Palm Crosses.
If you are of the Anglican tradition then you are probably used to the giving of Palm Crosses on Palm Sunday but other traditions may have never used them.
A Palm cross is a simple cross made from Palm Leaf they are a powerful symbol and can be used creatively.
This year I laid them out at the front of the church and as a response to the sermon invited everyone to come and take a cross as a declaration that they wanted their focus to be on Christ this coming year. I asked them to place them in a prominent place at home as a reminder and will invite them to bring them next Ash Wednesday to a service of repentance where we will bring them again to the front and burn them and use the ashes as a mark on our foreheads of Gods grace.
I am always amazed at how these simple crosses grab people of all ages and we should look at the power in such acts of worship.
Another service I lead everyone recieved a palm cross as they entered the church and were invited to bring them to the front of the church again in response near the end and nail them to a huge wooden cross, having written their names on them. The cross was then raised for all to see on good Friday. Again very simple yet a powerful act of worship.
For the more creative you can have people make their own palm crosses out of strips of card, a template will follow. This is particularly useful in a school setting but could be used as a prayer station or reflective service.
Palm crosses can be obtained from good Christian bookshops, make sure you order them well before you need them to save unwanted stress.
