Stations of the Cross – Stations of the Resurrection

One aspect of the Christian faith that I appreciate is that it takes seriously the reality of suffering and evil in our world. This is especially true during Lent as we approach the central observations of our faith - Holy Week and Easter – the death and resurrection of Jesus. The unitive event of the death and resurrection of Jesus is the portal through which we enter into the mystery of God’s promise of new life, in this life and the next.  Several devotional practices help us enter more fully into that mystery. The Stations of the Cross and the Stations of the Resurrection are two of those practices.

The Stations of the Cross has its roots in the 12th century when medieval peoples who could not make a trip to the Holy Land developed other ways of embarking on pilgrimage in order to walk in the way of Jesus, especially in his last days on earth. The Stations of the Cross provides a container for lament—an opportunity to voice before God directly our own sorrow so that we can acknowledge the reality of suffering without fear, blame, denial or despair. This bold acknowledgment provides the way for us to move from the Stations of the Cross to the Stations of the Resurrection which was developed in the 20th century as a reminder of the Way beyond the cross. The Stations of the Resurrection allow us to lay claim to the power of the resurrection and the ongoing presence of God in our lives and in the world around us. These two practices help us travel from Way of Sorrow to the Way of Light, from sadness to joy, from bondage to freedom, from death to life.

On Sundays 9-10 am we will explore these Stations – the history, Scriptural references, the extra-Scriptural references and the symbols. We also will reflect on how the Stations give voice to the reality of suffering and joy in the news, in our neighborhoods and in our own lives.  Please join us on this journey!