CROSS EXPEDITION!

I recently had the opportunity to visit a very unique attraction in the small  town of St. John, Indiana.  It uses 40,  life-size bronze sculptures, to depict significant scenes from the Bible.  The first scene the visitor comes to, portrays Moses coming down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments.  It is a reminder of why we needed a savior.  We all failed miserably at keeping the Ten Commandments.

Next, the dioramas depicting the adult ministry of Jesus begin, with this remembrance of the Last Supper, in the Upper Room.

The Shrine of Christ's Passion is an interactive, multimedia, non-denominational destination, set on 30 acres.

Stories about the Shrine have been featured on CBS News and 2 worldwide Christian TV networks. 

 The above photo reminds us that Jesus asked his disciples to go with him to the garden to pray.  But sadly, they did not pray---rather they fell asleep.

The  sculpture shown here shows the disciple asleep with his sword.  That same sword was used later to cut off the ear of one of the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.

Jesus is shown praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, before the soldiers arrive.

There is an impressive full size replica of when Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilot, and Pilot makes the symbolic gesture of washing his hands from being guilty of Jesus' crucifixion.

The next scene along the path depicts Jesus carrying the cross on which he was to be crucified.

Seeing the sculpture of a Roman soldier hammering the nail into Jesus is a reminder of the suffering Jesus endured on my behalf, and that of all mankind.

This scene shows the innocent Jesus on the cross, with truly guilty criminals being crucified on both sides of him.

 The photo above is a near-exact replica of  "The Pieta" by Michelangelo. ( I am very thankful that I had the blessing of seeing the original Pieta, when I visited the Vatican in Rome, Italy, several years ago!)

 Jesus was wrapped in grave clothes, and put inside the tomb, which was covered with a large stone.  But when his followers came the next morning to the place where he was laid, the tomb was empty!

It is that empty tomb, that provides the hope of eternal life for Christian believers. 
 

The final scene depicts the  glorious ascension of Jesus into heaven.

 I am using these photos of The Shrine of Christ's Passion, as a visual aid to help me remember my First Place 4 Health ( vwww.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse that says, "No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.  Who should not revere you, O King of the nations?  This is your due"  Jeremiah 10:6-7

 I would highly recommend a visit to this FREE, unique experience in St. John, Indiana.  You can find out more by going to their website www.shrineofchristspassion.org .   There is no charge to visit, as the Shrine is  a 501(c)(3) organization.  It is supported solely through donations and sales from the gift shop.

 It needs to be mentioned that none of the things we see, when we experience The Shrine of Christ's Passion, without the vision and catalyst for the project---The Schilling family---who operate a large business, that is headquartered in St. John, Indiana.  I was able to meet Mr. Schilling, and personally thank him for his generosity, and 7-year effort, T in making this project come to fruition. 

Likewise, I want to thank the management at the Ramada Inn in Hammond, Indiana ( www.ramadahammond.com ) for the hospitality they provided for my overnight stay in Indiana.  As you can see from the photo, they are nicely set up for easy loading and unloading of group tour buses!  

Hammond, Indiana is also the headquarters of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, and they are very helpful to folks who want to explore this area of the USA.  Check out their website for  ideas of the many other opportunities available here.  Click on www.AlongTheSouthShore.com for more information.  One of their "bragging points" is that they are home to our nation's newest national park!  It is called Indiana Dunes National Park, and I am thankful I was able to make visit to it , and get my official NPS Passport stamp, complete with the date of my visit!

After  a visit to the "South Shore", and a walk through the Shrine of the Passion of the Christ, you will find out you have an ETERNITY of reasons to have "Miles of Smiles"!!  Tricia