A PILGRIMAGE THROUGH SPACE + TIME
One of the beautiful gifts of the Liturgy is the art of story. More than mere storytelling, the Liturgy is all about re-enacting the Story. And re-enacting the life of Christ as a multi-sensory, holistic event involving space & time, rhythm & repetition.
For instance, one way early Christians would re-enact the life of Christ is by going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, not only to see the holy sites but also to follow the footsteps of Jesus’ crucifixion. But when Christianity became more widespread, it became increasingly difficult for followers to make the long, expensive trek all the way to the Holy Land.
Enter the Liturgical Artist.
Great craftsmen of cathedral halls began creating progressive art installations known as the Stations of the Cross. These might come in the form of icons, paintings, sculptures or stained glass. They would typically line the surrounding walls of worship spaces & the paths of prayer gardens, creating an opportunity for worshipers to contemplate the each stage of the Crucifixion while tracing the symbolic footsteps that Jesus walked on the Via Dolorosa.
I’ve seen many versions of these Stations throughout my travels. But one set of Stations jumped out at me while I was in a cathedral in Warsaw, Poland.
Warsaw was completely destroyed by Hitler in WWII, so much of the city you see today has been rebuilt in the past 50-60 years, including it’s church buildings. And the art inside some of these spaces have an ancient-modern aesthetic to them. These particular Stations contained such an aesthetic.
With nothing but an old iPhone & a beginner’s understanding of Photoshop, I was able to adapt these images for projection. I wanted in some way to bring the experience of the Stations of the Cross to modern worship spaces, where it made sense.
Sometimes I’ll project these images in sequence over the course of a song. Once in a while, I’ll spread them out over the entire liturgy or setlist, ending with Christ Rising in Glory at the very end of the service. Other times, I’ve used environmental projection to display these images all across the room during the entire liturgy, just as if we were in a cathedral with the Stations fixed in time.
By presenting these images, I’m able to tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion in a way that words aren’t necessary. But if you really lean in & take your time with each station, you begin to re-enact the Story… even if just in your imagination.
One church down in Alabama even took these images & ancient practice to the next level.
Easter is not just about the Resurrection. It’s about everything that led to the Resurrection. The praise on Palm Sunday. The taste of the Last Supper. The grief of Good Friday. The hollowness of Holy Saturday. And even the quiet, whispered rumors that ushered in Easter Sunday. Holy Week is a journey that we are all invited into.
Let’s not miss out on all that led Jesus to an empty tomb. Let us not rush into celebration without first contemplating each & every step that Jesus took to the Cross. This is the beautiful, formative power of a visual liturgy.
Bring the Stations of the Cross into your next worship gathering or liturgy with this collection,
which I’ve made available for download at no charge.
Here are a few creative expressions of the Stations of the Cross by various liturgical artists.