Living Into Palm Sunday at Home
Note: This “at-home” liturgy has been adapted from resources created by Fr. Joshua Drake for use in their parish St. Francis Anglican Church in Stockton, CA. All material has been used by written permission for which we are very grateful!
What is palm Sunday? - An Introduction
Palm Sunday is the starting point of our journey through Holy Week.
It is when we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and also witness his death. In a way this service is an outline and preview of Holy Week as a whole. It is a service of celebration and sadness, of hope and grief. While we still have the shouts of Hosanna ringing in our ears, we suddenly hear calls to “Crucify!” It is a service of extremes. It is a service which sets the pace and tempo for the rest of the week.
Many Christians throughout history have traditionally begun this service with a procession from outside of the church building in which we reenact the crowd which welcomes Jesus into Jerusalem as their promised king. We join in the procession of those who have long hoped and waited for all things to be made right. The palm fronds represent welcoming home the promised King of Israel to the Holy City of Jerusalem. In many ways this was a welcome which many thought would have lead to an enthronement. But Jesus was not seeking to be enthroned merely on a physical throne but on the throne of the hearts of His people, after purifying their hearts, preparing them for His inhabitation and loving reign. Likewise, I encourage each and everyone one of us to enter into Holy Week with a similar sense of welcome and reception. Let us welcome Jesus as our promised King and Rescuer. There are two ways in which we could embody this at home.
PALM SUNDAY Meditation
I think our world often thinks of Jesus as a peace-time deity.
A God who only shows up in towns full of shallow people with surface-level issues, simple problems, nice clothes, fake smiles, and pretty landscaping.
Such a Jesus, it seems, would be afraid of mess, helpless in the face of brutal complexity, and not know what to do about the societal issues that outsmart us or the personal fears that keep us up at night.
But in the midst of a world gripped by pandemic chaos, I am STRUCK by the images of Holy Week.
Of Jesus, God in the flesh, riding on a donkey and calmly walking down Main street in a town that wouldn’t register in minds of the Emperors and kings who were busy carving up the globe at the time.
Jesus quietly stepping over the thrown down palm fronds and laid out cloaks of men who’d lost jobs, women who’d had miscarriages, spouses struggling to love each other, a workforce oppressed by a totalitarian regime, religious grandmas who’d been waiting a LONG time for God to show up, all of them shouting “God SAVE US! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Jesus walked right into the midst of GREAT need. He stared down desperation face to face. He came close to our complexity, and calmly walked right through the downtown thoroughfares of our anxiety. We saddled Him with all our expectation. Freighted Him with the burden of fulfilling all our wants and dreams.
And of this strange man, calm amidst all the world’s crazy, from 1st century Jerusalem to us today every one of us who has considered Jesus has wondered: what will He do? How will He fix everything? How might He save us?
Palm Sunday ACTIONS
There are 3 possible in-home ACTIONS you could try for lingering with Jesus in the space of Palm Sunday:
1) Find, decorate, and place a branch of any kind on your doorstep as a symbol of welcome to Jesus. Of course Palm Fronds are traditional, but any branch will do! As you set down the branch imagine and remember the expectations of the crowds welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. Reflect and/or journal on these questions: what are you longing for Jesus to do in your life right now? Where do you feel like God has disappointed you this past year? Bring these thoughts and reflections to God in prayer. BONUS: take a picture of your branch and share the image on our Mission Cincinnati Community facebook group with any reflections you might want to share about how God met you in the action!
2) Do your own little procession around your house, or if you are able, around your block or neighborhood. You can put on your walking shoes, bring your palm frond (included), and play worship music on your phone aloud or in your head phones, and take a walk around your block or neighborhood. As you do so, pray that those in the houses you walk by would come to know Jesus as their King and Rescuer. If anyone sees you and asks what you are doing (maintain proper social distance), tell them it is Palm Sunday and you are welcoming celebrating Jesus as your King and 1 Rescuer, and wish them a happy Holy Week and Palm Sunday. You can also take this time to think about all the areas in your life in which you struggle to allow Jesus to be King over. Spend time reflecting and resolving to welcome Jesus into your heart and home with renewed devotion.
PARENTS NOTE: Depending on the size and age dynamics of your family, you could possibly think about creating a little parade for them to have down your street. Decorate the kids’ bikes or scooters or even strollers, and create a family parade to celebrate Jesus as your King and Rescuer. Take time to explain what it means for Jesus to be both your King and Rescuer and Friend.
3) Prepare your home for company. In our culture we sometimes welcome people with parades and processing; but most often we welcome them with a freshly cleaned house, a nice home ambiance, and maybe a fresh batch of cookies or bread or baked goods or snacks. I would encourage you to prepare for Palm Sunday and Holy Week by taking some time to clean your house and set it up in the same way you would if you were expecting guests. Even to the point of baking something yummy and/or setting out some snacks. This is an embodied way in which we can welcome Jesus into our homes and hearts and feel the reality that Jesus is longing to be our guest and dwell with us.
PARENTS NOTE: Talk to your kids about what they like about your home. What they miss when they are away from home. Ask them how they would prepare if one of their friends was coming over… Do they set out some toys to play with, clean their rooms, get dressed in their favorite outfits? Whatever it is, encourage them to do it, and tell them this is part of them loving Jesus and welcoming Him as a dear friend.