Donkey Puppets
You will need: brown paper bags like those you would put a packed lunch in, crayons, white card, scissors, sellotape.
Turn the paper bag so that the folded edge is at the top. Get the children to draw a donkey’s face on the front of the bag and to draw and cut out ears from the white card. Attach ears to the bag using sellotape.
Creative Reading
In this reading of Matthew 21:1-13, JESUS, the PROPHET, CROWD and PEOPLE
Narrator: As they approached Jerusalem and came to
Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two
disciples, saying to them,
Jesus: Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you
will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.
Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says
anything to you, say that the Lord needs them,
and he will send them right away.
Narrator: This took place to fulfil what was spoken through
the prophet:
Prophet: Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
Narrator: The disciples went and did as Jesus had
instructed them. They brought the donkey and
the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus
to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks
on the road, while others cut branches from the
trees and spread them on the road. The crowds
that went ahead of him and those that followed
shouted,
Crowd: Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!
Narrator: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was
stirred and asked,
People: WHO IS THIS? WHO IS HE?
Crowd THIS IS JESUS, THE PROPHET FROM NAZARETH IN GALILEE.
Narrator: Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all
who were buying and selling there. He overturned
the tables of the money changers and the
benches of those selling doves.
Jesus: (passionately) It is written – ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’
but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’!
Re-tell the story of the events of Palm Sunday from the donkey’s perspective.
Discuss the excitement of the crowds that day and how the crowds welcomed Jesus. Talk about how you would have felt if you had been part of the crowd that day.
Palms have been waved,
cloaks spilled on the ground,
voices have been lifted in song,
and Jesus has been welcomed into the city.
The week lies ahead of us,
times of servanthood and symbolism
as feet are washed and bread is broken,
and the cross looms ahead of us.
May we walk with Passion, along Jesus’ Way. Amen