I am doing the children's message at church on Sunday. I usually just pull a trick from my gospel show when it is my turn but it is Palm Sunday so I wanted to do something reflecting Palm Sunday without letting down the expectations everyone has for my messages.

Any cool ideas?

Hmmm, torn and restored Palm leaf? Making a donkey disappear?

Losander floating table with lots of coins falling off of it?

I need to think harder about that one.

I like making a donkey disapper...that's my vote.

Do you have anything on praise? Or anything to tie in with Triumphant entry?

Ooooo, what about a chain escape and talk about how the enemy (devil) doesn't want us to lift our hands and praise the Lord...he will keep us chained up if he could...but the Bible says that if we won't praise Him, even the rocks will cry out...so I'm not going to let the enemy tie my hands (do the escape)...

One could even do a wrist chopper or head chopper and tie in how the enemy does not want us to praise God, and would almost do anything to stop you, even cutting off your head if he could.

Just some thoughts, don't know what you have to work with.

You could roll a couple pages of newspaper together, tear the top and the center out. It would look like a palm leaf.

I was thinking maybe do something using the "revengeful warrior Messiah image" like many Jews thought He was going to be, sent to wipe out the Romans from Holy Land. Then show how Jesus didn't come to make war, but peace. Maybe use a change bag representing the gate, and two hanky's.

You can talk about how the Jews were thinking that the Messiah was going to come to save them from the Romans, but Jesus came first to save them from something more important...their sins! You can use something else other than a change bag. The idea is show what the Jews thought He would be and do, then once He entered through the gate, what He actually came to do.

Wow- I am glad I posted this. Your ideas are all very helpful! The church is of course giving out palms so I am trying to think of some way I could use a palm with the message.

PS I want to go to Terry's church and see the head chopper!

If you have a change cap, or change bag, you can cut up a palm and restore it. If you have a large enough TT, you might switch it for a colored streamer....

If you have a large enough TT you might be able to make my head disappear that way...lol

Go to the Daytona Magiic web site. Look on the Passover or Easter Special, page. You might find something there.

Would there be something in that effect where you take the newspaper, roll it up, and cut little fringes into it, and it keeps extending into a newspaper tree? - Just an idea.

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Would there be something in that effect where you take the newspaper, roll it up, and cut little fringes into it, and it keeps extending into a newspaper tree? - Just an idea.
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I really like that. I saw Gene Anderson do it at Magi-Fest. How is that done?

Anyway, thanks a million for all your ideas!

The outcome!! I grabbed 2 paper lunch bags, one large paper grocery bag and I bought 5 bags ($1 each) of thos marshmallow eggs with the solid color candy outisdes on them... threw out the bags and can't remember what they are called.

The kids came up and sat down and I had each of them come up and grab a marshmallow egg form the large paper bag. I held the small paper bag in my hand. I read John 12:12-15 (saying "young donkey" instead of "young ass"- no need for them to quote that later!). I asked everyone who had a yellow egg to drop it into the bag. I told them yellow represented the golden streets in heaven we would see when we went there to meet Jesus. Then orange for the bright beautiful sun that was in the sky the day Jesus rode the donkey to Jeruselem.
green- for new life
blue- baptism
pink- spring flowers coming soon
etc.-
No one had a red one so I fished one out of the large bag and dropped it into the small bag in my hand and explained that when Jesus died on the cross his blood washed away all our sin. Then I turned the bag over and dumped out all the eggs in the bag they were all white. I casually crumpled up the bag and threw it away at the end to show it was empty. We said a prayer and were done.

if you want a how to I will be happy to share- pm me

I used Creative Magic's Flash Deck, with The Clown and the King on the top. Using the deeper cut force, had the king be selected, using a DL to showing the king... talked about when we processed into church we heard about Jesus, King of Kings, Son of David...

Turning over the double face down... But when we hear the Passion Story, we might think, like many that Jesus was a clown... a fool (showing the clown). Kings don't die, kings are all powerful... only a fool would give up his life. But the truth of the matter is Jesus is a king (top changed, and goes to the cross willingly for us.) I end by showing the clown changed back to the king.

RevJohn

Every March since this thread I have gotten emails asking how to do the egg trick. Here is the explanation. I don't mind posting it here so Pastors and others can do the trick. I don't think anyone wandering over will be learning any major secrets. The technique is simple.


OK so I put all the white eggs in a paper bag.
Put that bag inside another one.
Fold the inner bag with the white eggs against the side of the outer bag. Folding the bottom up as best as you can (the way the bag is originally before opening) against the side of the outer bag. So the flap isn’t toward the inside of the bag… its toward the inner wall of the bag. This will keep it folded.
Open the bags of marshmallow eggs and make sure to take out any red ones.
Let the kids pick eggs and makes sure they get a good variety of the colors.
When they all drop the eggs in, ask them who has a red one because they are very special.
No one does.
So you go back to your box and find a red one in one of the other bags of marshmallow eggs.

As you are doing that last step, when you get to the box to look for the red egg, your hand with the paper bag goes behind the box naturally because you are looking in it.
Put the bag behind the box and drop off the outer bag that now has all the kids colored eggs. Come away with only the inner bag with the white eggs. When you drop off the other bag the bag of white eggs should open itself fairly easily since the pressure is off it. A slight juggle will help.
ALL your attention is focused on your other hand coming out with the red egg.
PLACE the red egg into the bag and EITHER- retain it in your hand and don’t really drop it OR- put it into the corner so you can pinch it from the outside when you dump the white eggs.
Now, dump the white eggs to show the kids Jesus’ blood turned them all white as snow.

Was anyone able to use our routine -using the Die Box as the TOMB - especially when using the sucker effect (people thinking the Body was stolen ) and finding Christ back in the World( using a cardboard Globe- cut open-instead of a Hat) - then using a light blue devils hank(excuse the name-LOL) the Lord returns to Heaven-and the right side of the Father.- any response?? P.S. instead of a Die with pips - use pictures of a DOVE- on all sides - don't feel a picture of Christ should be used.(?) Ralph(russo)Rousseau