Baking through Lent: Palm Sunday

It seems strange to think of it these days…but can you imagine standing in a crowd…packed tight up against the people all around you…a bit like being in a football stadium at a football match…everyone cheering and singing…That’s just what it was like on Palm Sunday; crowds lined the streets on the way into Jerusalem. Why? Because Jesus was coming into Jerusalem riding on a donkey: this was the man they’d heard about. The man who made sick people well; who gave hungry people food; who stuck up for those who were looked down upon; they said he’d even brought people back from the dead. This was someone everyone wanted to see. And so they gathered as if to welcome a King; someone they hoped would make a difference to everyone’s lives…
Who would you line up on a street to see?
Why do you think the people were so excited to see Jesus?
Thinking of all those people made me think of Gingerbread people…have a look at some of the gingerbread people that I have made.
Why not have a go yourself and see if you can make some gingerbread people for our Palm Sunday crowd.
Follow this link for the recipe and to find out a bit more about what happened on the first Palm Sunday.

Gingerbread People

350g flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon 100 g butter
175g brown sugar 1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp golden syrup
Icing and decorations (optional)

First set the temperature for your oven to 180°C and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper.
o Cut up the butter and melt in a saucepan over a low heat.
o Add the brown sugar and golden syrup and stir into the butter until the mixture is smooth.
o Remove from heat to cool.
o In a large bowl, sift the flour and add the ginger, cinnamon and baking soda. I like my gingerbread people really gingery so I add 4 tsps!!!
o Stir in the beaten egg to the dry mix.
o Add in the buttery mixture and stir until combined.
o Knead it gently until it forms a dough.
o Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick. Cut out the gingerbread people with a cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets.
o Bake for 8-12 minutes.
o Allow to cool thoroughly (they harden as they cool) before adding any decorations.

A Palm Sunday Story By Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards

The dusty roads leading into Jerusalem were anything but quiet. A buzz of excitement filled the air as preparations for Passover, the biggest holiday of the year, were being made. It seemed that everyone from everywhere was trying to get to Jerusalem to celebrate. But it wasn’t only people . . .
The roads were crowded with donkeys and camels which was the common form of transportation, and not only that, most people also brought other animals with them. The bleating of sheep, the mooing of cows and the cooing of doves could all be heard, as well as the laughing and singing of children. The mood was boisterous and joyous as people greeted old friends and family members they hadn’t seen since the previous year.
In a field on the outskirts of Jerusalem there was a donkey and it’s colt. Two of Jesus disciples went to see the owner.
“The Lord needs these animals,”they said and without a fuss the owner didn’t ask any questions but let the two men take the animals.
Just outside the town, the friends of Jesus found their master. They took off their overcoats and laid them on the little colt. And then Jesus got up on the colt and started riding it into town.
“How can he do that?” someone from the crowd asked. “How can he get on and ride a little colt that has never been trained?”

As Jesus rode towards the town, a strange thing happened, the people watching took their cloaks off and laid them on the ground
Most of the people in the crowd recognized the man who was riding the little colt. They had heard his teachings, and many had seen at least one miracle. “It’s Jesus! It’s Jesus!” they loudly proclaimed. Other people had brought palm branches on their trip to fan themselves, and they laid those on the ground. Some of them used their palm branch fans to wave in the air, causing a breeze to keep Jesus cool and comfortable.
Even the children joined in! They made a long carpet out of clothing and palm branches, reaching all the way down the road and into town for the donkey and the colt carrying Jesus to walk on. All the while they were laying garments and palm branches on the ground, they were waving and shouting, “HOSANNA! HOSANNA! Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord! BLESSED BE THE KING! HOSANNA!”
The people in the crowd had recognized that day that JESUS is the KING of all the earth. They recognized Him as their Messiah who would one day rule over everything. But there were a few people that were not happy about all this. Some of the Pharisees (teachers in the temple) told Jesus to tell the people to stop shouting and to stop calling Him the King, and to stop worshipping Him.
Some of the Pharisees told Jesus to tell the people to stop shouting and to stop calling Him the King. Jesus responded to the Pharisees saying: “If these people were to be quiet and not worship Me as their King, then the rocks would cry out in worship.” Jesus and the donkey, and the colt continued on their way into the city of Jerusalem, as the shouts of the people continued. “HOSANNA! HOSANNA! Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord! BLESSED BE THE KING! HOSANNA!”
And so Jesus entered Jerusalem…and the people wondered…what was going to happen next?