For the 16th year, the Sunflower County Christian Unified Organization held its Annual Good Friday Service to present the seven last sayings Christ uttered as he hung on the cross at Calvary.
Seven ministers/pastors from across the Delta were called upon to share their particular take on the “words” taken from holy scripture in the New Testament writings of Matthew, Luke and John.
This year, the Rev. David Stevenson spoke on the “first word” and Minister Curtistene S. Davis expounded on the “second word” that dealt with the faith held by the thief who hung beside Jesus on the cross. “He expressed incredible faith in the power of Jesus,” said Davis as she presented her homily.
She expressed that the remark, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,” is a promise made to everyone who will call upon Jesus to “Remember me.”
She asserted that there is hope for everyone who believes in Jesus the Christ. “This man never went to church, he never took communion, he never paid tithes, he never served on the hot fried chicken committee, he was never president of any association.” And Davis added, but God, on that day, had a place prepared for him in heaven because of his faith in Jesus.
Evangelist Betty L. Petty delivered the “third word” and the Rev. Mark S. Buckner spoke on the fourth saying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.” Buckner shared his exhilaration regarding what Good Friday means to him and related it to an everyday experience. He said, “For me it’s exciting because this day is what I know as garbage pick-up day.”
He elucidated on his statement using a sort of parable that alluded to Christ being the one who picked up the garbage out of our lives and stated that on garbage pick-up day he and others get to drag their rubbish to the curb where the Garbage Man can collect it.
He then shared his respect and appreciation for the Garbage Man. “Had it not been for the Garbage Man, our houses would be diseased, our houses would be uninhabitable from the stench and the smell.”
Buckner shared how in times past “garbage pick-up day” existed on a recurring cycle. “The Old Testament believers, over and over again on the Day of Atonement, they would have to bring out their garbage and bring out bullocks, lambs and rams, but one day the Garbage Man came by and picked up all of the garbage.”
Buckner stressed that no one could point fingers at the other. “Because everybody in here, got some garbage in their life, and somebody ought to say thank God for the Garbage Man,” he said. Buckner said his reference might seem elemental, but in the final analysis, “garbage is just garbage.”
The reverends Larry King, Clifford King and Frederick Ford spoke on the fifth, sixth and seventh words respectively and a community-wide mass choir provided song-service for the program.
