The stiff cross

Every year the veneration of the cross, on Good Friday offers me an amusing experience.  The most vivid is the one while I was in Shillong. There were thousands of people for the service in Mawlai parish. It was held in the school playground and it was packed.  When the time for the veneration of the cross came, there were several crosses that were used.  However, very many refused to budge from the line which had the biggest cross - even when there were none at the other crosses!!

Today during the kissing of the cross, one senior gentleman almost smooched the cross. Then he looked around a bit and extended his hand. Wasn't too sure if he wanted to receive a blessing or just extend a handshake.  I wasn't even sure if he was drunk or plain old age. I smiled. However, I smiled not at him but at the priest who was nearest.  I know this priest to be very strict about rules and rubrics.  He absolutely does not like changes, certainly not the last minute ones.  And while this senior person was doing all this, he was stiff - more stiff than the wooden cross he was holding!! 

Walk of witness

Instead of the usual way of the cross, there was this inter-denominational 'Walk of witness' this morning. It was a joint venture of the three churches in Chertsey: the Catholic, the Anglican and the Community Church.

Unlike the grand processions or even the simple ones I've been part of this was hardly a walk!  From the Chertsey Abbey fields to Sainsbury and from there to St Peter's for the final service. We commenced with a hymn, an short reflection (3 mins) at Sainsbury and a hymn, then turned round towards St Peter's.  At St Peter's there was a service, a 'long' (by any English standards) service about Adam and Christ.  For once, the hymns were more lively and resounding.

St Peter's Church, Chertsey

For a combined service, the total of 100 people was too little. I guess most preferred to pray at home!! Anyway, most people kept chatting along the walk, which by the way was not more than 20 minutes.  But there were quite a few elderly who struggled to walk, but walked all the way round.  That was quite inspiring.  I think this is the first time in my life that I've not participated in a community way of the cross - not that I didn't, there wasn't one!  This walk of witness was the closest, for this year.

For that matter, I remembered the Procession Bah of Shillong.  Lakhs of people walking in perfect silence, at times singing, praying ... all very devout and in a prayerful mood.  Karunapuram and Kondadaba too there is the way of the cross and procession, but the former has mostly students who always know not what is going on, except that everyone is walking in lines. And as is the case with children, they have to have some fun while walking in lines!