The Environment For Holy Week Worship

The following article suggests ways in which the worship environment can be appropriately designed for the services of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, the procession of palms may be enlivened with the use of multicolored balloons, yellow and white daisies, and tepi palm branches in addition to the traditional palms that the congregation waves with shouts of Hosannas. Large six-foot palm branches can lead the procession or form an arch through which the people move-fourteen large branches would do fine. These fourteen palm branches can then be placed in two containers on either side of the sanctuary-six branches in one and eight in the other. These containers can be made out of simple wood, about one foot square and three and four feet high respectively. This will allow the branches to bend out, resembling palm trees. The large wooden cross may also be decorated with palms and a variety of flowers: red carnations, yellow pompoms, white starburst mums, deep blue irises, and yellow and white…