Offered by long time member "Hilary"
Way of the Cross Good Friday
We do a Way of the Cross on Good Friday every year for all ages. Those who can not walk around stay in the church and hear the same Scriptures and do the same prayers while everyone else moves around the building and outside. Families have taken turns leading a station and putting their own "mark" on it with their own prayers etc. It is a very sensory event: hands-on, smell, sight and touch are all required. Between stations, we sing as we carry a large cross, some chant from Taize or "Were You There". One year children collected a small picture of eg.the bread and wine, the rooster, crown of thorns which they could use to retell the story at home, sticking on a "map" of the journey Jesus took. Stations include: Jesus is Condemned, the denial by Peter, Jesus Carries his Cross, Simon of Cyrene, Jesus is Crucified, Jesus is buried, the promise of Easter. Some stations lend themselves to different voices reading the scriptures, some involved a meditation on our sin and pray for the needs at local, national and international levels. It is always very moving. We finish with drinks and hot cross buns together.
Some of the activities:
- making small crosses from wood or twigs to carry and take home as a reminder
- reading news headlines and pinning them on the cross
- hammering large nails into the cross
- putting spices on a picture of Jesus and placing it in the tomb
- having a small fire outside for the courtyard scene
Perhaps this gives some of you some inspiration!
Blessings,
Hilary
