Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised! For no one can measure the Greatness of our God!
Good Morning and Happy Palm Sunday! Welcome to YouTube Live and Worship at the Windows with the Mantua Center Christian Church. Together we are seeking to have Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Arms to live and love in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Today is our Palms to Passion Service….in which we will hear the story of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem all the way to his arrest in the garden. The rest of the story will be heard in our service Thursday and in your own observation of Good Friday. We are listening for the words that might shape who we are as we seek to Live the Resurrection in Jesus’ name.
We are assisted today by our wonderful hospitality people here at the windows. We have the gift of the banners made by Dottie Summerlin, Jodie Thompson, and Joy Wyatt. Our audio and visuals were prepared by Carol Magyarics and this week we have many voices sharing in the service. We are led in music by Jan Green, Beth Schabel, and Pam Auble. We have a quartet by Steve, Phil, and Ally Hurd and Jon Bozeka. A solo by Beth Schabel. We are also receiving scripture readings from Justin Vaughan, Julia Roubic, Sammi Vaughan, Danny Magyarics, Emma Magyarics, Sally Hoffman, and Alyssa Schabel. Our communion meditation is shared with you from Pete Prusynski.
Please, for those of you at the windows, take time to go back and watch the VIDEO of this service online. The Scripture readers and Communion Meditation were something to behold visually as well. You won’t want to miss it.
We are blessed today as well to offer you the prefilled communion cups. They have 2 tabs to reveal the bread and then juice. If you need help please check with one of our greeters.
So then Let’s take a deep breath and prepare our hearts and minds for worship
Call to Worship - Chad (by Thom Shuman)
We come to prepare for the holiest of weeks.
We will journey through praise, with joy on our lips;
we will travel through betrayal and death,
cradling hope deep in our hearts.
Jesus leads us through this week, and we will follow,
for he is the life we long for,
he is the Word who sustains us.
We wave palm branches in anticipation,
we lay our love before him, to cushion his walk.
Setting aside all power, glory, and might, he comes:
modeling humility and obedience for all of us.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who brings us the kingdom of God.
Children’s Moment
LIVING the RESURRECTION
Introduction “Living the Resurrection” Sarah Smith
We are taking Compassion, Repentance, Reach, Equity, and Transformation with us….what else do we need to take with us? As we listen to those stories from Jesus from the Palms to the Upper Room...what do you notice? What do you hear? What words emerge for you? What else can we take with us to live the resurrection as God’s people?
Pastoral Prayer and Prayer of Illumination - Sarah Smith
Let us pray together: …….
- The Triumphant Entry
- Scripture - Luke 19:28-40 - Justin Vaughan
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’ - Hymn - All Glory Laud and Honor
1 All glory, laud and honor to you, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
You are a child of Israel, Great David’s greater Son;
you ride in lowly triumph,Messiah, blessed One!
2 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, now hear us as we pray.
Since you delight in goodness, rule in our hearts today.
- Scripture - Luke 19:28-40 - Justin Vaughan
- Jesus Clears the Temple
- Scripture - Luke 19:45-48 - Julia Roubic
- Reflection question: “What needs to be cleared out of the way to make room for Compassion, Repentance, Reach, Equity, Transformation, ___________...as we follow Christ?”
- The Widow’s Offering
- Scripture - Luke 21:1-4 - Sammi Vaughan
- Special Music - Come to the Water (Steve, Jon, Phil, and Ally)
- Judas Turns
- Scripture - Luke 22:1-6 - Danny Magyarics
- Prayer of Confession - Chad
On this day, O God, as we gather with the children who lead the crowd into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday; we also recognize the painful happenings in the story. We see ourselves in the struggle and victory…
We confess that….- We consort with the politicians and leaders who condemn Jesus. Who dismiss and compartmentalize his way and teachings...
- We walk with the disciples who are both sinner and saint--the seeds of denial and betrayal within us, along with seeds of life and resurrection power.
- We linger with those who are lost, confused, and don’t understand
- We follow the crowd, shouting, “Hosanna,” and later say “Crucify him!” Yet know him and trust him and see you in him.
- As we find ourselves in your story this week, reveal the grace you share all the way, even on the cross, Amen. (silent prayer for 30 seconds)
- The Lord’s Supper
- Scripture - Luke 22:14-22 - Emma Magyarics
- Holy Communion - Pete Pruszynski
- Meditation and Prayer - Pete
- Hymn: Take our Bread - Performed by Pam Auble & Beth Schabel
Refrain: Take our bread, we ask you; take our hearts, we love you;
Take our lives, O Dear God, we are yours, we are yours.
1 Yours as we stand at the table you set;
Yours as we eat the bread our hearts can’t forget
We are the sign of your life with us yet
we are yours, we are yours
2 Your holy people standing washed in your blood,
Spirit-filled yet hungry we await your food.
We are poor, but we’ve brought ourselves the best that we could,
We are yours, we are yours.
Words of Institution: Pastor Sarah Smith
- Jesus Prays in the Garden
- Scripture: Luke 22:39-46 -Sally Hoffman
- Stay with Me
Stay with Me, Remain here with Me
Watch and Pray...Watch and Pray...
- Jesus Is Arrested
- Scripture: Luke 22:47-53 -Alyssa Schabel
- Hymn: Go to Dark Gethsemane
1 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; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
2 Follow to the judgment hall; view the Lord of life arraigned, O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs his soul sustained! Shun not suff'ring, shame, or loss; learn of him to bear the cross.
BENEDICTION
Now hear these Sending Words from Cheryl Lawrie as we depart. Let us pray her words together.
And now we lay down the palm branches.
And with them we lay down our belief that there is another way for you to be God.
As the last echo of the final alleluia fades, so does our hope that this journey can end in any other way.
The week stretches ahead
glory-less
and pain-full
Whether we walk with all faith or none we look towards the cross,
knowing it is both the most human and most divine of all journeys
travel the road with courage, with love, and with the uneasy peace that is the gift of faith into this holiest of weeks. Amen.
Benediction Song - What Wondrous Love is This - Beth Schabel
Departing Music - 'Lonesome Valley by Eugene Butler [quoting Lonesome Valley and Were You There]'