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Easter Trail a Huge Success as 1300 Visit the Sites
The Strathaven Easter Pilgrimage
April 1st - 12th 2009 saw the churches come together to bring the facts of Easter alive by using the backdrop of our town to retell the wonderful story of Easter. An estimated 1300 visitors took in part of the 'heritage trail' exploring the Easter Story in a live and intearcative way. Over 300 took part in guided tours, others undertook the trail themselves, some visited parts that particularly interested them, many came back again and again to reflect in quiet or challenging corners of the trail. Some heard the story of Jesus' last week in context for the first time, others were moved to tears as they thought about his suffering and death. And on Easter Sunday, the largest ever joint service was held early in the morning to rejoice in the risen saviour.
Each of the HOPE churches had taken one part of the Easter story and created sites for reflection and understanding of what went on in the final week of Jesus' time before he was crucified. The tour took in real locations in the town that were relevent to Christ's journey in Holy Week. Already there is talk of making this a bigger event next year.
We're keeping this website 'live' so that you can revist the trail - or if you missed it so that you can take a 'virtual tour' by working through the pages or listen to the MP3 tourguide.
- Pass through the Sheep Gate (as designed by Glassford Evangelical Church on the lane at Hills Road) and recall Jesus' entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
- Pause at the High Point (by our cemetery) overlooking the town and think about Jesus weeping as he saw Jerusalem
- Enter the Temple Courtyard (at the Rankin Church) and think about Jesus' teaching - and his confrontation with the money lenders and traders.
- Visit the Upper Room (in Strathaven Evangelical Church) and consider the intimate moments he spent with his closest friends before he was betrayed.
- Sit in the Garden of Gethsemane (as arranged by Avendale Church in a corner of the Allison Green) and try to imagine Jesus' turmoil in the hours before his arrest here.
- Come quietly into the High Priest's Courtyard (in the enclosed garden at the West Kirk) and think both of Peter's loyalty and bravery that brought him here, but also of his terror and failure as he betrayed the Lord he loved.
- Come to the Roman Fort (at Strathaven Castle) where the Outreach Community Church will help you reflect on Christ's suffering at the hands of a brutal occupying power.
- Come to the Cross (visible to all on the high point of the Monument Hill overlooking the town) where the OCC will continue the reflection on his suffering. The ultimate place of God's sacrifice and the place of HOPE for all mankind.
- See the Tomb (at the back of the East Church) the place of utter hopelessness turned, on Easter morning, to the place of complete joy, and join with the Christians of the town early on Easter morning to celebrate Christ's resurrection.
Through the week you can follow the trail at your own pace or join one of the organised tours where a guide will talk you through the Easter story in one of our walking tours. The sites will be open daily between the hours of 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Please follow the links on this site to see how you can use and appreciate all the Easter Pilgrimage brings to Strathaven.
