<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The stations of the cross</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The stations of the cross are set—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> so, too, the visions</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> of those few parishioners</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> who come to worship</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> this Good <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" dir="ltr" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" style="text-decoration-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.258824);">Friday evening</a>.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Three thunder-loud percussive shocks—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> the scepter strikes the floor</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and space cracks open </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> that here and now, all these centuries gone, </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> his words might still be felt and heard.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> His simple words, then, illumined by a scripture passage</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and a silent meditation, framed by clear bell tones.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> There follows an offering of other words, mystic ones, </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> this time turned visual by a dancer’s supple body’s moves,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> a second time of silence, then,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> a longer time of sharing,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and simple singing,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> together, as one by one,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> in single file, this row of souls</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> makes its reverent way</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> from this station</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> of the cross</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> to the next</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> until their</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> ritual is </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> done—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> until it</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> is finished.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> It was the time of sharing,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> that made the worship real:</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> dour and dark one voice,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> rainbow light and wistful another</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> a fear of death in each</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> spoken, embraced or left unsaid,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> measured and melodious, another</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> even in futile effort to bare a wound</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> that could not be born</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> before these few</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> nor before the cross itself,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> thoughtful, redolent of real hope</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> this other worshiper’s words—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> hope found for him in the personhood of god.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Jewels, all, these spoken words, before the cross</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and smiles and laughter too were there </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and memories brought back from childhood</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and from Latin liturgy sung—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> and there it ended in beauty</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with an offering—unsought, unplanned—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> a gift of grace—a single voice, </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> singing, in love, the Latin tongue—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Gregorian in its feel and subtle melody—</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> singing the beauty of the tree,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> the beauty of that very tree</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> from which the cross of Christ had come,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> that once living tree, now felled and dead, </span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> that bore, this night, those centuries gone,</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> his dying body.</span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="ydp9e1e3c17MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> - Bill Denham</span></p><br><div id="AppleMailSignature" dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts."<div> - Wendell Berry</div></div></div></body></html>