Palm Sunday: April 5 — Some Notes
PALMS: We’re inviting people to pick up palms inside the front entrance to the church between Friday and Saturday. The stalks have been separated into individual bundles, so you may take your own palms without touching other bundles. Or simply bring your own available greenery (pine boughs or leafy branches work) from your garden, yard to the Zoom worship. We’ll use the palms or greenery during worship.
Alternately, you can download a coloring page ( pattern 1 | pattern 2 | pattern 3 ) for a palm leaf and make one out of paper!
You’re also invited to place some palms or greenery on your front doors as a sign of hope and solidarity for Holy Week. See more about this idea.
SPECIAL MUSIC: Different Jackson and Bartlett families and individuals have been recording music for worship. Expect some upbeat and meditative musicthis week and for Easter.
CHOIR: Our choir will meet and rehearse this Sunday at 9am, preparing a song for Easter.Contact us at jcchurch@jacksoncommunitychurch.org if you need more info or want to be added to the emails for choir. Rehearsal instructions and notes will be sent out separately from this email.
COMMUNION ELEMENTS: Additionally, this Sunday is communion. Some people have been preparing for worship by lighting a candle (please attend to safety if you do this) or placing flowers and/or Bibles nearby. We also suggest having an offering jar/glass ready, as a visual reminder to continue supporting the church. These details create a worship-centered atmosphere. For this Sunday, if you want to partake of communion, please have these suggested elements ready:
- Small piece of toast or bread, crackers, tortilla chips, or cookies (whatever you might have available).
- Water, juice, or wine in a glass
We will bless the elements during the online worship. And share them together.
PASSWORD: Please use the link below for the 10:30am worship on Palm Sunday. Note a password is now required to join worship. Contact us by church email (jcchurch@jacksoncommunitychurch.org) if you don’t receive our emails and need this password. Or sign up for our emails, so you remain updated. Also we’ll have a “waiting room” so you can be welcomed into the worship space once we’re ready for guests. (Sadly, some churches have recently experienced people disrupting virtual Zoom services with offensive, uninvited verbal or visual content, so we’re taking steps to make worship inclusive, but also safe.)
- Link for Zoom app : https://zoom.us/j/142985761, press #, followed by password
- Or call using your touch-tone phone: 929.436. 2866,,142985761, press #, followed by password
- Contact us via email ** by 7am on Sunday morning ** jcchurch@jacksoncommunitychurch.org for the password. We’ll do our best to connect you before the service begins.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR: Some people need to say good-bye as soon as the service is over. Others enjoy the chance to converse and socialize. To give you a chance to connect, we’ll keep the worship Zoom space open for an extra 10-15 minutes as a virtual “hospitality interlude” after the postlude. You are welcome to remain online and chat awhile. Remember to bring your own cup of tea or coffee along. 🙂
Many blessings as we continue the adventure of what it means to be church together — beyond social distancing — in this time! Meanwhile, if you need support, you can reach out to the church by email!
— Rev Gail Pomeroy Doktor