Please forgive, again, the lack of updates. For all of you college xanganites, you can all appreciate the fact that this time of the year, of all times, is the most hectic of all.

Lately I’ve been up to school and church, as usual. Church, however, was lately AWESOME. This time of year, next to Christmas is my favorite. There are so many neat things going on and this year I was given the great honor of being Jesus Christ in a Still-Life Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross are a series of usually wall-hangings that depict around 15 key points in the Passion of Jesus Christ including the Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, Jesus Falls for the First Time, etc. In Still-Life Stations, I and a group of students dressed up in costume and re-enacted the stations upon the altar before the congregation. We didn’t speak or move, we just stood still while a narrator recited a prayerful mediation for each station and singers performed their art. It was incredible to say the least. I’ve been doing morning workouts for an hour every morning during the work week since January in preparation for this; trimming my formerly chubby self into a trim, well-cut body I’m actually pretty darned proud of. Also, I knew that the task of playing the part of Christ would be physically taxing in and of itself.

     There was a large wooden cross I had to carry during all but 3-5 of the stations. It wasn’t terribly heavy at first, but as the stations went on and I was to bend lower and lower to appear tired, holding the large cross upon my back striking an exhausted-looking mid-stride pose was just agonizing. Also, in the crucifixion scene, I had to balance upon one foot with my only support being from a nail between my fingers on my outstretched arms. It was intense, each and every station. Not only was it hard to freeze for five or six minutes at a time with all that weight, but the emotional energy just drains the life out of you. Would I do it again? Oh yes. In fact, I’m going to try and do it next year as well if I can.