Worship Leaders: Choir Music Director: Tim Hallman B.Mus.,B.Ed.
PALM SUNDAY
March 24, 2024
Welcome, Announcements, Celebrations Liz Healy
Indroit: Choir: “When they Heard that Jesus was Coming” v 1-3
Call to Worship: Jane Lyster, (responsive):
One: People of God, gathered in Jesus’ name, today we recall the festive entry of our Lord into Jerusalem.
Like those of old, we join now in bringing praise to our Lord!
One: Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion! Shout, daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.
Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!
Hymn: VU 123: “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” Procession, palm branches handed out as choir progresses as able, and congregation joins as able.
Opening prayer, Fred Vickery: Lord Jesus, with the echoes of our praise to you ringing in our ears, we come to hear your Word. Help us to avoid the near-sightedness of the people of old, who worshiped you as king on Sunday and chanted insults to you on Good Friday. Rather, strengthen us now by the hearing of your passion, that we may remember your sacrifice and be reconciled anew to the message of your kingdom. Amen.
Choir: VU 124 “He Came Riding on a Donkey”
Scripture: Mark 11: 1-11, Noni Pietersma: As they approached Jerusalem, they came to the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead, saying “Go to the village there ahead of you. As soon as you get there you will find a cold tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If someone asks you why you are doing that say that the Master needs it and will send it back at once. So they went and found a colt out in the street, tied to the door of a house. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders asked them “What are you doing, untying the colt?”. They answered just as Jesus had told them, and the crowd let them go. They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the animal and Jesus got on. Many people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches in the field and spread them on the road. The people who were in front and those who followed began to shout “Praise God! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the coming kingdom of King David! Praise God!”
Choir: “Palm Branches!”
Scripture: Mark 14: 12-26, Vicki Bonenfant: On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and get the Passover meal ready for you?”. Then Jesus sent two of them, saying ‘ Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters and say to the owner of the house “The Teacher says, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?”. Then he will show you a large upstairs room, fixed up and furnished, where you will bet everything ready for us”. The disciples left, went to the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
Invitation, JoAnne Fletcher: During the Passover meal Jesus broke bread and shared wine, asking his disciples to do the same in his memory, a covenant with God which would soon be sealed with his blood. He prepared the disciples to let go of his presence with them, to be strong for each other, to live their faith in him. I invite you now to come to the front of the church, pause with your palm branch at the alter and consider things that you may need to let go of, things that you may be clinging to that prevent you from living life to the fullest, be it as simple as distracting clutter, or as challenging as a bad habit or negative thinking - then lay your branch at the alter and take a stone from one of the trays as you pass by. Hold the stone and think about how you have been blessed in your life, what you are thankful for, and what gives you strength and stability. Consider those thoughts as you make your way back to your pew, and keep the stone as a reminder that Christ is always with us, and that as we leave the joy of Palm Sunday and work our way through the darkness of Holy Week, and promise of Easter awaits us all.
Choir and congregation bring their palm branches to the front, lay them at the altar and pick up a stone before returning to their seats.
Offering, Dedication and Prayer: VU543 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
Prayers of the People: Fred Vickery
We join with Christians throughout the world to mark Christ's entry into Jerusalem to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, we may share his risen life.
Merciful God, on this day we shout “Hosanna!”on this day we proclaim “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” May this shout of joy and anticipation be for us also a call to action. May we too come in the name of the Lord, may we too go out into this world in the name of the Lord, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, bringing your kingdom to life here and now. May this sacred story transform our very beings, that filled with the power of the Spirit, we would proclaim with joy and passion the great and awesome day of the Lord, a day of peace and justice, a day of equality and righteousness, a day of healing and wholeness, a day of love and compassion.
Precious Lord, hold us in your tender mercies this week. Strengthen us to run the course you’ve laid before us, courage to face illness, pain and death, comfort us when we grow weary, shield us when we are attacked, love us with your unending love.
Gracious God, fill us now with your Holy Spirit, even now as we join our voices with his in the prayer he taught us to pray: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Scripture, Philippians 2: 2-11, Tim Hallman: Paul shares these words with the church in Philippa: Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. I urge you then, to look out for one another’s interests and not just your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Jesus Christ had: Of his own free will he gave up all that he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death, his death on the cross. For this reason, God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honour of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Closing Hymn: VU 127 “Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!”
Benediction: We praise you O God, for your redemption of the world through Jesus Christ. Today he entered the city of Jerusalem in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and King by those who spread garments and branches along the way. Let these branches be signs of his victory and grant that we who carry them may follow in the way of the cross, through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
Choral Blessing: MV 8 “And on This Path”
The bulletin for today has been donated by Winnie & Chubby Kelly
in loving memory of their son Dwayne
"A Village Church With A Heart For The World"
Christ United Church
12 Perth St., PO Box 113, Lyn, ON, K0E 1M0
(613)498-0281 (Phone) (613)498-2589 (Fax)
lynunitedchurch@cogeco.net www.lynunitedchurch.com Follow on Twitter: @Ch1United