Palm Sunday

(St. Hilary's has a lesson plan for Palm Sunday written for us by Miss Lorna Webb which is free for non-commercial use only.)

The children are excited on this Palm Sunday morning because some of them are taking part in a special procession in church. The vicar and Rev Ken have suggested they may enjoy waving real palm leaves as they sing hymns and choruses in procession up to the altar!

Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem and, as he entered Jerusalem, people welcomed him by throwing palms down in His path. By processing with palm leaves the children will be able to imagine how it must have felt on that very first Palm Sunday!

No really special procession can be complete without Rev Ken carrying the cross. Here he is with St. Hilary's processional cross as he waits for all the congregation and Sunday School children to arrive. Ambrose has brought a bucket full of palm leaves whilst Adele and Tom have brought palm crosses for distribution during the service. Everyone will be given a palm leaf before the procession. Next
Ben has just arrived and he has brought the hymn sheets with the main hymn they will all be singing during the procession which is *"All glory laud and honour".* He will be handing these out as people arrive as everyone is invited to join the procession if they so wish. Next
Oh dear what is happening here? Phoebe SHOULD be ready to play the first hymn in order for the procession to begin. However she appears to be rather distracted and worried by something........can you see what or WHO it is? Next
It is Percy, the resident church spider! Poor Percy! There he was trying to catch his breakfast in his newly spun web and Phoebe has decided to play the organ and disturb him! Next
Phoebe is not at all happy with Percy for setting up home on the organ pedals and asks Priscilla Jane to come and see if she can persuade him to move! Prisiclla Jane is quite fond of Percy and is only too happy to come over and see if she can help! Poor Phoebe! She is rather frightened of spiders and is very glad Priscilla Jane was at church this morning. As you can see.....she is keeping a VERY safe distance away! Next
Priscilla Jane is most careful and, after chatting to Percy and making sure he is happy to move, prepares to pick him up VERY carefully in his web! Next
Whilst the procession is being held up by poor Percy's setting up home on the organ pedals everyone else is waiting patiently for the service to begin. Homer is joining in today and has been given his own palm leaf to wave when the procession begins! Who else is also holding a palm leaf? It is Sepp, Homer's pet rat! Magnifi-Cat, Bardsley,, Esme and Ernest are also eying up Sepp's palm leaf and wishing that they, too had one to wave during the procession. Next
Amelia, Emily and Robert Alexander have also been given palm leaves to wave once the procession begins. Amelia is being VERY good and patient and is spending the waiting time usefully by reading through the words of the first hymn. Oh dear Emily - WHY do you insist on bringing a can of soda pop and windmill to church? Next
At last! The procession has not only begun but they have reached the chancel. Rev Ken was SO glad to put the processional cross down as it was quite heavy! Next
Adele has already placed her basket of palm crosses on the altar for Rev Ken to bless them. Tom is waiting patiently for Rev Ken to ask him to place his basket of palm crosses on the altar too. Once they are all blessed Rev Ken, who is celebrating the communion this Palm Sunday, will give everyone who come to the altar rail a cross after they have received communion. The palm cross reminds them of Jesus and how he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem before he died on the cross on Good Friday, and rose again on Easter Day. Top

Palm Sunday

Collect (Prayer) for 4th May 2008

The Sunday after Ascension Day