Outline act of worship for all ages

What are kings for?

• Ask people what comes into their minds when they hear the word ‘king’ – leaving aside Jesus, for the moment – or ‘queen’ when head of state? Display images/slides of as wide a range of kings and queens as you can. Here are some examples you should easily find online: crowning of a Zulu king in 2022; Poynter’s painting of Solomon and Sheba; Agojie, head of a West African kingdom in the 1800s; Queen Elizabeth II; King Charles III.
• From all of that, can you answer the question: What is a king or queen/head of state for? So, what do we mean – what does the Bible mean – when we say Jesus is king? That is what we are exploring today.

First impressions

You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.

Click on the image to view a larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images. For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.

Questions

• What point do you think the cartoonist is making here?
• What different kind of king might Jesus have been?
• What kind of welcome might Jesus get in today’s world?

Psalm 118:1-2,19-29

For a change, why not use the psalm as the Old Testament reading? It is a victory song, intended to be used in a procession. You could alternate verses, or better still half verses, between two people or groups of people. This could be done in procession, with a suitable route through your building or worship space. For example, verses 1-2 would be appropriate at, or just outside, the entrance/door. Then, verses 19-20 could be read walking into the building. If the distance to a lectern is reasonably short, the procession could continue with verses 21-24 read on the way. Read verses 25 from the lectern or close by; verse 26 on the way to the Communion table; verse 27 at the table. Then invite everyone to read together verses 28-29. If a procession would take too long, or is impractical for other reasons, you could have a different person/group at each of the places to read the appropriate verses in order.

Mark 11:1-11

Mime the action as the passage is read.

You will need: Jesus and about five or six disciples.

They all enter as the reading begins, walking together until someone points to the hills into the distance (v.1). Jesus beckons to two of the disciples, points in a different direction; the two leave in that direction, others sit or stand, waiting for their return (vv.2-3). The two return with a third/new person who is miming concern (v.4) but eventually calms down and leaves (v.6). For the donkey itself, you could have someone dressed up (just a pair of ears may be sufficient), or use an existing prop/model, or make one (e.g. from cardboard). The two disciples bring the donkey to Jesus (v.7). Jesus and the donkey lead a procession slowly around the available space (vv.7-10), with the disciples following. Everyone present, or if that is not practical, individuals primed in advance, wave branches (or palm crosses) and/or throw lengths of cloth (e.g. towels or scarves) in front of the procession, and shout ‘Hosanna’ (v.9-10). Jesus leaves and everyone returns to their places (v.11).

Active worship

Donkey ears  W E

What does the donkey represent in the story?

You will need: brown paper or card, scissors, pencils/crayons, headband/Alice-band (available cheaply in multipacks), stapler.

• Invite people to draw two donkey ear shapes. Colour them and cut out, realistically or imaginatively. Attach them to a band with staples, and wear them.
• While this is happening, invite others to name stories and fables involving a donkey (e.g. Shrek). What are the characteristics of the donkeys in these stories? What, if anything, do they represent?
• There are lots of donkeys in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament – who recalls some of the stories? (NB Mary on a donkey may be a common nativity image, but it is not found in the Bible!) Who knows the significance of Jesus riding on a donkey? (See Bible notes).

A simple worship activity W E S A

An active personal prayer.

• Give everyone a scrap of coloured material to represent a cloak. Ask them to ponder what they might have been thinking if they had been in the crowd throwing cloaks in front of Jesus. Imagine doing so to be an act of prayer – what might you have been praying for?
• Coming back to the present, ask: What is on your heart? What do you want to bring to Jesus today? Then invite everyone to offer those thoughts in prayer, throwing their scrap into a basket at the front, or, more simply, onto the ground – e.g. the nearest aisle – close to them. Invite everyone to say together, ‘Whatever we need, whatever troubles us, whatever we offer, God receives it in love.’

Fetch the donkey W E

A fun game to help tell/remember the story.

• Set up an obstacle course as described below. Ask for a few volunteers to run the course, one at a time – but the volunteers should not be allowed to watch each other. Time them – the fastest wins! A leader can tell the contestant what to do at each stage.

Step 1: Find your instructions – look up a verse from today’s reading, Mark 11:2, and read it out. Have a Bible handy for the contestant to use. If this is too easy, ask what the nth word is – i.e. ask each person for a different word (there are 34 possibilities in the NRSV version).

Step 2: Run – in and out along a line of four or five chairs.

Step 3: Open the gate – two chairs placed back-to-back; you have to stack them.

Step 4: Untie the donkey – a soft toy tied to a chair or table leg with string.

Step 5: Bring the donkey – and run to the finishing post.

Join in  W E

What draws people to processions? And to Jesus? 

• Give out green branches (or similar) and invite people to act out the Palm Sunday scene, lining the aisles or standing at the front of the worship space, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ’Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ and ‘Great is David’s descendant!’ Alternatively, this activity could follow immediately after next Sunday’s Share the Gospel (Mark 11.1-11), where something similar has already happened.
• Pause, and ask people what response they might expect from other people – bystanders and passers-by – after seeing the events just acted out. Have they seen a joyful procession or march of some kind and, if so, how did they react? Who went to see what was going on? Is there anything we can learn from this about drawing people to see Jesus today?
  
  

Activity sheet

Give out paper and pens. Ask everyone to draw the outline of a three-pointed crown. Above the left point, write (or draw) something they have learnt today. Above the right-most point, write/draw something they will change or try to do differently. Above the central point, write ‘Jesus, king with a difference’ (or similar words).
W E A

Go with God 24/7  W A

Encourage everyone to put their faith into action

With your palm cross as a reminder, and perhaps some donkey ears too, think of one way each day to show that Jesus is king of your life – e.g. how you treat or speak to someone, or what you do with your possessions.

Thrive

Give out the
Thrive resource
to encourage
faith at home.