Introduction
Through Lent and Passiontide there has been a long
tradition in the Church of meditating on the events of the suffering
and death of the Lord Jesus, called the Stations of the Cross.
In the latter part of the twentieth century a complementary
devotion emerged, possibly from the Iberian peninsula, called the Stations of the Resurrection or the Stations
of Joy. They provide much-needed resources for the
celebration of the Great Fifty Days.
As with the Stations
of the Cross, we move from station to station, reading an appropriate
Bible passage and meditating on it. By using the resurrection
appearances as a focus for reflection and meditation we have an
opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the Easter mysteries of the
resurrection of our Lord. The resurrection appearances are more
than just stories or history, they are a record of personal encounters
with our risen Lord, so silence and space should be given to allow the
liturgy to enable that encounter to happen today.
The
liturgy of
the Stations of the Resurrection was introduced at Saint Faith's in
Eastertide, 2007. Each week, from Easter Saturday to the Eve of
Pentecost, those present gathered to listen to poetry and music, before
moving around the newly-hung posters in the body of the church,
finishing in the Lady Chapel. The text below was used on each
occasion, although the reflections were different for each service:
those reproduced here were read on the Saturday following Ascension Day.
The same pattern of wosrhip was
followed in 2008, and is set to become a regular feature of our yearly
cycle of devotions. The framed pictures, which for the rest of
the year are hung around the walls of the Chapel of the Cross, may be
seen by following THIS LINK
The
Gathering
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break
forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
Isaiah 49.13
Jesus said, ‘This is indeed the will of my Father, that
all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life,
and I will raise them up on the last day.’
John 6. 40
A
brief moment of silence follows.
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Amen.
(or) God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
At each station…
Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
Dying you destroyed our death,
rising you restored our life:
Lord Jesus, come in glory.
Jesus is the
resurrection and the life.
Those
who believe in him shall never die. Alleluia.
First Station
Mary Magdalene finds
the Empty Tomb
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to John (20.1,2)
Early on the first day
of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran
and want to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and
we do not know where they have laid him.’
Reflection
Easter
In the beginning
The Lord God planted a garden
Facing the rising sun.
Adam was the gardener,
And all was very good
Until, worming its way
Into his mind the idea
Came that he could
Do things his way.
And the rest was trouble.
But in another garden,
The risen Son,
Adam renewed
Appearing as a gardener
Brought new beginning,
Showed that through God's grace
All can be life.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for the love which
drew Mary Magdalene to your tomb to weep over your
death.
As you broke into her
grief with your death-sharing life,
so reach into our
broken hearts with your promise of hope.
To you, Lord Jesus, reaching into the
deepest tombs of our despair,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Second Station
The Disciples run to
the Empty Tomb
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to John (20. 3-8)
Peter and the other
disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running
together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb
first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying
there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following
him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying
there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the
linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the
other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw
and believed.
Reflection
Lead us Lord
(Easter responses from Iona)
Lord of life, you walk this journey with us and through us;
LEAD US LORD, LEAD ON.
Journeying within, and wrestling with the world,
LEAD US LORD, LEAD ON.
Lead us to risk, to grow, and to tread the path you have opened for us;
LEAD US LORD, LEAD ON.
And let us rejoice that every place is your place;
In the name of Christ, the Risen One, Amen.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for in you our God
reveals the awesome power of love that is stronger even than
death.
As in your dying you
destroyed death,
so in your rising may
we be raised above the trials and torments of this world’s woe.
To you, Lord
Jesus, the fullness of your
life revealed in an empty tomb,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Third Station
The Angel appears to
the Women
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to Matthew (28.5-8)
The angel said to the
women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was
crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he
said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and
tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is
going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is
my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and
great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Reflection
This is the Good News
(Easter affirmation)
This is the Good News –
The grave is empty,
Christ is risen.
HALLELUJAH!
This is the Good News -
The light shines in the darkness,
And the darkness can never put it out.
HALLELUJAH!
This is the Good News –
Once we were no people,
Now we are God's people.
HALLELUJAH!
Christ is our peace,
The indestructible peace
We now share with each other.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for your resurrection
overturns our expectations of life
and even your closest
friends could not see truth before them.
As the angel helped
them to grasp your triumph and overcome their
fear,
so help us to see your
hand at work through the events
that overtake us.
To you, Lord Jesus, whose ways astonish
beyond our imagining,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Fourth Station
Jesus meets the Women
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to Matthew (28.9,10)
Suddenly Jesus met
them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of
his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be
afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see
me.
Reflection
Mary of Magdala
A nudge and a wink your assessment.
It has suited men so.
To admit to alternatives
Would be too upsetting.
Yet consider the evidence:
Healed of an illness unspecified,
(Subject of much speculation);
Named first of the women
Whose ministry nourished and cared for him;
Leader, a force to be reckoned with;
Love marked by faithfulness,
Courage too, there at the Cross.
First of the witnesses,
You met the risen Lord,
You were sent first with the News,
Meeting incredulous men,
Who dismissed you
As bearer of women's tales.
From that day onward, women have
Shown they have insight:
Men have been slow to believe.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for your simple word
of greeting made the hearts of the women leap with joy.
Speak your word of
love to those whose hearts are broken,
that they too may hear
your loving, beckoning call.
To you, Lord Jesus, whose call summons us
to life in all its fullness,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Fifth Station
The road to Emmaus
Reading
A
reading from the Gospel according to Luke (24. 28-35)
As they came near the
village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going
on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because
it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went
in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes
were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their
sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning
within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening
the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to
Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered
together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he
has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the
road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the
bread.
Reflection
Stay with us, Lord,
for the day is far spent
and we have not yet recognized your
face
in each of our brothers and sisters.
Stay with us, Lord,
for the day is far spent
and we have not yet shared your bread
in grace with our brothers and sisters.
Stay with us, Lord,
for the day is far spent
and we have not yet listened to your
Word
in the words of our brothers and
sisters.
Stay with us, Lord,
because our very night becomes day
when you are there.
Prayer
We
praise you and we bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for you are with us, even when our eyes are
closed to your companionship.
Walk this day
alongside the disconsolate and the despairing,
open their eyes to
your gentle illumination,
and let their hearts
burn within them at your invisible presence.
To you, Lord Jesus,
walking by our side, be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Sixth Station
Jesus appears to the
Disciples
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to Luke (24. 36-43)
While they were
talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and
thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are
you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at
my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see;
for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I
have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and
his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still
wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They
gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their
presence.
Reflection
When we stand gazing upwards, bring us down to earth:
with the love of a friend
through the songs of the sorrowing
in the faces of the hungry.
When we look to you for action, demand some work from us.
by your touch of fire
your glance of reproof
your fearful longing.
As ruler over all:
love us into action;
fire us with your zeal;
enrich us with your grace
to make us willing subjects of our rule.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for in your birth you
were proclaimed the Prince of Peace,
and in your
resurrection you breathe into your people peace beyond this
world’s understanding.
Be present, Lord, this
day with
those whose lives are disfigured by conflict
and those whose hearts
know no peace.
To you, Lord Jesus, true bringer of the
peace of heaven,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Seventh Station
Jesus reveals himself
to Thomas
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to John (20. 24-29)
Thomas (who was called
the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said
to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my
finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not
believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and
Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came
and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said
to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your
hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’
Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him,
‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
Reflection
Movable feast?
How do you feel, Thomas,
Your day being moved
From winter solstice
To high holiday?
Perhaps you rejoice in
More attention, away from
The tinselled run-up to
The Christmas Feast.
For me, reflection on
Faith emerging from doubt,
The stirring of meaning,
Needs darker symbols:
Has more to do with
The almost imperceptible
Shift of the earth on its axis,
A flicker of light
On the shortest Day,
Than a blaze of certainty
In midsummer's sun.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for you come to us
even in our doubting.
Through the sovereign
work of your Spirit, and the loving hands
of your people,
continue to reveal
yourself where doubt is stronger than faith.
To you, Lord Jesus, whose resurrection
body bears the murderous marks of the cross,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Eighth Station
Jesus appears at the
lakeside
Reading
A reading from the
Gospel according to John (21. 9-13)
When they had gone
ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and
bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have
just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net
ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and
though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to
them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared
to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord.
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same
with the fish.
Reflection
We gather in God's name
(Easter responses from Iona)
We have travelled a long way to come here,
from many places, and through Holy Week to Easter.
NOW WE GATHER IN GOD'S NAME IN GOD'S PLACE.
We have told the story of Jesus's suffering and death,
and remembered how the disciples were scattered in despair.
NOW WE CELEBRATE CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD,.
We have been silent in the face of failure and fear;
but now have found our voices, know your hope.
NOW WE SHOUT THE GOOD NEWS, SING ALLELUIA.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for at the lakeside
you showed concern for the daily needs of your disciples.
As you guided them to
fill their nets with fish,
so guide all who are
hungry till
their hunger is satisfied in you.
To you, Lord Jesus, sharing with us the
food of faith,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Ninth Station
Jesus confronts Peter
Reading
A
reading from the Gospel according to John (21. 15-19)
When they had finished
breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love
me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second
time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He
said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to
him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son
of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him
the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you
know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him,
‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger,
you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished.
But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone
else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish
to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he
would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’
Reflection
RESTORATION
Master, don't tease. You know
I am your friend. Yet still you ask,
And how can I reply?
I swore unending loyalty, and then
Three times denied, but Lord,
I am your friend. And still you press,
You are my friend, then? Lord it hurts,
But in the hurting heals:
Three times I say it, Yes, I am your friend.
And gladly I will serve as you command.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for even in the
glorious victory of the resurrection you understood the
failure of Peter who denied you.
As you restored him to
relationship with you,
remember all who feel
downcast and worthless in this world’s eyes and give them a sense
of purpose and value.
To you, Lord Jesus, loving us despite our
denial,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Tenth Station
The Ascension
Reading
A reading from the
Acts of the Apostles (1. 3-11)
After his suffering he
presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to
them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of
God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave
Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the father.
‘This, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with
water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is
this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He
replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the
father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was
lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was
going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white
robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand
looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into
heaven.’
Reflection
Perspective
Ascension means a
God-like view of things,
Rising above our usual
Limitations.
Rise, then, and know
The glory of a life
Set free from fear.
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for in your ascension
you are crowned King of kings and Lord of lords.
As we worship you on
your heavenly throne, prepare our hearts for
the coming of your Spirit.
To you, Lord Jesus, who will come back in
the same way you went up into heaven,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Eleventh Station
Pentecost
Reading
A reading from the
Acts of the Apostles (2. 1-11)
When the day of
Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And
suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested
on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them
ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under
heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered
and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native
language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all
these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear,
each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes,
Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. Egypt and the parts of Libya
belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about
God’s deeds of power.’
Prayer
We praise you and we
bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,
for you promised that
your disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit
and now we see the
fulfilment of your promise.
Fill us afresh with
your Spirit today, revive your Church,
and renew the face of the earth.
To you, Lord Jesus, giving to your people
the greatest gift of all,
be honour and glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.
The Conclusion
Let us pray for the
coming of God’s kingdom in the words our Saviour taught us.
The Lord’s prayer is
said.
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ
is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in
him, from
the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those
things that are above
where he reigns with
you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for
ever.
Amen.
Alleluia. Christ
is risen.
He
is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Praise the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He
has given us new life and hope.
He
has raised Jesus from the dead.
God has claimed us as
his own.
He
has brought us out of darkness.
He
has made us light to the world.
Alleluia. Christ
is risen.
He
is risen indeed. Alleluia.
God the Father,
by whose glory Christ
was raised from the dead,
strengthen you to walk
with him in his risen life;
and the blessing of
God almighty,
the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and
remain with you always.
Amen.
The risen Christ came
and stood among his disciples and said ‘Peace be with you’.
Then were they glad to
see the Lord. Alleluia.
The peace of the risen
Lord be always with you
And
also with you.
Let us offer one
another a sign of peace.
All may exchange a
sign of peace.
