Welcome to our prayer labyrinth. Please take a moment to orient yourself to the concept and process of this experience so that you may fully understand and engage.

This prayer labyrinth consists of two parts.......First, nine stations that walk through the events of Good Friday. Second, a traditional prayer labyrinth traced on the floor. As you choose your own path through any or all of these elements please be open to the experience, the art, the story, and most of all God’s Spirit.

Traditional labyrinths came into practice in the Middle Ages when pilgrimages to Jerusalem were no longer possible. There is much symbolism in the design of these labyrinths to help remind the journeyers of the purpose and focus of their pilgrimage.

The labyrinth consists of twelve circles that represent a single year, and also the twelve disciples. The center rosette is a representation of Christ, and is always visible even as the circular path winds closer and farther from the center. The winding pattern that approaches the center and then moves away is symbolic of the way we sometime feel closer to Christ and sometimes very far away as we journey with Him. The journey into the labyrinth is symbolic of our letting go of the world as we draw near to Christ and God’s presence. The journey outward signifies us taking Christ with us into the world.

We pray that God may use this time to draw you closer to Him and bless your heart.

This journey book is for you to write in and carry with you as a marker of this time.

An Orie

ntatio

n to the Labyrin

th

- Graffiti - graffiti is a lot of things and its definition depends on who you ask. the argument over graffiti as an art form is in many ways over as graffiti writers are commissioned to paint murals and work legally. However the fight to erase unwanted, illegal graffiti will probably never end and costs the U.S. over 1 billion per year in abatement. Interestingly enough, a proven way to minimize continued graffiti is to commission a graffiti production on a wall. We have chosen to use graffiti to help illustrate and support the concepts and content of Good Friday. Graffiti is chaotic, violent, bold, shocking. It is considered a blight and a beautiful art form. Graffiti is an act of destruction and vandalism. It is often unreadable to the untrained eye, but always makes a statement. It is a reflection of the reality of the world it lives in. Michael Walsh says in his book Graffito, “Graffiti isn’t intended to frighten, but to be a wake-up call to the masses who they (writers) perceive as apathetic.” We hope that there is something paradoxical and real in the graffiti today that can help us overcome our apathy, and experience the reality of Jesus Christ today.

Good Friday is a violent, shocking day of remembrance. It exists because of the blight of sin on the human race. It is the destruction of a human life, and the most beautiful act of love ever shown. In the midst of the chaos of this day of remembrance is a statement, a truth, a reality that we need to understand. Are we willing to see and hear?

- jeff

The art and the

Artists

- the art

the journey begins in distorted, black light. a room tagged with questions to jesus, and statements that maybe the world wants to believe is true of good friday. it doesn’t take much clean, clear light to cut through the distorted reality of black light. hopefully as you journey the truth of what jesus did, and the reality of this demonstration of love will cut through to your heart and mind.

As you journey you will see many different images, street art, and words. We encourage you to find the significance of these expressions for your own journey and world view. Below is a note from one of the artists on some of his art...

the death panel is meant to depict the reality of the pain, suffering and evil intended in the death of Christ as Satan believed he had found victory.the cross panel highlights the cross the complexity surrounding it. it is done in “wild style” and is hard to read but says CHRIST in the design.the love panel is brighter and more readable to be a bold reminder of the meaning and message behind Good Friday. God loves each of us.the jesus panel shows Christ’s suffering directly with a black eye and crown of thorns. He bleeds upon humanity, representative of man, below that shows the purposiveness of his death...to wash away our sins with his blood. In creating the street art for this prayer labyrinth, I hope that it provides a time for your introspection and contemplation of Christ’s sacrifice on this holy day, Good Friday.

-nolan lee

an open ended

prayer

christ-Lord Jesus

take mealong that holy way you once took to...

Your Deathtake my mind, my memory, and above all my reluctant heart and bodyand let me see what once you

did for love of me and

all the world...

OPENING THOUGHTS

MATTHEW 26:1-5

when jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his

disciples: “as you know, the passover feast is two days

away, and the son of man will be handed over the be

crucified.“ Then the chief priests and the elders of the

people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose

name was caiphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in

some sly way and kill him.

sTATIO

N ONE: JO

URNEY TO THE CROSS

? ? ? As you begin this journey to the cross what does Good Friday mean to you?

A factual, scrip

tural framework

to set up the events

of Good Friday

Take communion while remembering Christ’s words to His disciples.

Read Mark 14:32-41Pray that God will use this time of prayer and meditation. This is your journey into the sorow, heartache, suffering and death of your Savior, Jesus Christ. May you know Him more intimately.

Read Matthew 26:6-2

5. Let the stor

y

sink in. What str

ikes you?

sTATIO

N Tw

o: Clean Hands

The trial ofChrist before Pilate? ? ?MATTHEW 26:1-5when pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead

an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “i am innocent of this man’s blood. it is your responsibility!“How is Pilates statement both true and false? Is he innocent? Who is responsible?

Our sin, like graffiti, cannot be washed away with water. How have you tried to wash away your respon-sibility for you own life, your own sin?

Have you “looked the other way” during Easter in the past? Overlooking the significance of Good Friday, of Christ?

Dip your hands in the water. As you feel the water dripping off, know that nothing but Christ’s blood can cleanse us from our sin. May God keep you from apathy and show you vibrant life.

sTATIO

N Three:

By His

Strip

es

we are healed

this station interacts with the flogging of Christ seeking to find understanding in His suffering.

***(graphic video loop)***

other scripture to read:Luke 19:1-16, Isaiah 53:2-7, Matt. 27:27-29

This level of brutality seemsmuch removed from us today. How do these passages make you feel?

why is it important to grasp the suffering of Christ and not just His death?

Luke 19:1-3then pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. the sol-diers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. they clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again saying - Hail, king of the jews! and they struck Him in the face.

? ? ?you may take a brush and paint a stripe or something to represent the suffering of Christ for you and the healing it has brought in your life.

may God bring true healing in your life this Easter, whether spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional. and may Christ be worshipped as the one who has brought us

healing.

sTATION four: via dolorossa (way to the cross)

John

19:

17-1

8M

att.

27:3

2M

ark

8:34

Christ says that if anyone would follow Him they must take up their own cross. what might we draw from this story to help us understand how we must share in Christ’s sufferings?

read the excerpt from Cost of Discipleship. confess ways that you might be exchanging cheap grace for costly grace.

? ? ?

sTATION four: via dolorossa (way to the cross)

walk to the cross with Christ.See him fall. Hear the jeering crowd.Witness the tears of His mother. Pick up the cross with Simon.

As you walk up to the cross, read the exerpts from Psalm 22 along the wall.

Luke 23:26as they led Him away. they seized simon from cyrene, who was on his way in from the country. and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. a large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him.

put yourself in simon’s shoes...what was he thinking as he walked behind this man...following him to his execution?

may you continue your journey bearing the cross of Christ, feeling its weight, and knowing the great cost of His sacrifice.

? ? ?

11

sTATIO

N Fiv

e: The CruciF

ixio

n

this station brings us to the place of crucifixion. it echoes with the sound of hammer and nail, pain and

sorrow.Mark 15:22-32 John 19:25-27Mark 15:22-24they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull) then they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. And they crucified Him. Dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

? ? ?think back over the journey so far. think back over the story of Christ. think of the miracles, the relationships, the teachings, the laughs, the childhood friends, the family he was part of. You are sitting at the destination point of this man’s life. You are sitting at His cross. Looking up at Him hanging there for you. Think on that for a moment.

know that just as you leave your paper taped to the cross, you can leave your sin and shame there as well. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

place yourself in the shoes of Mary, or John, or any other witness thay was there. what confusion, sorrow, agony, loss, reality, responsibility, or understanding might you be experiencing?

find a picture or word that represents something that Jesus carried and took for you on the cross and tape it to the cross.

know that just as you leave your paper taped to the cross, you can leave your sin and shame there as well. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

sTATION six: between thieves

this station explores the significance of the conversation between Christ and the two thieves. read the whole conversation in

luke 23:32-43 between Christ and the thieves.

what is the significance of this conversation to you? To your faith? To humanity?

the theif says, “we are getting what our deeds deserve.” how do you hear those words? what do you and I deserve?

how do you feel the theif felt when Christ spoke his promise to him?? ? ?

? ? ?luke 23:32-43two other men, both criminals were also led out with

Him to be executed. when they came to the place

called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with

the criminals - one on His right, one on His left.....

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you

will be with me in paradise.”what do you learn about Christ and

His love and forgiveness from His

response?

as you walk know that Christ’s promise and love for you is the same today as it was demonstrated to the thief on the corss.

take a look in the mirror at your own reflection. . .who do you see? what character is reflected? how does the image of Christ effect how you see your own reflection?

matthew 27:45 & 5o

from the sixth hour til the ninth hour darkness came

over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus called out

in a loud voice “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani!”... and

when Jesus cried out again, he gave up His spirit.

sTATIO

N seven:

The death of

chris

t

this station exists in the moment

between life and death. the final

words, the last breath.

do you feel the finality of Christ’s death in this moment?

? ? ? read matthew 27:45-56what s

ignifica

nce do C

hrist’s la

st

words have

to your

journey?

i Corint

hians 1

5:55

16

read matthew 27:45-56

we may know that Christ is risen and celebrate His resurrection on Easter, but we must embrace the very real death of Christ to truly celebrate Easter.

imagine how powerful of a moment this was for the soldiers to exclaim, “surely this was the son of God!”

how have you felt or seen the power of death in your life?

remember that Easter is a celebration of the victory that Christ claimed for us over the power of death. experience this moment but realize there is the hope of Easter before us. the power of the resurrection over came the power of sin and death.

17

sTATIO

N eig

ht:

The Buria

l of chris

tluke 23:49-56hebrews 2romans 5

mark 15:42-46so as evening approached, joseph of arimathea, a prominent member of the council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

have you ever thought about why jesus had to die? do you think that that question might have been running through the mind of joseph?

? ? ?

? ? ?

why do you think jesus had to die?

? ? ?

? ? ?

when we bury someone we usually celebrate and remember their life and character. what characteristics do you attribute to Christ?

do you see any of these characteristics in yourself? do you see Christ in you?

19myrrh

sTATION Nine:

Closing the Tomb

? ? ?matthew 27:6o & 65

then joseph of arimathea rolled a big stone in front

of the entrance to the tomb and went away...then

pilate said “make the tomb as secure as you know

how.” So the pharisees went and sealed the tomb.

how are you going walk away from this experience? is this the end for you?

how has this experience shaped or changed your perspective of Good Friday? Christ? Easter?

take a moment read what other journeyers have left for you.

this station is not the end of your

journey. it is an opportunity to reflect

on your experience of Good Friday, to

leave a message for those who follow, to

take a mental picture of this experience

to carry on your faith journey.

write down any closing thoughts that you might need to help yourself capture this experience. (there is more room on the next page if you need it.)

what words, thoughts, encouragement, questions, or statement might you leave here at this place for those who follow? write it down and leave it.

you might choose to walk the labyrinth as a way to reflect on your experience....

Closing thoughts

? ? ?

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. - phillipians 3:7-11

i pray that you might have more truly experienced Good Friday so that you may more deeply celebrate our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ everyday. -jeff

special thanks to everyone who helped create this experience.

art director: jeff rummergraffiti writer and artist nolan leeother artists and help kate cutillo andy holdeman bobby orf (calvary bible) shauna rushing (origins) roots church