'Way of the Cross' Tradition Continues in Clifton Forge
| By Jennifer Bailey
Staff Writer | Clifton Forge, VA (Apr. 18, 2025) — For many years, the "Way of the Cross" event has taken place in downtown Clifton Forge. Believers gather at the First Baptist Church at the near-end of Church Street, pick up a literal cross, and then walk down Church Street, cutting through B Street, and onto Main where they complete a little more than five blocks before reaching their destination: Central United Methodist Church. This year, that tradition continued.
The group could be heard singing hymns as they approached the church with the oversized cross which would ultimately take five men to prepare —including stapling on the stash and hoisting up into the preexisting fixture meant specifically for the event. For the believer, the event was likely very humbling in terms of thinking about how Jesus carried a much heavier cross up to Calvary with wounds covering His body.
Pastor Carl "Shorty" Wolfe spoke briefly on the lawn before the festivities continued indoors. "I want to talk about the last words of Jesus before He was crucified," Wolfe said. "...In Luke 23, He says, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing... He says, 'I tell you the truth. Today, you will be with me in paradise. He's talking about the people on the cross. I looked up the word 'paradise.' You know what the Webster's Dictionary says 'paradise' is? First word that comes out is 'heaven.'"
After a brief prayer, the ceremony moved indoors where a brief word was given by Pastor Sam Chung, the Celebration Choir performed, led by its longtime Director, Dale Muterspaugh, and then lunch was served in the church's cafeteria.
Pastor Sam Chung's lesson was "From Addition to Subtraction" and centered on the idea that "...Jesus carried the cross for us and so, we must carry the cross for others." Chung also spoke on how doing so multiplies blessings and did so for those in Biblical times.
At certain intervals during the service, the Celebration choir performed many songs: "At Calvary," "Because He Lives," and their well-known ending medley of "Sanctuary," "How Great is Our God," and "How Great Thou Art."
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