Church of the Servant CRC Palm Sunday March 24, 2013 For worship today, follow the worship order in this printed liturgy. Some songs may be sung from the grey Psalter Hymnal or the blue Joyful Noises at your seat. Come (Seated) Call to Worship Leader: This is the day the Lord has made; People: let us rejoice and be glad in it. (A time of reflection and meditation) Prelude Youth Choir: Sing glad hosannas to welcome the King of kings. Sing glad hosannas, rejoice, let your praises ring! Blessed is he who comes this day, who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is he who comes this day, his glory shall be restored. Hosanna, hosanna, exalt him forever more. Sing glad hosannas to welcome the King of kings. Sing glad hosannas, rejoice, let your praises ring! Wave your palm branches high to welcome the King of glory. Lift your praise to the skies. This is the day of triumph and praise. This is the day we rejoice. Sing glad hosannas…..Rejoice, let your praises ring! Greeting Leader: Today we join Jesus in his final week of earthly ministry, from his triumphal entry to the last supper, crucifixion, and resurrection. The journey begins as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The Gospel of Matthew tells us Jesus’ disciples brought a donkey and a 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, People: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” 2 (Please stand if able) Processional Hymns People sing: “All Glory, Laud and Honor” Psalter Hymnal 376 3 (Please be seated) Confession and Assurance Leader: 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.” Let us confess the ways we’ve defiled our church, lives and hearts with our sin. People: Lord, like the temple you cleared, our faith has become cluttered with the things of this world; we have become like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. Jesus, forgive our sins. Drive out all unrighteousness from the temples of our hearts. (silence for confession and remembering of our baptism) Leader: Hear the words of Jesus: “How often have I desired to gather you as a hen gathers her brood under her wings!” “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” (Please stand if able) Gloria Leader sings: Glory to God on high; glory to God on high! People sing: Leader sings: On earth be peace to all God’s people, goodwill from God on high. People sing: 4 Proclamation of the Law Leader: Jesus Christ forgives our sins and calls us to new life. The law of the Lord guides us in this new life. When Jesus was asked, “which commandment in the law is the greatest?” he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” This is the law of our God. People: Write your law upon our hearts, O God. (Please be seated) Children’s Processional Children 2½ years old through second grade are invited to come forward. Leader: People of God, what is our prayer for these children? People: May the Lord be with you. Children: And also with you. People: May the Word of the Lord grow in your hearts. Children: Thanks be to God! People: Go in peace. Psalm 31 Leader sings: Abba, Abba, I put my life in your hands. (2x) People sing: Leader sings: 1. In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, in your hands I commend my spirit. Refrain 2. For all my foes reproach me; all my friends are now put to flight. I am forgotten like the dead, like a dish that now is broken. Refrain 3. I place my trust in you; in your hands is my destiny. Let your face shine on your servant, in your hands I will place my life. Refrain 5 Listen Prayer for Illumination Leader: The word of God is like seed sown upon the ground. People: Lord, let our hearts be like good soil, hearing your Word, understanding it, and bearing fruit. Leader: Whoever has ears, let them hear! The Plot to Kill Jesus / Anointing at Bethany 1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.” 6Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. 11For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” People sing: “Jesus, Priceless Treasure” Psalter Hymnal 572 Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus / Peter’s Denial Foretold 14Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. 6 31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. People sing: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane 36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 40Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is 7 weak.” 42Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” People sing: Go to dark Gethsemane, all who feel the tempter’s power; your Redeemer’s conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour: turn not from his griefs away— teach us, Lord, how we should pray. The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus 47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.