In Michigan and elsewhere, folks carried palms in the streets with calls to ‘feed the hungry, heal the sick, welcome the stranger’

On Palm Sunday, after churches participated in the annual practice of waving palms within church sanctuaries, the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ invited people to continue their palm parade out into the streets.

As part of Michigan’s Palm Sunday Path on March 29, over 500 people came from across the state to march, beginning at Pilgrim Congregational UCC and walking a mile-long procession to the State Capitol.

The peaceful public witness took place in states across the country, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, inviting people together to pray, sing, and walk as one body. It was rooted in Jesus’ call in Matthew 25 “to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and welcome the stranger.”

‘We need saving, not cheering’

UCC leaders were instrumental in organizing the Michigan path, together with ecumenical colleagues.

It was a gathering “filled with joyful energy,” said the Rev. Kim Newport, pastor of Rise United Church of Christ in Romeo. “People across denominations were building the foundation of relationships with one another, embracing the commonality of our love of Jesus. It was a beautiful and powerful thing to witness.”

Once at the Capitol, UCC, Episcopal, and Lutheran leaders spoke, and a community choir of over 90 people sang justice songs.

“As one of the speakers, I was toward the front of the one-mile march to the Capitol,” said Michigan Conference Minister, the Rev. Lillian Daniel. “From that vantage point, when I turned around, I could not even see the end of the line, it was so long. It looked and felt like the Biblical procession — ordinary people waving palms in the middle of the city, shouting ‘Hosanna’ which, two thousand years later, always needs translating into its original meaning, which is ‘Save Us.’”

Daniel noted that “Hosanna” does not mean the cheer “Hoorah” like it may sound, but it is a cry for help from people who are in pain — a cry that many people can resonate with.

“Right now, humanity is in pain — from civilians being bombed around the world, to the exhausted and unpaid TSA workers at the airports, flanked by paid ICE agents who appear to have nothing to do, to the weary travelers just trying to get home, to the workers worried if the cost of gas will keep them from getting to a job that could be replaced by AI tomorrow. We need saving, not cheering,” she said.

An ecumenical convergence

Several organizers and participants of the Palm Sunday Path noted the power in people of faith joining across denominational lines and traditions.

“In this moment I see the church, across all denominations and all faith traditions, not just Christianity, coming together. It is refreshing to see people of all faith traditions standing together to proclaim that love is the way – the only way – towards lasting peace,” said the Rev. Michael Young, pastor of Leslie Congregational UCC.

“As a PC (USA)-ordained pastor serving a UCC congregation and married to an Episcopal priest, one of the things I valued most about the Palm Sunday Path event was the ecumenical convergence of the gathering,” said the Rev. Sarah Schmidt-Lee, associate pastor of Kalamazoo First Congregational Church. “There is so much common ground between ‘mainline’ congregations, and this event was a beautiful expression of that. And it’s an expression of shared identity and values at a time when what it means to be Christian is being distorted for political purposes. I was grateful to be able to stand with colleagues and church members from across the state who share the conviction that following Jesus means caring for those who are most vulnerable in our communities – protecting access to food, healthcare and due process.”

‘We are not alone’ — ‘we are stronger together’

As hundreds moved through the streets, Young reflected how God, too, was moving.

“This Palm Sunday Path procession reminded me that God is on the move. It reminded me that the voice of God speaks through love. As a faith leader, as a pastor serving a small congregation, to see members of my church show up was a gift to this pastor,” he said.

“As a faith leader, this moment in time is pivotal,” reflected Newport. “The world is watching us and looking for hope. They are looking for the words and actions of Jesus to be exemplified in our society in a concrete way. The Palm Sunday Path provided me with a new-found strength. Looking out across the crowd at countless faith leaders was a reminder that I am not alone. We are not alone. We are stronger together.”  

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.