In 2019, for the first time, FMC marked the six Sundays of Lent with a Lent Cross Liturgy. On each Sunday, a short reading and prayer were accompanied by singing a couple of songs, and a new item was added to the cross. Over the season, the following items were added to the bare cross:

Bowl and towel (representing Jesus washing his disciples’ feet)

Money bag (representing the money Judas received)

Whip (representing the cruelty of the torture of Jesus)

Bread and wine (representing Last Supper)

Purple robe and crown of thorns (representing the Kingship of Jesus)

Palm branch (representing the welcome that Jesus received as he entered Jerusalem)

Nails (representing the death of Jesus on the cross)

Whilst all of these were meaningful symbols, the hammering in of the nails, followed by the solo singing of ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ by George Leggo was particularly powerful.

On Easter Sunday morning, all of these symbols of Christ’s suffering were removed, one by one, and then the cross was covered with flowers brought by members of the congregation. The transformation was complete, as a thing of passion became a thing beauty.

After the service, the cross was placed outside the front of the church, and was remarked upon and photographed by many passers by. It stood as a silent witness to the change that Easter brings to a resurrection people.