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For centuries, followers of Jesus have observed the “Stations of the Cross,” or the Via Dolorosa (“The Way of Sorrow”) as a devotional exercise to reflect on the importance of Christ’s sacrifice on Good Friday. Early Christians sought to more fully remember the events of the Passion Week by setting up trails, with guided stops along the way, built to remind them of various events leading up to the crucifixion.

Here at First McKinney, we’ve set up a collection of displays to help you remember some of these historical events, and to lead you to worship God for the amazing sacrifice He made on our behalf. This is not a traditional rendering of the Stations of the Cross, but a new take on an ancient practice to help modern Christians prepare themselves to more fully remember and embrace the Passion story.

This experience is between you and God. Before you begin, take a deep breath, pause, and ask God to help you enter into a time of earnest reflection and prayer. Ask Him to open your mind and heart to whatever He has for you today, and pray that He might help you more fully understand and appreciate the events of Good Friday.

Once you begin, we ask you to maintain an attitude of silence and reverence, and to respect the prayerful attitude of others around you. This is not a time to catch up with friends and family, but to solemnly remember Jesus’ great act of redemption for us. A fuller understanding of the sober events of Good Friday will lay the foundation for an even greater and more joyous celebration on Easter.

Inside, you will find areas displaying items associated with the events surrounding the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus. Feel free to walk up and look at each item. Many of them may be touched, picked up, smelled, and even tasted. Use this guide to reflect on each element’s relevance to the story of Good Friday, and how its truth can impact your life today.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

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