Lenten Practices, Stations of the Cross

The stations are a way of remembering and entering spiritually, the final hours of Jesus earthy life and ministry. This period is also referred to as Christ’s passion. Passion coming from the Latin word for passionem, meaning suffering. Hence the term, Passion Week. That is Holy Week. Each station remembers a point along the way Jesus took from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his death on the cross and burial in the tomb. By observing the stations, the individual believer, family, or congregation, accompanies Jesus in his last moments. For centuries, Christians have physically retraced Jesus’ Way of Sorrow (Via Dolorosa) in the Old City of Jerusalem on Good Friday. Usually, there are 14 stations.

The practice of the stations allows all Christians, regardless of geographic location, to enter this experience. Many Roman Catholic and some Anglican Churches display the stations of the cross in their churches all year. However, many don’t and still observe the stations on Fridays in Lent. This is often done by using temporarily displayed stations. Also, many monastic communities and retreat centers have the stations of the cross displayed on their grounds. These, while sometimes used by congregations formally, are often used more by individuals for personal reflection and devotion. Whether used as a formal service by a congregation or more informally by individuals for personal meditation the stations can be a powerful practice. 

It’s not necessary to have “official” stations to observe this practice on your own. You could look up the fourteen stations in the Bible, with a passage per station, perhaps moving from room to room. You could print out stations from various websites and create actual stations around your home or property. You could identify locations in your neighborhood or community with the traditional stations and observe them as a walking pilgrimage. Meditating, praying, and accompanying Jesus in his passion, as the Christian community has for over 2000 years can stir the heart, prompt deep reflection, and nurture faith. If a local church offers the stations you may wish to go experience them for yourself or try doing them in your own. 

Lenten Practices, Silence

Silence has long been understood as an ideal environment for fostering personal reflection and encounter with God. Silence is regular part of the life of many monastic communities. This isn’t done only to create a relaxing and peaceful environment (something parents of young children fantasize about!). Rather, exterior silence invites individual reflection, sometimes painfully, as thoughts, memories, and temptations arise. Much soul work cannot begin until we are willing to deal with our internal noise. Exterior silence is also an invitation to interior silence. The practice of quietening the heart and mind is often associated with Eastern religions, but in the Christian faith this practice is also an important means of making space to listen for God.

Stillness is associated with silence and both are associated with an awareness of the divine, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The Prophet Elijah, fleeing persecution, encounters God not in the awesome power of earthquake or fire, but within “sheer silence” (1 Kings 19:12). Silence can be healing. Silence can be energizing. There are some who go to remote locations simply for the respite from the noise of our devices and the noise that our human communities create, complain about, and sometimes celebrate (click here for example.) Prayer is often described as a conversation with God. Silence fosters listening. Recall a person you’ve met who relishes talking but not listening. You don’t get to say much.

They say a whole lot. If you had something powerful, profound, or even pressing to tell them (e.g. “A tractor trailer truck is coming this way.”), they might not be able to hear it (with consequences that will run right along). Might this be God’s experience with you and me? We talk, but we don’t listen. Our culture is not comfortable with silence. Every single moment must be filled with noise. Our phones, with their wonderful abilities to play music, movies, and to entertain with massive choices of games, mean we don’t have to experience silence unless we choose to. It’s worth choosing silence. It’s a time-honored way of coming to terms with our anxieties, gaining clarity about our callings, and entering fuller awareness of the Triune God.