Prayers for Lent, Urban Stations, Good Friday

                On this Good Friday, April 18, 2014, in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, members of seven congregations of various denominations will gather to walk the city streets in procession using places at 8 different stops as the Stations of the Cross. These prayers by this writer are being used for each of the 8 Stations that form part of the overall Service.
               If you cannot join us or have never experienced the Stations of the Cross, pray with us on a virtual walk through the last hours of the earthly life of Jesus. 

Participating Churches in Wilmington, Delaware:

*The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew

*Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Church

*Wilmington Friends Meeting

*Old Asbury Church

*Bethel AME Church

*Ezion Mt. Carmel Church

*First & Central Presbyterian Church

1^st Station:  Jesus is condemned to die

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

How quickly this week has turned from exultation to murderous rebuke.  Let us bear the slanders and endure the anger, as You have, for those who are so quick to condemn a human life to death. Give us strength to pray for those who truly do not understand all that they inflict upon others, as well as for those who do. Grant us the courage to withhold our own judgment and condemnation and, in all humility, take this long walk with You and for You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

2^nd Station: Jesus takes up his cross

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

You are no more truly human than at this moment, dragging a massive piece of rough-hewn timber laid across Your body, through the mean streets, amidst the jeers and tears of bystanders.  Fill us with Your acceptance and willingness to bear any burdens that life gives. Help our understanding that You ask no more of us than You have done for us.  Let us remember that our load is always lightened by our trust in You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

3^rd Station: Jesus falls the first time

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

You buckle under the strain of the enormous burden this world has placed on Your shoulders.  For all that we do that weighs so heavily on You, we beg Your forgiveness. Grant us the fortitude to face our own sinfulness and the determination to overcome the weaknesses that turn us away from Your love. As You rise up in obedience to the call of God, let us follow Your example to stand again and move forward toward You after every fall and every stumble.  

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

4^th Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

O Mother of us all – to meet Your Son in such a plight as this – our hearts weep for Mother and Son in their mutual sorrow.  Change us, Dear Jesus, that we might never abandon those we love in time of need out of selfishness or inconvenience.  Let us see You with a mother’s heart and love You with a father’s joy and strive to love each other as You love us all even through the pain and the suffering that we have laid upon You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

5^th Station: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

Behold Simon, who is not one of us, pressed into taking Your Cross onto his own shoulders.  How often have we let others share our burdens or offered to share another’s, especially someone different from ourselves?  We bless Simon for helping You. And we give thanks to You for the example so that we might be Simon for someone else, without judgment, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or beliefs.  Let us walk together and share the weight of the cross with You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

6^th Station: Jesus and the women of Jerusalem

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

Our mourning is often for ourselves and the pain we feel for another’s anguish. These women mourn for You and You care for them in the midst of all You suffer, knowing that their lives will not be easier.  Help us to look beyond ourselves and into the faces of others with love rather than pity, with hope rather than despair, with justice tempered with mercy, and with true contrition for our own sins of commission and omission.   

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

7^th Station: The Crucifixion

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

A once living tree now makes the beams of a horrible death.  With Your own agony and the torment of Your appeals, You show us how to give our lives entirely to God.  And as Your life ebbs with excruciating slowness, Your compassion for us all and one who hangs next to You is overwhelming.  Grant us such compassion that we might not return injury for insult but rather reflect Your love and peace in the actions of our lives.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

8^th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

The silence of the Tomb engulfs us.  We are still and hear only the beating of our sorrowful hearts. The night is long and dark and cold. We will be with You. Be with us, Lord, we are at last awake to hear Your call.  Embrace us in the mercy of Your redemption, and when we have returned our souls to You, take us with You into the Kingdom of Your Glory.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.