Palm Sunday Ideas
03-21-2007, 05:43 PM
Hi Sylvia! Long time no chat!!
Palm Sunday is always such an odd season. The triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the coming of a very emotional seder, the betrayal in the garden, the trial and execution... And in today's whirlwind church, picking one theme or even two that bridge that gap until "next Sunday" and teaching all of those events in one fell swoop is really tough.
I've seen lots of interesting things over the years. One of my favorites was kind of a mimed entrance of Christ where the chairs were arranged such that lots and lots of folks formed an aisle and one person led a very tame and gentle donkey into the room. The folks were sporting palm fronds which they waved and which some folks laid as a road for the donkey. There were several stops, with several songs sung in between. Couple of hymns, couple of then contemporary pieces. Ride on, Ride on in Majesty was one of them. There was at least one slow Hosanna song, too. It could be done with narrative and the palms...
Recognizing and teaching on the King that didn't look or act like a king might work.
Personally, I'd not use anything that refers to the cross at all. I'd play it as I would for a church that was going to do an entire week of contemplation on that last week of His earthly life. Maybe provide a written booklet for the folks to think on for the week, 7 or 8 meditations?? And then do a little heavy celebration?
The hammering of the nails is great for a Good Friday service, but not for Palm Sunday. That would really take away from the day, IMO. Powerful, but just not right to give the wrong emphasis on the wrong day.
For contemplative, the Hillsongs' "Hosanna, Hosanna, to the Lamb that was slain" (what the Lord has done in me) might could work. Keeps an emphasis on the hosanna part but still is not just blind celebration. Maybe you could use it as a thread to weave a couple of well-scripted, well-rehearsed testimonies about what the King has wrought in a couple of lives. Crisp, moving, and not dragging in delivery, y'know?
Hope it helps.
Palm Sunday is always such an odd season. The triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the coming of a very emotional seder, the betrayal in the garden, the trial and execution... And in today's whirlwind church, picking one theme or even two that bridge that gap until "next Sunday" and teaching all of those events in one fell swoop is really tough.
I've seen lots of interesting things over the years. One of my favorites was kind of a mimed entrance of Christ where the chairs were arranged such that lots and lots of folks formed an aisle and one person led a very tame and gentle donkey into the room. The folks were sporting palm fronds which they waved and which some folks laid as a road for the donkey. There were several stops, with several songs sung in between. Couple of hymns, couple of then contemporary pieces. Ride on, Ride on in Majesty was one of them. There was at least one slow Hosanna song, too. It could be done with narrative and the palms...
Recognizing and teaching on the King that didn't look or act like a king might work.
Personally, I'd not use anything that refers to the cross at all. I'd play it as I would for a church that was going to do an entire week of contemplation on that last week of His earthly life. Maybe provide a written booklet for the folks to think on for the week, 7 or 8 meditations?? And then do a little heavy celebration?
The hammering of the nails is great for a Good Friday service, but not for Palm Sunday. That would really take away from the day, IMO. Powerful, but just not right to give the wrong emphasis on the wrong day.
For contemplative, the Hillsongs' "Hosanna, Hosanna, to the Lamb that was slain" (what the Lord has done in me) might could work. Keeps an emphasis on the hosanna part but still is not just blind celebration. Maybe you could use it as a thread to weave a couple of well-scripted, well-rehearsed testimonies about what the King has wrought in a couple of lives. Crisp, moving, and not dragging in delivery, y'know?
Hope it helps.
Blessings!
Dean
DeanZF
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