PALM PROCESSION / SUNDAY OF THE PASSION ORDER OF SERVICE | 3-24-24
Women’s History Month
03-24-2024 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship
+ PROCESSION WITH PALMS +
CALL TO WORSHIP:
L Awake to the day of triumph for our Savior!
Come with your branches, your hosannas, your songs!
Fill the air with welcome to the Lord!
Blessed is the King! Blessed is Jesus!
PROCESSIONAL GOSPEL: MARK 11:1-11
11:1 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples
11:2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.
11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'”
11:4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it,
11:5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
11:6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.
11:7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.
11:8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.
11:9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
11:11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
A BLESSING OF THE PALMS AND THE PALM BEARERS:
L Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!
C And blessed are we when we follow with humility, trust, and courage!
L Lord Jesus, bless these palms that we bear and the songs that we sing.
Bless these steps that we take in this procession and the journey that we make with our entire lives.
Take away our failings and our fears, and give us the faith and the faithfulness to follow you to Calvary and beyond.
We pray this with humbled hearts.
C HOSANNA in the highest heaven! Amen!
We know that the crowd on the road did not fully understand who
Jesus was… and later rejected and jeered him. With genuine joy
and authentic hope, can we join the parade of those who welcome
Jesus without also turning away from him, turning against him?
Can we say that he is “King of our lives” and allow it to be?
PROCESSION SONG: “Soon and Very Soon” Brown #38
- Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! We are going to see the King!
- No more crying there, we are going to see the King…
- No more dying there, we are going to see the King…
- Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King…
PROCESSION SONG: “Victory Is Mine” Brown #266
- Victory is mine… Victory is mine… Victory today is mine!
I told Satan, “Get thee behind!”… Victory today is mine!
- Joy is mine… (3) Peace is mine… (4) Jesus is mine…
PROCESSION SONG: “O When the Saints Go Marching In” Brown #180
- O when the saints go marching in… O when the saints go marching in…
O Lord, I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in!
- O when the sun refused to shine…
- O when they crown him King of kings…
- And on that HALLELUJAH day…
PALM SUNDAY CHORAL READING… done by our children and youth!
L When Jesus rode a donkey small
All the people began to call:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L Coats and flowers before Him lay
Then all the crowds could be heard to say:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L Palm branches they waved as He rode along
Their songs of praise were growing loud and strong:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L Little children made the hillsides ring
And Jesus smiled to hear them sing:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L As a king, into Jerusalem Jesus came
Men, women, and children were praising His name:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L And in this little St. Peter’s crowd
We too shall sing out, happy and loud:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
L Since Jesus came to die for ME
My song to Him shall always be:
C HOSANNA TO THE KING!
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):
Dear God, the Son of God emptied himself, took on our form, humbled himself, and became obedient to death on a cross for us. In gratitude and faith, let the mind of Christ be our mind. Help us to embrace the obedient way of the cross and to live in the power of your death-defying love, looking with faith and hope to sharing in his resurrection victory. Amen.
! CELEBRATION !
SONG SELECTION: “All the Way to Calvary” led by All Saints Choir
All the way to Calvary, He went for me, Although I had so many, many sins,
He went for me, He went for me. Jesus took them all away
All the way to Calvary, He went for me, and He pardoned me.
He died to set me free. Although I had so many, many sins,
Jesus took them all away,
And He pardoned me.
+ SACRIFICE +
+ THE PASSION OF OUR LORD +
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 50:4-9a
[The obedient “servant of God” – representing the prophet Isaiah or his successor… or perhaps the nation of Israel itself during Israel’s exile in Babylon – sings about being equipped and empowered by God, and therefore not afraid to speak truth to power in the midst of persecution and to speak hope to those who are weary and suffering. The early Church saw a close connection between the “servant song” passages in the book of Isaiah and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. How was Jesus like the servant? What is the word of God that helps and sustains you?]
50:4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens– wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
50:5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.
50:6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
50:7 The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
50:8 he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me.
50:9a It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
[Using an early Christian hymn that celebrated Christ’s humble, unselfish, and obedient suffering and death – a path that carried Jesus to ultimate glory as Lord of all – Paul urged his readers to have the same mind, the same humility, and the same life path of obedient faithfulness. What would the effect be on our lives if we acted as servants to others, imitating Christ all the way to potential death on a cross?]
2:5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
2:8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death– even death on a cross.
2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
2:11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
GOSPEL VERSE:
“The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary,
the blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.
IT REACHES TO THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN! IT FLOWS TO THE LOWEST VALLEY!
THE BLOOD THAT GIVES ME STRENGTH FROM DAY TO DAY,
IT WILL NEVER LOSE ITS POWER!
It soothes my doubts and calms my fears, and it dries all my tears;
the blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.
IT REACHES TO… ”
PASSION STORY MONOLOGUES:
-
- Micah Gillum
- Judy Echols
- Iyanna, Olliyah, and Madison
- Bernadette Hassan
- Pastor Bob Holum
- Tanya Morris
- Ida Swindle
- Cecil Webb
A BRIEF MEDITATION: Pastor Gwen
SONG RESPONSE: “We Walk His Way” [traditional South African song]
We walk His way… We walk His way.
We walk His way… We walk His way. [repeat the chorus]
- Unarmed He faces forces of demons and death. We walk His way. [repeat entire verse]
- He breaks the bonds of hell dying on the cross. We walk His way. [repeat entire verse]
- The tree of freedom blooms by His empty grave. We walk His way. [repeat entire verse]
THE PRAYERS – A LITANY OF THE PASSION:
L Lord Jesus, by your death and resurrection You brought life to the world! The hour of your cross draws near, when Satan was defeated and death was destroyed. You are our only hope, our only salvation, our only glory! We now pray that You might deliver us from sin, despair, and death…
L O Christ, bearing our sins: C Save us, we pray.
L O Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver: C Remind us of the great price you paid for us.
L O Jesus, washing feet and breaking bread: C Lead us in the way of humility and sacrifice.
L O Jesus, in agony in the garden: C Teach us to watch and to pray.
L O Jesus, betrayed by the kiss of a friend: C Save us from deceit and betrayal of You.
L O Jesus, bound like a lamb for slaughter: C Free us from the chains of sin.
L O Jesus, opposed by swords and anger: C Spare us from the sword of war and hatred.
L O Jesus, forsaken by your disciples: C Keep us from abandoning You.
L O Jesus, humiliated and tortured: C Let us never bring shame and pain to You.
L O Jesus, rejected for Barabbas: C Keep us from ever rejecting You.
L O Jesus, condemned to die: C Pardon us through your saving grace.
L O Jesus, crowned with thorns: C Pierce our hardened hearts.
L O Jesus, carrying your cross: C Thank you for bearing our sins and our shame.
L O Jesus, delivered to be crucified: C Deliver us from the gates of hell.
L O Jesus, nailed to the cross among the condemned: C Take your place among us sinners.
L O Jesus, commended to the Father’s hands: C Gather us in your Kingdom like a hen.
L O Jesus, breathing your last on this earth: C Fill us with the breath of true life.
L O Jesus, lifeless and buried in a tomb: C Put to death the sin and despair within us.
L O Jesus, sealed away to be forgotten: C Remember us when You come into your Kingdom.
L O Lord, it would be easy to try to wash our hands of all guilt and declare our innocence in Your suffering, yet the finger of betrayal, desertion, and denial points at all of us. We cannot cry out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken us?” because it is we who have done the forsaking. We are horrified by the suffering we cause – to You, to ourselves, to others, and to the world You have created. O Jesus, we cannot live with the burden of our sin; we cannot bear the guilt and the shame; we cannot save ourselves from despair and death by our own good deeds. O Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!
C Lord, I do want to live the life of faith! Lord, I do want to be yours forever! I bow my head and my heart before the cross of Jesus and ask for your mercy. Amen.
+ THE LORD’S SUPPER +
OFFERING [Jesus gave himself to death for the life of the world, for my life and your life! With humble hearts so very grateful for his saving love… with willing hearts seeking to pass on the good news we have been taught… let us offer our time, our money, our abilities, and our very self in trust and service.]
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or a recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing!
SONG SELECTION: All Saints Choir
THE OFFERTORY SONG: “I Know It Was the Blood” Brown #75
- I know it was the blood… I know it was the blood… I know it was the blood for me.
One day when I was lost, he died upon the cross… I know it was the blood for me.
- It was my Savior’s blood… (3) They pierced him in the side… (4) He’s coming back again…
OFFERING PRAYER (from PSALM 51) led by the Communion Assistant:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with your bountiful spirit.
Then I will teach other sinners your ways; and I will eagerly sing of your goodness. Amen.
THE PREFACE:
L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.
L Lift up your hearts! C We lift them up in love for God!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
L The Lord delivers us from sin and death… C … and grants us salvation and eternal life!
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! We will have “continuous distribution” with wafers and either wine or grape juice. CHRIST IS PRESENT IN BREAD AND WINE – HIS OWN BODY AND BLOOD – TO SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF!
COMMUNION SONGS: Brown #234 Brown #73
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ DEPARTURE TO PRAY AND SERVE +
CLOSING RITE:
L God forbid that I should glory,
C except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
L through whom the world is crucified to me,
C and I to the world.
L We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You:
C By your cross You have redeemed the world.
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God calls us to “return home” to faithful discipleship!
CLOSING SONG: “Lead Me to Calvary” Brown #86