COEUR d'ALENE - Rick Clutter and his wife, Marcy, quietly stepped from the sanctuary in the First Presbyterian Church of Coeur d'Alene after a special Good Friday service.

The Post Falls couple's minds were still vivid with the images of the Stations of the Cross, which took them on a personal journey with Jesus Christ from his condemnation to when he was laid in the tomb.

"It was a little bit emotional, moving," Rick said. "It's a great reminder of the sacrifice that Jesus did for us."

The Stations of the Cross, also called The Way of the Cross, is a ceremony that invites participants to look deeply into 14 powerful moments of Jesus' life leading to his death and prior to his resurrection. The ceremony originally began with the Catholic Church centuries ago and is now frequently seen in Protestant churches as a way for people to understand and appreciate Jesus' steps toward the cross. It is commonly presented during Lent and especially Holy Week and Good Friday.

"We call it Good Friday because we believe that this is the day in Holy Week, the week before Easter, that Jesus abolished, overcame and cured some of the most deadly diseases in the world," said Craig Sumey, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church. "Diseases like guilt, shame, addiction, regret, sin. On that day, Jesus took that for all of us to the cross and put it to death once and for all. That's why we call it a good day for each and every one of us."

About 60 people attended the noon service. They received booklets explaining the significance of each station. The stations, located around the perimeter of the sanctuary, featured artwork by Southwestern artist Ted DeGrazia and were marked with numbers 1-14 so participants knew in what order to proceed. They had the option of walking to each station or remaining seated and watching the images appear on a projector screen. Following their exploration of the stations, they also had the option of Communion and prayer and anointing with oil before departing in silence.

"To really experience Jesus' cross, though, is not to think of it so much as a destination, as an event in and of itself, but as a journey," Sumey said. "Jesus took deliberate planned steps. He took a way to the cross, and for us Christians, that way, that journey, is just as important as the cross itself. It shows God's love and intentionality."

The midday sun illuminated the stained glass of the windows as people examined the artwork and said quiet prayers while imagining themselves by Jesus' side as he carried the heavy wooden cross. The stations were: "Jesus is Condemned to Die," "Jesus Carries His Cross," "Jesus Falls the First Time," "Jesus Meets His Mother," "Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross," "Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus," "Jesus Falls the Second Time," "Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem," "Jesus Falls the Third Time," "Jesus is Stripped," "Jesus is Nailed to the Cross," "Jesus Dies on the Cross, "Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross" and "Jesus is Laid in the Tomb."

"I thought it was amazing," Marcy said. "I think we focus so much on Easter and we don't so much the dark side. I thought it was a great way to remember."

This was the first time First Presbyterian presented the stations, an experience Marcy called "poignant."

"I've never experienced anything like that," she said. "It was a very thoughtful and moving service, a good way to experience Good Friday rather than just going about your day and forgetting what happened today."

Jim Sanders of Coeur d'Alene and his wife, Joan, have been attending First Presbyterian Church of Coeur d'Alene since 1968. It was also their first time experiencing the Stations of the Cross.

"It was very neat, very moving," Jim said. "Going from that end was very emotional."

"Beautiful," Joan added.