Palm Cross

Taking a minor variation on my posting crosses that I own, as today is Palm Sunday, it felt right to post a picture of a Palm Cross. Palm crosses are made of dried palm leaves and are very often given out at church services on Palm Sunday, the congregants being invited to take one home as a reminder of this day and, indeed, of this week. It links the hosanna crying crowd of Palm Sunday, when palm branches were used, alongside cloaks, to provide the 1st century Palestinian equivalent of a red carpet as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, with the hostile 'crucify him' crying crowd of Good Friday. This year, of course, it is not possible. I have heard a few alternative suggestions, such as drawing a cross on the palm of yoiur hand or making a palm cross out of twigs. Whether you do, or have done, that or not, take a moment to think of all this day means, and prepare yourself for all that Holy Week means.

I always think of one of the churches in my last pastorate when I see palm crosses, the Cotteridge Church in Birmingham. We used to hold our crosses high every year as we sang the hymn that has the refrain, written by George Kitchin and M R Newbolt:

Lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim
rill all the world adore his sacred name.