WELCOME
PRELUDE Hosanna, Loud Hosanna – Hayes
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
People: Let us open the gates of God’s justice and offer our thanks to the Lord!
Leader: Let us praise God for answering our prayers and leading us on the way of salvation!
People: The stone that the builders tossed aside has become the cornerstone!
Leader: This is the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see!
People: This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Leader: Let us prepare the way of the Lord with a festal procession of branches!
People: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
*HYMN OF PRAISE Hosanna, Loud Hosanna #89
Hosanna, loud hosanna, The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple The joyful anthem rang;
To Jesus, who had blessed them Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises, The simplest and the best.
From Olivet they followed ‘Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving, And chanting clear and loud;
The Lord of earth and heaven Ride on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children Should on His bidding wait.
“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, The Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise Him With heart and life and voice,
And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, while we know how we sang for joy when Christ came into our lives,
we confess that we have not always followed You faithfully.
Our words and actions often reflect a reluctance to publicly live for You.
We are afraid that humility and meekness are seen as defects in our character.
We have betrayed Your love for us through our lack of love for You and for
other people.
Forgive us, Lord, and remake us in Your likeness.
Help us to have the same heart as Christ,
so that we may go wherever You lead us through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose
name we pray. (Silent)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS (adapted from Philippians 2:8-9)
Leader: Jesus Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death
on a cross.
People: Therefore God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name that is above
every name.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
People: Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
MINUTE FOR MISSION Mission Committee
SCRIPTURE Psalm 118:19-29
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
SCRIPTURE Luke 19:29-40
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
MEDITATION What Kind of Christian?
ANTHEM El Shaddai – Card / Thompson
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH from The Confession of 1967
In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all.
Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations,
joys, and sorrows.
He expressed the love of God in word and deed
and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women.
But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people.
His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes.
Many rejected him and demanded his death.
In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which
everyone stands convicted.
God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord.
The victim of sin became victor,
and won the victory over sin and death for all.
The risen Christ is the savior of all people.
Those joined to him by faith are set right with God and commissioned to serve as God’s
reconciling community.
Christ is head of this community, the church, which began with the apostles and
continues through all generations.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
. . . 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
debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
INVITATION TO GIVE Lenten “Super 6” Food Collection – Canned Soup
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Invitation to the Table
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Words of Institution and Communion of the People
Prayer after Communion
We have “open” communion, and therefore all who desire a closer relationship with God and
want to share in the love of Jesus Christ are invited to participate fully in the sacrament.
*HYMN Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates #8
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates,
Behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here!
Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple, set apart
From earthly use for heaven’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
Redeemer, come! I open wide
My heart to Thee: here, Lord, abide.
Let me Thy inner presence feel;
Thy grace and love in me reveal.
*BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Lift High The Cross – Nicholas / Berry