All the texts for
Palm-Passion Sunday except the gospels are the same for all three years of the
RCL. So, go to Year A Passion-Palm Sunday for general
ideas about celebrating the day with children in the sanctuary and the
following specific suggestions.
Choosing
and using palm Leaves
This
year I add a link to ecopalms.org where you can order sustainably grown fair trade
palms. They cost a wee bit more, but it
seems the only way to celebrate on Palm Sunday
Using
two crowns to explore the kind of king Jesus was and is
Movement
directions for Philippians 2:5-11
A script
for reading Psalm 118
Introduction
to a storybook that could be used in part in Passion services.
Since Year A Palm Passion
Sunday got far and away the most traffic of any post to date, I assume some of
you have not seen my reference to Sharing the Easter Faith with Children
in other posts and mention it once again.
It includes detailed information about how children understand the story
of Holy Week, commentary on the Holy Week texts from children’s point of view,
and lots of detailed plans for celebrating each of the days of Holy Week with
children.
Challenge households to read part of
Mark’s story of the events of Holy Week each day this week. Provide a
bookmark with readings. The readings
below are chosen with families with children in mind, but would be appropriate
for all-adult households.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Sunday Mark 11:15-19 Jesus Attacks in the Temple
Monday Mark 12:28-34 The Greatest Command
Tuesday Mark
14:12-25 The Last Supper
Wednesday Mark 14:43-50 Jesus is Arrested
Thursday Mark
15:1-15 Pilate condemns Jesus
Friday Mark 15:21-39 Jesus is Crucified
Saturday Mark
15:42-47 Jesus’ Body is
Buried
Easter Mark 16:1-8 The Tomb is Empty
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
If
it is spring break in public
schools and many families will be traveling and so miss Holy Week services, encourage
them to take their bookmarks with them and to take a picture of themselves
reading the Bible together at the beach, in the mountains, in their den at
home, or wherever they spend Holy Week.
Post their photographs on a bulletin board titled something like “First
Church families read THE STORY during Holy Week.” This is one way to resource families to do
home worship and to encourage them to pay some attention to the Holy Week story
even if they do not come to the church during the week.
To continue your emphasis on
crosses this Lent, follow the directions to make a palm cross ( go to Making Palm Crosses)
while you review the amazing fact that the same people who had waved palms to
welcome Jesus on Sunday called for him to be crucified on Friday. For children it boils down to loyalty. Good friends stay your good friends wherever
you go and whatever happens. On Palm
Sunday we remind ourselves to be good friends to Jesus every day and everywhere
we go.
Some
congregations have projected the directions and invited people to fold palm
crosses during worship. Many people,
however, find it difficult to follow the directions. So try it before you project it.
If you are more focused on
Passion Sunday and do not plan to use nail crosses on Good Friday, feature nail
crosses today. Use one to
introduce the Passion readings. Point
out why these crosses are made with nails.
Speak briefly of how terrible the stories that we will hear this morning
are. There is a lot of hurt feelings and
a lot of very real, very bad pain. Admit
that it is hard to listen to the stories.
But, insist that they are important stories to hear. Finally, promise that Jesus’ story does not
end where we stop reading today. The
very best story won’t be read until next Sunday. We have to wait for it. But, we know it is coming. That helps us live with the sad stories this
week.
Mark 11:1-11
This is another gospel in
which there is no mention of the parade involving children. It was an adult inspired and led event. I’m sure children got into the act, but they
were joining the adults. That is more
reason to make palm processionals intergenerational. Gather as many of the congregation as are
willing in the hall or some other convenient place for the call to
worship. Then process into the sanctuary
together waving palms and singing. When
they participate with their parents and leaders of the church, children know
that this is one very important parade.
To keep the music going strong choose a short familiar chorus (“Prepare
the Way of the Lord!”) that worshippers can sing repeatedly rather than a Palm
Sunday hymn whose words they probably do not know by heart and thus cannot sing
as they walk up the aisle with their palm branch.
Speaking of Palm Sunday
hymns: there are not many of them
and they are sung only one Sunday a year.
They lack the easy to join in on “alleluia” choruses of the Easter hymns
and their language is difficult for children.
Unless the children learn them in choir, I wouldn’t expect children to
sing them in worship with much enthusiasm.
There are clearer ways to rehearse the story.
If you will be reading the
Passion using a variety of readers, choose an older child
to read the Palm Sunday story from either Mark or John.
John 12:12-16
John’s account has no
children and barely mentions the donkey.
John is clearly focused on what kind of king Jesus is. Check out the directions in Year A Palm
Sunday for using two crowns to talk about John’s points.
Mark 14:1- 15:47 or 15:
1-39 (40-47)
Many congregations devote the
sermon time this day to reading the
entire Passion story. For
those who know the stories well, it is a powerful review. But those of any age who are less familiar with
the stories find it very long and tend to tune out. Help them stay tuned in by breaking it up,
using a variety of readers and adding little movement. Add a visual element by moving
related props around the sanctuary as the stories are read. The readers could place the props or acolytes
or a youth class could do it. Though
children are capable of carrying the props, many adults would be uncomfortable
seeing children carry these particular props.
The children benefit from watching the props and hearing the stories.
Choose the readers carefully
and hold a group rehearsal so all are comfortable with their assignments.
Reader
1 – older male to read about the religious leaders’ effort
to get rid of Jesus
Reader
2 – woman or older teenage girl to read about Mary of
Bethany
Reader
3 – excellent, dramatic reader to read the Last Supper
and the Garden of
Gethsemane stories
Reader
4 – young adult male to read about Peter
Reader
5 – older man to read about Pilate
Readers
6 and 7 – older teenage males to read the crucifixion as
soldiers
Reader
8 – woman to read about women at the cross
Reader
9 – young adult male to read about Joseph of Arimathea
U U U U U U U U U U
U U U U U U U
Mark 14:1 –
15:47 Readers Script
Reader 1
sits near and reads from a lectern or music stand on one side of the
sanctuary. Readers 2, 3, 4 and 8 sit
near and read in turn from a lectern or music stand on the other side of the
sanctuary. Readers 5,6,and 7 enter from
the rear of the sanctuary and leave after their scene. Reader 8 is seated in the congregation near
the front where he can easily get out and come to the front to read. Acolytes or prop carriers come up the central
aisle bearing their props, then leave by the side aisle.
Reader
1: It was two days
before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and
the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival,
or there may be a riot among the people.”
Reader 2: (Acolyte
carries a burning scented candle up the central aisle and out the side OR, if
incense is part of your tradition, acolyte comes up central aisle swinging the
censer and leaves while the story is read.)
While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat
at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of
nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in
anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for
more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they
scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her
alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you
can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed
my body beforehand for its burial. Truly
I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she
has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Reader 1: Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of
the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased,
and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to
betray him. (Acolyte drops a bag of money on the Table)
Reader 3: (Acolyte
brings in a loaf and chalice to set on the Table OR appropriate worship leaders
set the Table for the Sacrament later in the service) On the first day of Unleavened Bread,
when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you
want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to
them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you;
follow him, and wherever he enters, say
to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I
may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs,
furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city,
and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were
eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is
eating with me.” They began to be distressed
and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one
who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of
him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been
better for that one not to have been born.”
While they were eating, he took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take;
this is my body.” Then he took a cup,
and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly
I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Reader 4:
When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all become
deserters; for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
But after I am
raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though all become
deserters, I will not.” Jesus said to
him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice,
you will deny me three times.” But he
said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And
all of them said the same. (Acolyte places a large rooster statue –
maybe pottery, a piñata, or a colorful small banner on a stand - near the
front)
Reader 3:
They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I pray.” He took with
him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved,
even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself
on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from
him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all
things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what
you want.” He came and found them
sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep
awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that
you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak.” And again he went away
and prayed, saying the same words. And
once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and
they did not know what to say to him. He
came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your
rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners. Get up, let us be going. See,
my betrayer is at hand.”
Reader 1:
(Acolyte brings in a sword or
club, shows it to the congregation and leans it against the Table) Immediately, while he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords
and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign,
saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under
guard.” So when he came, he went up to
him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword
and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out
with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple
teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” All of them deserted him and fled. A certain young man was following him, wearing
nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
They took Jesus to the high priest; and
all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled.
Reader 4: Peter had followed him at a distance,
right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the
guards, warming himself at the fire.
Reader 1: Now the chief priests and the whole council
were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found
none. For many gave false testimony
against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false
testimony against him, saying, “We heard
him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days
I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” But even on this point their testimony did not
agree. Then the high priest stood up
before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify
against you?” But he was silent and did
not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of
the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am; and
‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the
Power,’
and ‘coming with the clouds of
heaven.’ ”
Then the high
priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your
decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. (
Acolyte carries wooden gavel to the Table and bangs on it like a judge
pronouncing sentence) Some began to
spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!”
The guards also took him over and beat him.
Reader 4:
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the
high priest came by. When she saw Peter
warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man
from Nazareth.” But he denied it,
saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went
out into the forecourt. Then the cock
crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing
him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again
he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly
you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” But he began to curse, and he swore an oath,
“I do not know this man you are talking about.” At that moment the cock crowed for the second
time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows
twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. (Acolyte
carries the rooster out the central aisle.)
Once the
rooster is out, Readers 5, 6, and 7 march together up the central aisle. Reader 5 turns to face the congregation at
the center of the front. Readers 6 and7
stand to either side of him with authority.
All carry black folders from which they read.
Reader 5 : As soon as it was morning, the chief priests
held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They
bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the
Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then
the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer?
See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that
Pilate was amazed.
Now at the festival he used to release a
prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in
prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to
do for them according to his custom. Then
he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy
that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to
have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you
wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he
done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be
crucified. (Pilate readers walks out the central aisle.)
Reader 6: (Acolyte
carries a crown of thorns up the central aisle holding it high, then places it
on the Table.) Then the soldiers led
him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters);
and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and
after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of
the Jews!” They struck his head with a
reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the
purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify
him.
Reader 7:
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry
his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
Reader 6: Then they brought Jesus to the place called
Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh;
but he did not take it. And they
crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what
each should take.
Reader 7: It was nine o’clock in the morning when they
crucified him. The inscription of the
charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”
Reader 6 : And with him they crucified two
bandits, one on his right and one on his left.
Those who passed by
derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the
temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the
cross!” In the same way the chief
priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and
saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down
from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted
him.
Reader 7: When it was noon, darkness came over the whole
land until three in the afternoon. At
three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,
“Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And
someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to
him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him
down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and
breathed his last. And the curtain of
the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him,
saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s
Son!”
Reader 8: (Taking place in
the lectern) There were also women looking on from
a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the
younger and of Joses, and Salome. These
used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were
many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Reader 9: (Coming
up from the congregation to stand where Pilate reader stood) When evening had come, and since it
was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the
council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went
boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead;
and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some
time. When he learned from the centurion
that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking
down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had
been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Joses saw where the body was laid.
Depending on what happens next in worship all readers
exit and props are removed or readers exit but the props remain in place.
NRSV
U U U U U U U U U U
U U U U U U U
Looking
Ahead into Holy Week…
As you make announcements
about Holy Week services and if
you really do want children to attend them, tell them and their parents so very
directly. Give them a hint about one
thing that will be particularly interesting or important for the children as
well as for the adults. For example, “On
Thursday evening we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the night Jesus
invented it. We will hear the story of
how it came to be. This is a night for
children and parents and grandparents, for kids and teenagers and adults, for
all Christians who love and follow Jesus.”
