Stations of the Cross

Not exactly psalms! However, as one of the privileges I've had at Christ Church Cathedral was to lead the children in a "pilgrimage" along the Stations of the Cross as set up for the occasion, I'd like to insert here my own version of such a children's pilgrimage, with prayers and activities:

Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death: "Thank you, Jesus, for accepting the blame for the sins of others. Amen" The children are given an empty box (like a Kleenex box, for example), to collect items from the following stations.

Station 2: Jesus is flogged, crowned with a crown of thorns, and given his Cross to carry. "Thank you Jesus, for carrying the Cross. Amen" The children are given two craft sticks, with Velcro strips on one side of each stick. They carry the sticks and the box to the next station.

Station 3: Jesus falls for the first time. (At a sharp turn at the bottom of a steep slope in the road) "Thank you, Jesus, for understanding how it feels to fall down. Amen"
The children are given a small map of the Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem. It goes into the box.

Station 4: Jesus meets his mother. "Thank you, Jesus, for sharing the love of your mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen" The children decorate the craft sticks on the non-Velcro side.

Station 5: Simon of Cyrene is ordered to help Jesus. "Thank you, Jesus, for teaching us how to accept help. Amen" The children put the craft sticks together to form a cross. They carry the cross and the box.

Station 6: Veronica wipes Jesus' face. "Thank you, Jesus, for showing us your true face. Amen" Children are given an index card (unlined) and a pencil. They draw a picture of the face of Jesus. The picture goes into the box.

Station 7: Jesus falls the second time. (Possibly at the sight of the posted notice of his condemnation and that he is to be crucified.) "Thank you, Jesus, for being the Prince of Peace. Amen" The children are given a small piece of paper to write: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" and attach it to the top of the Cross.

Station 8: Jesus consoles the women who are weeping for him. "Thank you, Jesus, for drying our tears. Amen" The children are given a tissue to go into the box.

Station 9: Jesus falls for a third time. (Possibly within sight of Golgotha, where he is to be crucified.) "Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to keep going when the road is hard. Amen" The children are given a stone to go into the box.

Station 10: Jesus is stripped of his garments. "Thank you, Jesus, for suffering embarrassment for our sakes. Amen" The children are given a paper doll wearing a loin cloth and a crown of thorns, but covered with a cloth cloak. The children remove the cloak and put it into the box. They carry the Cross and the paper doll and the box.

Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the cross: "Thank you, Jesus, for suffering pain for our sakes. Amen" The children attach the doll to the Cross.

Station 12: Jesus dies on the Cross. "Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us. Amen" All kneel for a moment of silence, then rise.

Station 13: Jesus' body is taken down from the Cross. "Thank you Jesus, for your broken body and blood. Amen" The children remove the doll from the Cross.

Station 14: Jesus' body is lain in the tomb. "Thank you Jesus, for making the grave a bed of hope. Amen" The children place the doll and the Cross in the box. They are given a cloth bag (scented with Holy Oil, if permitted, otherwise just scented with cloves and cinnamon). In the bag there is a hard boiled egg with a note: "This is one egg. The shell is like the Body of Jesus, it must be broken in order to reveal the white of the egg and the yolk of the egg. The white may be thought of as being like the Holy Spirit of God. The yolk may be thought of as being like the Creating Power of God. Shell + white + yolk = One Egg. Jesus, Son of God + Holy Spirit, the Comforter + Creator = One God. The Blessed Trinity."  The egg and note are placed in the box to be opened on Easter Morning. The box is placed in the bag.

Psalms in Hebrews4Christians

One of the best websites for studying the psalms is Hebrews 4 Christians, where anyone who's interested can study the Hebrew language and look for helpful pieces of information in Bible study in general.
Here's the link.

Lent 2014

I'm a bit late starting (already Saturday, first week of Lent), but better late than never.  My hope is that this Lent, I can get a good start on my Lentan Laments project.  Whatever that turns out to be, will be revealed as I go along--as much a mystery to me as to anyone.

My view of the first week of Lent of Lamentation Psalms looks like this:
Ash Wednesday: Pss. 6, 32, 38, 102, 130, and 143.
Thursday: Pss. 1 to 7 (omitting Ps. 6)
Friday: Pss. 8 to 11
Saturday: Pss. 12 to 15

Sunday is not part of Lent.  As the Day of Resurrection, it is a day of celebration not lamentation.

psalms of ascent

It's been a long time since I posted anything here.  Rather than copy out the psalm in the text, I'm just going to provide a link.  That'll keep me from getting in trouble with copyright, I hope.  So, today's psalm is 120:  Here it is: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26c0.htm , in Hebrew and in English. At the top of the page there is a link to listen to the psalm in Hebrew.
This is the first of 14 psalms called "Psalms of Ascent" or "Pilgrim Psalms", songs sung by pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem for great annual feasts.  Maybe they were sung by the Levite priests on the fifteen steps from the Court of the Women to the Court of the Israelites in the temple.  Also called "Gradual Psalms" or "Psalms of the Steps". 

link to the Jerusalem Bible

I couldn't find a direct link to the Jerusalem Bible.  I could find the New Jerusalem Bible online, but I haven't been using that version, so far.  Here, however is the best I could do for the Jerusalem Bible.  This should take you to the psalms in the Jerusalem Bible.  Can't say I'm not trying!

links to Bible Versions online

In previous blogs, I have cited the version of the Bible where I found the psalm I copied.  It occurs to me that I was remiss in not giving the link to the Bible version in the blog entry.  In an attempt to remedy this, in the future, I'll try to provide those links each time I copy a psalm.
To show good faith, here's one, at least:
Here's the King James Version.
If I were more computer savvy, I'd go back and put the links in the previously published blogs. I'll do that if & when I learn how.

Lenten Lament Individual 4

Psalm 6  (Book of Alternative Services [Anglican, Canadian])
First of the Penitential Psalms: Prayer in time of distress;
For the leader; with stringed instruments 'upon the eighth', A Psalm of David:
1.  Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
do not puish me in your wrath.
2.  Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak,
heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.
3. My spirit shakes with terror,
how long, O Lord, how long?

4.  Turn, O Lord, and deliver me,
save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  For in death no one remembers you;
and who will give you thanks in the grave?

6.  I grow weary because of my groaning,
every night I drench my bed
and flood my couch with tears.
7.  My eyes are wasted with grief
and worn away because of all my enemies.

8. Depart from me, all evildoers,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9. The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10.  All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear,
they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Prayer: God of mercy and tenderness, giver of life and conqueror of death, look upon our weakness and grief, and restore us to health, that we may sing a new song to your praise; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. (Amen)