New Stations of the Cross beckon in Horseshoe Bay through Easter
Emily Hilley-Sierzchula/The Highlander
Highland Lakes Residents will find a new Stations of the Cross experience at the Remembrance Garden of Church of Horseshoe Bay during Passion Week, through Sunday, March 27.
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
Residents of the Highland Lakes are invited during Passion Week to experience a sacred pilgrimage walk through The Stations of the Cross, newly added to Remembrance Garden of the Church at Horseshoe Bay, 600 Hi Ridge Road, beginning Saturday, March 19.
The exact origin of The Stations of the Cross is not entirely clear, though it is associated with Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem in early Christian centuries.
“Those who walked the path Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion were, it has been written, deeply moved by this experience,” said the Rev. Johnny White, senior pastor at the church. “There’s surely something about being in the actual place where something momentous happened that makes the event more real.”
Christians throughout the last 2000 years have made pilgrimages to walk the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, pausing to remember The Stations of the Cross along the way. In remembrance of that long-ago journey, The Church at Horseshoe Bay is creating The Stations of the Cross on the back vista of the church overlooking Lake LBJ.
Each station in the pilgrimage walk assists the pilgrim to experience vicariously the journey of Jesus to Calvary. This will be a self-guided experience for individuals, couples, or small groups beginning this Saturday and continuing each day of Passion Week through Easter Sunday, March 27.
Images at each station, scripture verses and the prayers offered invite visitors to follow Jesus to the cross, to “experience deeper gratitude for the blessings of God’s amazing grace.” The devotional guides, with suggested scriptures and prayers will be available at the entrance to The Remembrance Garden.
The embellishments on each cross are designed to be beautiful in their simplicity and purposefully planned that way to focus on the sacredness of the cross itself at each station.
Greeters from the Christian Education Ministry of the church will be on site from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. each day, but pilgrims are invited to come at any convenient time. The garden is lighted in the evening, but a flashlight is necessary to read. The pilgrimage walk typically takes about an hour.
“It is really quite inspiring,” said Rev. White. “We hope that many residents will come to see this most meaningful venue. Easter is the most special day in Christianity from its ancient beginnings. That’s why The Church at Horseshoe Bay is doing something new and special in the Highland Lakes to commemorate this holy season.”
“We think it would be great to see a big bus rolling up from a church in the Hill Country, filled with people who hold the Passion Week and Easter sacred,” he added.
Reservations are not required and adequate parking is provided. The Garden is handicap accessible. Directions to the church may be found at the website www.church-hsb.org. For more information, call The Church at Horseshoe Bay at 830-598-8390.
