Hoyl Week Part 2 Good Friday

We missed the Maundy Thursday night service, but were able to participate in the Good Friday Procession of the Cross along with several hundred people from 9 different Christian churches in the city of Salt Lake. These churches have been doing this together for the last 15 years. Only the church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints did not participate. (Discussing this with members of our Lutheran church, their thought was that the LDS church does not make a big deal out of church holidays-Christmas, Easter, etc, but instead expects its members to faithfully worship together each week.)

Station 1: The Cathedral of the Madeline

The procession began at the Catholic Cathedral with a welcome, gathering hymn, scripture reading, verse 1 of Were You There When They Crucified My Lord, a prayer and then an invitation asking who would carry the cross?

A volunteer came forward and the procession walked a block to the Presbyterian Church where these steps were repeated. A different gathering hymn was chosen representing the church of the station, the scripture was Luke 22:1- 23:56 with about 20 verses read at each of the 6 stations, and a verse of Were You There was sung at each stop.

Station 2: The First Presbyterian Church

We walked about 2.5 miles through the downtown area. For the first time in 15 years, the police did not show up so we did not have their assistance crossing streets. It took up to 4 lights to cross all the people in the procession and at one stage, when we had walked 4 blocks, the stragglers missed the gathering hymn and welcome.

Station 3: Crossroads Urban Center

As there were 9 congregations and only 6 stations, clergy shared duties at the stations. Our Lutheran pastor did the welcome and prayer at the Central Christian Church, as our church was 3 blocks outside the circle of the procession.

Station 4: Central Cristian Church

A few points struck me during the procession:

When requested "to walk in silence and contemplate such a Savior", most of the procession could not remain silent past the church property. (We did better when asked to walk in quiet conversation and prayer;).

The crowd enjoyed sharing this worship with others not of their church and even with passing cars.

The pastor of the Urdu worshipping community read the scripture in Urdu before a quiet, respectful crowd who for the most part couldn't understand him.

The volunteers chosen to carry the cross to the last station were 2 boys, maybe 10 years old, who carried it together for two long blocks.

Station 5: First United Methodist Church

The last station was at the Episcopal Cathedral where for the first time we entered the church and worshipped in the sanctuary. The crowd filled the church. We still sang a capella led by the cantor from the Catholic church. An offering was taken, as it has been for the last 15 years, for Crossroads Urban Center, one of the 9 participating communities of faith.

Station 6: St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral

When the last station was finished; we had shared the peace, finished the last verse of Were You There, and the Priest had said the benediction, the crowd just melted away into the growing darkness, and Wayne and I walked to a restaurant to enjoy a good dinner.

(The photos of churches at the different stations I took yesterday and today. It took me over an hour to walk the route again, taking photos at each site. I ran out of battery power so had to complete the photos today, 4/3/08)