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.
In subsequent years, different patterns and frequency has
been observed; the liturgy below is preserved as a focus of
devotion. The text of the format observed in more
recent years is to be found HERE
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.
