The Stations of the Cross
Remembering the Sorrow of JesusThis year we're offering three ways to walk the stations of the cross:
- As always, the stations are framed and posted in the South hallway of the church, with short reflections offered under each piece of art. You are welcome to walk the stations before or after services and events, or set up a time with Pastor Jacob.
- You can take a virtual walk with us, right here. If possible, maybe pull this up on your phone, and take a brief walk between each station, noticing your surroundings.
- Pastor Jacob will post a virtual video walk through the stations at 6 PM on the Wednesday of Holy Week, March 27 on the church Facebook page.
What is Lent?
Join us after church on February 11, for a quick discussion during coffee hour about why we remember Lent, and how to get the most out of these 40 days.Pancake Supper
Before we get Lent started, let's celebrate together one more time with a fun evening of pancakes and fellowship together, Tuesday, February 13 at 6 PM.Ash Wednesday Service
We mark the beginning of Lent together with a prayerful service of Scripture, song, and the imposition of ashes, given by members of our youth group, Wednesday, February 14 at 6 PM.Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Die.
Jesus stands in the most human of places.
He has already experienced solidarity with the oppressed by being beaten and tortured. Now he is wrongfully condemned to punishment by death. His commitment to entering our broken world is staggering.
He has said "yes" to God and placed his life in God's hands. We follow him in this final surrender, and contemplate with reverence each place along the way, as he is broken and given for us.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 2: Jesus Carries His Cross.
Jesus is forced to carry the cross on which he will die.
He carries a weight we may never know. Can you imagine what Christ must have felt as he first took it upon his shoulders?
With each step, Christ enters more deeply into our human experience. He walks in the path of human misery and suffering, experiencing its crushing weight.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 3: Jesus Falls the First Time.
The weight is unbearable, and Jesus falls beneath it.
Christ is so fully God, yet so fully human, enough to trip under the weight of what was broken in His own creation.
The trail meanders on, and sometimes it seems too hard to carry on. Our God understands deeper than we might think.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 4: Jesus Meets His Mother.
God became flesh and dwelled among us. God dwelled here, with a real family, like yours.
Imagine the scene of a weak and tortured man, struggling underneath a cross, suddenly strengthening to console his mother. Imagine a mother who once sang a glorious Magnificat, proclaiming that her little boy was the hope of nations, now watching him march to his death. Imagine the depth of their meeting here, and what their short time together would have meant.
We may not understand the toughest moments in our lives, but Jesus is with us, even there.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 5: Simon Helps Carry the Cross.
In Christ, we never suffer alone.
Just as God provided Simon of Cyrene to bear the load with Christ, God has provided your family, your friends, and your church to carry your cross alongside you.
God has called you to help others carry their crosses as well. May we never be so proud as to live this life alone.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 6: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.
This account is not in Scripture, and may or may not have happened. Nevertheless, consider Jesus' face on the path to Calvary.
Bloodied from a crown of thorns, mocking spit hurled at him from onlookers. The face of God, given for you.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 7: Jesus Falls a Second Time.
Even with help, Jesus stumbles and falls to the ground again.
In deep exhaustion, he stares at the earth beneath him, the dust he created. Jesus hears the crowds jeer and the soldiers laugh.
Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 8: Jesus Passes the Residents of Jerusalem.
Though much public sentiment had turned against him, remember that less than a week ago, the people of Jerusalem had waved palm branches to welcome the Messiah.
Human affection can be fickle, our God is not.
Christ is not distracted, he continues on in his mission of love to redeem even those who mock him.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 9: Jesus Falls a Third Time.
One final time we see Jesus fall under the weight of the cross.
By this point the execution day crowd on a festival weekend has so pressed in that it must hard to move. In this crowd, will we help to bear the load, or will we jeer from a distance?
We may well live a life full of falls, again and again. Christ is with us and understands.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 10: Jesus is Stripped.
The world attempts to strip Jesus of all dignity, casting lots to take his clothes.
Jesus returns to this powerful image of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - perfect, sinless, nothing to hide - the fulfillment and pinnacle of humanity.
Christ is fully vulnerable with us in his perfection, giving all of himself for our good.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 11: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.
"No one takes my life from me. I give it freely." - John 10:18
This is the body of Christ. Broken, bleeding, nailed through, poured out, given... for you.
As the cross is lifted, the weight of Jesus' life hangs on those old nails. Every time he struggles to pull himself up to breathe, it gets harder. God help us.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 12: Jesus Dies on the Cross.
"God forgive them, for they know not what they do." - Luke 23:34
The next few hours are a blur. The crowds come and go. Criminals are placed next to Christ: one follow the Way, the other does not.
The rains come, the earth queakes, the veil is torn. Christ begs that we should be forgiven. Jesus yells "It is finished!" and puts his head down.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 13: Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross.
Our Savior is dead. For now. Was it the Romans? Was it us? Was it simply a gift? It was radical. It was love.
Jesus could have led armies into war, he could have sat on a throne, he could have written a book or become a celebrity.
Instead, Christ taught us truly how to live, and now, he has died for and with us. His body is taken down, prepared for burial in a rush. It seems all hope is lost.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Station 14: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb.
Jesus is quickly laid in the tomb, left alone, and sealed behind an immovable stone.
Born in a feeding trough, the God of all creation is now laid in cave, left to be treated until after the Sabbath.
Mourning. Crying. This death seems final.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.