Christians in Takoradi and its environs in the Western Region marked this year’s Palm Sunday on a low key with no street procession, which used to characterise the event, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Christians this time attended church services unlike last year, when for the first time in many years could not attend church because President Akufo-Addo on March 15 had ordered the closure of all schools and universities and the suspension of all public gatherings for four weeks as a means to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hitherto, in the Twin-City, many churches were decorated with crafted crosses from palm leaves while children served as an integral part of the service since they enjoyed the processions with the crafted crossed palm fronds amidst singing “Hosanna”.
However, Christians could not be on the streets for the usual processions through some principal streets of Takoradi amidst brass band music, waving palm fronds and singing Hosanna.
Observations made by Spice News in the Metropolis revealed that Christians celebrated this year’s day without processions and the distribution of palm branches while many churches were filled to capacity with few of the premises decorated with palm fronds.
At the Pentecost International Worship Center (PIWC) in Takoradi, Pastor Daniel Okyei Boakye, Resident Minister of the church spoke on the theme, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”
He said that when a righteous person dies, he does not die of the thing that is known to have killed him/her but it is the Lord who had called him/her to His eternal rest and explained that those who die in the Lord were blessed because they escape the calamities that await the living.
The Resident Minister read from Revelation 22:4 and said those who die in the Lord were blessed because their physical pains, sorrows and troubles were over and their hearts filled with joy.
He admonished the members of the church and Christians to strive to live for the Lord so that they would not miss Heaven but make it there to be rested from their labour and enjoy the presence of the Lord.
Palm Sunday also known as Passion Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, and the beginning of the Holy Week on the Christian Calendar.
In the Gospel books of the Bible, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey and welcomed by the townspeople with songs of praise, as some paid homage by throwing clothes and palm branches on the ground for Him to walk on.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
