The Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United Church of Canada
Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS
Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail: stmarks1@eastlink.ca
Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
Minister: Nan Corrigan D. M.
Minister of Music: Al Fougere
April 13th, 2014-Palm/Passion Sunday
* please stand as able
A
thought around which to gather as we worship:
Matthew
21:1–11 & Matthew 26:14—27:66
At
the end of Lent we journey with Jesus through his final days and
hours on Earth. But even in their final moments together, the
disciples abandon Jesus – betraying him, falling asleep, denying
they know him – and he is left alone to face his execution. We can
identify with the disciples’ fear and understand the great betrayal
Jesus felt because we can point to times in our own lives when it
seems we’re all alone and forgotten. But we must remember that
God’s love endures and God is with us – with Jesus – even
during the hardest moments of our lives.
This
week –
Spend time reading and re-reading Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem and his Passion (the focus scriptures above). As you read,
write down some of the moments from your own life when you are like
the characters in the story (Jesus, Pilate, Judas, Peter, the
angry crowd, the soldiers, and so on).
Copyright
© Woodlake Publishing Inc. 2013, Seasons
of the Spirit
SeasonsFUSION
Lent-Easter 2014, p. 13
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Choir
members, worship leader, lay readers, symbol bearer, children and
adults who wish to process with palm branches gather in church hall.
*Processional Hymn Hosanna,
Loud Hosanna VU
123
*Opening
Prayer
God
of Jesus, who shared our humanity, keep us company on this Lenten
journey so that we may find the path to life. Amen.
*Placement
of Lenten Symbol—A palm branch
Call
to Worship Back of
bulletin
Who Carries
the Christ?
“Tell
them I need it,” says the Christ.
I
need humble ones to carry my life,
to
bring hope to the people
.
Who
will carry the Christ today?
All: We
will be love.
Who
will bring hope to the people?
All: We
will be love.
Stay
beside me as I travel,
for
tomorrow the way may not be so welcoming.
All: We
will be love.
The
stones cry out in joy,
the
trees wave their branches in delight,
the
birds burst into song,
for
Christ is among the people!
Lenten
Triad Candle Extinguishing (Tenebrae)
(One
purple candle and Christ candle are lit prior to worship.)
(6th
candle is extinguished.) Let
us pray:
All:
God, our Savior, we praise and adore you.
In
your mercy you have reached out to us
and
made us your covenant people.
We
want to be faithful, O God,
yet
our feet slip easily from your pathway.
Transform
our wavering steps
into
solid conviction. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sung
Assurance:
Throughout
These Lenten Days and Nights,
verse 6 VU 108
Prayer
of Approach Back
of bulletin
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Psalm 118 With palm
branches in hand pts. 1, 3, 4 VU 837
*Hymn He Came Riding on a
Donkey VU 124
Opening the Word (Imagine the donkey) & The
Lord’s Prayer
Gospel Acclamation
Stories of Holy Week- based on
Matthew 21:1-11; 26:14-27:66
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
* Hymn All
Glory, Laud and Honour VU 122
*Affirmation
of Faith and Passing of the Christ Light
We
believe that the Christ
still
travels the roads of human life
and
is never defeated by our humanness.
We
believe that the church
can
carry Love wherever we go
and
that our dreams of faithfulness
can
be given new possibilities in each new day.
We
believe that, here in this place,
we
will find inspiration and encouragement,
that
will lead us on
in
our journey with the Christ.
Minute
for Mission
Offering
Our Gifts to God
*
Offering Prayer
Prayers
of Thanksgiving and Intercession
One:
Let us pray.
All:
Surprising God, you come to our lives in ways we do not expect.
One:
We ask for success;
All:
you teach us acceptance.
One:
We ask to be loved;
All:
you ask us to love.
One:
We ask for ease;
All:
you challenge us.
One:
We ask for ourselves;
All:
you remind us of the needs of others.
One:
We ask for a triumphant Messiah;
All:
you come as one obedient to death.
One:
We glorify the winner;
All:
you glorify the loser who died on the criminal’s cross.
One:
Walk among us, Surprising God. And be especially with those in
our world who are crucified because we do not see, nor act according
to your love.
All: You have made a covenant with us. Let us live in covenant
with you. Amen.
WE GO TO SERVE GOD
*
Hymn We Shall Go Our with Hope
of Resurrection VU
586
*
Commissioning and Blessing
There is a
tradition that Palm Sunday is the beginning of a one-week-long
service through Holy Week so there is no Amen, just words of
encouragement and invitation to gather again next time.
May
we have courage as we move into these next days.
It
will be a trying time and our faith may be challenged.
Love
will carry us.
The
nights ahead will be long.
Love
will carry us.
It
will be a bleak time and we will be afraid.
Love
will carry us.
We go now, carried by Love.
