PRELUDE
 
CALL TO WORSHIP
The story of Palm Sunday tells of how people removed their cloaks and spread them out in front of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. The cloak we wear every day to face the world is both the persona we wish to present, and our defense against the elements.
As we come to worship may we be willing to lay down our defenses and disguises, at the feet of the One who sees us we really are. And then, set free for worship,
may we offer our praises with open hearts and lives.  
 
Friends in Christ: For the five weeks of Lent we have been preparing for the celebration of our Lord's suffering and death. Today, together with the whole church, we begin this holy week by welcoming our Messiah.
So, like the people of long ago, let us welcome Jesus and follow him to the cross.
 
OPENING PRAYER
Lord, as we remember how Christ the King entered Jerusalem to the sound of joyful shouts, increase our faith and listen to our prayers, so that we may praise you every day, by living always in him. For he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
 
HYMN                                                           Hosannah, Loud Hosannah               
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.
 
From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children should on his bidding wait.
 
"Hosanna in the highest!" that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence eternally rejoice!
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE                                                Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
 
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
 
SCRIPTURE                                                Mark 11:1-11
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 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. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 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.
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
HYMN                                                 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus                
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.
 
First let me hear how the children stood round his knee, and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me;
words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, all in the lovelight of Jesus' face.
 
Into the city I'd follow the children's band, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand;
one of his heralds, yes, I would sing loudest hosannas, "Jesus is King!"
 
SERMON
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                     Lenten Creed
We believe that our lives are held within the encircling love of God,
who knows our names and recognizes our deepest needs.
 
We believe that Christ is the divine Child of the living God,
and that his grace is like living waters that can never be exhausted.
 
We believe in the birthing, renewing, enabling Spirit of God
who yearns over our welfare as a mother yearns for her child.
 
We believe that God is in the arid desert as well as in green pastures,
and that hard times and disciplines are also loving gifts.
 
We believe that our journey has a purpose and a destination,
and that our path leads to a human glory we cannot yet imagine.
 
We believe that in the church we are fellow pilgrims on the road,
and that we are called to love one another as God loves us.
 
This is our faith and we are humbled to profess in Jesus the Christ. Amen
 
CELEBRATING OUR GIFTS
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
 
HYMN OF PRAYER                                  All Glory, Laud and Honor                
All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, 
to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. 
You are the King of Israel and David's royal Son, 
 
To you before your passion they sang their hymns of praise; 
to you, now high exalted, our melody we raise. 
As you received their praises, accept the prayers we bring, 
for you delight in goodness, O good and gracious King! 
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
HYMN OF PROMISE                                Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart             
Rejoice, ye pure in heart; rejoice, give thanks and sing;
your glorious banner wave on high, the cross of Christ your King.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.

Your clear hosannas raise, and alleluias loud;
whilst answering echoes upward float, like wreaths of incense cloud.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.

Praise God who reigns on high, the Lord whom we adore,
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God forevermore.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.


BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE

ORDER OF WORSHIP
 
PRELUDE
 
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God, you have set before us the path, but we have wandered on our own to try to find our way. Sometimes we are like toddlers, and we hear your call and come back. Other times, we are children testing boundaries, ignoring your call until fear finally makes us look back. And still other times we are full of youthful rebellion, demanding to be cut loose and set free, not knowing how much we still need to seek your wisdom and guidance. But most of all, too often we think we are adults and have figured it all out and know our own way, only to stumble and stray so far. Remind us, parental God, that we are always your children, that we are never fully grown up in your sight, and that we always have much to learn. Help us to seek you every day, to acknowledge that we need your wisdom and guidance, and help us to return to the path and walk with you. We pray in the name of Christ, who is our companion on this journey of faith. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PRAISE                                    Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine                      
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
 
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
 
Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love. (Refrain)
 
Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love. (Refrain)
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE                                                Hebrews 5:5-10
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
 
SCRIPTURE                                                John 12:20-33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
 
“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
SERMON
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                     The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
 
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
 
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
 
CELEBRATING OUR GIFTS
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
 
HYMN OF PRAYER                                  Glorify Thy Name            
Father, we love You, we worship and adore you, glorify thy name in all the earth.
Glorify thy name, glorify thy name, glorify thy name in all the earth.
 
Jesus, we love You, we worship and adore you, glorify thy name in all the earth.
Glorify thy name, glorify thy name, glorify thy name in all the earth.
 
Spirit, we love You, we worship and adore you, glorify thy name in all the earth.
Glorify thy name, glorify thy name, glorify thy name in all the earth.
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
HYMN OF PROMISE                                Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow           
I can hear my Savior calling, I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling, "Take thy cross and follow, follow me."
 
Refrain:
Where he leads me I will follow, where he leads me I will follow,
where he leads me I will follow; I'll go with him, with him all the way.
 
I'll go with him through the judgment, I'll go with him through the judgment,
I'll go with him through the judgment, I'll go with him, with him all the way. (Refrain)
 
BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE

ORDER OF WORSHIP
 
PRELUDE
 
CALL TO WORSHIP
When the world is no longer a paradise and creation shows its full power over us still, and we are brought down to size on this small planet of ours, we worship.
 
When the memories linger of the past and war shapes us beyond our knowing and conflict becomes a story of life, we worship.
 
When the way is more barren than beautiful when the path is more a climb than a stroll when the desert expands and the horizon stretches we worship.
 
We worship because we can; we worship because we hope; we worship because we know our vulnerability. When things shift and we need to hold on we worship. It is the only strength we have for the journey.
 
OPENING PRAYER
All-knowing and all-caring God, we gather this day drained by another week. We are like a parched desert, empty and in need of replenishment. Visit us with your presence, saturate us with your Spirit, and bathe us in your streams of living water, that our lives might acknowledge and worship you to the praise and honor of Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PRAISE                                    To God Be the Glory, Great Things He Hath Done           
To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!
 
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. (Refrain)
 
Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son;
but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain)
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE                                                Ephesians 2:1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
 
SCRIPTURE                                                John 3:14-21
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
SERMON
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                     A Modern Affirmation
We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children’s good. We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father’s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need. We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Amen.
 
CELEBRATING OUR GIFTS
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
 
HYMN OF PRAYER                                  Breathe on Me, Breath of God        
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
HYMN OF PROMISE                                Just As I Am, Without One Plea          
Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE

ORDER OF WORSHIP
 
PRELUDE
 
CALL TO PRAYER
God, you loved the world so much that you embraced it in all its suffering in your beloved Son Jesus Christ, who sought the way of the cross that he might come to Easter and offer us the way back to you.
We thank you for this space apart, not just on this Sunday morning but in the weeks that are to come – space to become more receptive to the incredible promise of new life: life to challenge all that is deathly in our world, life to challenge all that is dull in our hearts.
 
Help us to use this time, not just in prayer at worship, but in the thoughtfulness in which we go about these coming days, listening for your voice in all we do, as you challenge the habits that restrict us and the assumptions that close our minds.
Help us also to be aware of others who at this time are examining themselves, whether from religious duty or because they have reached a turning point, in a career, or in a relationship, or in a crisis. Give us an ear that listens that we may find the words to sustain and the openness to learn through Jesus Christ, our deliverance and our hope. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PRAISE                                    Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know                       
Ask ye what great thing I know that delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win? Whose the name I glory in? Jesus Christ, the crucified.
 
Who is life in life to me? Who the death of death will be?
Who will place me on his right, with the countless hosts of light? Jesus Christ, the crucified.
 
This is that great thing I know; this delights and stirs me so:
faith in him who died to save, him who triumphed o'er the grave: Jesus Christ, the crucified.
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE                                                1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 
 
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
 
A TIME OF SILENT PRAYER
 
HYMN OF PRAYER                                  At the Name of Jesus Every Knee Shall Bow             
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue confess him King of glory now;
’tis the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord, who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
 
Humbled for a season, to receive a name from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully He bore it, spotless to the last, brought it back victorious when from death he passed.
 
In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue all that is not holy, all that is not true.
Crown him as your captain in temptation's hour; let his will enfold you in its light and power.
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
SCRIPTURE                                                John 2:13-22
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
SERMON
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                     A Lenten Affirmation
We believe that our lives are held within the encircling love of God, who knows our names and recognizes our deepest needs. We believe that Christ is the divine Child of the living God, and that his grace is like living waters that can never be exhausted. We believe in the birthing, renewing, enabling Spirit of God who yearns over our welfare as a mother yearns for her child. We believe that God is in the arid desert as well as in green pastures, and that hard times and disciplines are also loving gifts. We believe that our journey has a purpose and a destination, and that our path leads to a human glory we cannot yet imagine. We believe that in the church we are fellow pilgrims on the road, and that we are called to love one another as God loves us. This is our faith and we are humbled to profess in Jesus the Christ. Amen.
 
INVITATION
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
 
CONFESSION AND PARDON
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen.
 
 CELEBRATING OUR GIFTS
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
 
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.  And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.  We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.  It is right to give our thanks and praise.
 
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth...
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:  Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
 
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ…
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.  Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
 
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.  Amen.
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
RECEIVING THE BREAD AND CUP
 
ANTHEM
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
 
HYMN OF PROMISE                                Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross            
Jesus, keep me near the cross; there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary's mountain.
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
 
Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day with its shadow o'er me.
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
 
BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE

PRELUDE
 
CALL TO PRAYER
Let us worship God, who has done great things.
We rejoice in our God, who made a way through the desert of this world.
Let us worship God, who has caused streams of mercy to flow in the wasteland.
We are the people God has formed through Christ; we worship him, and we rejoice!
Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.
 We praise God for the grace that has saved us.
 
OPENING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, may we seek you and find you, may we knock and the door be opened, for we are sojourners looking for your Kingdom. As we encounter suffering in this world, turn our hearts, our ears, our eyes, our souls toward Christ, who emptied himself, and was tempted, and suffered for us, even giving his own life. In this suffering, plant seeds of hope, and let us never stray so far into despair, that we forget the resurrection of Christ and the power of his Spirit. Amen
 
HYMN OF PRAISE     Stand Up and Bless the Lord     
Stand up and bless the Lord, ye people of his choice;
stand up and bless the Lord your God with heart and soul and voice.
 
God is our strength and song, and his salvation ours;
then be his love in Christ proclaimed with all our ransomed powers.
 
Stand up and bless the Lord; the Lord your God adore;
stand up and bless his glorious name, henceforth forevermore.
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE     Romans 4:13-25
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
 
SCRIPTURE     Mark 8:31-38
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
SERMON
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH     A Lenten Affirmation
We believe in God, Father, Creator who gives us steadfast love, and shares with us our joy, Our God sustains us in our weakness, and empowers us with His strength. We trust Him. We follow Jesus Christ, God’s Son. His death is our victory, His resurrection is our hope; in Him the Word became flesh; in Him we find forgiveness, renewal from failure, reconciliation from brokenness, and release from despair. We are saved through Him. We are guided by the Holy Spirit, God’s presence in the world. That same Spirit calls us to be the Church, to celebrate love, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen. We are empowered through Him. We are disciples, pilgrim people. We joyfully covenant to walk together in love. To live in fellowship, in life, in death, in life beyond death. God is with us! We are not alone! Thanks be to God!
 
CELEBRATING OUR GIFTS
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
 
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
All things come from you, O God, and with praise and thanksgiving we return to you what is yours. You created all that is, and with love formed us in your image. When our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, that we might have abundant and eternal life. All that we are, and all that we have, is a trust from you. And so, in gratitude for all that you have done, we offer you ourselves, and all that we have, in union with Christ's offering for us. By your Holy Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PRAYER     Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone       
Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone, and there's a cross for me.
 
The consecrated cross I'll bear till death shall set me free;
and then go home my crown to wear, for there's a crown for me.
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
HYMN OF PROMISE     Take Up Thy Cross, the Savior Said      
"Take up thy cross," the Savior said, "if thou wouldst my disciple be;
deny thyself, the world forsake, and humbly follow after me."
 
Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame, nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
thy Lord for thee the cross endured, to save thy soul from death and hell.
 
Take up thy cross and follow Christ, nor think till death to lay it down;
for only those who bear the cross may hope to wear the glorious crown.
 
BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE


​
Resources used from umcdiscipleship.com, ministrymatters.com and re:worship.  CCLI 20094815

PRELUDE
 
CALL TO PRAYER
Loving Lord, at the beginning of this Lenten season, we are met with the challenge of handing over every bit of our lives that do not come from you. To rid ourselves of what clutters our lives, and all that distracts us from the simple truth of your love for us.
Your prophets have called us to change the way we worship - to make internal sacrifices instead of external ones. To seek justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with you each and every one of our days.
If we don’t give anything up for Lent, then let us at least give up this: that we might live cease living in ways that disconnect us from you, for every one of our steps is like a circle around Your temple. Perhaps this Lent, we can give up our way and give ourselves to your way for us.
So, lead and guide us on this Lenten way. May we walk with Jesus toward the hill just outside of Jerusalem. May we like him take up our cross and follow, spending each moment of our lives living responsively to you, just as Christ himself did. For that is the faithful way. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PRAISE     Come, Thou Almighty
Come, thou almighty King, help us thy name to sing, help us to praise!
Father all glorious, o'er all victorious, come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!
 
Come, holy Comforter, thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour.
Thou who almighty art, now rule in every heart, and ne'er from us depart, Spirit of power!
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE                                                1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

SCRIPTURE                                                Mark 1:9-15
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
 
This is the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God!
 
SERMON
 
ANTHEM     I Want Jesus to Walk with Me     solo, Amy Stovall 
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH*     A Lenten Affirmation
I believe in God the Creator, who made me and all things, who set me on my path in this world. I believe in God the Savior, who is one with the Creator, who rescued me and all creation from the depredations of our violations against God and creation. This man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, walked a path through this world, taking on human form having been born of a woman through the power of the Holy Spirit. He lived and worked in this world among people just like me. He walked God’s path to death on a cross, and rose from the dead to open our pathway to eternal life. I believe in God the Holy Spirit, my counselor and guide, who is one with the Creator and the Christ, who through the body and blood of Jesus brings me into communion with all people, past, present and future; who calls me to walk a sacred way of life through this world, caring for creation and the people I meet on the way, loving them, helping them, welcoming them without prejudice, being God’s hands and feet in the world.
 
HYMN OF PRAYER     O Jesus, I Have Promised   
O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end;
be thou forever near me, my Master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.
 
O Jesus, thou hast promised to all who follow thee
that where thou art in glory there shall thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
 
HYMN OF PROMISE     Take Time to Be Holy     
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in him always, and feed on his word.
Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.
 
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.
 
Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive beneath his control.
Thus led by his spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.
 
BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE

 
 


Resources used from umcdiscipleship.com, ministrymatters.com and re:worship

*Affirmation of Faith was written by Lisa Frenz, and posted on Lisa’s Liturgies at: https://sites.google.com/site/lisasliturgies/home
Copyright Lisa Frenz. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

CCLI 20094815

GREETING
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 
And also with you.
Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins. 
God's mercy endures forever.
 
OPENING PRAYER
O God, maker of every thing and judge of all that you have made, from the dust of the earth you have formed us and from the dust of death you would raise us up.  By the redemptive power of the cross, create in us clean hearts and put within us a new spirit that we may repent of our sins and lead lives worthy of your calling through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 
 
HYMN     Would I Have Answered When You Called   (verses 1 and 2)

Would I have answered when you called, Come, follow, follow me!""?
Would I at once have left behind both work and family?
Or would the old, familiar round have held me by its claim
and kept the spark within my heart from bursting into flame?

Would I have followed where you led through ancient Galilee,
On roads unknown, by ways untried, beyond security?
Or would I soon have hurried back where home and comfort drew,
where truth you taught would not disturb the ordered world I knew?
 
LESSON     Joel 2:1–2, 12–17
Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.

HYMN     Sunday’s Palms are Wednesday’s Ashes   
Sunday's palms are Wednesday's ashes as another Lent begins
Thus we kneel before our Maker in contrition for our sins
We have marred baptismal pledges, in rebellion gone astray,
Now returning seek forgiveness, grant us pardon God this day
 
We have failed to love our neighbors their offences to forgive
Have not listened to their troubles nor have cared just how they live
We are jealous proud impatient, loving over much our things
May the yielding of our failings be our Lenten offerings
 
We are hasty to judge others, blind to proof of human need
And our lack of understanding demonstrates our inner greed
We have wasted earth's resources, want and suffering we've ignored
Come and cleanse us then restore us, make new hearts within us Lord
 
LESSON     Psalm 51:1-17
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.  For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

LESSON     2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10
…we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
 
HYMN     Open Our Eyes 
Open our eyes Lord; we want to see Jesus to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him.
Open our ears Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus. 

LESSON     Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
 
LITANY OF PENITANCE
Even now, return to me.
Even now, God says, return to me.
Let the sirens in the streets rage; let the trumpet from the church house blow.
Let those consumed with darkness, gloomy from bad fortunes know that:
Even now, God says, return to me.
Let the abused and abusing hear, the defiant and disobedient revere.
Let the sinner and the scornful draw near.
Even now, God says, return to me.
Return from your ignorance, return from your injustice.
Return from your apathy, return from your agony.
Even now, God says, return to me.
Return from your selfishness, return from your greed.
Return from your neglect, return out of your need.
Even now, God says, return to me.
Return to me, with a clean heart.
Return to me with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Return to me, God says, for I am gracious and merciful; I am slow to anger and full of steadfast love. Return to me, God says, for I am your God.
 
Holy God, on this Ash Wednesday, we come before you acknowledging your greatness, exalting your supreme power, declaring that you are the God of our salvation. We come confessing the multitude of our transgressions known and unknown. God, we know that we have not helped the needy when there has been need. We have been greedy even in the land of plenty. Lord, we know that we've abused our brother, misused our sister, forgotten about our parents, manipulated our friends. We're guilty and we need your grace so we bow before you, kneel before you, lay down prostrate before you, asking that you would intervene for our sinful, sorrowful, and sick souls. Have mercy on us because we need you to respond to our human need. Wash us, because we're muddy from our indiscretions. Teach us so that we may live and declare your truth. Purge us, so that the shame of today will not be the guilt of tomorrow. Create in us newness of life, happiness of heart. Restore to us the full blessings of heaven. Deliver us from the penalty we deserve, and we will rise up. We will stand up. We will get up and live up to the expectations of your calling on our lives. These things we pray in the powerful and mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
 
HYMN     Would I Have Answered When You Called   (verse 3)
Would I have matched my step with yours when crowds cried, ""Crucify!""
When on a rocky hill I saw a cross against the sky?
Or would I too have slipped away and left you there alone,
A dying king with crown of thorns upon a terrible throne?
 
INVITATION TO THE OBSERVANCE OF LENTEN DISCIPLINE
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: the early Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration there should be a forty–day season of spiritual preparation. During this season converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins and had separated themselves from the community of faith were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to participation in the life of the Church. In this way the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the need we all have to renew our faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to observe a holy Lent: by self–examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self–denial; and by reading and meditating on God's Holy Word. To make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now bow before our Creator and Redeemer.
 
THANKSGIVING OVER THE ASHES
Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth. Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, so that we may remember that only by your gracious gift are we given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
 
IMPOSITION OF ASHES *
At this time, pleases use the ashes to make the sign of the cross on your forehead or the back of your hand. If you are with others, you may assist one another. Take a moment to reflect on these statements:
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Repent, and believe the gospel.
 
SILENT PRAYER
 
HYMN     Change My Heart, O God          

Change my heart, oh God; make it ever true. Change my heart, oh God; may I be like You.
Change my heart, oh God; make it ever true. Change my heart, oh God; may I be like You.
You are the potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me; this is what I pray.
Change my heart, oh God; make it ever true. Change my heart, oh God; may I be like You.

SILENT PRAYER
 
PARDON
May the almighty and merciful God, who desires not the death of a sinner but that we turn from wickedness and live, accept your repentance, forgive your sins, and restore you by the Holy Spirit to newness of life. Amen.
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
  
HYMN     Would I Have Answered When You Called  (verse 4)         
O Christ, I cannot search my heart through all its tangled ways,
Nor can I with a certain mind my steadfastness appraise.
I only pray that when you call, ""Come, follow, follow me!""
You'll give me strength beyond my own to follow faithfully.
 
DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING
 
GOING FORTH                   
 
 

Water mixed with ashes may react poorly with your skin. Oil is recommended for removal.