The Cross VIII

In our church entryway. A detail is below.

From Phillipians 3

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss...in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ —the righteousness from God based on faith. [My goal] is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

This lovely little sculpture of Jesus carrying the cross was a gift to the church from the men's fellowship group. You may not be able to see it in the picture, but the detail is sadly beautiful, even showing the suffering on Christ's face and the stripes on his back.

Lord Jesus Christ,
in this sacred and solemn time
as we ponder again
the depth and mystery of your redeeming love,
help us to follow where you go,
to stop where you stumble,
to listen when you cry,
to hurt as you suffer,
to bow our heads in sorrow as you die,
so that, when you are raised to life again,
we may share in your endless joy.
Amen.

(adapted from the United Church of Canada worship resource, "Celebrating God's Presence" UCPH, 2000)