Sunday, April 13, 2014
Palm and Passion Sunday
Worship at 10:30
We tell the story of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem (that’s what the palms are all about),
his final days, his last supper, his trial, execution, and burial (The Passion).
It’s quite a story.
Matthew 21:1-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
This week’s bulletin:
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The Palm and Passion service
The abrupt movement from the praise and confidence of the Service of the Palms to the dark, confessional Service of the Passion follows the Gospel story of Jesus’ last days in Jerusalem, from the festal procession to the awful reality of the cross and the tomb. This progression also reflects God’s presence for us and with us not just in the happy, triumphant times but also in our suffering. And it invites our humility: our praise easily turns to sin, our loyalty to betrayal. (So, in the traditional manner, the palms we wave today will be burned to provide the ashes for our Ash Wednesday worship next year.)
Most importantly, it reflects the setting and the movement of the Gospel: Christ confronts the violence of our social, political and religious systems as its victim. He exposes the evil of our violence, and meets it with nonviolence and forgiveness, setting us free to renounce all violence and live in his spirit of mercy and love. It is only in the cross—in the context of our suffering and our evil—that the grace of God’s life-giving love and forgiveness can honestly promise resurrection.
The New Exodus
Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples was a Passover meal. The Passover is the great celebration of Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt. The feast gives thanks for our freedom, and honors God’s will to liberate all people from oppression and injustice.
Jesus’ acceptance of the cross is God’s nonviolent resistance to our sin: God exposes and overcomes our violence and our separation from God. When we hurt others, even for “righteous” reasons, we make God our victim. But God does not retaliate or punish— instead, God forgives us and reunites us with God. We are set free from the power of sin and fear of death to control our lives, free to live by the power of love alone. Jesus’ dying and rising is a new Exodus for us.
The Exodus is God’s will not just for the escape of some slaves, but for the abolition of slavery. It’s God’s judgment against all oppression. The Exodus and the resurrection are God’s nonviolent overthrow of the forces of evil and oppression. Baptized into Christ, we are not only grateful for our own liberation, we “resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”
To take up the cross is to continue Jesus’ work of identifying with the suffering and the victims of violence and injustice, and changing unjust political, economic and social structures. The cross of Jesus is not just a focus for personal piety. It is also a rallying point for God’s command to change this world on behalf of the poor and oppressed. This is the Great Passover, the New Exodus, a journey that we are still on.
The Celebration of the Gospel
Palm & Passion Sunday
April 13, 2014
Christ became utterly empty, obedient to death— even death on a cross.
— Philippians 2.7,8
————————————————The Palms
The Praise and Procession Matthew 21.1-11
PROCESSION Joyful Hosanna Hal Hopson (Bells of St. Matthew’s)
GREETING
Leader: Hosanna to the Son of David!
All: Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest heaven!
SONG Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Blue hymnal # 278
CHILDREN’S TIME
THE WORD IN SONG Hosanna! Don Besig
PSALTER Psalm 118. 14-29
PSALM PRAYER
Gracious God, You are our strength and power. Open to us the gates of your presence, that we may enter and give thanks. Save us, we beg of you. Bless us with the presence of the One who comes in your name, Jesus, your Christ, our Sovereign, and our Lord. Amen.
——————————————————The Passion
The Preparation Matthew 26.17-25
NEW TESTAMENT Philippians 2. 5-11
SERMON
SONG O Love, How Deep Blue hymnal # 267, vv. 1 – 4
The Meal Matthew 26. 26-29
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
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 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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
SHARING THE HOLY MEAL
[Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]
SILENT PRAYER
SONG Taste and See Black hymnal # 2267
The Prayers Matthew 26. 30-44
SONG Stay with Me
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The Arrest Matthew 26. 45-56
OFFERING OUR GIFTS O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Johannes Brahms
The Trial Matthew 26. 57-68
SONG Lamb of God Black hymnal # 2113
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 50. 4-9
The Denial Matthew 26. 69-75
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
The grace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
Have mercy on us and forgive us,
and transform us according to your grace,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
by the grace of Christ and the power
of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE Bless the Lord, My Soul
Before Pilate (Matthew 27. 1-2, 11-26)
Narrator— When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
Pilate— Are you the King of the Jews?
Jesus — You say so.
Narrator— But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.
Pilate— Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?
Narrator— But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas.
Pilate— Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?
Narrator— Pilate realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him.
Pilate’s Wife — Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.
Narrator—Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.
Pilate—Which of the two do you want me to release for you?
People— Release for us Barabbas.
Pilate—Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?
People — Let him be crucified!
Pilate—Why, what evil has he done?
People— Crucify him!
Narrator— So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd.
Pilate— I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.
People—His blood be on us and on our children!
Pastor— We have been chosen and destined by God the Giver of Life, and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood. If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 Peter 1.2; 1 John 1.7)
Narrator— So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
SONG Kyrie
Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison.
The Mocking Matthew 27. 27-31
* PSALTER Psalm 31. 1-16 Blue hymnal # 764
Response: Into your hands, my Savior, my spirit I commit.
The Crucifixion Matthew 27. 32-44
SONG O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Blue hymnal # 286
The Death Matthew 27. 45-54
THE CURTAIN IN THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
The Burial Matthew 27. 55-61
SONG Oh, Jesus
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