Holy Week began Sunday with Palm Sunday. Only on a few occasions have we been members of a church that did anything special for Palm Sunday. I always really liked it when they did because I'm very visual and it gave me such a beautiful picture of Jesus entering Jerusalem...when He was surrounded by "Hosannas".
I expected (and I'm trying to learn not to set expectations and just embrace the unexpected) ACP to do Palm Sunday up big because they are formal and very liturgical. I would'nt say they "did it up big", but walking in that morning we each received a palm (not really palm as you'll see in my picture) representation with a cross made out of a bamboo-type material. Very simple but very effective (for me) as a physical reminder of the day. ( As a side note, I came home and put it in water by the kitchen sink and each time I am doing dishes (all the time here!!!), I look at it and remember.....)
At various times throughout the service we waved our branches together and we were also encouraged to wave it at any point where we felt moved or touched. At the end of the service Pastor Scott (who is wonderful, we think) lead us all in waving our branches and saying "Hosanna! Hosanna!". The music, Scriptures, responsive readings were all pointed to this special day before Christ's death and resurrection.
A little girl (3 1/2 we found out when we commented to her mother how well behaved she had been) in front of us waved her little branch calling "Hosanna, Hosanna", and I reflected on how important it is for us to teach our children what Easter really is and what Jesus did for us.
We'll see how Easter is observed.....
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