Music Accompaniment & Sermon Play List available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/OUMC-03-28-2021 Worship & Sermon Pastor James Canody

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Philippians 2: 5 – 11 WEB

5 Have this in your mind, which was also in cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of and gave to him the name which is above God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on the form of a servant, being made in the earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that likeness of men. 8 And being found in human every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. to the point of death, yes, the death of the

INTROIT “All Glory, Laud, and Honor"1 (refrain UMH# 280) https://youtu.be/PFu8c1B84Pg

All glory, laud, and honor, to whom the lips of children to thee, Redeemer, King, made sweet hosannas ring.

OPENING PRAYER

God, we gather on this day to begin a week of contrasts. From hope to despair to hope again. As we begin the week, as we join with the crowd help us cut through the noise to see what is happening, to see what is at stake. As the story unfolds, open us to both the hope and the pain. In this time of worship, prepare us to celebrate, to weep, and to wait. We pray in the name of the one who leads the parade, even Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. AMEN.

AFFIRMATION of FAITH UMH# 887

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? death, nor life, Shall tribulation, or distress, nor angels, nor principalities, or persecution, or famine, nor things present, nor things to come, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? nor powers, nor height, nor depth, No! nor anything else in all creation, In all things we are more than conquerors will be able to separate us from the love of God through the One who loved us. in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are sure that neither Thanks be to God! AMEN.

GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. 1

2 HYMN UMH#277 “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” https://youtu.be/oCAH-OfQJ3U 1. Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear; things I would ask him to tell me if he were here: scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

2. First let me hear how the children stood round 3. Into the city I'd follow the children's band, his knee, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand; and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me; one of his heralds, yes, I would sing words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, loudest hosannas, "Jesus is King!" all in the lovelight of Jesus' face.

SPECIAL MUSIC Suggestion “Via Delorosa” https://youtu.be/Jl9bd-wSjHw Sung by Theresa Yow-Black, Written by Billy Sprague and Niles Borop Via Dolorosa is Latin for "Way of Grief" or "Way of Suffering"

JOYS & CONCERNS

MORNING PRAYER

Jesus, you set your face towards Jerusalem meditation, and reflection we may draw closer and walked alongside those who suffer. Be to you and find our way on this journey of our vision that we too may walk the way of faith. compassion and extend a hand to those we Lord, you entered Jerusalem with peace in meet. your heart. Be our vision that we too can live Lord, you stopped to heal the sick and tend as people of peace in the face of the world’s to those broken in body, mind or spirit. Be our many conflicts. May we hold your vision of vision that we too may be a source of healing justice and peace ever before us. to all in need of your grace. Bless us, O Blessed One, as we enter into the Jesus, you said, “The first shall be last and days ahead of us. We will need your power the last first.” Be our vision that we too may and presence to sustain us as we move work towards your realm – when the through these difficult days together. Spirit of marginalized and oppressed will be raised up Love and Life, stay close. These and all the and know that they are indeed beloved prayers of our hearts we offer in faith, as we children of the Holy. pray the way you taught us to pray... Jesus, you took the time to pray and to be silent. Be our vision that through our prayers,

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.

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HYMN UMH #280 “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”3 https://youtu.be/frxD2qoqazU

Refrain: 3. The people of the Hebrews All glory, laud, and honor, with psalms before thee went; to thee, Redeemer, King, our prayer and praise and anthems to whom the lips of children before thee we present. made sweet hosannas ring. (Refrain)

1. Thou art the King of Israel, 4. To thee, before thy passion, thou David's royal Son, they sang their hymns of praise; who in the Lord's name comest, to thee, now high exalted, the King and Blessed One. our melody we raise. (Refrain) (Refrain)

2. The company of angels 5. Thou didst accept their praises; are praising thee on high, accept the prayers we bring, and we with all creation who in all good delightest, in chorus make reply. thou good and gracious King. (Refrain) (Refrain)

SCRIPTURE John 12:12-16 WEB

12 On the next day a great multitude had come it. As it is written, 15 “Don’t be afraid, to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took the branches sitting on a donkey’s colt.” Zechariah 9:9 16 His of the palm trees and went out to meet him, disciples didn’t understand these things at and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they comes in the name of the Lord, Psalm 118:25-26 remembered that these things were written the King of Israel!” about him, and that they had done these things 14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on to him.

SERMON "Save Us ” Pastor Canody http://bit.ly/Sermon03282021

Song: Dance of Victory best guess is that "Hosanna" is a contraction of https://youtu.be/wcfpuQ91xSY two Hebrew terms: “yaw-shah”, meaning to save or deliver, and “naw”, meaning to "Hosanna! Hosanna, to the Son of David! beseech or pray. So you might translate the Blessed is the one who comes in the name of shouts of the crowd as: "We beseech you to the Lord!" It's how we begin our holiest week. deliver us." The people cheered. They tossed

branches from the nearby trees to the ground, Some might be thinking that’s a strange word and they called out, "Hosanna" … Please … "Hosanna." You've got to admit that it is deliver us! They looked upon this prophet-- not a term that comes up in everyday rumored to be the Messiah--and they cried out conversation. If you are like me, the last time to him, "Save us! Save us!" I'm thinking that you uttered "Hosanna" was, well... about a the meaning of Palm Sunday hangs on those year ago … last Palm Sunday. It is a peculiar two words--on that simple plea. Do we feel word--one that is difficult to define. Scholars' 3 compelled to shout "Save us!" to our God as wanted to be "saved" from the Romans. They we prepare for Holy Week? wanted deliverance from an occupying army. All of this is to say, I decided to change tactics Once upon a time … I met with a group of with our seventh graders. "Let me put it this seventh-graders to answer some questions way," I said to them, "if God was on the ball, scribbled on 3x5 cards that they wanted to pose what would God save you from?" Suddenly, to their pastors. Four of the twelve cards our conversation got interesting--very asked: "Is Jesus the only way to salvation?" interesting. Being an annoying pastor, I told them that before I would answer that question, they had One of the youth raised her hand and said, to answer one for me. "Since salvation implies "Death." Another fellow offered that God that you are being saved from something, what could really help him out by saving him from do you think Jesus is saving you from?" The an upcoming math test. Then one of the first answer that came back was "hell." Jesus seventh graders said, "Pressure." And another saves people from hell. Now, I don't think this youth said, "My parents' expectations." Then is a bad answer. I actually kind of like it, but another, shy individual, almost in a whisper that is a topic for a Holy Saturday sermon. For said, "Fear. I want God to save me from my now, I must admit that my initial reaction fears." All of these answers struck me as more when someone answers that "hell" is what God sincere than their “stock answer” … "hell." saves us from is suspicion. I am suspicious: Although, I think you could argue that their first, because, for a good portion of American comments gave a pretty clear picture of what Christians, this is the (obvious and only) "right "hell" looks like to a 7th grader. answer." In other words, I had to wonder if the youth were thinking: Here is the preacher; Can we dip down into our souls and be as the question is, "What does Jesus save us honest as these young people were? When we from?" He must want us to respond, "Hell." wave our palms and boldly cry out, It's kind of similar to what happens when I go "Hosanna," do we dare imagine what we really to see my doctor, and he asks, "So, have you want God to save us from? been exercising?" and I know what he wants • Save me from anger. me to say. • Save me from cancer. • Save me from depression. Still, beyond being suspicious of people's • Save me from debt. tendency to want to tell the pastor what they • Save me from the strife in my family. think he wants to hear, I have some theological • Save me from boredom. concerns about this answer. It is a complicated • Save me from the endless cycle of thing to ask, "What does God save us from?" I violence. am certain that the biblical witness supports • Save me from humiliation. me in this. Take, for example, our Palm • Save me from staring at the ceiling at Sunday text. I don't believe that the people three a.m. wondering why I exist. lining the streets of Jerusalem were primarily • Save me from bitterness. concerned about "hell" when they were • Save me from arrogance. shouting out to Jesus. If the gospels hint at the • Save me from loneliness. crowd's motivation, it was that the people • Save me, God, save me from my fears.

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he went and had supper with his friends; he In viewing Palm Sunday from that angle, we went and prayed in a garden. Some Messiah!? can begin to see the potential for some real It only took a few days for the crowds to depth in this celebration, for embedded in our switch from crying "Hosanna" to the shouts of quaint pageantry is an appeal to God that "Crucify him." So, yes, the risk of Holy Week originates in the most vulnerable places inside is that we'll take a peek at Jesus' actions and of us; and it bubbles, almost beyond our think, "Hmm … this doesn't look much like control, to the surface. "Hosanna." … Lord … salvation to me." "Save us." • Please God take the broken places that will So what does it look like to be saved by God? tear us apart and make them whole. In experiencing the fullness of Holy Week, one • We beseech you, God, jump into the water of the strands that I have always clung to for and drag our almost-drowned selves to shore. comfort is the notion that this story is about "Save us." "Hosanna." God being with us. How does God being with us save us? I am not completely sure, but I do After we ask God to save us, we want to know: think that part of being saved involves a God Does God respond to our cries? Does God do who would stoop to step right into the anything to save us? And, then we want to messiest parts of life with us. know: how does God save us? These are crucial inquiries for those of us who cling to Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form the Christian faith, and I want to take my own of God, did not count equality with God a meager shot at answering them. But before I thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, do that, I should say that I believe that the taking the form of a servant, being born in answer to these questions (to the extent that the likeness of men. And being found in there is any "answer" that makes sense at all) is human form he humbled himself and became embedded in the mystery of this coming week. obedient unto death, even death on a cross. In other words, I think that the journey from Maundy Thursday through Good Friday and I have got to believe that this is, in part, how finally to Easter is the closest thing to an God saves us. God doesn't fax salvation in answer that we Christians have. from some suite in heaven's ritzy district. God comes. God incarnates. God steps out of Of course, the danger in this assertion is that grandeur to stand with us in awkward places the story we will experience this coming week at awful times to experience life and death. may not feel like salvation. That is one of the God answers our cries of "Hosanna" in ways so stark outcomes in today's text. The people utterly unexpected that we have got to look (a wanted salvation, which they defined as second time) to see if they can possibly be true. "freedom from the Romans." When it became apparent that Jesus was not "that kind of I wonder... Is there any better way to Messiah," the people's jubilation quickly commence Holy Week than with palms in our vanished. "Save us," they cried, but then Jesus hands and "Hosannas" on our lips? Is there did not set about saving them in a manner that any more faithful way to embark on this sacred they could recognize. He did not take up a journey than to ask God, out of the deep, sword and send the Romans fleeing. Instead, honest places inside of us, to "Save us... please, save us"? 5

HYMN UMH #278 “Hosanna Loud Hosanna”4 https://youtu.be/WrzZZkbLH6k

1. Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang, through pillared court and temple the lovely 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 3. "Hosanna in the highest!" mid an exultant crowd, that ancient song we sing, the victor palm branch waving, for Christ is our Redeemer, and chanting clear and loud. the Lord of heaven our King. The Lord of earth and heaven O may we ever praise him rode on in lowly state, with heart and life and voice, nor scorned that little children and in his blissful presence should on his bidding wait. eternally rejoice!

BENEDICTION

God of Joy and Arrival, enter our lives as silent, denying crowd at the Cross. Do not Christ entered Jerusalem. May we celebrate leave us in the events to come! Even though your coming. May we cry out with the stones we may leave you, do not leave us, O Christ! so the world might hear your glad arrival. Yet Then forgive us, so we can return to you do not leave us in the events to come. This changed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. joyous crowd that greets you will turn and flee. Amen. From a crowd of hosannas, we turn into a

RESPONSE “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” 5 (refrain UMH#280) https://youtu.be/Udoj1BFit7M

All glory, laud, and honor, to thee, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

Music Copyright and Streaming Licenses CCLI #20472475 and One License #A-734796-A *The World English Bible (WEB) © Public Domain

1,3,5 All Glory, Laud, and Honor, UMH #280 Author: Theodulph of Orleans, Translation: John Mason Neal, Composer; Melchior Teschner, Harmony: W.H. Monk © Public Domain 2 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, UMH #277 Author: William H. Parker, Composer: Frederick A. Challinor © Public Domain. 4 Hosanna Loud Hosanna, UMH #278 Author: Jeanette Threlfall, Adapter & Harmonizer: W.H. Monk © Public Domain

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