Peter Goudy is a child of Central, Cambridge. He was born into, raised by and has been a lifelong member of the stately Presbyterian institution in the heart of the Ontario city. Now a grandfather, he remembers when the Church of Scotland congregation did not acknowledge Lent; when the Christmas service was held on the Sunday evening nearest to Christmas Day. His memories sound like the cliché of the dour Scottish Presbyterianism common in Canadian culture.
Standing inside the surprisingly well-lit sanctuary of the 1880 Gothic Revival building, Goudy points to the Lenten banners as a symbol of how Central has changed. That change is well illustrated in the works of art representing the Stations of the Cross, or The Way, hanging around the room.
Ubiquitous in Roman Catholic churches, the Stations of the Cross are a visual representation of Christ’s Passion, with a dozen or so paintings of biblical passages arranged as a meditative pilgrimage. A centuries old tradition, layered with the encrustations of time, the Stations have been mostly abandoned by Protestants. In recent decades, however, they have been reimagined by Reformed congregations; a way of bringing spiritual disciplines back to daily life.
Central’s minister, Rev. Aubrey Botha held studies during Lent on the scripture story and the works of art.
With permission granted through Presbyterian process, Goudy approached artists within the congregation and across the city and beyond. He gave them the biblical passages and examples of well-known paintings. Not all the artists are Christians, but all the artists embraced scripture and allowed themselves to be led by it.
Take your time as you go through these pages; read the passages in your Bible, allow the art to open new meditations in your heart.
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