Check out my most recent poem "Intermingle". Let me know what you think of when you read it. What images/ideas come to mind?
I was thinking about this last Easter recently. Easter always lingers in my mind quite a while afterwards. Like a good wine in the nasal passages. But more spiritual than alcoholic. You might know that for the past two years I've put together an "event" called Stations of the Cross at our church during the week before Easter. Let me briefly summarize what Stations of the Cross is.
The Stations of the Cross (also known as Way of Sorrows; Via Dolorosa; Way of the Cross…) is a tradition generally associated with Catholicism. The tradition has been traced back to St. Francis of Assisi. Originally, the Stations of the Cross were only located in Jerusalem. To this day pilgrims make the journey to the city to walk along the same path Jesus walked in his final hours. Walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem you would stop at several “stations” along the road which commemorate such events as “Where Christ was Condemned”, “His Third Fall”, and “Jesus Nailed to the Cross”.
As such a pilgrimage used to be impossible for most of the world's believers, Stations of the Cross began to be erected all over the world. Churches were built with stations as part of the church design and floor plan. More recently, churches have begun erecting temporary Stations of the Cross particularly around Easter time.
In essence, the object of Stations of the Cross is to provide a space in which the faithful can make a spiritual pilgrimage, as it were, through the scenes and events of Christ’s suffering & death. It is a somber journey of reflection and meditation on Christ's suffering. The Stations are a series of devotionals which enable us to take up our cross alongside Jesus and follow Him down the Way of Sorrows. I've heard of many people who have experienced Jesus RIGHT THERE with them as they walked through the stations.
The Stations I have been erecting are temporary (only available at the church during the week approaching Easter Sunday). The Stations do not actually include any reference to the resurrection of Jesus. The events of his suffering up to the grave are depicted. This is purposeful. The Stations have traditionally only marked the events of Jesus’ final hours up to his crucifixion and are often observed on Good Friday—a somber day on the Christian calendar. Essentially, when you leave the final station you are leaving the grave site of Jesus’ body in anticipation of the celebration of His resurrection Easter morning.
Over the next week or two I am going to post the Stations of the Cross text and images I used during this past Easter/Holy Week event. I hope you will use it as a devotional. There will be references to actions that you will not be able to perform. However, do your best to understand what that action would require emotionally, mentally, physically.
A word to those who receive this as an email...in order to experience the devotions fully it will be necessary to visit the blog site. There will be images that will enhance your reading of the words.
I've included various pictures mostly of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. Above are photos of groups walking the Via Dolorosa. To the right is a picture of part of the Via Dolorosa looking toward the "Condemnation Chapel" (which apparently has absolutely nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus by Pilate).
Below is a photo of a relief in a rock wall found at Station #8 in Jerusalem.
Worshippers in one of the many chapels (a.k.a. station) visited along the Way.
The left picture is of an Israeli soldier providing security along a portion of the Via Dolorosa. The last photo was taken at the Western Wall (otherwise known as the Wailing Wall)
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