by Fleming Rutledge. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN 0-8028-2786-1. Pb. 81 pp. $12.00.
One of the great traditions of the Christian Church is to take time, during Holy Week, to reflect upon the words Jesus spoke from the Cross. Sometimes this happens in a three- hour service on Good Friday, in which the combination of the crucifixion accounts in the four Gospels are read and interpreted in turn. Out of this tradition, Fleming Rutledge has created a series of mediations that are helpful for personal reading, reflection, and devotional use at any time of the year.
The author, the Rev. Dr. Fleming Rutledge, is a widely acclaimed preacher, who for many years served as the preaching pastor of Grace Episcopal Church in New York City. She now devotes her vocational life to a nationwide ministry of preaching, writing, and teaching. A friend in ministry recommended her writings to me, and having begun reading them, I must say that I am hooked and think you will be as well. In this slim volume, she helps the reader reflect upon each of the seven words Jesus said as He died on the cross, from “Father, forgive them” to “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Even the most familiar of these passages receives fresh treatment under Rutledge’s scrutiny. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Rutledge seeks to acquaint the reader with the deep pain and humiliation of crucifixion, making the contrast of Jesus’ words of hope, inspiration, and promise from the cross all the more gripping.
As those who have read her other collections of sermons know, she is a gifted wordsmith, but her engaging words are surpassed by her rock-solid theology. Rutledge might be called a traditionalist; her Christology is high and Presbyterians will find much in it to help elevate their own views of who Jesus is and what His saving work means for us. She does not hesitate to show us the gritty reality of the cross, nor does she eschew disclosing the coarse realities of our own time. For instance, “Sin is not a misdeed here and a misdeed there, but an autonomous, enslaving Power. The Apostle Paul is very clear about this: ‘All human beings,’ he writes, ‘both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin.’ (Rom. 3:9). In our own time, however, we have done our best to get rid of this idea.” (page 42). Contrasted with these are the forceful messages and powerful accomplishments of Christ that make salvation possible for us: “On the Cross, Jesus voluntarily and willingly bowed His head to the power of sin” (page 44).
This book is small but mighty. Each of the meditations concludes with a hymn, some familiar and some new, to assist the reader’s reflection upon each of the Scripture passages. Not only a prized work in itself, this volume could serve as an introduction to all of Rutledge’s books, perhaps the best known of which is The Bible and The New York Times.
John Dalles is pastor of Wekiva Church in Longwood, Fla.
