A tool to use while walking through Lent: the Stations of the Cross, responding to 14 questions from Jesus
Ideas for using this tool during Lent:
Idea: engage with the questions by contemplating them as Stations of the Cross. Participants might be invited to write their reflections on papers and put them in baskets or boxes. These might be received and presented during a worship service, perhaps for a prayer or ‘blessing’.
Idea: Use a set of questions for conversation-starters during a worship service. Start with something like, ‘Turn to the person beside you and share your responses to these questions.’
Idea: In worship, after reading out the scripture passage and questions, allow for a time of silent reflection.
Questions:
- And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? (Matthew 6:27-28) What are your worries? When and how do they arise? How do they manifest physically?)
- Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? (Matthew 7:2) What are the logs in your own eyes? What prejudices and assumptions and judgments get in the way of your ability to see things as they are, on their own terms? How clearly can you see these ‘logs’?
- Why are you afraid, you of little faith? (Matthew 8:26) What are you afraid of? What is the root of your fear? When/how do these fears arise? How do these fears affect your life and the lives of others? How do your fears manifest in your body?
- Do you believe that I am able to do this? (Matthew 9:28) What do you need to do? Do you believe you can do it? Examine your beliefs about what you can and cannot accomplish.
- How many loaves have you? (Matthew 15:34) What do you have to work with – what are your resources to deal with the challenges before you? Are they sufficient? Can you ‘make do’?
- But who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15) – What is your name? (Luke 8:30) Who are you, in your essence? If you lovingly observe yourself in prayerful, mindful contemplation, who/what is it that is doing the observing?
- What do you want me to do for you? (Matthew 20:32) What kind of help do you need? Are you willing to ask for it?
- So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40) – Simon, are you asleep? (Mark 14:37) – Why are you sleeping? (Luke 22:46) In what ways are you ‘asleep’ spiritually/ emotionally/ mentally/ socially/ politically? What would help you come ‘awake’?
- My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) Is there any part of you in despair? What is the root of that despair?
- Can you see anything? (Mark 8:23) In what ways are you blind – unable to ‘see’ important aspects of life within and around you?
- For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? (Luke 22:27) In what ways are you a servant, and in what ways are you a master? What is it like to be in each of those roles? Are there situations in which those roles should be reversed for you? How can you be more of service to your community, country, and the world?
- What are you discussing as you walk along? (Luke 24:17) What chatter is going on in your mind right now? What are you thinking right now? What kind of inner dialogue is going on in you right now?
- What are you looking for? (John 1:38) What do you want? Is anything missing in your life? What do you want to do about it? What are you willing to do about it?
- Do you want to be made well? (John 5:6) In what ways are you not well? What is your level of desire to become well? What difference might it make if your desire was stronger?
Click here to share this post:
