For Palm Sunday, I used the book A Donkey Who Carried a King by R. C. Sproul. The book is divided into four parts. I will only put excerpts here to give you an idea of how I split up the story. I gave the narrator parts to older kids and had the younger kids read the parts of the donkey and other characters.

NARRATOR

Many years ago, there was a little donkey named Davey. He lived in a village close to the holy city of Jerusalem. He was too young to work, so he was kept in his pen. He had brothers and sisters, but none of them could play with him because they had jobs to do. Sometimes they carried sacks of olives for their master. Sometimes they worked for people in the community and some of them even carried grown adults on their backs.

. . . .

DONKEY

“What have I done to you that you have hit me?”

NARRATOR

Balaam said,

BALAAM

“You are not treating me right.”

. . . .

NARRATOR

. . . . They knew He was the Messiah who had come to save His people. Afterward, Barnabas carried Mary and the baby Jesus back to Nazareth.

HYMN: LOVE HAS COME

This is a Christmas hymn found in many hymnals.

Love has come: a light in the darkness!
Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies
See, all heaven has come to proclaim it
Hear how their song of joy arises
Love! Love! Born unto you a Savior
Love! Love! Glory to God on high

Love has come and never will leave us!
Love is life everlasting and free
Love is Jesus within and among us
Love is the peace our hearts are seeking
Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas
Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high!

NARRATOR

Davey liked to hear about the famous donkeys and the important things they had done. He wanted to do a big job, too. But his master never picked him to do anything. But one day, all that changed.

. . . .

STRANGER

“Because the Lord has need of him.”

NARRATOR

Davey wondered what they were talking about. Davey’s owner came to the pen and opened the gate. He brought Davey out and led him to the two men.

OWNER

“Take this donkey,”

NARRATOR

he said.

. . . .

(There’s a part in the middle of this section where people are invited to also participate by saying the above words and wave their palms.)

DAVEY

“I carried the King,”

NARRATOR

he thought.

DAVEY

“I must be a very special donkey.”

CHOIR ANTHEM: GOSPEL HOSANNA

Any hosanna song can be sung here to reflect the celebration of Jesus entering into Jerusalem.

NARRATOR

The next day, Davey’s master decided he was ready for regular work. One of the servants put two sacks of olives on Davey’s back and set out to deliver them. The sacks were heavy and they scratched Davey’s back. Once or twice he got so tired and miserable that he sat down in the road. But the master’s servant tugged on the rope around Davey’s neck and pulled him along. By the time Davey got home, he was very grumpy.

DAVEY

“Why did the master make me carry those olives?”

NARRATOR

he grumbled to old Barnabas.

. . . .

NARRATOR

The crowd went on down the street and the servant led Davey away. He was confused and sorrowful.

DAVEY

“They shouldn’t have made Jesus carry that awful beam,”

NARRATOR

he thought.

DAVEY

“He is the King. Why did He have to carry it? Why were they so angry?”

hymn: A CHEERING, CHANTING, DIZZY CROWD

A cheering, chanting, dizzy crowd
had stripped the green trees bare,
And hailing Christ as king aloud,
waved branches in the air.

They laid their garments in the road
and spread his path with palms
And vows of lasting love bestowed
with royal hymns and psalms.

When day dimmed down to deepening dark
the crowd began to fade
Till only trampled leaves and bark
were left from the parade.

Lest we be fooled because our hearts
have surged with passing praise,
Remind us, God, as this week starts
where Christ has fixed his gaze.

Instead of palms, a winding sheet
will have to be unrolled,
A carpet much more fit to greet
the king a cross will hold.

NARRATOR

When he got home. Davey found old Barnabas.

DAVEY

“I saw something terrible today,”

NARRATOR

he said.

DAVEY

“The King I carried was hurt, and the people made Him carry a big wooden beam. Why did they do that?”

. . . .

NARRATOR

Davey was quiet for several minutes. At last, he said:

DAVEY

“If the King was willing to carry that terrible beam, I will not complain about carrying our master’s olives. I will follow Jesus’ example and be a willing servant.”

HYMN: ALL GLORY, LAUD, AND HONOR

All glory, laud, and honor
To thee, Redeemer King
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before thee went
Our praise and prayers and anthems
Before thee we present

To thee, before thy passion
They sang their hymns of praise
To thee, now high exalted
Our melody we raise