Good Friday- Visiting the Scene

Instead of writing a post pontificating on the significance of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion (I'm trying to finish my Easter sermon today), I'm simply going to post some photos from Greek Orthodox Calvary Chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem- the place that has been venerated as the sight of Jesus' crucifixion and Resurrection for at least seventeen centuries.

 However you choose to remember this day, I hope you have a blessed Easter experience.

Good Friday Meditation

I've been pondering the significance of Lent this year and what the purpose of a Lenten fast really is. Denying myself something like coffee or chocolate for a certain period of time is a good discipline, I suppose, but I don't really feel like I'm growing closer to understanding the suffering of Jesus through doing it.

But how do we really get in touch with Jesus' suffering without going to extreme lengths like these guys in the Philippines who have themselves crucified every year? Plus, I'm not sure that's the point, either.

At its most basic level, I take the story of Jesus' passion and death to be a demonstration of how God experiences everything that human beings experience, and by going through these things and coming out on the other side, we know that all the pain of this life ends, but life itself does not.

The Gethsemane part of the passion story has always been very meaningful to me because it's easier to see myself in this story. I've never known extreme physical suffering, but I do know what it is to have crippling anxiety and deep, painful loneliness. I can also see myself in the shoes of Peter, James, and John, being so oblivious to how a friend is hurting that it's like I'm asleep in their hour of need, only to realize how badly I've screwed up after the fact.

So on this Good Friday, I'm using a song by Eli (one of the few Christian artists who isn't afraid to sing about what people really go through, and not just sing "Jesus is my Boyfriend" songs), called "King of the Hill", and it's enhanced with some images from Mel Gibsons Passion of the Christ.



I hope this enhances your experience of this holy day in some small way.

Stations of the Cross

Tonight we celebrated Good Friday by walking the Stations of the Cross. I know this is something Protestants don't often do, but we thought we'd take advantage of worshipping in a Roman Catholic space where the stations are along the walls of the sanctuary.



Over the traditional rendering of each station is an additional piece of artwork (created by the lovely and talented Jessica Kelley) representing the emotional impact of each station. We photographed them after tonight's service, and they will remain through Easter Sunday. Come see them in person if you're in the Clarksville area this weekend!

Station 1- Jesus is Condemned by Pilate


the words on the surface of the water in the bowl are a selection of the sins of humanity for which Jesus died

Station 2- Jesus is given his cross

Station 3- Jesus falls for the first time

Station 4- Jesus meets his Mother

Station 5- Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

Station 6- Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 

Tradition says that the cloth Veronica used to wipe Jesus' face retained his image, creating one of the treasures of the early church. We used this one to remind ourselves that we are all created in the image of God, and are called to serve as his representatives in the world.

Station 7- Jesus falls the second time

Station 8- Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem

Station 9- Jesus falls the third time

Station 10- Jesus is stripped of his garment

Station 11- Jesus is nailed to the cross

Station 12- Jesus dies on the cross

Station 13a 

In the Catholic tradition, this station recalls Jesus being removed from the cross and being mourned, usually by his mother, we made a slightly different choice, as you will see in a moment)

Station 13b- Jesus is laid in the tomb

Station 14 (wide shot)- we thought it would be cool to have this one on the altar

Station 14 (close-up)- The Empty Tomb

Our final station ends with the Resurrection, because Jesus' death is not the end of the story, and Sin, Evil, and Death do not have the last word.