In place of a Good Friday service, we invite you to do this North Shore Camino Walk anytime…
In place of a Good Friday service, we invite you to do this North Shore Camino Walk anytime…
In place of a Good Friday service, we invite you to do the North Shore Camino anytime this weekend; a guided walking meditation created by CapChurch, Simple Church and Reflector Project.
It is meant to be both an inward journey as you remember and reflect on the last words Jesus spoke before he died, and an outward journey as you walk in our city and try to see it through the eyes of the one who gave his life for us.
You will walk a short distance from one end of the Shipyards District in lower Lonsdale to the other, making stops along the way. Total walking time should be less than 30 minutes.
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To Begin:
Head to the Polygon Gallery at the foot of Lonsdale. Paid parking is available in the Lonsdale Quay parking lot beside the quay, the Shipyards parking lot, under the Pinnacle hotel, and some free street parking is also available farther up Lonsdale and on the side streets.
Stand on the boardwalk in front of the Polygon Gallery and enjoy the ocean view, taking a few moments to notice the sights and sounds of your surroundings and silently invite Jesus to walk with you.
Walk east along the water, towards Pier 7 Restaurant. Turn right at St Roch dock, on the east side of Pier 7.
Find the containers of nails hidden in both large flowerpots at the end of the dock…
Take one with you and hold it as you walk, allowing the physical sensation of the nail in your hand to bring you to a greater awareness of Jesus with you in the present moment.
Have a seat on a bench nearby or stand and consider Jesus’ words.
Scripture: Father, Forgive them (Luke 23:34)
Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law.
The soldiers brought them to the place called the Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross.
He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”
(Pause)
Prayer:
God the forgiver, God of the forgiven, who offered compassion and mercy in the face of violence, may we turn towards you to receive The mercy we so desperately need.
May we turn towards others to extend the same mercy you have showered upon us. Amen.
Continue to walk east along the oceanfront, stopping at the metal fence just east of the entrance to the long pier in front of Joey Shipyards.
As you walk, become aware of all the people you walk past, and consider that each one is a beloved child of God, included in Jesus’ wide embrace.
Turn your gaze to the pilings in the water that have the look of several incomplete crosses, clustered together.
Continue to walk east along the oceanfront, stopping at the metal fence just east of the entrance to the long pier in front of Joey Shipyards.
As you walk, become aware of all the people you walk past, and consider that each one is a beloved child of God, included in Jesus’ wide embrace.
Turn your gaze to the pilings in the water that have the look of several incomplete crosses, clustered together.
Scripture: Today you will be with me in Paradise. (Luke 23:43)
One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself! Save us!”
But the other criminal scolded him. “Don’t you have any respect for God?” he said. “Remember, you are under the same sentence of death.
We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Prayer:
Dying Jesus, at the end of yourself you
turned and spoke words of togetherness
in the places of the torn.
May we too offer up words of invitation and healing, especially when the world harms.
May we participate in extending your wide embrace, especially when we feel the most threatened.
Continue your eastward walk until you see a playground on the right. Turn right just after the playground and sit or stand near the picnic tables with an ocean view. Notice if there are any young families playing nearby. Consider mothers, fathers and families as places of both pain and belonging as you listen to these words from Scripture.
Scripture: Dear woman, Here is your Son (John 19:26-27)
Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. So did his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Jesus saw his mother there. He also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.”
He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.
Prayer:
Jesus the Son, in your moments of greatest agony, you saw your mother and your friend, and their need for a place to belong.
May we, too, see one another and create spaces of belonging with our words and our actions because when we truly see each other, we are seen ourselves.
Turn around and walk back the way you came, heading west towards the large pier (Burrard Dry Dock).
Turn left to walk down the pier. Walk partway or all the way down to the ocean and find a place to pause.
As you walk, notice the faces of the people you walk past, especially those that might hold some trace of sadness or pain. Quietly pray for them.
Scripture: My God, my God, Why Have You Deserted Me? (Mark 15:34)
At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours.
At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
Prayer:
Jesus of the forsaken, your words reflect your experience of utter agony and desolation on the cross but not your Father’s abandonment.
In our moments of greatest pain and despair, may we find solace in knowing that you, too, felt forgotten by God.
Walk back up the pier towards Joey Shipyards restaurant, continuing to walk north along the right side of the restaurant and then along Wallace Mews.
Turn right on Victory Ship Way until you arrive at the benches in front of water fountains by the building called “Cascade at the Pier”. Have a seat, or stand, and listen to the sound of water falling.
Scripture: I am Thirsty. … (John 19:28)
Later, Jesus knew that everything had now been finished. He also knew that what Scripture said must come true.
So he said, “I am thirsty.”
A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on the stem of a hyssop plant.
Then they lifted it up to Jesus’ lips.
(Pause)
Prayer:
Jesus of the flesh, you were hungry, you were thirsty and you felt pain in your human body just as we do.
In our bodily experiences of both pleasure and pain may we sense a kinship with you because you too chose to experience these things in your human body, even when it hurt.
Continue walking along Victory Ship Way, turn left up St Georges’ Avenue to walk a half block, and then cross the street to arrive at the corner of East Esplanade and St George’s.
Walk a short distance along Esplanade until you get to the fence of the railway overpass.
Facing south, you should be able to see the power station, surrounded by barbed wire, railroad tracks, and some graffiti. Consider the contrast between the beauty and luxury of the previous stop and the industrial starkness of this one.
What do you see in front of you that reminds you of Jesus on the cross?
Scripture: It is Finished. … (John 19:30)
After Jesus drank he said, “It is finished.”
Prayer:
God of the Already/Not Yet, we acknowledge your finished work on the cross and also the unfinished places in our world and our lives.
May your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Before you leave this second-to-last-stop, look for the container placed on the concrete ledge just on the other side of the metal fence.
The container should be visible as you face the graffiti near the railroad tracks. Drop your pilgrimage nail in the container to mark your participation in this walk alongside many others this weekend.
Walk back along Esplanade, this time turning left along St George’s without crossing the street and use the crosswalk to cross Victory Ship Way. As soon as you cross, you will see a bench in front of 199 Victory Ship Way.
Have a seat here to listen to the final reading.
Scripture: Father, into Your Hands I Commit my Life. (Luke 23:46)
The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two.
Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my life.”
After he said this, he took his last breath.
Prayer:
Abandoned and Abandoning Jesus, even though you felt deserted by God, you offered your life into God’s hands.
May we find ways to offer up to you our places of greatest pain and darkness, knowing that, with you, the path of abandonment and surrender leads to freedom and strength.
Before you leave the bench, look to your right across the street and see if you can spot a fairly large cross above the sidewalk on the side of a building on the north side of Esplanade. Hint: look between “AutoVet Wheel Alignment” and “La Cerverceria” signs.
Allow the cross to stir your imagination as you reflect on the experience of this walk. What might it look like for us to commit our lives, our longings, our hurting world, our unfinished stories into God’s hands without being able to control the outcome? Give thanks to Jesus for his death, and for the hope of resurrection we have because of Him.
Although this is not the end of the story, this is where the story and this walk ends for now. Take hope, for joy comes Easter morning!
