Palm Sunday April 16th 2011
St Mary’s Church East Walton, West Norfolk

Our second Country Church service with style.

donkeys in lane

Staring at the church we followed two young donkeys down the lane on this beautiful morning. They were quite skittish and enjoying the attention but walked into the churchyard with the young and older followers behind. With a bit of extra encouragement and a stronger pull on the rope they walked into church and stood in front of the nave.

At the first hymn, ‘We have a king who rides a donkey’ they were taken into the front box pew. An unfamiliar sight in the traditional box pew and I couldn’t help wondering what the last users of the pew would have thought.

donkeys in stall

We said goodbye to them after the hymn and they were taken back to be put out in the grass field just behind the church.
Jesus, of course, travelled on the young donkey, not on a grand horse but on the humble animal, the beast of burden.

 

More details and sermon are on Faith and Practice section

Revd Sue Martin

Curate in the Gayton benefice