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Stations of the Cross and Prayer Stations


What Are Stations of the Cross?

Stations of the Cross
Incense, icons, rituals, candles, chanting prayers,
breath prayers, yoga, mysticism …

Also called Contemplative Gathering Stations or Journey to the Cross, "Stations of the Cross" is a Catholic ritual with 14 stations, each one with pictures or sculptures that depict the various "stages" of Jesus Christ's final days. This is a practice that began centuries ago and was sanctioned by the Pope Clement XII in 1731. In more recent days the practice has spilled over from the Catholic church into the evangelical church. Another example of the interspirituality taking place around the world and a further walk into apostasy.

Stations of the Cross, Prayer Stations and the Emerging Church

Twist of Faith:
Emergent churches attract worshippers
with alternative religious experiences

What Are Prayer Stations?

Prayer Stations "A place set aside for prayer ... It can be set up with a combination of candles, crosses, icons, Scripture passages, devotional questions, a prayer notebook ..., and a soft place to kneel or sit." Prayer Places

Who's Using Them?

Dan Kimball
"Prayer stations are a great way to invoke the senses and express worship."
(See chapter 7 - Emerging Worship)


Rick Warren and Purpose Driven Life
for Kids Grades 1-4

"Kids can also go to prayer stations set up for specific types of prayer."
—From the Purpose Driven resources for kids
(This link has been removed from the Purpose Driven Web site but the stations
did take place thus we are leaving this information on our site for now.)

And For Adults
"We prayed around five artfully-constructed prayer stations, representing each of the themes of the Campaign."—From a 40 Days Prayer Manual

Kay Warren Promotes The Tabernacle Experience:
"The truths of The Tabernacle are life-changing…and participating in the life-size replica is an opportunity not to be missed by anyone who desires a tangible, multi-sensory experience of worship and communion with God."
Kay Warren. (See emerging church pastor Chuck Smith, Jr. and his church Capo Beach Calvary, the founders of The Tabernacle Experience)

Dan Kimball and Vintage Faith Church
"At the National Pastors Conference in San Diego, however, we found the labyrinth was back and given an update. The path was formed by black lines on a 35-foot square piece of canvas laid on the floor. We each were given a CD player with headphones to guide our journey through the 11 stations on the path. As we began the inward journey—toward the center of the canvas—a gentle female voice with a British accent read a portion of John 1. She told us not to rush through the labyrinth, but to slow down, breathe deeply, and fully focus on God."
—Dan Kimball, A-Maze-ing Prayer



A Disciple of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster
"I worked as a church planter the following year and began using contemplative elements in worship from the outset. We held "thin place" services in reference to a belief that in prayer, the veil between us and God becomes thinner. Entire nights were devoted to guided meditations, drum circles, and "soul labs." At soul labs we used the rave culture's approach of multiple rooms for different music to create a number of prayer stations, where people could try various approaches to contemplative prayer."—Mike Perschon, Youth Specialties writer, Desert Youth Worker Disciplines, Mystics, and the Contemplative Life

What Happens At Prayer Stations?

 


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We're Tracking the Growth of Contemplative Spirituality
Sites on Google
"stations of the cross"

March 2005
259, 000

October 2005
637,000

August 2006
722,000

 

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