Preparing

The visuals for this week tend to focus on the palms from the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Many churches have palms ready to hand out with their ushers, and in Sunday School, children may be learning to fold palms into crosses. As our Preaching Writer notes, however, palms are not found in Luke’s Gospel. Instead, the visual focus is on the coats being laid down to make a path for Jesus. You can take that literally, using coats or fabric, as well as palms, on your altar today.

Perhaps consider another bulletin insert like the stars in Lent 2. A sheet of paper with a blank drawing of a coat can be a space for people to write down what they need to lay down for the coming Holy Week. It’s an exercise in vulnerability and our ability to be vulnerable before God. What’s the last piece of armor people need to let go of in order to welcome in Christ and walk through the Holy Week with him?

Check in with your formation groups as they wrap up this season and their work.