Rotation.org Writing Team

PALM SUNDAY

BANNER-TEXTILE

PASSAGES

Matthew 21:1-11
Mark 11:1-10
Luke 19:28-44
John 12:12-19

KEY VERSES

Mark 11:9 - "Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD!" (NRSV)

Psalm 118:26a - "Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD!" (NRSV)

PURPOSE

Children will explore the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

Objectives For Rotation

See Bible Background.

Objectives For Banner/Textile Workshop

Children will explore Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by making a recycled paper banner with a palm frond embedded in it.

PREPARATION

Read Bible background.

MATERIALS

• Basin or wash tub, 2 gallon size
  
• Bibles
  
• Blender or food processor
  
• Bowl, large
  
• Coat hangers or embroidery hoops
  
• Dried flowers or herbs
  
• Palm fronds, small – artificial or real
  
• Pantyhose or nylon stockings
  
• Paper-making screen or deckle, 1 per child
  
• Paper scraps in a variety of types and colors – construction paper, copy paper, napkins, newsprint, paper towels, tissue paper, and so forth
  
• Pinking shears [Optional]
  
• Scissors
  
• Sewing machine and thread [Optional]
  
• Sponge
  
• Towels
  
• Water, warm
  

To create an individual banner:

• Burlap or other background fabric of choice
  
• Dowel rod, 1/4 inch cut 1 inch longer than the width of the banner
  
• Ribbon or yarn, 1/8 inch wide
  

ADVANCE PREPARATION

Tear the paper pieces into 1 x 1 inch scraps and sort according to color.

Prepare one deckle for each child using one of the methods below:

Embroidery hoop -- plastic or wooden. Place a nylon stocking, or a length of pantyhose, between the two circles and tighten.

Wire coat hanger. Bend the wire to make a rectangle about 8 x 4 inches or the shape of your choice. Cover the hanger with a nylon stocking, or a length of pantyhose, and knot at both short ends of the coat hanger.

Prepare the Banner Background:

Cut the fabric for the banner background so that it is several inches larger than the dimensions of the paper on all sides. Finish the fabric edges by machine hemming or using pinking shears. Make a 1/2-inch casing in the top of the banner and sew closed.

PRESENTATION

Introduction and Prayer

Gather the children together and do introductions. Please open with prayer.

If this is the first workshop in the rotation, read the Scripture from a Bible as the children follow along. For older children, a volunteer may want to read. For younger children, you may want to use a children’s Bible or paraphrase the Scripture. In subsequent workshops, have the children locate the Scripture reference and then have them tell you what they know about the story. Then fill in any missing details using the Bible. Add additional information using the Bible Background.

Open – Introduction

Religious holidays were very important to the Jewish people in Jesus’ time. One of the most important holidays was the holiday of Passover – when the Jewish people remembered all that God had done to save them and help them. Each year in the spring, thousands of people came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was a time of great celebration!

Jesus and his disciples were headed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, too. Let’s find out about what happened. Where would we find a story about Jesus and his disciples in the Bible? [New Testament, Gospels]. Today’s story is found in all four Gospels. Choose a Gospel to read from or for older children, divide into groups and have them read from each Gospel. Help the children locate the Scripture in their Bibles. Read as the children follow along.

This special entrance into Jerusalem is now a celebration that we call Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week – exactly one week before Easter Sunday.
Why do you think Christians call it Palm Sunday?

Palms were a symbol of grace and victory in Bible times. By waving the palms and placing them on the ground before Jesus and shouting “Hosanna” (Save us!), the people were welcoming him as a king. But the people misunderstood. Jesus was a different kind of king than they were expecting. The people wanted a great military hero who would overthrow the Romans. Instead, Jesus came in peace and humility.

Dig – Main Content

Recycled Paper Palm Banners

Note: This project requires drying time. Children should make the paper the first week and attach it to the banner fabric after it has dried. Individual small banners can be made or one large banner can be made to hold a collage of the recycled palm papers.

Directions:

Tear the paper into 1 x 1 inch pieces. The children can do this as they wait their turn. Note that paper has a grain and will tear fairly straight when torn one way, rather than the opposite way.

Place the paper pieces in a bowl of warm water to soak.

Fill the blender about halfway with warm water.

Add a handful of the soaked paper.

Put the lid on the blender and blend slowly at first, gradually increasing the speed to medium. Blend for 30-40 seconds or until the paper has a smooth consistency and you no longer see the individual flecks of paper. The pulp should appear soupy – this is called slurry.

Add pieces of colored tissue, construction paper, thread, dried flowers, or herbs for color and texture. Tear these pieces into very small pieces and blend for just a moment or two, if at all. If you blend for too long, the mixture will lose the flecks of color and turn a solid shade of grey.

Pour the blended mixture into the large tub and fill the tub with warm water, mixing thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly dispersed.

Help the child slide the frame into the tub, allowing some pulp to settle onto the screen and, still holding the frame underwater, gently move it back and forth to allow an even layer of fibers to settle on the screen.

Lift the frame straight up and out of the mixture, keeping it flat. Allow it to drip over the tub until most of the water has drained through. The layer of the pulp mixture on the screen should be uniform. If the paper is very thick, remove some pulp from the tub. If it is too thin, add more pulp and stir the mixture again.

Place several small palm fronds into the center of the molded paper and gently press into the fibers. Continue to allow the mold to drain.

When the mold stops dripping, place the mold paper side down onto clean towels. Press excess moisture from the top of the screen using a sponge or another dry towel. Press the pulp gently with a sponge or another dry towel to absorb the remaining moisture and to squeeze the palm fronds into the fibers.

Hang the paper by the nylon ends on the drying rack to dry.

Collect the leftover pulp in a strainer and freeze for future use or throw away. Do not pour the pulp down the drain.

Once dry, after 24 hours, pull both ends of the nylon and the paper will pop off the screen.

Use fabric glue to attach the dried paper to the banner fabric prepared earlier.

Thread the dowel through the casing.

Tie a length of ribbon to each end of the dowel to hang.

Reflect – Closure

As the children work on their banners, discuss some of the following:

I wonder what it must have been like to watch Jesus ride into Jerusalem?

I wonder what the people were feeling and thinking?

I wonder what Jesus was thinking?

I wonder if the people were surprised to see Jesus riding a donkey?

I wonder what kind of a king Jesus is?

I wonder how these palm banners will remind you of our story?

Closing Prayer

Gather the children together. Ask the children to tell you one word or idea they have learned during today’s session and that they can share with others. Celebration, Palm Sunday, Hosanna, and Messiah are some suggestions.

Ask for prayer requests and pray together: Dearest Loving and Wonderful God, Thank you for our time together. Thank you for loving us enough to send Jesus to earth to save us. Help us to grow more like Jesus every day. Amen.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Adaptations for Younger Children

Read the story from a children’s Bible. One suggestion: Children’s Bible in 365 Stories. Batchelor, Mary. Colorado Springs, CO: Lion Children’s Books, 1995. ISBN: 0-7459-3068-9.

Adaptations for Older Children

Divide the children into pairs or small groups and have each group find the story in a different Gospel.

SOURCES

http://www.wipapercouncil.org/makepaper.htm and www.pioneerthinking.com/makingpaper.html
For additional ideas do an internet search for “Making Paper”

CONTRIBUTOR Jaymie Derden