I was absent (from here anyway) last Friday. I was in Nepal, and the internet there was even worse than it is in Sierra Leone – which is saying something… There is much I could write about regarding Nepal, the experience there, and the Himalayas – the viewing of which is a spiritual experience on its own. But I feel like on Good Friday, there is really only one contemplative focus worth mentioning.
Holy Weekend is a bit rushed for me this year. I would have liked to have been here for all of Holy Week, but there were few date options available for the training in Nepal. And I would have liked to have stayed in Nepal longer, so as to enjoy more of the beauty and culture there, but I didn’t want to be gone for Easter. So, there was a little loss on both sides of it.
For the entirety of this Lent, I was really trying to enter into the season of reflection and contemplation through a variety of means. Some days I was more successful than others. But here on this weekend of the Passion, I am going to go to a Stations of the Cross… service? walk? Contemplation. I’ve never been before (can you tell? I don’t even know what to call it!). Growing up Lutheran we were pretty proud of the things that made us “NOT Catholic” – because, well, Luther. And while my family of origin was/is Lutheran, I actually grew up pretty religiously eclectic, being raised in various mission boarding schools and exposed to a lot of different evangelical traditions. And while I’m in no danger of converting to Catholicism, and the majority of my experience in Catholic churches has been 1000-year-old cathedrals in Europe as a tourist, I think there was a whole lot of baby thrown out with the bathwater in our modern, Protestant, evangelical traditions. The past year+ has been an adventure in exploring a wide variety of ancient Christian practices, most of which have largely been left behind in the evangelical movement. I’m not sure why really. Perhaps there was some reason, back in the day. Or maybe, like for me in my early 20’s, deeply rooted practices seemed too “stilted” and “dead” and in need of fresh energy. (Maybe it’s no coincidence that it took me till my 50’s to return to practices that were “less energetic!” LOL)
After the Stations of the Cross this afternoon, I’ll go to the Good Friday service at my church, which is usually a service using primarily Lectio Divina. I’m looking forward to that as well. If you want some feedback on either of those experiences – you know how to contact me! 🙂
If you’re interested in spending more time in reflective contemplation this weekend of the Passion, I’ll include some resources below. May your weekend be a time blessed by the knowledge of His grace and love for you.
Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
Hallejuah!
Holy Weekend Resources
Here is a collection of Lent resources for your Passion Weekend contemplation. Some are visual, some are audio podcasts, some are video – really any format you want, or have time for. You still have time. Holy Saturday is a day of waiting. It would be a good day for sitting with some of these.
Stations of the Cross Video (in case you don’t have one in your area)
Lent resources from the Transforming Center
(in case you are scared off by the Catholic nature of the others!) 🙂
Lent podcast by Ruth Haley Barton
Pray As You Go App
There are 2 amazing resources on here for this week – an audio Stations of the Cross and an audio Lent Retreat.