Join us on a video reflection on nine ‘stations’ of Jesus’ journey of passion through the cross. Leading us are nine communities from across the length of our diocese of islands and inlets, from north to south, west to east, and inspired by resources from GreenChurches.ca.
Each station will commemorate a biblically attested stage in Christ’s journey to crucifixion. But we will also view the Passion of Christ through the lens of the significant breaking of our covenant with the entire family of God’s creation: human and non-human, animate and inanimate. Many of the stations are outdoors, to enable the trees, the plants, the rocks, the soil, the sea, and the wind to help teach us of these broken relationships. Each station will offer prayer for the healing of the dreadful rifts in our covenant with God and all that God has made.
How can I use this reflective service?
Here are just two ways you might prepare to engage in this online video guide:
- Set aside a prayerful location in your home or outdoors (if you have a reasonable WiFi connection), perhaps with nine candles or lights that can begin lit, but be extinguished gradually through the nine stations, similarly to how a traditional Tenebrae service might proceed.
- If you have a good or unlimited cellular data connection and a mobile device, you might plan an outdoor walk, stopping to play through one station/prayer before pausing the video and walking along to another stop.
In praying each station, it is our hope that we may find the courage and the power to become agents of healing throughout our world, as the prophet Isaiah promised:
“They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastation of many generations... for 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 forth before all the nations.” (Isaiah 61: 4, 11)
[With material from the introduction to ‘An Environmental Stations of the Cross’, by GreenChurches.ca]
Contributing Communities (North to South):
- Trinity Anglican + Lutheran, Port Alberni (Nimpkish Region)
- St Paul’s, Nanaimo (Cowichan/Malaspina Region)
- St Peter, Quamichan (Cowichan/Malaspina Region)
- Parish of Saltspring Island (Haro Region)
- St Andrew, Sidney (Haro Region)
- St Michael and All Angels, Royal Oak (Selkirk Region)
- Church of the Advent, Colwood (Selkirk Region)
- Emmaus Community/AbbeyChurch (Tolmie Region)
- St Mary the Virgin, Oak Bay (Tolmie Region)