Watch the service here.
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 118:24-25)
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosanna—save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success—hosanna!
OPENING PRAYER (Psalm 118:19)
Let us pray: Holy One, when we worship you, you open the gates of righteousness so that we may enter through them and give thanks to you. Be with us this day as we meet you at the gate to welcome you into the city and into our hearts and give us strength to continue to wave our palms even as the days grow heavier and the end draws near. Amen.
CALL TO CONFESSION
As Jesus enters the city, let us greet him with not only with palms and praise but with honesty.
Please join me in the prayer of confession, followed by a silent personal confession.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Psalm 130:1-2)
We have rejected the cornerstone you sent. We have not followed the Savior you sent to lead us. We have dropped the palms we waved so desperately at the first shadow of doubt. Restore in us the faith we have discarded. Strengthen the foundations of love in our hearts. Call us back to you when we have gone astray. Give us the strength to remain with you this Holy Week. Forgive us for all the times that we have you and hurt those whom you love. Amen.
Moment of silent personal confession
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Psalm 118:27)
Pastor: The psalmist writes,
The Lord is God,
and has given us light.
Peoples: In the light of the Son of God, those who repent will be forgiven.
Pastor: May the peace of Christ be with you!
Peoples: And also with you.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (Psalm 118:19)
Let us pray: Open to us the gates of righteousness, that we may enter through them and breathe in the life-giving Word of God. Amen.
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
and whose steadfast love endures for ever!
Let Israel say,
‘God’s steadfast love endures for ever.’
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,
and has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good,
and whose steadfast love endures for ever.
HYMN Enter Now Thy Gates of Beauty
1 Open now thy gates of beauty,
Zion, let me enter there,
where my soul in joyful duty
waits for God who answers prayer;
O how blessed is this place,
filled with solace, light, and grace.
2 Gracious God, I come before thee;
come thou also unto me;
where we find thee and adore thee,
there a heaven on earth must be;
to my heart O enter thou;
let it be thy temple now.
3 Speak, O Lord, and I will hear thee;
let thy will be done indeed;
may I undisturbed draw near thee,
while thou dost thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
here is balm for all our woes.
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 21:1-15
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”;
but you are making it a den of robbers.’
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry.
Consider:
- In ancient days, kings rode donkeys in parades, rather than warhorses, when they wanted to signal peace. What does it mean for Jesus to be a king of peace? How does that give us hope?
- What do you have to offer Jesus this week? What metaphorical palm branch will you wave or coat will you offer him?
- “Hosanna” means “Save us!” What are you asking Jesus to save you from this week?
- You are invited to share signs of encouragement and positivity in your windows and yards in this time of creatively alternative communication. Consider printing this palm branch to color and display.
Listen to Pastor Leia’s sermon, “Sterbelied, or, a hymn for the dying,” here.
HYMN All Glory, Laud, and Honor
Refrain:
All glory, laud, and honor
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring!
1 Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David’s royal Son,
who in the Lord’s name comest,
the King and blessed One. [Refrain]
2 The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayers and anthems
before thee we present. [Refrain]
3 To thee, before thy passion,
they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted,
our melody we raise. [Refrain]
4 Thou didst accept their praises;
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King! [Refrain]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (Jill Duffield)
Lord, your word sustains the weary. You bind up the brokenhearted and bring good news to the poor. As you enter into the chaos of Jerusalem, we trust you come to us in whatever turmoil we are experiencing. Even as some us shout our praises, others among us cannot even murmur a word of hope. You see us all, lined up by the road, isolated in our homes, incarcerated or incapacitated, worried about our loved ones and those who are ill, exhausted from caring for the sick and laboring at essential work, and you are moved with compassion. You come to Jerusalem, getting ever closer to the cross, pouring yourself out in order to bring forgiveness, reconciliation and salvation.
Seeing you, humble, riding on a donkey, vulnerable and unwilling to turn away from suffering, we are bold to pour ourselves to you, crying, “Hosanna!” and “God, help us!” We do not know how to voice our deepest needs or fears or hopes or longings, yet you know them all before a word is on our tongues. We cast everything before you, Lord of all, trusting your promise of an easy yoke and a light burden.
We call out for healing for the sick, relief for the suffering, justice for the oppressed, relief for the exhausted, hope for the downtrodden and comfort for those who mourn. As we wonder what will come next, as we struggle with countless uncertainties and mounting anxieties, we look to you, the blessed One who comes in the name of the Lord, for help, for assurance and for the peace that passes understanding.
As we draw close to you and attempt to follow, even to the cross, we rejoice in your near presence. We give thanks for your selfless sacrifice. We give thanks for the health care professionals, the grocery store workers, the frontline responders. We remain grateful for all of those on the Way with us. United in you, Lord Christ, we will stand together and stand up for those who have fallen by the wayside and walk with those who fear they have been forgotten. Strengthen us for the days ahead so that we will remain faithful to you, your will and your call, until we see you face to face.
Even while we remain apart,
we join all our prayers together in the one Your Son taught us,
saying:
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.
HYMN Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
1 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.
2 From Olivet they followed
‘mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud;
the Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
3 “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.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God’s countenance be lifted upon you and give you peace.
Even in the wilderness of fear and sickness,
remember that Jesus is still leading you
and still encouraging you to keep your palm branches waving, no matter what the week may bring.
From wherever you are, serve the Lord: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Virtual Coffee Hour
If you are using this page to follow along with today’s worship service while it is being live streamed, please join us for virtual coffee hour! Turn on your video camera and join us at about 11am or a little before with this link. You could also join over the telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting code 146 874 134, followed by the password 075003.