Ship of Fools: Stations of the Cross

Thread: Stations of the Cross Board: Ecclesiantics / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :

One of the churches I look after has the Stations of the Cross every Good Friday morning. This has been taken by one of the lay readers, who bought a series of posters which go up for the service. However, she has moved away and the responsibility for it all now falls on me. Although I have Googled, this hasn't been terribly helpful. Does anyone have good ideas for things that have worked - I did wonder about getting children to act some out, if I could find simple props anywhere? We don't want to spend much money as whatever we get will only be used once a year.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Will children be available on a Friday morning?

My church has Stations on Wednesday evenings (but, alas, we've never had child participation).

Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :

There are normally children present, and it's marketed as service for young people (although I think there's room for improvement here).

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

The Good Friday morning service here for children takes them through the story of Easter, with enthusiastic volunteers and narrators, plus songs / hymns. We used to have the Rector taking the part of Jesus in a white cassock.

Certain characters need to do specifics, like Pontius Pilate washing his hands, a but mob of Roman soldiers wearing helmets taking Jesus to appear in front of Pontius Pilate, or disciples following Jesus just need to follow on with the script.

It's known here as the Hot Cross Bun Service as it's followed by a drink and hot cross bun.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Googling 'stations of the cross for children' brings up all sorts of resources.

I like CK's description of the 'Hot Cross Bun Service'.

We do an ad-hoc Nativity Play at our Crib Service along similar lines, and Madam Sacristan leads a brief child-friendly 'Stations' at our monthly 'Crafty Church' Lent session (10th March).

IJ

Posted by BabyWombat (# 18552) on :

In my former shack we did The Way of the Cross on Good Friday evening (did the Liturgy of the Day at noon). The TEC Book of Occasional Services has a decent text, and having just checked the internet there appear to be various texts available for free on line.

The forms I’ve seen or used are pretty somber, and I’m not sure those texts I know would be all that good for children (even though they were standard Lenten Friday evening fare during my childhood in the RCC). They tend to deal with the pain, the suffering, the loss of friends, etc. Some forms now available do add a 15th Station about the resurrection, which softens the somberness but seems a little out of place, anticipating, as it does, the Easter Sunday celebration. Do Google a bit and see what you can find that works.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Iona Community stage a stations of cross on Good Friday from Martyrs Bay to the Abbey. You can read a description of last years as part of an article in Church Times or as part of my own account of participating in the Triduum while staying at the Abbey. I suspect this is why the Iona Community has a number of publications relating to it.

I must stress here that the ones actually used on Iona are written largely by guests during Holy Week. I suspect that they are not published anywhere.

Jengie

Posted by Morgan (# 15372) on :

Our celebration is simple but popular each year.There are 3 churches in our local village - Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting.

We all get together late morning on Good Friday, after each of our regular services. Friends and family from other places join us with wheelchairs, prams, dogs etc and the whole crowd walks in a leisurely way from one side of the village to the other, stopping at designated places.

Each stop is a station with a brief reading and prayer (designated adult leaders) and sung verse (led by choir members from one of the churches). A large but light wooden cross is the focus and is carried by an ad hoc succession of children. The stops are quite serious but the walks between are chatty.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

The churches together here also lead a Walk of Witness on Good Friday, which includes a retelling of the story at different stations along the route.

The Good Friday services are:
10:00am CofE Hot Cross Bun Service (about 30 minutes)
10:45am Walk of Witness - followed by coffee and hot cross buns in the RC church hall, the one nearest to the final station - that one takes an hour plus.
2:00pm CofE service for last hour
7:00pm concert - such as Stainer's Crucifixion.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

This should provide a link to some sonnets by Malcolm Guite linked to some stations by Eric Gill - if using anything by Gill these days isn't too controversial. Is that any help Robert Armin or for anyone else? I suspect it's more suitable as a personal devotional for adults than for children.

Malcolm Guite makes it clear in the link what he's happy to allow people to use his work for, and what is outside his permission. Eric Gill died in 1940. So anything by him is out of copyright in the UK. I've no idea what the position would be anywhere else.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Or you could get a set of slides - one for each station.

Or a set of videos

Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :

Thanks for all the ideas. We do have a screen and projector, so I had wondered about showing images of the Stations, and talking folk through them. However, the stuff I've read stresses that this should be a more interactive service, with movement around the church, so I'm weighing up how best to do this.

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

An RC church I have visited had the stations on tables around the edge of the church, with the stations crafted in the parish, the results varied from very professional looking stations from local businesses to ones from the Sunday school and primary school.

I know there is not time to organise something like that this year, but it could be born in mind for the future.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

The screen and slides etc. idea worked well at one of our neighbouring churches, given that their Stations are rather awkwardly placed in dark corners of the building!

IIRC, the congregation sat at the front of the nave, and the service included some suitable hymns, as well as the appropriate readings and prayers.

For people with mobility issues, this can be a lot better than trying to move/sit/stand around the church. I agree that, for children n particular, a more interactive approach is preferable.

IJ

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

The other version of Stations of the Cross is to have them set up around the church building and to walk around to each station in turn. At each station, pause for a reading and prayer. This we used to do for the evening service on Palm Sunday accompanied by a drum. But that was an adult service.

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

Another variation one Lent was to work with the local Art Society who produced 14 stations of the cross which was then made an exhibition through Lent and some of the Easter season.

Also the projected stations on to a cloth on an altar table for prayers and readings.

[ 11. February 2018, 22:20: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
The other version of Stations of the Cross is to have them set up around the church building and to walk around to each station in turn. At each station, pause for a reading and prayer. This we used to do for the evening service on Palm Sunday accompanied by a drum. But that was an adult service.

That's the way I've always known them to be used (not with a drum, tho' I can see how that would enhance them). I'd have thought, depending on the readings, that could work very well with children/ young people.

Posted by wild haggis (# 15555) on :

At one primary school I worked in we got the children to make their own Stations of the Cross (they could choose which part of the story and could paint, collage or whatever they wanted to).

Each class were given the titles of one or two of the Stations. They looked at those "pictures" in their class with that title and then voted which one they thought was the best by secret ballot.

We displayed these in the hall, making a complete Stations of the Cross. Then each class went round them at one point during the last day before Easter break.

We had Taize music playing quietly in the background and they did it silently. At each station we had a object (can't remember them all now) that the kids collected and put in a plastic bag, so they could take home and it would remind them of the story.

It was extremely effective and I think because the kids themselves made the Stations and then participated, it was more meaningful than just using commercially produced stations and walking around.

Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :

FWIW, I've decided to do a simplified Stations. A number of readers will take it in turns to read Mark 15, and I'll get kids to act out (simply) each event at various points around the church. This will be interspersed with prayers and hymns, and maybe a choir item for meditation. Not sure how it will go down, but I reckon it's worth trying. Oh yes, hot cross buns and drinks will be available after the service. Provided there's food, the children should be happy.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Let us know how it goes, Robert, in due course. These ideas are always worth sharing!

IJ

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BabyWombat:
The forms I’ve seen or used are pretty somber, and I’m not sure those texts I know would be all that good for children (even though they were standard Lenten Friday evening fare during my childhood in the RCC). They tend to deal with the pain, the suffering, the loss of friends, etc. Some forms now available do add a 15th Station about the resurrection, which softens the somberness but seems a little out of place, anticipating, as it does, the Easter Sunday celebration. Do Google a bit and see what you can find that works.

The pain, the suffering, the losses are exactly what Our Lord's Passion was all about. He suffered, rather violently at that, for our sins. As you point out about your own childhood, it is standard fare for the Stations. It is a peculiar modern habit to try to whitewash Our Lord's Passion by downplaying its harsh realities--could it be because we ourselves don't wish to ever be confronted with the possibility of physically suffering for our faith, as have so many through the centuries? Naturally, children become an excuse to do exactly that. No, please don't--the children will take this in, just as they have for centuries, and it will be the very basis of their beginning to understand the depths of Our Lord's love for us.

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

When you undertake the stations in Jerusalem, there is no 15th station. The burial is commemorated at the Holy Sepulchre itself, which is both the site of the burial and the resurrection.

Christianity can hardly be better summed up than by realising that the place of burial and resurrection are identical.

PS I don't care for Stations that much as I find I get compassion fatigue. Robert's scripturally based arrangement has a lot going for it.

Posted by Hilda of Whitby (# 7341) on :

quote:
Originally posted by venbede:

Christianity can hardly be better summed up than by realising that the place of burial and resurrection are identical.

I agree.

"In my end is my beginning."

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