For Easter, nearly 800 people gathered in the sanctuary of Wuxi Christian Church for a special worship activity imitating the path of Christ's suffering on April 14, 2017. The purpose of the activity was to learn about the love and salvation of Jesus on the cross, and to motivate everyone through the Way of suffering.
Zhang Peifu, the senior pastor of the church, led all the pastoral workers and choir members through the fourteen stations of the Via Dolorosa while carrying the cross. According to what the host preacher said, Pastor Zhang walked slowly around the passage to the sanctuary from the dais. Pastor Zhang fell as each passage of scripture was read so that people could better feel Christ's pain.
Over 100 people from the Jiangxi Bible School performed a similar Via Dolorosa activity that same day. Teachers and students took turns carrying the cross and walk through each of the fourteen stations that Jesus walked on His way to His crucifixion. The route was set up based on geographic locations around the campus. As each person carried the cross, relevant Scripture passages were read, with all the teachers and students repeating the passage.
The fourteen stations of the activity were:
1. Jesus' judgment by Pilate
2.Jesus' taking up the cross
3.Jesus falls under the weight of the cross
4. Jesus meets His mother
5. Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene
6. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
7. Jesus falls a second time
8. Jesus comforts the sad women while carrying the cross
9. Jesus falls a third time
10. Jesus is stripped
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus' death on the cross
13. Jesus is lowered from the cross
14. Jesus is placed in the tomb
Translated by: Grace Hubl
