Celebrating Together On Palm Sunday

Manhasset residents have experienced the healing grace of religions coming together for a purpose. On Sept. 11, people of all denominations came together to pray for those lost in the horrific tragedy in New York. That same spirit inspired parishioners from two congregations in Manhasset to come together for a special Palm Sunday service.
Members of the Congregational Church of Manhasset and Church of Our Savior Lutheran came together to reenact the journey Jesus Christ experienced on Palm Sunday. Pastor Marc Herbst of the Church of Our Savior and Minister James Only of the Congregational Church brought the two congregations together in unison to experience this special feast marking the Sunday before Easter. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect.
Palm branches are a widely recognized symbol of peace and victory. The use of a donkey instead of a horse is highly symbolic, it represents the humble arrival of someone in peace, as opposed to arriving on a steed in war.
The reenactment was well received and was televised.