Sunday, April 5, 2020
Palm Sunday
Welcome and Sharing of Announcements (Pastor Seok-Hwan)
Call to Worship (Bev and Dave Welsh)
Liturgist: Children of God, Rejoice! Sing out in celebration, God's people! Your King is coming to you, humble, riding on a donkey, on a donkey's foal.
People: Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the Lord's name. Glory to God! Hosanna!
Opening Prayer (Peter Seymour)
O Holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for our fear, hope for our despair. O Loving God, open unto us wisdom for our consolation, forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate. O God of peace, open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our sorrow, strength for our weakness. O generous God, open our heart to receive all your gifts today. Amen.
(Howard Thurman)
Opening Hymn: "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" UMH #280 (vss 3,4,5)
Refrain
All glory, laud, and honor, to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children make sweet hosannas ring.
3 The people of the Hebrews with psalms before thee went;
our prayer and praise and anthems before thee we present.
Refrain
4 To thee, before thy passion, they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
Refrain
5 Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King.
Refrain
Palm/Passion Sunday “Love Feast”
(revised with Sacredise, your worship creates your life)
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We give thanks that we can share in this sacred fellowship while we are isolated in our individual homes, care homes, and hospital rooms. Even as we do, we cry out to Christ Jesus as the people of Jerusalem did so long ago: “Hosanna! Save us! Deliver us, we pray!” And God brings us together through the power of the Spirit, and this feast. The Love Feast, or Agape Meal, is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry, and expressing the community and fellowship enjoyed by the family of Christ. As Methodists immigrated to North America they made Love Feasts an important part of early American Methodism. The Love Feast has often been held on occasions when the celebration of the Lord's Supper would be inappropriate, or as it is today, not possible, since we cannot be together to partake. Your home or room is an appropriate location for this Agape Meal. And so, let us join with each from wherever we are in the spirit of fellowship.
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Let us open the gates of our hearts
That the Sovereign God of Glory may come in
Let us lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving
God deserves all honour and blessing.
It is our privilege and joy to exalt the Lord
in every place and every moment.
And so, Dear God, we offer You our worship through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who comes to us humbly and riding on a donkey's foal. (Silent Time)
The Lord Jesus, on the eve of His death, shared a meal with His followers.
Taking the bread, He gave thanks, broke it, and offered it to them with these words:
Celebrate life given to us whenever you eat.
So we celebrate the life that is given to us today as the bread of life!
After the meal, taking the cup of wine, He gave thanks, and offered it to them with these words: Celebrate new life entrusted through Christ whenever you drink.
So we celebrate life together by drinking the water today because Jesus said, “I am the life and living water.”
And so, now O Lord, we eat and drink in memory of Jesus and His great love, And in this simple meal we remember Jesus, giving new life to all people.
Hymn "
Be Present at Our Table, Lord" UMH #621
Be present at our table, Lord;
be here and everywhere adored;
thy creatures bless, and grant that we
may feast in paradise with thee. Amen.
(Now let us share together in this feast. If you are not alone, you will pass the bread and offer some water to each person you are sheltering with. If alone, you will serve yourself some bread and water. Eat and drink as much as you have available and need. You may offer reflections, prayers, and sharing during the meal.)
As you break and share bread, I say to you: You are loved by Christ.
As you partake of the cup of water, I say to you: You are a child of God.
(The meal is received.)
Prayer together
Father of earth and heaven,
Thy hungry children feed,
Thy grace be to our spirits given,
That true immortal bread.
Grant us and all our race
In Jesus Christ to prove
The sweetness of thy pardoning grace,
The manna of thy love.
(Charles Wesley, written especially for the Love Feast)
Pastoral Prayer
Response Song: “In His Time” TFWS #2203
1.In his time, in his time;
he makes all things beautiful in his time.
Lord, please show me every day
as you’re teaching me your way,
that you do just what you say in your time.
2.In your time, in your time;
you make all things beautiful in your time.
Lord, my life to you I bring;
may each song I have to sing
be to you a lovely thing in your time.
Scripture Reading Matthew 21:1-11
(Peter Seymour)
1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth′phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!
People: Thanks be to God.
Message (Pastor Seok-Hwan)
“Jesus in the Midst of Turmoil”
*Offertory Prayer
For the gift of those who walk in this path alongside us, we give thanks. For the way in which these offerings will become our presence with others, we give thanks. For the gift of this community bound and working together, we give thanks. Amen.
*Closing Hymn “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” UMH #557
1 Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2 Before our Father's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
3 We share each others woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
4 When we asunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.
The Blessing and Sending Forth (Pastor Seok-Hwan)
