Image Source: "Jesus Dies on the Cross," from a set of Stations of the Cross painted by David O'Connell, Bing Image Search - Creative Commons
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA
Walking in Love, Welcoming All
The Rev. Seldon Walker, Rector
Stations of the Cross
APRIL 2, 2021 12:00 PM Join us online for worship every Sunday at 10AM including Easter Sunday! https://GraceYorktown.online.church The people assemble at the first station, the steps of the historic church, and observe a moment of silence. The peoples’ responses are in bold.
Opening Devotions
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Officiant and People
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: In whom is our salvation, our life and our resurrection.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
2 After the Kyrie is said (the “Lord have mercy”) the people move to the next station. The people are invited to take turns carrying the Cross, remembering Jesus’ Cross, carried to his crucifixion.
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First Station: Jesus prays in the garden.
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” (Luke 22:41-46)
We pray • for all those who pray on the night before something they fear, such as surgery, going to court, a big test, a coming storm, or something that may cause pain or failure; • for people who have trouble sleeping or are filled with worry; • for those at decision-points in their lives; • for those who are uncertain or in great need, or face the unknown courageously; and • for all military and police and all first responders who serve in harm’s way and who are in need of wisdom and critical thinking in imminent times of higher stress.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Second Station: Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested.
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. (Mark 14:43- 46)
We pray • for all those who are in prison or awaiting trial; • for those who have been betrayed by their friends, or who are wrongfully convicted of crimes, or are lied and gossiped about; • for prison guards, judges, and police; • for people imprisoned by addictions, guilt, or poverty; • for all whose governments have betrayed their people's trust; and • for those in positions of authority and leadership roles who because of their own greed and desire for power have betrayed their followers and constituents.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Third Station: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin.
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” (Matthew 26:62-66)
We pray • for religious leaders – vestries, priests, and bishops – and for all lay ministers and leaders in Grace Church; • for religious leaders who are tempted to be self-righteous, intolerant or judgmental, or who put themselves on a pedestal, and forget that they are acting on behalf of God; • for the Government of the United States – the Congress, President, and courts – for the Government of Virginia, and for the governments of the cities and counties of the Peninsula, especially Yorktown; • for bankers, stockbrokers, financial managers, the Secretary of the Treasury, and all who are responsible for other people’s money; and • for the governments of every nation.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Fourth Station: Peter denies knowing Jesus
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he went out to the porch, another servant- girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75)
We pray • for all those who deliberately lie for the sake of wealth or influence or power or any malice; • for all who are pressured by their peers or by self-interest to lie or do what they know is wrong, and those who pressure them; • for all who have disappointed someone and regretted it, or not had the courage to do what’s right; • for people who are ashamed, or who do not believe they can be forgiven, or be given a second chance; and • for people who take money to sell somebody out, and for anybody who serves on a jury or gives testimony in court.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Fifth Station: Jesus is condemned by Pilate
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. (Luke 23:13-15, 23-24)
We pray • for prosecutors, defense attorneys and all people charged with crimes; • for all who run for political office and are tempted to take the low road or seek their own gain; • for people in power who allow fear, greed, or the desire for power, to contaminate their virtue; • for parole boards, judges, juries, and all who must decide about the fate of other people; • for all teachers whose instruction and grading affect students’ lives; • for those oppressed for their political beliefs, their race, their religion, their sexual orientation or their nationality; and • for those who lack moral courage and "go with the flow" like Pilate.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Sixth Station: Jesus is whipped and crowned with thorns
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. (Mark 15:16-19)
We pray • for all victims of violence and humiliation, racial profiling and bullying; • for all who have died or been injured in school shootings and for parents who fear for their children’s safety; • for all who have suffered from domestic violence or child abuse, and for those who have harmed them; • for those who have fought in wars, served in police forces, and who have PTSD or other repercussions from witnessing and participating in combat, or other violence; • for all returning veterans, especially disabled veterans; • for people who are mocked because they are “different”; • for all victims of mass murders and we remember that hurt people hurt; and • for healing and a new perspective.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Seventh Station: Jesus takes up his cross
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. (John 19:16b-17)
We pray • for everyone who is condemned to a sentence, who has lost hope, or who is in despair; • for those who have no adequate healthcare, who are trapped in poverty, or who have no other human being to depend on for help; • for people who do not have access to nutritious food or clean water; • for people in mental institutions; • for those who are about to die, and know it; • for people society considers disposable; • for people whose employers force them to do what is wrong, but who need the job; • for people who become scapegoats; • for all who have been affected by the coronavirus and the pandemic, especially those who have lost loved ones and who have suffered the illness in isolation; • for all health care providers who provide for critical care and sit vigil with those who are critically ill; • for those who have lost their means of income to provide for themselves and their families; and • for those working long hours especially during the pandemic.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Eighth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26)
We pray: • for African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and members of the LGBTQ community who have historically been and continue to be the victims of injustice and targeted violence; • for all who recognize and name the sin of slavery including our own churches; • for everyone who seeks to liberate the oppressed, give them health care or food, or who prays for them; • for prison chaplains and participants in Kairos ministry; • for those who are enslaved by child labor, for child- soldiers, for all victims of human trafficking; • for anyone who takes the risk of being hated or ridiculed for standing up for Christ or goodness; • for people raised in a racist environment; • for all who use their own money to help others; • for Muslims in the U.S. who are stereotyped and scapegoated; • for refugees in camps, for immigrants in the US who fear deportation, and for all who are displaced by war; and • for the crisis of humanity at the border, especially for those children who have crossed the border and are being kept in cages or other unsafe temporary arrangements.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Ninth Station: Jesus meets the weeping women
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:27-31)
We pray • for old people, and those who are disabled; • for single mothers and fathers; • for all parents whose child has died or children whose parents have died and for women and couples who bear the loss of infertility or miscarriage; • for new mother who suffer with postpartum depression; • for grandparents, widows and widowers; • for brothers and sisters and the bond of family; • for those who mourn, and all who weep alone; • for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and those who care for them; and • for all those who are or have suffered with coronavirus and who bear the anxiety of contracting COVID.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Tenth Station: Jesus is crucified
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” (Luke 23:33-38)
We pray • for all who are judged by people who don’t know them, and who don’t know the facts; • for all who suffer physical pain, ridicule, or public humiliation; • for all whose hardness of heart or ignorance causes them to hurt others; • for self-centered people who don’t care about the suffering of others and pass by not even noticing; • for people who are stereotyped, made fun of, or ridiculed; and • for people who suffer or are marginalized when they do the right thing.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Eleventh Station: Jesus promises paradise to the thief
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
We pray • for all who confess their sins to God and are forgiven; • for those who cannot confess their guilt, or who won’t allow themselves to be forgiven or loved; • for people who suffer for their beliefs; • for those who have the courage to ask for a second chance, and those who are willing to give it to them; • for programs that find jobs and homes for people released from prison or those in recovery from addictions; and • for those who cannot admit their addictions.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Twelfth Station: Jesus cares for his mother
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19:25b-27)
We pray • for all parents whose children have been taken from them; • for those who honor their commitment to family, especially when it costs them dearly; • for those who care for elderly parents or the handicapped; • for all programs that care for refugees; • for all who are trying to escape violence and oppression; • for all the feeding programs like Rise Against Hunger, the Saint Luke’s Food Closet, the middle school backpack food ministry; • for the Grace Church Christmas is Everyday ministry that supports our deployed military troops; • for children orphaned by war, or by HIV-AIDS or cancer; • for all those who adopt or foster children; and • for all children seeking a stable and permanent family through foster care and adoption.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Thirteenth Station: Jesus dies
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” (Luke 23:44-47)
We pray • for all nurses, doctors, hospice workers, employees in nursing homes, and for home health care providers; • for ambulance drivers and first responders; • for those who have died alone or without anyone to mourn their dying; • for people who die without ever knowing that God loves them; • for victims of genocide, or those buried in unmarked graves and for victims of tornados, bad storms, earthquakes, and plane crashes and for those who are terrified or buried under rubble; and • for those who have been traumatized or have died by domestic assault or gun violence.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
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Fourteenth Station: Jesus is buried
We praise you O Christ and give you thanks, For by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.
Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:53-56)
We pray • for cemetery workers, funeral home directors, and all who tend the dead with respect; • for all Grace Church members who died this year and all who are buried in this cemetery; • for all who are faithful to causes that other people believe are futile, without giving up hope; • for all who work at jobs that other people don’t respect; • for those who stand by their friends in time of adversity and danger; and • for all who have died, that they may be remembered, and may be received into God’s heavenly care.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy
Let us depart in peace, In the name of Christ. Amen.
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