Liturgical sculptures inspire Lenten experience
EDMONTON, AB—More than 900 kilograms of rocks, assorted hunks of tree trunks, 60 or so candles and 75 metres of cloth draping are being rolled or packed away as Altarwalk comes to a close at St. Paul's Anglican Church.
Altarwalk is a collection of liturgical sculptures—the brainchild of Edmonton lawyer and rock collector Jim Robertson—that graced the perimetre of St. Paul's sanctuary for the seven weeks leading up to Easter.
Set up in stations similar to the Roman Catholic Stations of the Cross, each sculpture represents an element of Christ's experience with a metaphorical illustration using one of Robertson's large rocks and a piece of writing depicting themes such as courage, suffering, dependence and rejection.
"It helps people explore what it means to take up your cross and follow Christ," says Robertson, who has attended St. Paul's for 16 years. "Not light issues at all; they go to the core."
Robertson placed a prayer bowl at each station, an idea inspired by verses in Revelation 5 where the 24 elders receive the prayers of the people.
"The bowls remind us of the type of access we have to God through prayer." he says. Each bowl is unique, made of wood or granite. One is from Saudi Arabia and another is the size of a basketball.
People who experienced Altarwalk say they had a profound sense of the enormity of God. Many have had such emotional experiences that they had to leave after only two or three stations, explaining they were so full that they'd have to come back later.
St. Paul's held Altarwalk services Friday evenings during Lent, including 45 minutes of music, a slide show with images of Christ's Passion and a walk through the sculptures followed by Holy Eucharist.
"With communion and the aroma of incense, all five of your senses are involved. It's very emotional," says Robertson.
"It's more than 'Come and see this neat thing with rocks.' People didn't know what they were getting into."
St. Paul's rector Michael Williamson says Robertson shared his vision for Altarwalk about 18 months ago.
"The idea was quite different for us. It took some discussing at the start," says Williamson. "Even though it was avant-garde for us, it just shows what God can do."
Twenty to 25 people will help tear down Altarwalk, which was installed just after Ash Wednesday.
Although this is the second year St. Paul's has hosted Altarwalk, Robertson has been developing the sculpture for the last seven years.
It was first presented as a devotional exercise for a national conference of the Christian Dance Fellowship of Canada. It has also been displayed at the Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta.
"It keeps evolving," he says.
Robertson found his rocks in places like a Saskatchewan gravel pit, the Oldman River near Lethbridge, the eastern slopes of the Rockies and the Shuswaps in British Columbia. He keeps some of the rocks in his yard in the off-season.
The larger ones sit on dollies in his garage.
"My immediate neighbours laugh when I haul them out in October to pressure-wash them," laughs Robertson. "They don't mind my quirkiness."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
