APRIL 5 – LIVE-STREAM SERVICE at 10:00 A.M
How to Use this Service: Today is Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday and it is a great opportunity for everyone in your home to be an active participant in worship. The service is a reading of the entire story of Jesus’ death, with music and prayers interspersed in the reading. It can be read straight from your Bible and everyone can have a part in reading or reciting the lines. There are two ways to do this: You can take turns reading each section, or you can assign parts to each person in your home. As always, you can all sing praise to God and pray together.
L=Leader A=All
Here is a list of parts in the reading. Each household member may have more than one part. Children may be assigned parts, and if they cannot read an adult can read the lines and have the child repeat after them.
Narrator, Jesus, Judas, Peter, High Priest, Pilate’s Wife, Disciple, Witness, Servant Girl, Bystander, Chief Priest, Pilate
Reading: Matthew 21:1-11
Song: #344 – All Glory Laud and Honor
(You may wave your palms and even process around your home while singing this song.)
Refrain: All glory, laud, and honor to you, redeemer, king, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
1. You are the king of Israel and David’s royal Son, now in the Lord’s name coming, our King and Blessed One.
2. The company of angels are praising you on high; creation and all mortals in chorus make reply.
3. The multitude of pilgrims with palms before you went; our praise and prayer and anthems before you we present.
4. To you, before your passion, they sang their hymns of praise. To you, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
5. Their praises you accepted; accept the prayers we bring, great author of all goodness, O good and gracious King.
Reading: Matthew 26:14-29
Song: #349 – Ah, Holy Jesus and Communion (Praise Song)
1. Ah, holy Jesus, how has thou offended that we to judge thee have in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected, O most afflicted.
2. Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee.
Reading: Matthew 26:30-44
Prayers:
L: Almighty God, we ask you to rule and govern your church, especially during this time when we cannot gather as a congregation. Bring us together in our own homes, uniting us in the Lord and in devotion to you. Hear us O God,
A: Your mercy is great.
L: Lord, let the light of truth always shine in our homes. Keep the children of the Church in the covenant you made with them in baptism and give all parents grace to bring them up in faith and obedience to you. Hear us O God,
A: Your mercy is great.
L: Lord, give health, strength, wisdom and discernment to all who are in authority, especially the President and Con-gress of the United States, the Governor and Legislature of this state, and to all public officials. Give them grace to rule according to your will, so that we may live in safety and peace. Hear us O God,
A: Your mercy is great.
L: Lord, we pray for everyone who is sick and hurting. We pray for those who suffer from the coronavirus. We pray for those who suffer from isolation, unemployment, and despair. We pray especially for those among us who are in need of your healing care. Skip Meisner, Barb Curry, Doug Walker, Jim Mandicino, and Jim Sorvaag’s sister, Karen, as they face the ordeals of cancer. We also pray for Ken Cain, Merle Hanslip, Charlotte Richards, Marc Anfinson, Janet Burrack, and Todd Calvillo,as they continue to face health issues; Pastor Dave Carlson and Ron Heaton, recovering from surgery; and Katie Linder. Hear us O God,
A: Your mercy is great
L: According to your steadfast love, O God, hear these and all our prayers as we commend them to you; through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
Reading: Matthew 26:45-56
Song: #347 – Go to Dark Gethsemane
1. Go to dark Gethsemane, all who feel the tempter’s pow’r; your Redeemer’s conflict see.
Watch with him one bitter hour; turn not from his grief’s away; learn from Jesus Christ to pray.
2. Follow to the judgment hall, view the Lord of life arraigned; oh, the wormwood and the gall!
Oh, the pangs his soul sustained! Shun not suff’ring, shame, or loss; learn from him to bear the cross.
Reading: Matthew 26:57-75
Confession and Forgiveness
L: Let us confess our sin, in the presence of God and of one another:
L: Gracious God,
A: have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned away from you, knowingly and unknowingly. We have wandered from your resurrection life. We have strayed from your love for all people. Turn us back to you, O God. Give us new hearts and right spirits, that we may find what is pleasing to you and dwell in your house forever. Amen.
L: Receive good news: God turns to you in love. “I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live,” says our God. All your sin is forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, who is the free and abounding gift of God’s grace for you.
A: Amen.
Reading: Matthew 27:1-14
Song: #350 – They Crucified My Lord
1. They crucified my Lord, and he never said a mumbalin’ word (repeat); not a word, not a word, not a word.
2. They nailed him to a tree, and he never said a mumbalin’ word (repeat); not a word, not a word, not a word.
3. They pierced him in the side, and he never said a mumbalin’ word (repeat); not a word, not a word, not a word.
4. The blood came streamin’ down, and he never said a mumbalin’ word (repeat); not a word, not a word, not a word.
5. He hung his head and died, and he never said a mumbalin’ word (repeat); not a word, not a word, not a word.
Message: Loving the Losers
Reading: Matthew 27:15-54
Song: The Wonderful Cross (Praise Song)
Reading: Matthew 27:55-66
Song: #353 – Were You There
1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh…sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh…sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh…sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh…sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh…sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
(A time for quiet reflection may be kept. This is a good time to reflect on all that Jesus has done for you.)