Artwork by Hannah Lewis, watercolor, acrylic, and pen, 7” x 10”
Written reflection by Stina Hoberecht
Welcome to the website for Centennial Covenant Church’s podcast Centered. This podcast was created by Karl Helvig, David Dillon, and Kaley Rodda, with the help of many other wonderful people. The content below is a guide for the prayer practice known as The Stations of the Cross, and this website was designed particularly with our friends in the D/HH community in mind. You can use it on its own without the audio podcast, or you can use the website while listening to the podcast to create a more immersive experience. The content here is exactly the same as that on the audio podcast. In other words, this website and the podcast can function either independently or together.
As always, before we engage with scripture, we want to take a moment to align our mind and our body together.
Take a couple of deep breaths.
Pay attention to the air flowing in through your nose, and as you exhale, exhale all the air out through your mouth.
Take one more breath.
Now read these words of scripture.
Mark 15:19 -
Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
Matthew 27:28-30 -
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
Take a moment to also reflect on this passage from Tony Jones, in The Sacred Way.
Jesus’ life was a life of poverty—he gave up all earthly possessions to preach the gospel of Good News. Now, even the cloak he wears is violently stripped from him, tearing open the whip wounds on his back. As if the indignity of crucifixion weren’t enough, Jesus now stands naked before the crowd.
Engage now with the artwork reflecting this station. Begin by just sitting with the image, and taking it in.
Where do you find your senses are drawn? Stay there for a moment, and consider, why does that part of the image capture your attention?
Is there some sort of response you feel you would like to offer? How can you carry that response with you as you go into this day?
As always, we encourage you to take some time to reflect - maybe with pen in hand, through words or drawing. It’s a great way to go deeper in prayer.
This written reflection is by Centennial Covenant member Stina Hoberecht:
'In the beginning the Word already existed.'
'He existed in the beginning with God. '
In the garden 'the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.'
It was sin that opened their eyes to their nakedness.
'So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.'
Clothing became the mark of humanity. We were set apart from the animals, both in our shame and in our opened eyes.
David tore his clothes in sorrow. Josiah tore his clothes in despair. Jacob tore his clothes in mourning. Reuben tore his clothes in grief.
And here stands Jesus.
"King of the Jews," they mocked him.
'They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.'
'When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again.'
Jesus, fully human and fully God. His clothing torn by the sorrow, despair, the mourning and grief of humanity.
In His forgiveness, our shame doesn't disappear - a return to the garden nakedness.
Rather, a transformation - remembering what was, redeeming what is.
In glory, His 'clothes became dazzling white.'
And we are invited to the same glory-
'Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.'
Shame and sin become redeeming Love.
'Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. '