Good Friday in Jerusalem - April 14, 2006
My Good Friday began by catching the bus at 6:00 a.m. to join with others who were meeting at the First Station of the Cross inside the old city. This morning the Anglican Cathedral, Redeemer Lutheran , and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian churches walked the fourteen stations of the cross together. At each station we read the scripture story of the events at that location and we prayed in thanksgiving for God’s marvellous act to save humanity and we prayed for contemporary issues and for people around the world. We sang Good Friday hymns as we walked to each Station of the Cross.
Rather than observe the last five Stations of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is incredibly busy this weekend and inside of which it is politically very difficult for Protestants to conduct worship we observed stations 10 through 14 nearby. The worship concluded inside Redeemer Lutheran Church with a short service called the “Veneration of the Cross.”
My Good Friday continued in the evening with a two hour service at the Malekite Church (Greek Catholic). This special service in the Malekite tradition is a funeral service for Jesus. At the front of the church sat a small casket representing the deceased Christ. It was processed around the church with lots of incense. Everyone present was well purified with incense and generously sprinkled with rose-water. I must say the sanctuary was aromatic. Throughout the worship the choir sang psalms and the priests sang prayers continuously. I received a red carnation symbolizing both the "blood" of Christ shed this day and the "hope" of eternal and new life.
A few photos from the morning stations of the cross follow:
Rather than observe the last five Stations of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is incredibly busy this weekend and inside of which it is politically very difficult for Protestants to conduct worship we observed stations 10 through 14 nearby. The worship concluded inside Redeemer Lutheran Church with a short service called the “Veneration of the Cross.”
My Good Friday continued in the evening with a two hour service at the Malekite Church (Greek Catholic). This special service in the Malekite tradition is a funeral service for Jesus. At the front of the church sat a small casket representing the deceased Christ. It was processed around the church with lots of incense. Everyone present was well purified with incense and generously sprinkled with rose-water. I must say the sanctuary was aromatic. Throughout the worship the choir sang psalms and the priests sang prayers continuously. I received a red carnation symbolizing both the "blood" of Christ shed this day and the "hope" of eternal and new life.
A few photos from the morning stations of the cross follow:
posted by Philip | 7:31 a.m.
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