Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Day

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Delirious? - King Of Fools.

Joint Palm Sunday service

The inclement weather this weekend meant that the donkey farm were unable to bring their donkey and that the joint Palm Sunday procession from St John's Seven Kings to St Paul's Goodmayes was unable to take place. While it was a disappointment not to be able to hold our Palm Sunday procession this year because of the weather, we nevertheless had an excellent shared service at St John's Seven Kings.

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Pierce Pettis - You Did That For Me.

Passiontide, Holy Week and Eastertide

Our Good Friday Devotional Service will feature use of The Passion: Reflections & Prayers. These are pictures, poems and prayers by Henry Shelton and I which enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey.

Christian Art – fallacy or fusion? Eastertide course exploring approaches to and understanding of the relationship between faith and art. Tuesday evenings at St John's Seven Kings on 9th, 23^rd & 30^th April, 7^th & 14^th May at 7.30pm. Cost – £15. To book contact Liz Watson on 01245 294449 or lwatson@chelmsford.anglican.org.

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Buddy Miller - All My Tears.

Palm Sunday procession (2)

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Bruce Springsteen - Jacob's Ladder.

Palm Sunday procession

St John's Seven Kings and St Paul's Goodmayes held our annual Palm Sunday procession and service today with approximately 180 people attending (our largest attendance to date). This year the procession began at St John's Seven Kings, where both congregations gathered and where we dedicated at banner made by the St John's Banner Group which will be sent out to St Michael's at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. We then processed along Meads Lane led by Gordon the donkey (on which children took it in turns to ride), crucifer, robed choir and clergy. At Westwood Recreation Ground we read the Gospel and blessed our palm crosses before processing along Atholl Road to St Paul's Goodmayes where our service ended with communion.

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Graham Kendrick - Make Way, Make Way.

Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Day

St John's Seven Kings and St Paul's Goodmayes will be holding our annual Palm Sunday procession on Sunday 1st April from 10.00am. This year the procession begins at St John's Seven Kings, where both congregations will gather. We will then process along Meads Lane led by a donkey (on which children will take it in turns to ride), crucifer, robed choir and clergy. At Westwood Recreation Ground we will read the Gospel and bless our palm crosses before processing along Atholl Road to St Paul's Goodmayes where our Palm Sunday Service will end with communion. All are welcome to attend. We are grateful for the support of the Police and Council in enabling this procession to occur annually.

Our services and activities for Holy Week and Easter Day are detailed on the poster below:

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John Rutter - Look At The World.

Palm Sunday procession

In recent years Palm Sunday in Seven Kings has seen the congregations of St Pauls Goodmayes and St Johns Seven Kings process between the two churches accompanied by a donkey and children dressed as disciples. The procession has been jointly organised by the two churches and has become an annual community event.

The year the service begins in St Paul’s Goodmayes (Atholl Road) at 10.00am and ends in St John’s Seven Kings (St John’s Road) at 11.15am. Procession route: Atholl Road – Westwood Recreation Ground – Meads Lane - St John’s Road.


The original Palm Sunday featured a joyful procession as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt and the people praised God and spread cloaks and palms on the ground (see Matthew 21):

“They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

The service and procession are a joyful celebration for us and, we hope, a visible act of witness to our community. Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, parish priest of St Paul's Goodmayes, has said that the procession reminds him of his three month sabbatical in Japan, "where the indigenous faiths of Shinto and Buddhism celebrate their festivals with joyful and colourful processions, conveying to the whole multi-faith community, something of what they personally believe in and why it is important to them."

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Extreme - Everything Under the Sun Part 1 (Rise 'n Shine).

Palm Sunday Procession

Starting out from St John's

Passing the United Free Church

Riding Isaac the donkey

At Westwood Recreation Ground

Blessing our Palm Crosses

Reading the Gospel

Our joint congregations at Westwood Recreation Ground

Completing our service at St Paul's Goodmayes

Fr. Ben leading at St Paul's Goodmayes

The new tryptich at St Paul's Goodmayes

Last year, for the first time, Palm Sunday in Seven Kings saw a congregation of 130 process from St Pauls Goodmayes to St Johns Seven Kings accompanied by a donkey and children dressed as disciples. The procession was jointly organised by the two churches and is intended to become an annual community event.

Today we reversed the procession beginning at St John's and ending at St Paul's, stopping midway at Westwood Recreation Ground to bless palm crosses and read the Gospel. This year our donkey was called Isaac and, as last year, our children loved the opportunity to have a ride. Also as last year, the congregation of the United Free Church came out to greet us as we passed by at the beginning of the procession.

As we went we handed out a leaflet explaining what we were doing and why:

The original Palm Sunday featured a joyful procession as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt and the people praised God and spread cloaks and palms on the ground (see Matthew 21): “They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Rev. Jonathan Evens, Vicar of St John’s, says, “This service and procession are a joyful celebration for us and, we hope, a visible act of witness to our community.” Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, parish priest of St Paul's Goodmayes, has said that the procession reminds him of his three month sabbatical in Japan, "where the indigenous faiths of Shinto and Buddhism celebrate their festivals with joyful and colourful processions, conveying to the whole multi-faith community, something of what they personally believe in and why it is important to them."

We are grateful to the Metropolitan Police and the London Borough of Redbridge for their permission and help in enabling this procession to take place.

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Kirk Franklin - Hosanna.