Colour Supplement

Articles by Christians around the world

Sunday 29 April 2007

 

St Andrew's primary school Easter service

by Tricia Anderson - Reader at St. Andrew's

 

 

St Andrew's School presented a moving Easter Service on 30th March, led by classes 5 and 6. The children had made palms to decorate the pew ends, and the service began with some readings from the bible. Then 2 children ran down the centre aisle shouting 'He is risen'. They ran to a group of children by the altar still shouting 'He is risen', but adding 'Pass it on'. And so the groups of children around the altar 'passed it on' from one to another.

 

Key stage 1 children sang 'Easter Time', followed by a Dramatic reading of Luke 24.1-12, and classes 5 and 6 singing 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord'. The children had prepared 'Prayer Pebbles' - each 'pebble' having a 'hopeless situation' on it - and these were brought to the altar class by class.

 

After Prayers of Intercession, Key Stage 2 children sang 'He was born in the winter'.

 

            He was born in the winter in a draughty shed,      

                        and his cradle was a feeding trough where cattle fed.       

            And the only kind of heating was the cattle's heavy breathing        

                        when they got too close for comfort to the baby's bed.

 

            He was trained as a carpenter, his father's trade, 

                        but there's no-one who remembers anything he made.      

            For he left his friends and neighbours and his profitable labours     

                        and he went to be a preacher who was never paid.

 

            He was friends with the guilty and he helped the poor       

                        and he told them that heaven had an open door.

            But the government said 'Never! Better silence him for ever

                        just in case he starts a riot or a civil war.'

 

            He was whipped by the soldiers at the city hall    

                        and they nailed him to a wooden cross outside the wall.

            They ignored the people crying as they stood and watched him dying

                        then they took him down and buried him and said, 'That's all!'

 

            He was back three days later, and his word was clear      

                        that he means to live for ever and be always here.

            And the promise that he's giving is the joy of simple living 

                        in a world of truth and freedom where there's no more fear.

 

I admit to having a tear in the corner of my eye during the service and some of the parents agreed with me afterwards, as they consumed tea/coffee and Hot Cross buns provided by the PTA. What a pity there weren't more of the church congregation to join in the worship the children offered, however on Palm Sunday the congregation used the palms left for us by the children for the procession around the church.

 

Tricia Anderson

 

Tricia is a Reader at St. Andrew's Church and works closely with the school.

 

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