Good Friday - Catholic style

[st_martin_a]

I fancied trying a different experience of Good Friday this year. I thought about trying a Catholic church but wasn't sure of the etiquette, so I found an Anglican church that had the same service listed as the Catholic one - the 'Stations of the Cross'. I'd read about the Stations of the Cross as an RE teacher but wasn't sure what to expect.
My wife came with me and we were made to feel welcome. There was a relaxed atmosphere. Only about 15 people. Then the vicar asked if everyone would feel comfortable reading a passage out loud. I like that kind of thing. It makes you feel part of it (and keeps you on your toes. Lol).
So the way it worked was - everyone wandered up to a picture of Jesus, a passage was read, and then the vicar explained what was going on in the picture. It was a cool combination of looking at art, hearing a commentary on the art, and praying. It happened for 14 different pictures. Well cool.
Really glad I went.
: )

Comments

[asakiyume]

I'm glad you had a good experience!

I think I somehow thought you *were* Anglican--I should go read your profile again. Be right back. Ah! I see: I was making assumptions from your pastoral work ;-)

I've done Catholic Stations of the Cross a few times. (I'm nominally Catholic.) In the churches I've been in, there are little statues on the walls for the different stations, and yeah, scripture passages are read. I can't remember who-all got to do the reading.

[st_martin_a]

Yeah, the church I go to is an independent church, probably similar to most Baptist churches more than anything. There's always been a kind of mistrust of the 'establishment' churches in the culture that I was brought up in but I think recently there has been more unity between them (largely due to Pope Francis and Justin Welby - the leader of the Anglican church) and I enjoy making links with other denominations and celebrating the similarities.
: )

[october_rain]

Glad you had a good time there and felt welcomed. I'm much too introverted for that sort of thing where they put new visitors on the spot and such. ;p