BY EDWINNIE EINSTEIN UNJI
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Churches have been a hive of activity ahead of Palm Sunday (March 24) which marks the start of Christian religious observations leading up to Easter.
At St Francis Church in Kota Samarahan here, for instance, the scene was one of meticulous preparations.
These include a thorough cleaning of the church, a dedicated search for ‘nipah’ (palm) leaves to be skilfully crafted into crosses, and the adornment of the church entrance with an array of decorative materials.
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune, the church’s priest-in-charge Reverend Kelvin Jawa, emphasised the significance of Palm Sunday preparations.
He explained that these preparations hold a special place as they mark the commencement of the Holy Week in the Christian calendar.
“Every Sunday is significant but this particular Sunday is one of the most important periods of time for any Christian,” he said.
He said that church boasts a diverse, multi-generational congregation, with the younger members serving in various capacities, contributing to the preparations for Palm Sunday.
Their roles range from participating in rehearsals for the celebration, to assisting the media unit with tasks such as photography, and some even joining in choir practices.
“The older ones will be doing most of the hard work such as cleaning up with the assistance of young adults. In the parish hall, you can see female members of the church diligently crafting crosses with ‘nipah leaves’ and preparing meals for everyone,” he said.
Kelvin also dwelled on his sermon preparation, saying it takes time to craft a specific sermon tailored for this festive occasion.
“It takes me about a week or so to think about it but we have a ‘Lectionary’ namely appointed readings for a specific sermon.
“I must pray about the readings first and it takes me a week to read, write and finalise my sermon for tomorrow,” he said.
Christians celebrate Palm Sunday to commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem ahead of his arrest, suffering, death by crucifixion and eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday which falls on March 31 this year.
