From his last Palm Sunday in the Fourth Church pulpit, April 17, 2011. On a personal note, it really was the best Sunday tradition, all the children of the church processing down the center aisle with palm branches waving. Dad loved it and, invariably, it ended with one of his grand children on his lap in the chancel.

“What is there not to love about Palm Sunday? A church full of people all morning long; the children processing down the aisle, more every year, coming in waves, an eloquent reminder of a surprising reality: we have families, we have children, lots of children. We baptize 130 babies every year, and before you know it those babies are toddlers and kindergartners and first graders and dressing up and walking down the aisle on Palm Sunday morning.”

https://www.fourthchurch.org/sermons/2011/041711.html