Stations of the Cross
What is the Way of the Cross?
The Way of the Cross, or the Stations of the Cross, is an ancient form of prayer remembering the path of Christ leading to the cross and his death. By practicing the Way of the Cross, we embody and mourn our own suffering and the suffering of others by empathizing with the suffering of Jesus on his way to the Cross.
In many ways, the work of the church is the work of social justice. In this time of isolation, it has never been more apparent the impact that the suffering of others has on our lives, our communities and our spirit.
Opening Devotions
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:
In whom is our salvation, our life and resurrection.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus is Condemned to Death
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, “He deserves to die.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
Reflection – Rev. Bonnie Spencer (Priest-in-Charge, Church of the Holy Redeemer) speaking on legislative advocacy.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. What are issues that you feel passionate about? How can they be addressed at their source?
Jesus takes up his Cross
Jesus went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Reflection – Darren Armstrong (Chair, Diocesan Race Task Force) speaking on how allies can take up their cross in the struggle for racial justice.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How do you fit into the struggle for racial justice? What inspiration might you find from Jesus taking up his cross?
Jesus falls the first time
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God.
Reflection – Weston Morris (Colorado Episcopal Service Corps Member) reading a reflection written by Mary Halpin, a disability advocate in the Church, on the story of disability activism in Denver.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. What barriers exist in your life and in your community that cause people to fall and to be excluded from flourishing fully?
Jesus meets his afflicted mother
To what can I liken you, to what can I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What likeness can I use to comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Reflection – Corinne Lythgoe (Colorado Episcopal Service Corps Member serving at Metro Caring) on how this station connects to creation care and food insecurity.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, who willed that in the passion of your Son a sword of grief should pierce the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary his mother: Mercifully grant that your Church, having shared with her in his passion, may be made worthy to share in the joys of his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. What patterns in your consumption are impacting the most vulnerable in your community? How can you move from an attitude of scarcity to an attitude of abundance?
The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Reflection – Anna Foster (Colorado Episcopal Service Corps Member serving at Lutheran Family Services) on refugee resettlement as a way to help carry another’s cross.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How can you be present for other children of God? In what ways are you already helping to carry your neighbor’s cross?
A woman wipes the face of Jesus
We have seen him without beauty or majesty, with no looks to attract our eyes. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of men. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
Reflection – Anthony Suggs on immigration justice.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. What compassionate actions can you take when dealing with seemingly insurmountable issues? Which of these actions come naturally to you? Which don’t?
Jesus falls a second time
Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Reflection – The Rev. Mary Kate Rejouis (Rector, St. Aidan’s, Boulder) on how the Church can catch people when they fall.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. Who in the world around you is falling? How can you and your community catch and hold them?
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
There followed after Jesus a great multitude of the people, and among them were women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”
Reflection – The Rev. Terry Schang (Pastor, New Beginnings Worshipping Community) on how her experience leading a congregation of incarcerated women connects to this station.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. Who is hidden from sight or forgotten in your community? How can you seek and serve Christ in them?
Jesus falls a third time
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light. He has besieged me and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. Though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes. “Remember, O Lord, my affliction and bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!”
Reflection – Ian Engle (Executive Director, Northwest Colorado Center for Independence) on how his experience as a person with a disability is connected to Jesus’.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How have the ways you’ve fallen given you strength and perseverance? How can we be present to the pain of others?
Jesus is stripped of his garments
When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This was to fulfill the scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.”
Reflection – The Rev. Pam Stewart (Deacon, St. Clare’s Ministries and the Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Mary) on how those who are homeless experience the stripping of their garments.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How are people stripped of their dignity as well as their belongings? What can you offer to those who have lost everything?
Jesus is nailed to the Cross
When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him; and with him they crucified two criminals, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus between them. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Reflection – The Rev. Tory Moir (Associate Priest, St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church) on the connection between the crucifixion of Jesus and the experience of LGBTQ people.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How do you see crucifixion alive today? How can you stand with those being crucified in our time?
Jesus dies on the Cross
When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” And then, crying with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And he bowed his head, and handed over his spirit.
Reflection – Pennie Goodman (Member, Colorado Community Remembrance Project) on how our state and nation’s history of lynching connects us to the death of Jesus at the hands of a mob.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns now and for ever. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How can we atone for our shared history? What part do each of us play in remembering our past and recognizing its effect on our present?
The body of Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother
All you who pass by, behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the downfall of my people. “Do not call me Naomi (which means Pleasant), call me Mara (which means Bitter); for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”
Reflection – The Rev. Nick Myers (Rector, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church) on how the pain caused by suicide connects to Jesus’s mother holding his body.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How can we face this pain together instead of running away from it?
Jesus is laid in the tomb
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb.
Reflection – The Rev. Canon Carl Andrews (Disaster Director, the Episopal Church in Colorado) on how we are experiencing the darkness of the tomb as a community in the midst of pandemic.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, your blessed Son was laid in a tomb in a garden, and rested on the Sabbath day: Grant that we who have been buried with him in the waters of baptism may find our perfect rest in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Take a moment to reflect. How are you finding your way through the darkness? What glimpses of light are you holding onto as we hope for Easter and the Resurrection together?
Conclusion
Savior of the world, by your cross and precious blood you have redeemed us:
Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.
Let us pray. (Silence)
We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.