Change text size: A A A Change contrast: Normal Dark Light

A Holy Week journey: How to transform the world!

In this flexible resource, Brenda Vance invites us to travel with Jesus to the cross

Introduction

As we journey through Holy Week with Jesus, using passages from Mark’s Gospel, there is a focus on love and justice, and how we might live more compassionately as we model ourselves on Jesus.

The incidents described in Mark take place at first within the wider community, then move towards a narrower focus on the communal life of Christ and his followers. You might reflect this in your choice of locations for these stations: you could start the week outside your building (in view of the wider community) and then gradually move into more intimate spaces inside, culminating on Good Friday in your main worship space.

How to use this resource

The material is flexible and can be adapted to your context. There are five ‘stations’, one for each day of Holy Week, each taking about 20-30 minutes. You might do one per day, or hold a service on Good Friday and work through all of them. Or, set them up in a worship area for people to engage with in their own time; in which case, print out the appropriate Bible reading, meditation, activity instructions and prayer onto a sheet, copies of which may then be taken home by those attending or given to those unable to be present.

The stations could also be followed by a church or community event run jointly with others in the area, e.g. with a focus on issues of justice, particularly climate justice. You may want to have a communal meal and discussion on Maundy Thursday.

There is no station for Saturday, but you may wish to open your worship space for private prayer and meditation, with something such as a pile of stones or a bunch of flowers, to represent the sealed tomb and mourning.

Each station has the following structure:

Instructions for setting up the station: including suggested locations, images and objects.
Hymn and song suggestions: play one of these before the reading (if you’re using the stations as part of a service, supply the music on an electronic device with headphones).
Short reading: to be read out by the leader or a volunteer.
Thought and question: to be read out by leader or a volunteer. In addition, there are longer meditations. The second of each longer meditation set has a climate emergency focus. Allow a period of silent reflection after the reading/meditation or to invite discussion.
Activity or symbolic action: something to do.
Prayer: to be read by one person. Conclude the session by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.