To our wonderful Messy Churchers!
Due to the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19 as many of you will have gathered, unfortunately, we won’t be able to meet at Church to get creative (&messy!) as scheduled on Palm Sunday.
Please find here a Messy Church Pack which the wonderful Sue Gibbs has prepared for us all to do at home! (Don’t worry they are only mildly messy)
We have sent these resources over which include instructions and some photographs ahead of time in order for you to print off at home and find materials to use. We had planned to create home packs to leave at the back of the church for families to collect but as the situation had changed rapidly and daily this was no longer possible due to the non-essential lockdown restrictions enforced on Mon 23rd March.
These ideas have a Palm Sunday theme and include Scripture and teaching for you to talk through with your child whilst doing these crafts or in preparation for Palm Sunday in the coming days.
We hope that you are safe and well When we look back on this moment in history, would we be filled with joy as we remember the revival, hope, and peace that came out of this season.
Sending love and blessings
The Messy Church Team 🌈✝️
*Palm Sunday story*
Rebekah and Simon were helping their mother unpack the special food that she’d bought at the market for their Passover meal later in the week. The fruit and nuts smelt delicious, and the children could hardly wait for Thursday night to come.
Suddenly their dad stood up and hurried to the window. ‘What are those men doing with our donkey?’ he said. Flinging open the door, he yelled out to the people outside, ‘Who said you could untie that animal? Bring it back right now!’
Rebekah could just hear their reply: ‘It’s all right. The Lord needs it. You’ll have your donkey back by the end of the day.’
‘The Lord? You mean Jesus of Nazareth? Is he in town again?’
‘Yes, he’ll be in Jerusalem for Passover. He’s going up there now, just to have a look around.’
‘Well, OK, take the donkey, of course. But tell Jesus to be gentle with her. She’s never been ridden before.’
‘Can you imagine Jesus doing her any harm?’ laughed the man. ‘See you later.’
Simon and Rebekah looked at each other. They’d heard amazing stories about Jesus of Nazareth, but they’d never seen him for real. ‘Can we go?’ Simon asked, breathlessly.
‘What, with the donkey?’ said their mother. ‘Yes, I suppose so. If we trust Jesus with her, I guess we can trust him with you. Hurry up, then. They’ll be gone!’
The children skipped out of the house and ran to catch up with the two men. It was a bit of a walk up the hill to where Jesus himself was waiting, on the Mount of Olives. Simon and Rebekah hung back when they saw him, feeling shy, but Jesus said, ‘You’ve brought some friends, then, Philip?’ and held out his hands to them.
Before long, the children felt as if they’d known him forever. They watched as Jesus stroked their donkey’s head and sat carefully on her back. Then the whole party—Jesus on the donkey, his twelve disciples, Simon and Rebekah—set off down the other side of the hill, towards Jerusalem.
As they walked down the stony road, more children caught sight of the little procession and ran to join it. A few grown-ups came over to see what the children were doing, and when they saw Jesus, they tagged on to the group as well. By the time they reached the valley and started climbing yet another hill, crowds of people were starting to gather by the side of the road.
Suddenly, Simon heard someone call out, ‘The prophecy! Remember the prophecy! Our king is coming to us, riding on a donkey! He’s the king, the Son of David!’ At once, a great shout went up: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna to the King of kings!’
People reached up to the tall palm trees round about and ripped off whole branches, waving them in the air as they sang praises to God. Others threw their coats on the ground to make a soft carpet for the little donkey to walk on, and everyone was dancing and cheering.
Rebekah loved parties, and she didn’t want this one ever to end. But then she looked up and gasped as she caught a first sight of the great city of Jerusalem, its whitewashed buildings shining in the sunlight. ‘Wow! I never realised how beautiful it is,’ she whispered.
At last, they were at the gate to the city. Jesus climbed down from the donkey and handed her back to Simon. ‘Thank your parents for lending her to me,’ he said. Rebekah pulled on his sleeve. ‘Are you really going to be our king?’ she asked.
Jesus put his hand on her head and smiled. ‘One day very soon,’ he said, and walked through the gate into the jostling crowd.
*This is a simple idea that needs no preparation and could be used as part of your Palm Sunday service with your family *
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1. Today is Palm Sunday. The people tore down palm branches to welcome King Jesus into Jerusalem.
Splay out the fingers of your hands and then wave your palms high like palm leaves.
2. Palm Sunday begins Holy Week. This was Jesus’ last week before he died. It was filled with special events.
Early on Jesus went into the temple and was angry about the way it was being used like a market and not as a place of prayer.
Clench your fingers tightly into your palms and wave them in anger; follow this by putting your palms together in an attitude of prayer.
3. At Bethany outside Jerusalem where Jesus stayed, only Mary seemed to understand that Jesus was about to die. She anointed his feet with perfume. Jesus praised and blessed her for what she did.
Open wide your hands and stretch them out to bless and then clap them together gently to show praise.
4. In the upper room, Jesus used part of his last meal to show his friends that he was going to be broken and poured out for the sake of the whole world.
With both hands, mime breaking a piece of bread and pouring out the wine.
5. In Gethsemane, Jesus went off on his own and prayed. He was facing the decision to take on the pain and the horror of death for us.
Clench your two palms together in an attitude of earnest prayer.
6. Before the High Priest and the Roman Governor, Jesus did not resist as they passed sentence of death on him.
Cross over your two hands in front of you at the wrists, as if they are tied together and with your palms spread out.
7. On a hill outside Jerusalem, they stretched out Jesus’ hands and nailed them to a cross, leaving him there to die.
Point to each wrist (the sign language for Jesus) then stretch out your open palms to either side.
8. Jesus’ death was a shock to all his friends, who were frightened about what was going to happen next.
Open palms together across your mouth in amazement, horror and fear.
9. In despair they went into hiding, wondering what the next step would be.
Hold your head in the palms of both hands
10. To be added on Easter Day
On Easter Day Jesus was alive again, showing them his hands where the nail marks were.
Hold out both palms wide to be inspected.
11. And the disciples were filled with joy.
Lift high the palms of both hands in jubilation!
12. Craft idea
Using the ideas above, trace round their hands in the various positions recorded, to create a hand and palm collage of the events of Holy Week
