Pastor’s Column

March 26, 2026

My dear Church Family,

The palms have arrived, the music is chosen, and your worship leaders are already excited about the glorious processional which will lift our hearts in praise this Sunday! Please bring your children, grandchildren and neighbor children a few minutes early and gather in the narthex, so they can process in with the choir, waving palms. What a happy day in this season of Lent!

Our mood will change abruptly on Monday, as we enter Holy Week. You might choose to reflect on the hymn “Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!” that includes the sad words, “In lowly pomp ride on to die; Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain…”

One tradition our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters have to acknowledge Holy Week is to walk the “Stations of the Cross.” Greg mentioned recently that he grew up in a church which had the events of Holy Week depicted around the perimeter of the sanctuary. Each year the priest would walk from station to station reading the relevant Scripture, describing what Jesus endured. To this day, Greg remembers it as a very moving experience.

I have included for you a version of the Stations of the Cross which was created by the Rev. Jeanie Shaw who preached for us a year ago. Rev. Shaw is active with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, part of our denomination which quickly responds to emergency situations. She used many of her experiences and photos to create this unique way to remember Jesus’ suffering. You might want to “walk” through three or four of the stations each day next week. Just as we have been contemplating the journeys that we are on in our Christian faith, the stations will remind you of Jesus’ final journey before His crucifixion.

Please RSVP to the Maundy Thursday dinner and worship service which we will host here at FPCA. We have invited the congregations of Immanuel Lutheran and Christ Episcopal and expect many of our siblings in faith to be joining us. Please arrive early, and park on the street if you are able so that the parking lot will be available for those who need to have a shorter walk to FHFH. 

For now, let us look forward to Palm Sunday when we can rejoice with the children, singing, “Hosanna, loud hosanna, all glory, laud and honor are yours, our good and gracious King!”

Remembering Jesus,
Pastor Cindy