1

Easter Vigil Booklet 24 Hours of Prayer and Reflection

Pointe of Grace Lutheran Church 5425 Harbour Pointe Blvd,

Mukilteo, WA www.pointeofgrace.org

2

The most beautiful liturgy of the year, explained in a brief guide.

The entire liturgical year culminates in the Easter Vigil, an ancient liturgy celebrated on the night before Easter Sunday. It was initially an all-night vigil that started in the middle of the night and didn’t end until the first rays of dawn when the celebration of Mass began. For early Christians, it was a way to welcome the rising of the Son of God, who dispels the darkness of night.

It was eventually shortened and pushed back earlier in the evening, but many of the same rituals are performed with great solemnity. The Easter Vigil is a beautiful experience, one that immerses a person into the very heart of the Paschal Mystery.

Here is a brief guide to the Easter Vigil, along with reflections on the liturgy.

The Stations of the Cross readings and coloring pages are to meditate on, prayers and Vigil Readings, are included in this booklet for your use during the 24 hours of solemnity from Good Friday until Easter morning and the celebration of our resurrected Lord.

Acknowledgments: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Liturgies, Electronic Editions from Sundays and Seasons, copyright © 2019, Augsburg Fortress. Augsburg license #SBT001728. OneLicense #A730096-A. CCLI #20025437. © 2017 Illustrated Children’s Ministry, LLC. The NRSV Bible.

3

First Part: The Liturgy of Light (Lucernarium)

The church is shrouded in darkness as a fire is lighted outside the church and the Easter candle is lit from it. The candle represents Jesus Christ, the light of the world. The deacon or pastor processes into the dark church and stops three times, proclaiming “Christ, our Light!” By the time he/she reaches the sanctuary the entire church is blazing with candles that were lit from the Easter candle.

Reflection:

First there is the fire that becomes light. As the procession makes its way through the church, shrouded in the darkness of the night, the light of the Paschal Candle becomes a wave of lights, and it speaks to us of Christ as the true morning star that never sets – the Risen Lord in whom light has conquered darkness.

4

The Easter Proclamation

When the Easter candle arrives in the sanctuary, the deacon or pastor chants the “Easter Proclamation” (also called the Exsultet, from its first word in Latin, “Rejoice”), an ancient hymn that speaks of the many mysteries of this night.

Reflection:

The great hymn of the Exsultet, which the deacon or pastor sings at the beginning of the Easter liturgy, points us quite gently towards a further aspect. It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. So the whole of creation plays its part. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees. It builds up the community of light. So the candle serves as a summons to us to become involved in the community of the Church, whose raison d’être is to let the light of Christ shine upon the world.

5

Second Part: The Liturgy of the Word

A number of readings are read, still in the darkness of the church. From Genesis through the New Testament, God’s marvelous plan is unfolded. The readings are often interspersed with chanted passages or hymns.

Reflection:

The Church wishes to offer us a panoramic view of whole trajectory of salvation history, starting with creation, passing through the election and the liberation of Israel to the testimony of the prophets by which this entire history is directed ever more clearly towards Jesus Christ. In the liturgical tradition all these readings were called prophecies. Even when they are not directly foretelling future events, they have a prophetic character, they show us the inner foundation and orientation of history. They cause creation and history to become transparent to what is essential. In this way they take us by the hand and lead us towards Christ, they show us the true Light.

6

Third Part: The Baptismal Liturgy

Depending on the circumstances of each church, a baptismal liturgy is performed. This is the liturgy at which all those who have been preparing to join the Church, or to complete their sacraments as older children or adults, are initiated into the Christian community. The celebration of Baptism (for those who were not Christian) or an Affirmation of Faith (for those Christians already baptized in who are becoming members of the church) and Confirmation takes place at this time. Later on in the service, the neophytes, as they are now called, will receive their First Communion.

Regardless of whether someone will be baptized or not, the water of the baptismal font is blessed in order to prepare for those who will be washed clean from their sins and reborn in the death of Christ. Those present renew their baptismal vows.

Reflection:

Baptism is more than a bath, a purification. It is more than becoming part of a community. It is a new birth. A new beginning in life. The passage of the Letter to the Romans says, in words filled with mystery, that in Baptism we have been “grafted” onto Christ by likeness to his death. In Baptism we give ourselves over to Christ – he takes us unto himself, so that we no longer live for ourselves, but through him, with him and in him; so that we live with him and thus for others.

7

Fourth Part: The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The liturgy draws to its culmination and conclusion with the celebration of the holy Eucharist, in which the newly baptized will partake for the first time.

Reflection:

As the day of the liturgical assembly, it is the day for encounter with God through Jesus Christ who as the Risen Lord encountered his followers on the first day, Sunday, after they had found the tomb empty. The structure of the week is overturned. No longer does it point towards the seventh day, as the time to participate in God’s rest. It sets out from the first day as the day of encounter with the Risen Lord. This encounter happens afresh at every celebration of the Eucharist, when the Lord enters anew into the midst of his disciples and gives himself to them, allows himself, so to speak, to be touched by them, and sits down at table with them.

8

First Reading: Genesis 1:1--2:4a 1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 26Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;

9

and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. 4aThese are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. First Response: Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 God’s mercy endures forever. (Ps. 136:1)

1Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good, for God’s mercy endures forever. 2Give thanks to the God of gods, for God’s mercy endures forever. 3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for God’s mercy endures forever; 4who alone does great wonders, for God’s mercy endures forever; 5who by wisdom made the heavens, for God’s mercy endures forever; 6who spread out the earth upon the waters, for God’s mercy endures forever; 7who made the great lights— for God’s mercy endures forever; 8the sun to govern the day, for God’s mercy endures forever; 9the moon and the stars to govern the night, for God’s mercy endures forever; 23who remembered us in our low estate, for God’s mercy endures forever; 24and rescued us from our enemies, for God’s mercy endures forever; 25who gives food to all creatures, for God’s mercy endures forever. 26Give thanks to the God of heaven, for God’s mercy endures forever.

10

Second Reading: Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13 Flood 1Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. 2Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, 14they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind—every bird, every winged creature. 15They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in. 17The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 8:6At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. 10He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more. 13In the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. 14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15Then God said to Noah, 16“Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 9:8Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood,

11

and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Second Response: Psalm 46 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Ps. 46:4)

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains shake in the depths of the sea; 3though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be shaken; God shall help it at the break of day. 6The nations rage, and the kingdoms shake; God speaks, and the earth melts away. 7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. 8Come now, regard the works of the Lord, what desolations God has brought upon the earth; 9behold the one who makes war to cease in all the world; who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire. 10“Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” 11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

12

Third Reading: Genesis 22:1-18

Testing of Abraham 1God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. 9When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” 15The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”

13

Third Response: Psalm 16 You will show me the path of life. (Ps. 16:11) 1Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.” 2All my delight is in the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people. 3But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied. 4I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods, never take their names upon my lips. 5O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot. 6My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a rich inheritance. 7I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me night after night. 8I have set the Lord always before me; because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope. 10For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit. 11You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

14

15

16

Fourth Reading: Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 Deliverance at the Red Sea 10As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” 15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry round. 17Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.” 19The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. 20It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. 21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” 26Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 30Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. 15:20Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

17

18

Fourth Response: Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18 I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously. (Ex. 15:1) 1bI will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously; throwing horse and rider into the sea. 2The Lord is my strength and my might, and has become my salvation; this is my God—this God I will praise; my father’s God—this God I will exalt. 3The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 4The Lord hurled Pharaoh’s chariots and army into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 5The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. 6Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power— your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. 7In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. 8At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. 9The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” 10You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? 12You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 17You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O Lord, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. 18The Lord will reign forever and ever.

19

20

Fifth Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11 Salvation freely offered to all 1Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Fifth Response: Isaiah 12:2-6 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Is. 12:3) 2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might, and has become my salvation. 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name; make known the deeds of the Lord among the nations; proclaim that this name is exalted. 5Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

21

Sixth Reading: Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 The wisdom of God 1Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? 2On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 4“To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. 5O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it. 6Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; 7for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 9:4bTo those without sense she says, 5“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

22

Sixth Response: Psalm 19 The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart. (Ps. 19:8)

1The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims its maker’s handiwork. 2One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. 3Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, 4their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world, where God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5It comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. 6It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat. 7The teaching of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple. 8The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes. 9The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. 11By them also is your servant enlightened, and in keeping them there is great reward. 12Who can detect one’s own offenses? Cleanse me from my secret faults. 13Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense. 14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

23

24

Seventh Reading: Ezekiel 36:24-28 A new heart and a new spirit

24I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Seventh Response: Psalm 42--43 I thirst for God, for the living God. (Ps. 42:2) 1As the deer longs for the water-brooks, so longs my soul for you, O God. 2I thirst for God, for the living God; when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? 3My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long they say to me, “Where now is your God?” 4I pour out my soul when I think on these things; how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God, with shouts of thanksgiving, among those keeping festival. 5Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God, for I will yet give thanks to the one who is my help and my God. 6My soul is heavy within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon. 7One deep calls to another in the roar of your cascades; all your rapids and floods have gone over me. 8The Lord grants lovingkindness in the daytime; in the night season the Lord‘s song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9I will say to the God of my strength, “Why have you rejected me, and why do I wander in such gloom while the enemy oppresses me?” 10While my bones are being broken, my enemies mock me to my face; all day long they mock me and say to me, “Where now is your God?” 11Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in

25

God, for I will yet give thanks to the one who is my help and my God. 43: 1Give judgment for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked. 2For you are the God of my strength; why have you rejected me, and why do I wander in such gloom while the enemy oppresses me? 3Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your sanctuary; 4that I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness; and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God. 5Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, and why are you so disquieted within me? Put your trust in God, for I will yet give thanks to the one who is my help and my God.

26

Eighth Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Valley of the dry bones 1The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I an-swered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.” Eighth Response: Psalm 143 Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake. (Ps. 143:11) 1Lord, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications; answer me in your righteousness. 2Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified. 3For my enemy has sought my life and has crushed me to the ground, making me live in dark places like those who are long dead. 4My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate. 5I remember the time past; I ponder all your deeds; I consider the works of your hands. 6I spread out my hands to you; my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land. 7O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the pit. 8Let me hear of your lovingkindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.

27

9Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, for I flee to you for refuge. 10Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; let your good spirit lead me on level ground. 11Revive me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble. 12In your steadfast love, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught, for truly I am your servant.

28

Ninth Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20 The gathering of God’s people 14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and Praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

29

Ninth Response: Psalm 98 Lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. (Ps. 98:4) 1Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory. 2O Lord, you have made known your victory, you have revealed your righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. 5Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the voice of song. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy before the king, the Lord. 7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world and those who dwell therein. 8Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth. 9The Lord will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

30

Tenth Reading: Jonah 1:1--2:1 The deliverance of Jonah 1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2“Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” 3But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tar-shish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. 4But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. 5Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6The captain came and said to him, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.” 7The sailors said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8Then they said to him, “Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9“I am a Hebrew,” he replied. “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so. 11Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. 12He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” 13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 17But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.

31

Tenth Response: Jonah 2:2-9 Deliverance belongs to the Lord. (Jon. 2:9) 2I called to the Lord out of my distress, and you answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?” 5The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head 6at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. 7As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty. 9But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!

32

Eleventh Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4, 9-11 Clothed in the garments of salvation 1The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. 4They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 9Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. 10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

33

Eleventh Response: Deuteronomy 32:1-4, 7, 36a, 43a Great is our God, the Rock, whose ways are just. (Dt. 32:4) 1Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 2May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth. 3For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! 4“Great is our God, the Rock, whose work is perfect, whose ways are just: a faithful God, without deceit, just and upright.” 7Remember the days of old, consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you; your elders, and they will tell you. 36aSurely, you will vindicate your people, and have compassion on your servants. 43aRejoice with the Lord, you heavens; bow down in worship, all you gods!

34

Twelfth Reading: Daniel 3:1-29 Deliverance from the fiery furnace 1King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, 4the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” 7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, 11and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” 13Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. 17If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. 18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, 20and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21So the men were bound, still

35

wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” 25He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.” 26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. 28Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

36

Twelfth Response: Song of the Three 35–65 Praise and magnify the Lord forever. (Song of the Three 35)

All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord. You angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; you heavens, bless the Lord; all you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord. You sun and moon, bless the Lord; you stars of heaven, bless the Lord; you rain and dew, bless the Lord. You winds of God, bless the Lord; you fire and heat, bless the Lord; you winter and summer, bless the Lord.

You dews and falling snow, bless the Lord; you frost and cold, bless the Lord; you ice and snow, bless the Lord. You nights and days, bless the Lord; you light and darkness, bless the Lord; you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord. Let the earth bless the Lord; you mountains and hills, bless the Lord; all you green things that grow on the earth, bless the Lord. You wells and springs, bless the Lord; you seas and rivers, bless the Lord; you whales and all that swim in the waters, bless the Lord. All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; all you wild animals and cattle, bless the Lord; all you children of mortals, bless the Lord. You people of God, bless the Lord; you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord. You spirits and souls of the righteous, bless the Lord; you holy and humble in heart, bless the Lord; let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

37

38

Stations of the Cross Devotion and Colouring Pages

Stations of the Cross: An Introduction There is an old legend that says, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, his mother Mary would often walk the way her son her son had walked on his journey to the cross, pausing here and there to recall something that had happened at that spot. From these walks grew the early Christian practice of walking the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, in Jerusalem, a tradition that continues to this day. When they returned home, those early pilgrims to Jerusalem talked about their experiences, and soon many people began erecting “stations” of the cross on the walls and grounds of their own churches so worshippers could make the journey whenever they wished. The number of stations ranged from as few as seven to as many as thirty. Over time however, the number became fixed at fourteen, including five stations depicting events that are not found in scripture (the three falls of Jesus, the meeting with Mary, and the legend of Veronica’s veil.) On Good Friday 1991, Pope John Paul II introduced the fourteen scriptural Stations of the Cross that many Christians no use. Catholic and Orthodox Christians were the first ones to use the stations in their devotional life. In recent years however, Christians of many traditions have been re-discovering this ancient devo-tional practice. The story of Jesus’ final hours, traditionally called the Passion, is the central story in each of the four gospels. It is a story we are all familiar with and yet, each gospel writer tells it from a different perspective. These colouring pages along with the accompanying scriptures and devotional readings, use all four gospel accounts to tell the story of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. If you want to experi-ence this project in a deeper way, you may want to consider reading all four accounts of the Pas-sion, and discussing where you see the similarities and differences. Jesus’ own journey to the cross did not take place down some sacred street. Rather, his journey is what made each step, each cobblestone, sacred and filled with the Divine. At first glance, a large colouring sheet might not seem like the most obvious place to meditate on these final hours of Jesus’ life. But it is our hope that, by colouring them and talking about them outside of our traditional “sacred spaces”, we can recognize that every place is an opportunity for an encounter with Christ along our own journey of faith. Artwork and devotions are done by illustrated Children’s Ministry, LLC copyright 2017, www.illustratedchildrensministry.com

39

Station I: Sorrow Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Scripture: Take some time to read and reflect on this station’s passage: Matthew 26:36-41 Reflection for Adults: Many Americans can remember exactly where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001. Huddled around television sets and radios, they watched and listened to the news of terrorist planes flying into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. And then, as the impact of just how many lives had been lost began to register, a great sorrow gripped the nation and the world. During a National Day of Prayer just three days later, Billy Graham addressed the sorrow of the nation with these profound words: “The lesson of this event is not only about the mystery of iniquity and evil, but it’s also a lesson about our need for one another...A tragedy like this could have torn our country apart, but instead it has united us.” At this first station, in the Garden of Gethsemane, we encounter Jesus in his moment of deepest sorrow and pain. But notice he is not alone. The scripture say “Jesus went with the disciples…” (Matthew 26:36). He then took his most trusted friends—Peter, James, and John - with him as he began the painful journey that would ultimately lead to new life. Although we tend to give them a bad rap for falling asleep three times, it’s worth noting that, at least they were present with Jesus in these moments in the garden. While most of us will not make history-altering decisions in our lifetimes, we all have moments of deep sorrow when we need to be surrounded by the love of our friends, especially those in the community of faith. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. How many tears do you see? As you begin this journey to the cross with Jesus, remember you are not alone. Remember also “at night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate” (Psalm 30:5) Reflection for Children: Jesus spent the night before he died with his friends at the Last Supper. He was very sad because he knew that one of his friends, Judas Iscariot, would tell lies about him, and then turn him over to be arrested. After dinner, Jesus toof his three closest friends - Peter, James and John - with him to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. But Peter, James, and John couldn’t even stay awake with Jesus while he prayed. Discussion with Children: Was there a time when you cried because you were very sad about something? Who can you ask for comfort when you feel sad? Going Deeper: When have you faced a crisis and needed to turn to others for support or prayer? How did it make you feel to have to rely on them?

40

41

42

Station II: Betrayal Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested

Scripture: Mark 14: 43-46 Reflection for Adults: Et tu Brute? Even if you’re not a Shakespeare fan, chances are you’re familiar with this line from Julius Caesar. About a century before the betrayal of Jesus in Jerusalem, another betrayal occurred in the city of Rome. ON the Ides of March, Julius Caesar made his way to the floor of the Senate where, to his great surprise, he found himself surrounded by assassins. An even greater surprise came when he realized one of them was his good friend and protégé, Marcus Brutus. In crafting this dramatic scene, Shakespeare puts into Julius Caesar’s mouth these legendary words: “Et tu Brute? You too, Brutus?”

Someone once said that the “saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your ene-mies.” And so it was with Jesus and Judas. The scriptures are quick to point out that Judas was “one of the twelve” (Mark 14:43). It could even be argued that we was one of the more influential members of the inner circle/ After all, he was the treasurer who made sure there was enough money to carry on the mission of building the kingdom. And yet, it was this “one of the twelve” who betrayed Jesus, setting in motion events that would ultimately lead to Jesus’ crucifixion.

We will never know why Judas betrayed Jesus. Some people believe it was because he had no choice...it was part of God’s preordained plan. Others think it was because, like Brutus, Judas was hungry for power and control of the group. Whatever his motives, his betrayal ultimately cost Jesus his life.

Take look at the picture you are colouring. Close to the betrayer’s lips is an object that looks oddly like a crescent moon. In John’s account of the Last Supper, after Judas gets up from the table to betray Jesus to the chief priests, John writes, “and it was night” (John 13:30).

Betrayal, especially by those who are closest to us, always feels as if a great darkness has descended. But take another look. Is this crescent a waxing or waning one? Is the picture getting darker or lighter? We alone have the power to choose what we do with a friend’s betrayal.

Reflection for Children: When you betray a friend you hurt them by telling a lie about them. Judas was one the twelve apostles, and one of Jesus’ friends. But he also betrayed Jesus by lying to the priests and police about who Jesus was. The priests gave Judas thirty pieces of silver to in return for betraying Jesus. While Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas showed the soldiers where he was. Because Judas told lies about Jesus, Jesus was arrested.

Discussion with Children: Have you ever told a lie about someone you cared for? How do you think it made them feel to know you had betrayed them?

Going Deeper: When have you have used your own position of trust to betray someone close to you? Have you ever been let down by a close friend or family member? How did you choose to deal with your feelings?

43

Station III: Condemnation Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin

Scripture: Luke 22:66-71

Reflection for Adults: Davontae Sanford was only 14 years old when his life changed forever. While standing in his pajamas in his front yard, police arrested him for a quadruple homicide. He was taken to the police station, interrogated for 24 hours, and denied the right to see his parents or have an attorney present. Under the strain of those circumstances he confessed to the murders, was tried as an adult, and sentenced to 39 to 92 years in prison. The problem? Davontae did not commit the murders. Another man came forward and confessed. But the state would not relent. Thanks to the advocacy of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University, Davontae Sanford was exonerated in 2016, after serving nine years.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, since 1989 in the United States there have been 1,966 innocent people exonerated for crimes they have never committed. For many of them their only “crime” is their poverty or race. They are simply unable to afford exceptional legal representation. And because of the colour of their skin, many juries sadly find it difficult to believe they did not commit the crime. So they are quick to condemn.

As we arrive at this third station with Jesus, it is worth remembering that is was not “evil” people who condemned him. The people who passed false judgment were the “good” ones, the religious leaders, the ones who knew the law. Yet, in one of the saddest mockeries of justice in history, they sentenced Jesus to death. But not before they asked him this question: “Are you...the Son of God” (Luke 22:70)? Then, even after Jesus answered in the affirmative, they condemned the Son of God to death. How many people could be saved from wrongful condemnation in our own courts of law if we simply acknowledged this truth: like Jesus, we are all sons and daughters of God!

At some point in our lives, most of us have heard this proverb: when you point a finger at a some-one, there are three more fingers pointing back at you. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Notice all the fingers. Who are they pointing at? Are they your fingers?

Reflection for Children: After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the Roman governor, a man named Pontius Pilate. When the people brought Jesus to Pilate, they said all kinds of unkind things about him. Pilate asked Jesus if he was really the “Son of God.” Jesus said, “Yes, I am.” But Pilate did not believe Jesus. Instead, he decided to believe the unkind and untrue things the people said about Jesus. And so he sentenced Jesus to die on the cross.

Discussion with Children: Have you ever said something untrue or unkind about a person just because they weren’t like

you? What would you do it you heard someone saying something untrue or unkind about your friend?

Going Deeper: When have you been guilty of condemning someone based on false externals? Have you ever hid behind the veneer of your own religious beliefs in an attempt to justify your

prejudice?

44

45

46

Station IV: Denial Jesus u=is Denied by Peter

Scripture: Matthew 26:69-75 Reflection for Adults: In the autumn of 1934, the Detroit Tigers were in the middle of their first pennant race in 25 years. Hank Greenberg was one of the team’s first baseman, and one of the greatest sluggers of all time, with a batting average of .339. The Tigers needed him in their game against the New York Yankees. But Greenberg, a Jewish-American, was torn about whether he should play the game that day. It was September 1...Yom Kipper. After consulting with his rabbi and family, Greenberg made the decision to not play. With American anti-Semitism on the rise, Greenberg’s decision was not popular. Fans shouted, “Rosh Hashanah comes every year but the Tigers haven’t won a pennant since 1909!” But Greenberg remained true to his convictions, attending synagogue services that day, rather than denying his faith by playing a game of baseball on the Day of Atonement, the holiest days of the Jewish year. It is not always easy to be true to our religious convictions when forces from all sides are asking us to deny the very things that give us life. Peter found this out in the courtyard as he watched Jesus being led away to trial. Just weeks before, Peter had mustered up the courage to profess that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 13:15). But now, when questioned, he denied he even knew his friend and Savior. Who knows what would have happened if Peter had the courage of his convictions at that moment? Would the questioning servant-girl have come to believe in Jesus? Would Peter’s testimony have been able to save Jesus from death? The Tigers lost to the Yankees that day. Who knows whether or not Hank Greenberg’s decision to not play had anything to do with the results of the game? But what we do know is, in a small way, his decision to not deny his faith helped pave the way for a more tolerant baseball league and society. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Is the person with folded arms a defiant Peter? Or could it be a defiant Jesus, saying to us, “no matter how many times you deny me, I will always love you!” Reflection for Children: Peter was Jesus’ closest friend, and the leader of the disciples. The night Jesus was arrested however, Peter was afraid for his own life and ran away from Jesus. Some people in the courtyard recognized him, and began to ask him if he was a disciple of Jesus. Peter got angry, and said that he had never even seen Jesus. He denied Jesus. Even though Peter denied Jesus three times that night, Jesus loved Peter very much. After Jesus rose from the dead, he forgave Peter for denying him. Discussion with Children Have you ever told someone you weren’t a Christian because you were embarrassed? Do you think there is anything you could do what would make Jesus stop loving you? Going Deeper: Has there ever been a time that you have denied your faith, or your belief in Jesus, in order to fit

in? Was it worth it? Have you ever experienced God’s forgiveness after thinking you had done something that was

unforgivable?

47

Station V: Judgment Jesus is Judged by Pilate

Scripture: Mark 15:1-5, 15

Reflection for Adults: Chances are you have probably never heard of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. That’s because we know her by a another name: Mother Teresa. By the age of eighteen, she answered God’s call to move to India, and joined a religious order of nuns who had a commitment to helping the poorest of the poor in that country. Later this “Saint of the Gutter”, as Teresa was sometimes known, founded her own religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, and dedicated the rest of her life to serving those whom society had judged as unworthy of love. Where others saw only the dregs of humanity, Mother Teresa saw children of God. Where others judged people based on their position in society, Mother Teresa judged them based on their position in the reign of God. In fact, she is quoted as saying, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

At this fifth station, we find outselves standing with Jesus in Pilate’s judgment hall. He is tired and dirty from a sleepless night, humiliated by the spitting, and hurting from the slaps of those who wish to mock him. His clothes are ragged and torn. And he is hungry. “Then the chief priests accused him of many things” (Mark 15:3).

Most of us have probably encountered someone ona street corner, or a bus stop, or the train platform holding their hand out, asking for assistance of some kind. Many of the people we encounter in these situations look tired...and dirty...and hungry. And we began to judge. And in our judgment of them, we found we had no time to love them.

After the chief priests judged Jesus, Pilate handed him over to be crucified. Sadly, this is also what happens when we judge others, rather than loving them. Our judgment condemns them to the death of hopelessness. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Notice all the fingers pointing in judgment. What if instead they were all extended with a handshake of solidarity for the person judged wrongly? Fingers pointed in judgment will never find time to love.

Reflection for Children: Imagine what it must have felt like for Jesus on the night he was arrested. He was not given anything to eat, he was not allowed to sleep, and hea hd to walk from place to place all over Jerusalem. The soldiers spit on him, and called him names. And then the chief priests accused him of many untrue things. But Jesus did not hate them. Instead, he loved them the same way God loves us when we are unkind, and treat others with disrespect. Sometimes the things we do make Jesus very sad. But just like Jesus loved the people who had treated him wrongly, God loves us and always wants us to try better to follow God’s ways.

Discussion with Children: Have you ever thought less of someone because they didn’t have nice clothes or a beautiful

home? How do you think it would feel to be that person?

Going Deeper: How might you focus more on loving others rather than judging them? What concrete actions could you take to love someone whom others think is unlovable?

48

49

50

Station VI: Crowning Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns

Scripture: John 19:1-3 Reflection for Adults: There is a contemporary icon, Madonna of the Holocaust, which shows Mary, dressed in the clothes of an eary 20th century Eastern European Jewish woman, holding Jesus on her lap. They are sur-rounded by barbed wire and the names of the horrific places like Auschwitz, Birenau, Dachau, and Bergen-Belsen. There is a large yellow star of David sewn onto Mary’s clothes, and a dove in Jesus’ hands. The imagery used in this icon is a stark reminder that Jesus and Mary were both Jews, and had they been living in Hitler’s world, would have been forced into a concentration camp because of their faith. At this sixth station, we see the agents of the state forcing Jesus to ear a crown of thorns and a purple robe to identify him as the “King of the Jews” (John 19:2). The phrase “the Jews” is sprinkled liberally throughout John’s account of the Passion and, unfortunately, Christians have often used this as an excuse for anti-Semitism and mistreatment of our Jewsih brothers and sisters. Many biblical scholars believe that a more accurate translation of the Greek work loudaioi would be “Judeans” (referring to a region), rather than “Jews” (referring to an entire religion). When it comes to religion and how we treat one another, words do matter! Whether Jesus lived in 1st century Jerusalem or 20th century Germany, he will always be found with the marginalized, the oppressed, and the forgotten. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Notice the triangle in the middle. It seems to have broken pieces of glass or rock strewn on it. As you colour in the shapes, be mindful of all the lives that have been broken over the centuries because of religious prejudice and htre careless misuse of language. Reflection for Children: After Pilate sentenced Jesus to die, the Roman soldiers made a crown out of the thorns and placed it on Jesus’ head. Then they knelt in front of him saying, “Hail, the King of the Jews!” But they didn’t really mean that they were saying. Jesus was a Jew, and the Romans did not like Jewish people. So they used their words to make fun of Jesus. Discussion with Children: How do you think Jesus wasn't you to treat people of different religions? What could you do to learn something about the Jewish religion? Going Deeper: Is it strange to think of Jesus as a Jew, rather than a Christian? What implications might that have for your own relationship with people of other faiths?

51

Station VII: Bearing Jesus Bears the Cross

Scripture: John 19:6, 15-17 Reflection for Adults: The permanent collection of Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Washington, houses a sculpture by Howard Dale titled The Burden. Crafted in bronze, the cross already has a weightiness about it as Jesus drags it behind him. But it is what is on the cross that makes it seem heavier. Sculpted into the cross is two centuries worth of humanity, beginning with Adam and Eve at the bottom, and ending with modern-day firefighters at the top. In a very powerful way, it visually demonstrates the cosmic consequences of Jesus’ decision to take up his cross, and carry it all the way to Calvary. This seventh station seems to be a very lonely one. John puts it this way “...and carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went out…”(John 19:17). Christians have argued for centuries over whether or not Jesus had to die. We have debated about the meaning of his death. And we have disagreed about its consequences. But what we do agree on is that somehow his solitary decision to take up the cross changed the course of history, and had eternal consequences for all humanity. The Orthodox tradition has long held that Adam and Eve had been waiting for centuries in their graves for the coming of the One who would rescue them from sin and death. Perhaps as Jesus dragged his cross through the city streets that day, it began to rip apart the hardened earth where Adam and Eve lay waiting for resurrection. And perhaps Jesus’ decision to carry his cross right into the face of death that day is what inspires people like the firefighter in Dale’s sculpture to walk into burning buildings to save others. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Jesus appears to be carrying his cross resolutely, with precision, to the place of salvation. There is no hesitation. He is not looking back, because he knows that his lonely decision will save humanity, and inspire countless others to selfless acts of sacrifice. Reflection for Children: Jesus did not want to die. He wanted everyone to believe in God, and love each other. But many people would not listen to him. Because of that, the governor condemned Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus could have complained that people were turning against him. Instead, he picked up his cross to do what God was asking of him. Even though he didn’t want to die, God was with Jesus all the way. Discussion with Children: When have you been asked to do something for someone else that you thought was really

difficult? What gave you the strength to do it? Going Deeper: What do you think about Jesus’ decision to carry the cross as having “cosmic consequences?” How does Jesus’ decision to carry the cross inspire you to engage in acts of selfless love for

others?

52

53

54

Station VIII: Helping Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross

Scripture: Mark 15:21

Reflection for Adults: Parents are increasingly making volunteering a regular part of their routine, whether it’s delivering meals to the homebound, planting vegetables in a community graden, or spending time with people at the local senior center. And when parents and children engage in these activities together, the results are overwhelming. One study looked at 47,000 children in 5th through 12th grades in public schools across the United States. The study results indicated that children who served just one hour or more a week were less likely to be involved in at-risk behaviors than those who are not active in volunteering. At this eighth station, we encounter Simon of Cyrene, the man whom the soldiers forced to help carry Jesus’ heavy cross: “coming in from the country...wis Simon...the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21). We don’t know much about Alexander and Rufus. We don’t know if they were children on the day of Jesus’ journey to the cross, but imagine if they were. One tradition says they went on to become missionaries in the early Christian church. Some have even suggested that the Rufus mentioned by Pau in his letter to Rome (Romans 16:13) is Rufus, the son of Simon the Cyrene. Whatever the case. What we do know is that Rufus and his brother, Alexander, saw their father give a helping hand that day to someone in need. And that someone in need just happened to be the Son of God. We should never underestimate the power of our own example in the lives of children. Whether we have children of our own, nephews and nieces, godchildren, or children of friends...they all look to us for examples of how to be kind and helpful to people most in need. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that “the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be usefule, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Alexander and Rufus learned these traits from Simon. Take a look at the picture you are colouring, and notice all the lines that intersect. As you colour them in, imagine all the lives that have intersected with your over the years because of your kindness. Maybe you can write some of their names on the lines in the cross.

Reflection for Children: Jesus was very weak when the soldiers forced him to carry his own cross through the streets. As he walked toward the place where he would die, Jesus got very tired and couldn’t carry the cross alone anymore. So the soldiers forced a man named Simon to help Jesus carry the cross the rest of the way. Simon’s two sons, Alexander and Rufus, had to watch as their father helped Jesus.

Discussion with Children: How have the adults in your life given you examples of how you should care for others? What is one way that you could help someone today?

Going Deeper: How have you set an example of kindness for the children in your life? How would it change the way you helped people if every time you extended a helping hand to

someone you imagined that they were Jesus?

55

Station IX: Blessings Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Scripture: Luke 23:27-31

Reflection for Adults: As Christians, we are kjeenly aware of the power of gesture in our communal life. The pouring of water, the breaking of bread, the washing of feet...all of these have deep meaning. But there is a gesture that may get overlooked from time to time. It is the gesture of raising one’s hands in blessing. In more liturgical churches, the priest or minister blesses the congregation with the sign of the cross at the end of worship. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. The way Jesus’ hand is raised in blessing looks much like the way some ministers bless the congregation. It is the way Lutherans, Catholic, and Episcopalians bless themselves...two fingers up, and three fingers down. Orthodox Christians place three fingers up, and two down. Either way, there is profound symbolism in this gesture. The three fingers together represent the Trinity, while the other two symbolize the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. An ancient saying says lex orandi, lex credenda - as the church worships, so the church believes. Look around next time you are in worship. The gestures your congregation uses will give you a little insight into what your congregation believes. The fingers used in blessing remind us that God, in the person of Jesus, became a human so that we, through the death of Christ, might share in the divine life of God. At this ninth station, Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem, and we hear strange words: “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore…” (Luke 23:29). Exactly the opposite of what we hear at the beginning of Luke’s gospel when Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to Jesus: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42). Perhaps the words in Luke’s account of the Passion are a reminder to us that every moment of our lives, even those places that seem the most forsaken (especially those places), can we be places of God’s blessing. And it is precisely those most human of conditions that Jesus wishes to bless, to transform, and to take up the divine life. Take another look at the picture you are colouring. It looks as if Jesus’ hand is covered in bandages. We are most effective as agents of blessing to others when we have been wounded ourselves. Our own hurt makes us more empathetic to the pain of others. Hold your own hand up. Positioning like the hand in the picture. Who needs your blessing today?

Reflection for Children: While Jesus was carrying the cross, he met some women from Jerusalem who were crying. They were very sad because they knew that Jesus was a good person and did not deserve to die. Even though he was in incredible pain himself, Jesus stopped to comfort them and bless them.

Discussion with Children: What do you think it means when someone says, “God bless you?” Can you think of some times in church when the minister gives a blessing? Hoe does that make

you feel?

Going Deeper: How can the pain you have experienced in your own life be a source of blessing for others? How have you been affected by the use of gesture in worship?

56

57

58

Station X: Crucifixion Jesus is Crucified

Scripture: Luke 23:33-34

Reflection for Adults: The image of the cross has become so commonplace that we tend to forget how truly revolutionary it is. In 1949 the communist regime in Poland began work on Nowa Huta, a new town just north of Krakow. In an effort to crush the Christian spirit of the Polish people, and to reinforce the atheism of the communist party, the government decreed that there would be no church building in Nowa Huta. It was the first Polish city to be intentionally designed without a church. But the people’s faith could not be so easily destroyed. They erected a large cross in the middle of the field where they wanted their church to be built. Each time they would put the cross up, the communists would bulldoze it down. In 1959, the young archbishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla, celebrated Christmas Eve Midnight Mass under the cross in the field. Hundreds of people came, standing in a freezing Polish winter night, to defy the government and worship the God who had come to set them free. After each Christmas Eve celebration, the government would again tear the cross down...and the people would again rebuild it. And Archbishop Wojtyla would return each Christmas Eve to celebrate Midnight Mass. Finally, in 1967, the communists is-sued a permit for a church to be built. One year before he was elected Bishop of Rome, taking the name John Paul II, Archbishop Wojtyla dedicated the new church in Nowa Huta. A central element in the design of the church is a massive steel sculpture of the crucified Christ, made by the steelworkers of the city. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. On each crossbeam of the corss it appears that the ladders are descending and ascending. What makes the crucifixion so revolutionary is the truth that God, the person of Jesus, descended to humanity, took on all the sufferings of the world, and died for the salvation of all people so that we might ascend to the heights for which we were created. The vertical beam, plunged into the dark earth, also reaches up to the highest heaven, spanning the gulf between God and humanity. And the hori-zontal beam reaches from the criminal on Jesus’ right to the criminal on his left, spanning the distance between alienated brothers and sisters. Once Karol Wojtyla became John Paul II, he took this message of the cross he had learned during that time in Nowa Huta to the entire world. For him, the way of the cross was the way to peace. The mercy extended by Christ at Calvary was the mercy we should extend to all people. And he knew that suffering and oppression will not last forever, because all has been redeemed through the life and death of Jesus Christ. Reflection for Children: Jesus came to teach us about God’s love. Jesus wanted us to listen to him and follow his way. Some people did not like what Jesus was teaching them, so they decided to crucify him on the cross. But even on the cross, Jesus continued to teach us about God’s love. Because Jesus was crucified, we can now share eternal life with God.

Discussion with Children: Look at the cross in your church. Some churches have a cross with Jesus on it, and some churches have

an empty cross. Which one do you prefer to look at? What do you think about when you see Jesus on the cross? What do you think about when you see an

empty cross?

Going Deeper: Could you imagine a time when you might use the image of the cross as a sign of protest against

oppression? The Christmas carol What Child Is This contains these lines, “Nails, spear shall pierce him through; the

cross be borne for me, for you.” Is it odd fo ryou to think o fhte cross and the manger together?

59

Station XI: Promise Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief

Scripture: Luke 23:39-43

Reflection for Adults: The Botanical Gardens just north of Chicago are stunning places of natural beauty. In late fall, the gardens are filled with massive plantings of chrysanthemums in every imaginable hue. In winter, the baurtiful twisted limbs and branches of barren trees are on full display against the dark sky. In the spring, tulips, daffodils, and crocus make their way up through the thawing ground. And at the end of summer, the air is perfumed with the scent of roses making their last appearance before fall sets in again. In short, the gardens are a little slice of paradise. As he hung on the cross dying, Jesus promised the thief next to him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). This word that Jesus uses, a Persian word referring to a “park” or a “graden”, only appears two other times in the scriptures. Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians when speaking of a vision he had (2 Corinthians 12:3-4), and John uses it in the book of Revelation to describe the life that awaits those who have neen faithful: “To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). Jesus’ words in Revelation are clearly an echo back to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. The promise of Jesus is that, in the end, all things will be restored to the perfect state. Paradise. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. A garden of flowers appears to be emerging from the base of the cross. Paradise seems to be starting to bloom. During the worship of Holy Week, many churches sing the ancient hymn, Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle. The last stanza says this: :Faithful corss, true sign of triumph, be for all the noblest tree;/ none in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit your equal be;/ symbol of the world’s redemption, for your burden makes us free.” The message of this eleventh station is that, for those who place their trust in Jesus, paradise begins to blossom...right her, right now. But just like the botanical gardens, there is a creative cycle in the paradise of life. Sometimes things are blooming all around us. Sometimes beauty is lying dormant for a while underneath a frozen earth. And sometimes things must wither and die in order to be renewed and reborn. This is all part of the life of paradise. But the promise of Jesus to the thief, and to us, is that today you can live with him there.

Reflection for Children: There were two criminals alongside Jesus on the day he died. One of them made fun of Jesus. But the other one knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Because the mas was a criminal, he thought that God didn’t love him. But Jesus loved the man very much, and promised him that he would be able to live in paradise with him forever.

Discussion with Children: What do you think heaven looks like? Have you ever wondered what happens to people when they die?

Going Deeper: Jesus promised the criminal that today her would be with him in paradise. What do you think

about the idea that paradise begins here and now? How might it change the way you practice your Christian faith to believe that we do not have to

wait until we die in order to live in paradise with Jesus?

60

61

62

Station XII: Care Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciples

Scripture: John 19:25-27

Reflection for Adults: Around 250CE, a devastating plague swept from Ethiopia across North Africa, then to Italy and the Western Empire. At the height of the plague, which was most likely an outbreak of smallpox, 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome. Many Roman citizens simply abandoned their family and neighbors, tossing them out into the street to die. The early Christians however, went into the streets, caring for the dying, and burying the dead. Almost two hundred years later, around 416CE, the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt organized groups of volunteers from the local church to transport and care for the sick. They were called parabalani, “the reckless ones,” because they ventured into places of sickness and death where others refused to go. Where did these early Chris-tians get the inspiration to be so reckless in their caring, not only for fellow believers, but for all their fellow citizens? At this twelfth station we find the answer to that question, Jesus, now in his last moments of life, concerns himself not with his own suffering, but with the suffering of his mother and one of his best friends who were gathered at the foot of the cross. Mary, his mother, was most likely a widow at this point in her life. Now, with the death of her eldest son, she would be relegated to the lowest rungs of society with no one to look after her. So Jesus motioned to John, the beloved disciple, and asked him to take Mary in to his own care. Behold you mother. And then he asked Mary to look after John as if her were her own son. Behold your son. There, at the cross, Jesus asked his followers to be reckless in their concern and care for one another. He asked them to strip away the traditional ideas of what constituted a family, and to forge a new family of faith that would care for one another at all costs. Turtullian (160-220AD), an early Christian leader, once said that when the Romans saw Christians in action, they would exclaim: “See how they love one another!” As Christianity spread, so did the early Christians’ love. They went on to establish some of the first hospitals in the world, buried the dead with dignity, and treated all people with care and respect. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. The beloved disciple’s arm is loveingly placed around Mary’s shoulder. As you colour, spend some time thinking about who is in need of your care at the moment.

Reflection for Children: Jesus taught us that we are all part of God’s family. When he was dying on the cross, he asked his friend, John, to take care of his mother. And he asked his mother, Mary, to treat John like she would her own son. Even when Jesus was dying, he wanted to show us how to love and care for each other.

Discussion with Children: What are some ways you could show another person you care for them? Have you ever thought about the people in your church as family? Going Deeper: When you have been “reckless” in you rcare for another person? How might your relationship with people in your congregation or community change if you

thought of them as family?

63

Station XIII: Darkness Jesus Dies on the Cross

Scripture: Luke 23:44-46

Reflection for Adults: On July 1, 1941, the Nazis occupied Riga, Lithuania. Four days later, every synagogue in Riga had been burned to the ground. Every synagogue except one. The Peitav Synagogue was too close to the city center, and the Nazis feared that setting in on fire would puth the other city buildings in danger. So they ransacked it and converted it into a warehouse for their evil and dark purposes. I fyou go into a Jewish synagogue, you will notice that the most central feature of the sanctuary is the ark, the Aron Kodesh, where the Torah scrolls are housed. Many arks contain heavy curtains that are pushed aside during worship to reveal the scriptures they contain. Following the war, it was discovered that the eastern wall of the Peitav Synagogue, the wall where the ark was located, was a false one. Christians from the local Reformed Church, led by their pastor, Gustavs Shaurums, had hastily erected the wall to protect the sacred scrolls. Today the synagogue is a flourishing center of Jewish life within the city. The curtains on the ark in many synagogues recall the one that originally hung in the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple, separating the people from the inner sanctum of the sanctuary. Only the high priest was allowed to enter...and only once a year. In the beginning of Luke’s gospel, Zechariah, the high priest, is performing his duties behind that curtain when the angel Gabriel appears to him telling him that he will have a son, John the Baptist. After John’s birth, Zechariah sings the Benedictus, a song known to many Christians. The last lines of that hymn say, “Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78-79). At this station, we arrive at the end of Luke’s gospel. All hope that God’s sunrise will appear seems to be lost. Darkness comes over the land, and the sun’s light fails. But then, an amazing event happens in the midst of this darkness. The veil in the temple is torn in two. The false wall that had been erected between God and humanity comes crushing down at the death of Jesus. Just as the scrolls that were discovered behind the wall in Peitav Synagogue gave light to that community, so the tearing of the temple veil at the death of Jesus reveals to us the ight that God has always intended for creation. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. Notice that you are looking from behind the veil to the cross. It’s as if we were always on the inside, just waiting for God’s sunrise to break upon us. As you colour in the images on the veil, be mindful of those who still sit in the shadow of death. How might you rip the veil open for them?

Reflection for Children: Jesus worshipped at the Jerusalem Temple many times when he was alive. In that temple was a curtain that separated people from the Holy of Holies, the place where they believed God was present in a very special way. When Jesus died, two amazing things happened: it became very dark all throughout the city, and the curtain in the temple was torn in two. Because of Jesus’ death, we can now always be in God’s presence. Discussion with Children: Can you think of a time when you might have been afraid of the dark? What did you do to help you overcome your fear? Going Deeper: Where are some places in the world where you see people “sitting in the shadow of death?” How is God challenging you to bring “God’s sunshine” to them?

64

65

66

Station XIV: Burial Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Scripture: Matthew 27:57-60

Reflections for Adults: There is a story told in South Africa about some children who threw rocks at a delivery van one day. The army was called, and the opened fire, killing an innocent 10-year-old girl. One of the soldiers was chosen to guard the little girl’s body, which was lying in the dust, while they waited for the authorities to arrive. Seeing that the girl’s dress was torn and her body exposed, the soldier took off his own shirt to cover the child. Then he stood guard, dressed only in his pants. When on e of the other soldiers mocked him and asked why he would do such a thing, the soldier replied, “She is also made in the image of God.” Chrisitans throughout the ages have always given great respect to the human body after death. Whether through washing and anointing, incensing, sprinkling baptismal water, burying it in the earth, or returning a person’s ashes to God’s creation, Christians have ritually shown their profound belief that our bodies are dwelling places of God’s Spirit. Our funeral practices are meant to remind us of the truth found in the opening chapters of the Bible when God said, “Let us make humankind in our own image” (Genesis 1:26). At this fourteenth station, we meet Joseph of Arimathea, a person of great wealth and merciful compassion. Mary was the widow of a poor carpenter, and Jesus was an itinerant rabbi. In the eyes of many, they were just poor peasants. In the eyes of the state, Jesus was a criminal unworthy of a proper burial. But to Joseph, a secret follower of Jesus, Jesus was the very image of God! And, as such, he deserved a respectful burial. Take a look at the picture you are colouring. On the front of the stone, there appears to be a seed hang-ing from the branch of a tree. Around the seed, it looks like things are beginning to emerge and grow. As followers of Jesus, the seed of resurrection life has already been planted in our hearts. And on the day of our own burial, that seed will begin to sprout as we make our way back home to God in whose image we were created. Take a closer look at the picture...perhaps what looks like a seed is a cocoon. At first glance, a cocoon doesn’t seem to be a likely image for Easter. But it’s what is going on inside that counts. The old caterpillar is being transformed into a beautiful butterfly what will emerge, bright with colour, and full of new life. As you finish colouring this station, think about how your own life has been transformed by tak-ing this journey with Jesus this Lenten. “Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; new life burgeons! Look at it! (2 Corin-thians 5:17).

Reflection for Children: After Jesus died on the cross, one of his friends, Joseph of Arimathea, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus’ body down from the cross. Along with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and some other friends of Jesus, Joseph prepared Jesus’ body for burial. Then he buried Jesus in his own tomb.

Discussion with Children: Have you ever been to a cemetery? How did it make you feel to be around the graves? Have you ever seen a butterfly come out of its cocoon? Why do you think the butterfly is one of

the symbols people use at Easter? Going Deeper: How does your own traditions give respect to the body after death? What do the funeral rituals of your church teach you about the dignity of the human body?

67

Station XV: New Life & A New Beginning The Resurrection of Jesus

Scripture: Mark 16:1-6

Reflection for Adults: Peter Marshall, the great Presbyterian preacher of the 20th century, once wrote, “The glorious fact that the empty tomb proclaims to us is that life for us does not stop when death comes. Death is not a wall, but a door.” Francis, the great Roman Catholic pope of the 21st century, preached that “Jesus no longer belongs to the past but lives in the present and is projected toward the future; Jesus is the everlasting ‘today’ of God.” On Easter Sunday, many Christians will sing the familiar words of Psalm 118: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” The witness of scripture, and the witness of over two thousand years of Christian faith, is that on that very first First Day of the Week, God did something extraordinary by raising Jesus to new life and giving all humanity a new beginning. Many people have a tradition throughout the year of visiting the graves of their loved ones. On Memorial Day, they may spend time at the cemetery cleaning the tombstone and planting flowers. At Christmastime, they may bring an evergreen wreath and holly. And on their loved one’s birthday, they may place a memento on the edge of the tomb. All of this is admirable, and may help us cope with our loss and grief. But the message of this last station is that life does not end at the tomb. In the words of one funeral prayer: “For your faithful peple, life is changed, not ended.” Death is but a door to the eternal life that awaits God’s faithful people. But the resurrection of Jesus is also a reminder that eternal life begins right here, right now...today! For the women who came to the tomb that Sunday morning, death was all they were expecting to see. Imagine their amazement when, in the place they expected to only encounter grief, was an angel of light telling them to turn back around, spread the good news, carry on the mission, and be on the lookout for Jesus in the places they least expected to see him. In the words of a contemporary Easter hymn: :Because you live, O Christ, the spirit bird of hope is freed for flying;/ our cages of despair no longer keep us closed and life-denying. / The stone has rolled away and death cannot imprison!/ O sing this Easter day, for Jesus Christ has risen!” Take a look at the picture you are colouring. The image of Jesus seems to be transcending all time and space as he stretches his hands out over the horizon. Those who were dwelling in the land of the shadow of death have seen a great light! God has been with all those who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death! Indeed, there is not place on earth that has not been touched by the new life of resurrection!

Reflection for Children: Three days after Jesus was buried, some women went to his tomb to anoint his body. They were very sad because they loved Jesus very much. When they got to the tomb, they were surprised to see an angel sitting there. The angel told them that Jesus was no longer dead. God had brought him back to life, and Jesus would now be with us forever. This was the very first Easter Sunday morning!

Discussion with Children: How do you think God brought Jesus back to life? If you were one of the women coming to Jesus’ tomb, how would you feel when you saw the angel

sitting there?

Going Deeper: Most of us think of eternal life as something that begins when we die. How would your outlook on

life change if you thought of eternal life as having already begun for you? Think of a time when you experienced new life or a new beginning in a place you were not expecting

it.

68

69

70