Holy Week: Palm Sunday!

Dear friends,


Welcome!  If you landed on this blog post from Tonya Travelstead's blog, read on, but then pop over to a special article, The Benefits of Home Schooling, on my preschool/elementary home schooling blog, www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com


Today, Palm Sunday, starts Holy Week.  Like many busy families, we sometimes have a challenge of keeping our focus on Easter coming, so slowing down to savor the week can be an important step.


This week, I hope to post a little something every day, mostly from the archives of my various blogs since I don't have much time to write just now.


I already posted a little something on my preschool elementary blog here: Easter Card Outreach and the Jesus Game.

In church, along with much more contemporary songs, we sang the old hymn "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna":

Hosanna, loud hosanna,
the little children sang,
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
From Olivet they followed
mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
“Hosanna in the highest!”
that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice!

On to Holy Week!

Theme: Palm Sunday and Cleansing

Palm Sunday, which is a week before Easter, commemorates the entrance of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem as children waved palm fronds. Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week.

This painting was created by George & Diana Voyajolu, Iconographers, Kamena Vourla, Greece.The Entry into Jerusalem. Byzantine style, contemporary artists.

Read Matthew 21:1-17. This passage references the Old Testament three times. Read the Old Testament references, along with other adjacent verses in context: Isaiah 62:11-12, Isaiah 56:6-8, and Psalm 8:1-4.

Click on this link to see the Renaissance fresco painting by Giotto, Entry into Jerusalem.

Blessings,

The hymn “All Glory, Laud and Honor” is about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Read the words and listen to the music on-line at: All Glory, Laud and Honor. Read about the hymn and lyricist at Hymn Story and Theoldulph of Orleans. 

When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, the first place he went was the temple, where he “cleansed” it of all of the unholy things that were going on there. The temple is a symbol of our own hearts that Jesus wants to cleanse and transform into houses of prayer where he can dwell. Read Psalm 51:1-12 and think about it.

Virginia Knowles

http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/

The rest of today's post is excerpted from the lessons I assigned during Holy Week one year for our home school co-op middle school English class.  They also had related writing assignments, but I didn't think you all needed to see those! I do encourage you, however, to get out your journal and reflect a little on Easter week each day!  You do have a journal, don't you?  No? OK, just find a regular three ring notebook and start one using notebook paper.  When you find an interesting article on the web, or someone sends you a letter, print it out and add it into your journal.  But I digress....