MILWAUKEE COUNTY

'Being with God's people': Church gives out palms at drive thru, allows members to connect while social distancing

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This week marks one of the most important times for the Christian religion, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter.

Many followers are observing Holy Week away from their place of worship and without fellow congregation members.

But on Sunday, members of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Delafield were able to see their pastor and fellow congregation members — at a distance.

The church gave out palm branches at a drive-thru for churchgoers and other community members.

"We were trying to find a way to safely connect members and the community, so we decided to hand out palm branches," said Interim Pastor Jim Holmberg. "It gives people a physical, tangible reminder of the day and gives them a chance to remember that we're still part of a community."

People pulled up in their cars between 10 and 10:30 a.m. to pick up palms.

"Many members of our congregation have enjoyed being able to hear Pastor Jim's message for the last weeks, and as fulfilling as that is, we're usually accustomed to being able to connect with people," said Mike Groh, who attends services there and helped control traffic.

"I think today was an opportunity, even if it was just a wave to a fellow member, to connect to people we have not been able to connect with for a while," Groh said.

Holmberg said they gave away nearly 100 palm branches.

Pastor Jim Holmberg hands palms to Judy Schultz, left, and her husband, Erv, of Delafield, as their dog, Sophie, looks on at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Delafield. The church held a drive-thru palm distribution for Palm Sunday, a Christian feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter and commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Most people who came by were congregation members, though some drove through out of curiosity, having seen the church lined with cars and a trumpet player near the church's entrance at North Genesee Street.

“I was able to see faces of those we haven't seen in a month, and be able to say, ‘We're here and we're in this together,’ ” Holmberg said.

When Groh got home, he put his palm branch in a vase in the kitchen next to some daffodils.

"I think that everyone — even though I couldn't tell because some were wearing masks — but I think they had smile on their face," Groh said. "It brought an element of joy to their lives and day that we associate not only hearing the word of God, but being with God's people."