April 2, 2023CALL TO WORSHIP
Hosanna! The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Therefore God has exalted him and given him the Name above every name.
Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
Let us worship God in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Servant Lord.
OPENING PRAYER:
Humble and riding on a donkey, we greet you!
Acclaimed by crowds and caroled by children, we cheer you.
Moving from the peace of the countryside to the corridors of power,
We salute you: Christ our Lord.
You are giving the beast of burden a new dignity; you are giving majesty a new face.
You are giving those who long for redemption a new song to sing.
With them, with heart and voice, we shout:
Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord!
Let us now pray together as our Lord taught us:
—Common Order, Church of Scotland (alt.)
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of eternity, Creator of all things, on this day we welcome into our midst your Son, Jesus Christ, present at the formation of the universe, yet born into time. We shout our Hosannas, knowing that if we held our peace, the very foundation stones of the church building would cry out their praise.
We come to you as flawed and fallible people,
conscious of our image, conceited as to our status in the world.
And yet the One we worship and in whose Name we pray
slept in a feeding trough, came into our midst on a donkey,
and was nailed to an old rugged cross.
Help us, O God, to go beyond our Palm Sunday worship, and share our faith and values with those we encounter during the week. When we are of two minds— whether to simply praise the Lord from the sidelines, or to join him on the path— grant us the courage of discipleship. Forgiving God, whose Son entered the Holy City not simply to receive the crowd’s adulation, but to confront the powers of the world with your justice and righteousness, give us grace to love the unloved, to stand up for peace in the face of violence, and to be a place of refuge for the threatened and the oppressed.
All this we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who with you…
INVITATION
Today we are reminded that Christ offered his life on the cross—not for some, but for all. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here. This table belongs not to this congregation, but to our Lord, and it is Christ who invites you to commune with him here. As we prepare for the Lord’s supper, let us rise in body or spirit and sing the doxology. The deacons will now come forward with our offerings.
COMMUNION PRAYER
God of majesty, as the cross looms large on the horizon, we praise you for your compassion. We thank you for Jesus, the Ruler who came in humility to free us from captivity. He came in mercy to free us from the sins we recognize in ourselves, and the sins we easily overlook. Because he came to show us the full extent of your love and justice, we praise you that on the cross he shouldered our burdens. And so, in this holy meal, we ask you to help us remember that in the bread and the cup, we share in our Lord's sacrifice. May we be united by his blood into one body, loving one another and serving you in the world. This we ask in his precious Name. Amen.
BENEDICTION
The King of the victory march,
The King of the victory march,
the Man on the cross,
the Christ of the empty tomb—
God's presence is known to us in many ways.
And so in the holy week to come,
may you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet,
and may they see the face of Christ in you.
Go forth to serve in the Name of God,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
