Texts: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 21:1-11
Call to WorshipL: Here in this place, with these people,
we begin that week we call Holy.
P: We crane our necks to see the parade,
we will bow our heads as the funeral
procession winds through the streets.
L: We have been with Jesus on this journey;
we long for courage to go to the end.
P: In one hand, we clutch the palm branches;
in the other, we cradle our broken hearts.
L: As children dance excitedly around him,
Jesus humbly enters our lives.
P: Hosanna! We welcome the kingdom
bearer into our midst. Hosanna!
Prayer of the Day
Our hearts are wounded
by the nails we carry in them,
yet you would heal us
with your love.
We are worn to the quick
by the struggles of our lives,
yet you carry us in your heart.
Our souls are emptied
by the loneliness of our lives,
yet you would fill us
with our siblings.
Blessed are you,
who comes to live with us!
You could have remained
in Nazareth, caring for your family,
but you journeyed through our lives
to bring us home.
You could have stayed
at home in glory,
but you vacated God's heart,
to serve us with grace.
You could have come
clutching unbearable power,
but you filled your pockets
with humility's wealth
to share it with us.
Blessed are you,
who comes to save us!
When we would puff up with pride,
deflate us with your gentleness.
When we would go home,
after the parade has ended,
walk us to the foot of the cross.
When we would put
our "Hosannas" away
for another year,
teach us to sing
our gratitude for new life.
Blessed are you,
who comes to help us.
God in Community, Holy in One
we bless you, as we lift our prayer, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We sing, we wave our branches, we shout 'Hosanna.' Then, we turn away, to go back to our old ways, our old lives, our old sins. But God is in the business of granting forgiveness and filling us with new life. Let us confess to the One who comes to fill us with grace,
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
With eager hearts and open hands, Holy One, we welcome Jesus, until he refuses the power we offer him, choosing to become our servant. We pick up the faith we had laid on the ground before him, and put it back on the shelf where it belongs. Our pride keeps us from being able to follow him all the way to Calvary.
Hosanna, Steadfast God, save us! Help us to let our fears, our doubts, our faithlessness slip from our lives to fall at your feet, so we may stand with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who comes in your name, in your glory, in your grace to save us. Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: Tell the daughters of despair, proclaim it to the
sons of sadness: Christ has come to save us!
P: Hosanna! We will give our thanks to God,
who comes to bring us grace, hope, life.
Hosanna in the highest. Amen!
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are pretty sure we have nothing to offer to others, but when we begin to think like Jesus, we see the blessings we have, and the opportunities we are given to be your grace, your hope, your love in the lives of those around us, as we care for all your children in these days. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
L: The Lord of parades be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: People of God, open your hearts
to the One who comes with hope.
P: We would receive the joy and grace
the prophet from Nazareth brings us.
L: Give thanks to God,
for God's love endures forever!
P: God is our God, the One who comes
to make us whole.
Joy is indeed the highest praise
we can offer to you,
Steadfast Love.
On that first morning,
you woke creation
from its slumbering sleep,
to give light to chaos' shadows.
Morning by morning,
you shaped your dreams
into everything that is true,
turning hopes into your justice.
You asked simply that we rejoice
in your gifts and glory,
but we chose to sing the choruses
of sin and rebellion,
following death as it paraded
through the world.
Prophets struggled to awaken
our dulled ears
with whispers of peace,
but we laughed at their ideas
that we should return to you.
When you could have set your face like flint,
when you could have hardened your resolve,
you sent your Child, your Joy,
Therefore, we join our voices in thanksgiving,
with those who shouted "Hosanna"
and with those who ran away from you,
with those in every moment, and in this moment,
singing with all creation to your glory:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, Opener of our ears.
All creation proclaims, "God's steadfast love endures forever."
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who opens the gates of righteousness.
Hosanna in the highest!
You are holy, God our Creator,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
who comes in your grace.
When he could have filled your heart,
he poured himself out for us;
when he could have remained by your side,
he came to be a servant,
raising us to glory;
when he could have watched from heaven,
he came down to show us your heart;
when he could have taken the easy way,
he chose to be faithful to you,
even to the point of shameful death.
As he gathered up our brokenness
to make us whole,
you raised him to new life,
and he stands with us in eternity,
glorifying you forever.
As we remember the joy and excitement of the parade,
as we remember the gentle words he taught,
as we remember the spirit with which he died,
we proclaim the One who is the Bread of Life:
P: Christ died, emptying his life for us;
Christ was raised, defeating our old adversaries sin and death;
Christ will come, to fulfill what has been promised.
Here, at this Table,
we would receive the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and your Spirit which anoints us with peace.
Nourish us with the Bread of hope,
that we might go into
the brokenness of our world;
fill us with the cup of grace,
so the weary would discover us
standing by their side;
fill us with the overflowing joy
of the good news,
so we might sing forever
of your heart's desire
for justice and peace for all people.
Then, on that final morning,
when we gather for the Feast of the Lamb,
when we are seated with those
who shouted their hosannas,
as well as those who yelled for death,
we will join our voices in eternity's anthem,
giving our thanks to you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
L: Now we will set aside our palm branches,
P: to go and serve at God’s side
in a broken and fearful world.
L: Now we will pick up our cloaks
and follow Jesus wherever he leads,
P: to learn from those the world ignores,
to be touched by the grace within them.
L: Now we will sing songs of wonder,
P: as we work alongside the Spirit,
sustaining the weary with peace and hope.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
