’ words still speak and call forth the witness to which we all have been pleased to prepare.
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