Here's the thing about the Stations of the Cross: I don't like them. At least not right now - at least not the way they are done at my church. Or maybe I just don't like them at all, but I've never seen them done anywhere else....
Let me 'splain: I was raised Episcopalian, as I am now, but in a very "Low Church" (or "Protestant") tradition. We had no Stations, we had no crucifixes, no Mary statues or altars (horrors!), no monstrance, no incense/thurible/chanting/censing the altar and the congregation. Most people in my first several churches didn't even cross themselves, much less genuflect every time the name of Christ was mentioned.
So then I moved to a much more "High Church" (or "Catholic") diocese in my mid-30's, and all the things listed above are a regular part of our worship experience. Early on I told someone, "I keep waiting for them to sacrifice a chicken on the altar!" Sorry if that seems irreverent, but really, I was often bemused. Especially at first.
I have come to love and appreciate the rituals of the higher church experience; at least most of them. But Stations of the Cross? Not so much.
(I do love and appreciate our Station icons, beautiful work by dear friends. Here is Station 12: Jesus Dies on The Cross.)
I recently encountered a relatively new RevGal who is an Episcopal priest and said that she found her service of Stations at her new parish to be somewhat dry, and wondered what other people might have to suggest or offer. I could only tell her that I agreed with her about our Stations liturgy (in fact I think we are using the same one! See our Virtual Stations here). Being a prayerbook people, in a diocese where alternative liturgy is not often used, it hadn't occurred to me to wonder how else that would be done. And it made me wonder what some of the rest of you may have experienced.
Do you walk the Stations? How does it work...what sort of liturgy do you use? Do you have any suggestions for resources that you can share with me and my friend?
Many blessings and thanks!
