I awoke to a bright and sunny, but cold morning. Palm Sunday! Wow!! It is already here. With this being a fifth Sunday of the month today we had a visitor leading a joint story time for the Children and Toddlers. Our “visitor” was Pastor Nick, along with his Muppet friends, Bud and St. Matthew! The puppets enchanted all the children, as Nick is very clever conducting a totally believable three-way conversation with them! Hearing the familiar passage retold in this way, brought it into fresh perspective and hearing the children’s response to the remarks made by the Muppet characters also shed new light on the story.
After the Toddlers had departed to their own room we settled down to make crosses from the fresh Palm fronds, which had been obtained from the Cathedral. We wanted to have a cross for everyone in the congregation. Unfortunately the Service today proved to be much shorter than usual and though I am very quick at making Palm Crosses myself it was much slower going for the small children so we settled on them each making one for their families and my volunteering to teach cross-making over lunchtime to the adults.
In fact it was rather nice as several people came and joined in the task so soon many of the congregation did have crosses to take home with them.
As I ate my lunch I slithered around the room trying to politely break in on peoples’ conversations in order to attempt to coerce them into taking part in the next All Ages Gathering, which will happen on the Sunday after Easter. The quite elaborate plan includes “Stations of the Resurrection” with scenes, miming, readers, and the congregation “travelling” from station to station and thus requires a large number of participants. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised when the vast majority of those approached, said “yes”!!
Because it was still only 1230pm when lunch was over, I decided to walk home in the sunshine and enjoyed reflecting on this special Sunday and all that had occurred during our worship time, the “cross-making bee” and the conversations about the All Ages plan. Sometimes I am completely amazed at just how different St. Stephen’s is from my long-time home at St. Matthew’s and equally astonished that it is gradually beginning to feel like a place where I might truly “belong”!!
This afternoon Alexander brought back the keys to Isaiah 40 and the other things they had borrowed for the Senior Youth Camp Soiree last evening. He said it had been successful and seemed very happy with the whole event. Meanwhile I have been getting down to sewing the cinch bags for my Godson, Alexander’s Birthday party, walking Wil and generally considering the tasks that lie ahead in Holy Week. First on the list is finishing those “Chubby Chirps”…better get back to my knitting!