church

Palm Sunday Traditions
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Sometimes I think I look forward to Palm Sunday more than Easter. It’s when I get to sing my favorite hymn Glory Laud and Honor.

I have very fond memories of my Godmother and growing up in a small country church in Connecticut. The significance of Palm fronds on Palm Sunday represents Jesus Christ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week for Christians and the celebration of His coming. This is a marked difference in how Christ was treated just a few days later on Good Friday.

Church Traditions on Palm Sunday

At my small country church of Grace Episcopal in Broad Brook Connecticut we would be handed palms.

The whole church would parade around the church waving palms and singing Glory Laud and Honor. The windows in the church would be open and the organ would echo the full refrain in celebration.

My Godmother, Alice Turcotte, would hold my hand and smile at me as if this was the most wonderful moment in her life. She often told me this was her favorite hymn, and it has held a special place in my heart ever since.

Below you can listen and sing along with the words to the traditional hymn All Glory Laud and Honor, YouTube edition. You can believe that’s it’s on my YouTube Hymn Playlist.

All Glory Laud and Honor Lyrics

I get chills whenever I hear All Glory Laud and Honor. It is such a majestic hymn sung is the very popular key of C, which is very easy to sing. I enjoy it all year, not just on Palm Sunday.

All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel
and David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
The King and Blessed One.

The company of angels
Is praising You on high;
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present.

To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.
As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
For You delight in goodness,
O good and gracious King!

Lessons from my Godmother

Granny Turcotte was a wonderful person. After her husband died she was a foster parent to over twenty special needs kids and raised a brother and sister with muscular dystrophy from infant to adulthood. The new people and crowds on Easter morning made it difficult to bring Mary and James to Easter service.

The regulars in the congregation knew them, didn’t stare, and thus made Palm Sunday service easier and welcoming. She would often skip Easter service and attend Palm Sunday service as she got older. She celebrated life as if every day were Palm Sunday.  With Shouts of joy and thanksgiving!

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She was the epitome of what a Godmother is supposed to be and took her role seriously.

We went to her church where I went to  Sunday school and repeated the lessons to her after church, she helped me learn the Lords Prayer and I recited my confirmation lessons and memory work after church.

She gave me my first Bible and was there when I was confirmed. She died in 1988 and every Palm Sunday when I sing Glory Laud and Honor I get a lump in my throat as I remember her and the impact she had in my life.

Grace Episcopal Church, Broad Brook Connecticut

I have been a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Murdock Nebraska for over twenty years. Every morning when I woke the first thing I think of is hearing and singing Glory Laud and Honor.

The tradition at Trinity is to hold the youth confirmation ceremony on Palm Sunday, and how appropriate it is to celebrate the newly confirmed members of the church.

Sheet Music for Glory Laud and Honor

It never fails, every Palm Sunday I come home, find my All Glory Laud and Honor sheet music and sit at the piano and smile. I would like to think my dear Godmother is looking down from me from heaven and smiling. I hope she knows how she greatly influenced my life.

All Glory Laud and Honor: Sheet Music for String QuartetHymn All Glory, Laud and Honor Sheet MusicHal Leonard All Glory, Laud and Honor (An Organ Suite for Holy Week)All Glory, Laud and Honor: Hymn Arrangements for Solo Piano (Moderate)PROCESSIONAL ON Palm SundayAll Glory, Laud and Honor: Organ Expressions for Palm Sunday Through Eastertide

What memories of Palm Sunday do you remember most?

How do you celebrate Holy Week and Easter?

Palm Sunday Bible Story Books for Kids

It is easy to find Easter story books for kids, but it’s harder to find Palm Sunday Bible story books. Here are a few books to for a Palm Sunday Bible Story lesson.

The Littlest Donkey: A Palm Sunday StoryHumphrey’s First Palm SundayThe Little Donkey: A Palm Sunday/Easter Story for All AgesThe Colt and the King