This Lent book offers imaginative reflections on Christ's crucifixion. Each of the seven chapters is focused on a different key character, who describes his or her experience of the Passion. The nails used to crucify Christ are used as a jumping off point for their reflections. Each character considers the questions, 'who killed Christ' and 'who was responsible?' Each chapter includes a Biblical passage, a meditative hymn, a reflection from the point of view of the character, and a short prayer. The book finishes with practical suggestions on how the book can be used as a Lent study course. It is ideal for individual reflection or group study, and can also readily be adapted for use as a Good Friday liturgy.

Stephen Cottrell

Cover

About the author

Title page

Imprint

Dedication

Zechariah 12.10

Introduction

Part one: Friday afternoon

1. Peter

2. The Roman centurion

3. Pontius Pilate

4. Caiaphas

5. Judas

6. Mary Magdalene

Part two: Friday evening

7. Pilate's wife

Part three: Towards easter

8. Will you let Jesus forgive you?

Suggestions for using this book as a study course in Lent

__Imagine you hold in your hands one of the nails used to crucify Christ. Do you accept responsibility for your part in his death, or do you blame another?__

The Nail makes you part of the Passion. Moving, first-person accounts from eye-witnesses and active participants place you right in heart of events leading to the crucifixion and beyond.

Each account can be used as a personal reflection, a focus for group discussion, sermon base or even performed as a monologue. As each witness tells their story they give their excuse for passing responsibility for the crucifixion nails to another who then takes up the story.

With the relevant Bible text included, each account concludes with a prayer of confession that lays bare our own hearts as well as those of the Bible witnesses. The final chapter raises the all-important, life-changing question for 'The Nail' characters and for us: 'will you let Jesus forgive you?

Helpful guidelines give you practical suggestions for using 'The Nail' as a new and thought-provoking group study or inclusion in a Good Friday liturgy.

This Lent book offers imaginative reflections on Christ's crucifixion. Each of the seven chapters is focused on a different key character, who describes his or her experience of the Passion. The nails used to crucify Christ are used as a jumping off point for their reflections.

Stephen Cottrell is the Bishop of Chelmsford and was formerly the Bishop of Reading. He has worked in parishes in London and Chichester, as Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral, as Missioner in the Wakefield diocese and as part of Springboard, the Archbishop's evangelism team. He is the author of two SPCK books, The Things He Carried (2008), a book of Lent and Holy Week meditations; and a follow-up of reflections for Easter Day, The Things He Said (2009).

\["Want imaginative explorations of the Easter story?","Stephen Cottrell shares reflections from the figures from the first Easter","A great way to rediscover how Jesus' death speaks in many different ways"\]

Speaking through the people of the Easter story, The Nail explores the range of impacts Christ's death had on those around him.

The Good Book Stall

‘Who killed Christ?’ This short book (Stephen Cottrell is good at short books) poses this question and gives the main players in the drama of Good Friday the opportunity to justify themselves and their actions on that day, written as a series of monologues. The origins of the book go back to 1987 when the author was serving his first curacy and was challenged by his training incumbent to compose a meditation to precede the Liturgy for Good Friday. It has been re-worked and used in various ways since then but this is the first time it has been published. It is set out in such a way that the material can be used for either Lent group work, or as a drama in church. As I read through the book, I could see immediately in my mind's eye how we could use it in our church as the contents are very easy to use. Having said that, the idea of using real nails as physical reminders of our own part in the crucifixion is challenging and I could see the nails being used in a similar way to the palm crosses of Palm Sunday.

The Nail

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The Nail

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