AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Seven figures who were at the foot of the cross (or might have been there) pour their hearts out to Jesus in these dramatic conversations. Judas opens the series, spiritually wrestling with himself at the cross before taking his own life, pondering what he had done to Jesus. Other characters include the Centurion, Simon of Cyrene, the disciples John and Peter, as well as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus. An additional monologue for Easter sunrise worship dramatizes the angel at the empty tomb waiting for the women to arrive, reflecting on the week's events. How does a pastor open up the story of the Passion of our Lord so that the Holy Spirit might create new and renewed faith in the hearers? Pastor Maurer utilizes the Gospel narratives and imaginative thinking to develop the characters, inviting hearers to ask, "Where am I in this story?" and "What does this crucified Jesus have to do with me?" Rev. Marcus C. Lohrmann, Bishop Northwestern Ohio Synod, ELCA Dennis M. Maurer is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has served parishes in Ohio, and with his family served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea, where he taught Homiletics and Bible at Sr. Flierl Seminary. Pastor Maurer earned degrees from Capital University and Lutheran Theological Seminary (Columbus, Ohio), and received his Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) in Gnostic and Apocalyptic Studies. He is currently an Assistant to the Bishop of the ELCA's Northwestern Ohio Synod.