When you have truly stood at the cross, resurrection morning carries a joy that nothing else can match.
Zion Lutheran Church · Fairbanks, Alaska
John 19 · The Passion
They shouted, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to The Place of the Skull. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
— John 19:15b–19
About This Service
The Service of Shadows and Stones is not a service you simply watch — it is one you enter. At Zion Lutheran Church, the congregation participates at every turn as the story of Christ's passion unfolds. Voices, movement, silence, and the weight of a stone in your hand draw you into the ancient events of that first Good Friday in ways that linger long after you leave.
As the service progresses, the sanctuary slowly dims — each shadow a reminder of what was lost, each stone a symbol of the burden Christ bore on our behalf. By the time the room falls fully dark and quiet, something has happened in you.
Many who attend find that this service transforms the way they experience Easter Sunday. When you have truly stood at the cross, resurrection morning carries a joy that nothing else can match.
When you have truly stood at the cross, resurrection morning carries a joy that nothing else can match.
You Are Welcome Here
You don't need to be Lutheran. You don't need to be a regular churchgoer. You don't need to have all the answers — or none of the questions.
This service is for anyone who wants to encounter, perhaps for the first time or the hundredth, the extraordinary love behind the cross. Come as you are. Bring a friend. The door is open.
You are part of the service, not just an observer. No prior experience needed.
Doors open at 5:30 PM. Service begins at 6:00 PM.
Ample parking available on site at Zion Lutheran Church.
Come as you are. There is no dress code — you are simply welcome.
Event Details
Good Friday, April 3, 2026
Service begins at 6:00 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM
Reach out to event host William Slayden