A Service for Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020
By His Wounds We Are Healed
Order of Service
Opening Response
P Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
C Hosanna in the highest!
P Christ was oppressed and he was afflicted,
C yet he did not open his mouth;
P like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
C and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent.
P Christ was wounded for our transgressions,
C crushed for our iniquities;
P upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
C and by his wounds we are healed.
Processional Hymn: “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
Confession and Forgiveness
P Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
C Most merciful God, we confess to you that we have broken your commandments by our own thoughts, words, and deeds. In our inner hearts, we have desired glory only for ourselves and not for you alone. We have not loved our brothers and sisters as we ought, and we have not cared for your creation. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, and give us the healing power of your love that we may walk again in your ways and live to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
P God is gracious and merciful, and he desires that we be made free of the burden of our sins. Through Jesus Christ, who bore the cross for our sake and for the sake of the whole world, there is healing, hope, and life. Your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Word
The Old Testament Reading, Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The Epistle Reading, Philippians 2:5-11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Gospel Reading, John 12:12-19
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
Children’s Message
Read aloud to your children:
When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the people waved palm branches and cried out, “Hosanna!” What does the word Hosanna mean? (See if the children can answer.) Hosanna means “Please save us!” They were looking to Jesus to be their savior, one who would bring them salvation. And that he would do.
But the way he would do it, for them and for us, was not the way they may have expected. He didn’t come in to Jerusalem with great power and might, did he? He didn’t come in with an army loaded down with weapons, did he? No.
He came in riding humbly on the back of a donkey. And later that same week, he would carry a cross and be crucified on it. Jesus trusted that his whole work in life and in death was a mission of salvation that was always in the hands of God, not as things he desired or wanted for himself or for his own glory.
He gave himself away for the sins of the whole world. And the glory of God is to see to it that you and I and everybody else, even all of creation, receive the benefit of salvation.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for taking the path of humility and death for our sake and for the sake of the whole world. Amen.
Especially for the children: Download and print the free ‘Picture the Bible” Holy Week devotional/coloring book here. As they complete the stories, hang them in a row somewhere in your home as a visual timeline of Jesus’ journey to the cross and resurrection.
Pastor Dave’s Sermon (Matthew 21: 1-11)
You probably wonder why or what the accompanying picture is all about. It is the picture of the back of Josie, our donkey. Notice the black line on her backbone and the black line over her front shoulders, making the image of the cross. All donkeys carry the sign of the cross unless they are crossed with other breeds.
I got to thinking how the donkey played an important part in the Jesus story. First the pregnant Mary’s ride to Bethlehem, then the donkey carrying her and Jesus to Egypt as they became refugees. The donkey was also part of their return trip. Now on Palm Sunday, here again is a donkey being ridden by Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus riding on a donkey marked with the cross of Christ to a celebration and shouts of Hosanna. Even during the celebration there is the shadow of the cross as Jesus knows what will happen on Friday. My imagination is that he traces his hand over the donkey’s cross, as he thinks about what is to come.
Jesus knew the cheering would stop all too soon. He knew people had liked his message when he had talked about Grace. He also knew that when he had talked about the commitment, the people had not cheered. He had talked about including the street people, the poor, the lame, the sick, the outcasts. By bringing in these people, it is his way of saying all people have access to God.
I remember that wonderful story of the Special Olympics. Nine children lined up for the 100 yard dash. The gun sounded and the children were off. Only a few yards into the race, one child fell and began to cry. These challenged children did not understand the world’s concept of competition and getting ahead and taking advantage when someone else was down. The other 8 children came back to the fallen child. A young girl with Down’s syndrome kissed him and brushed him off. The children lifted him up together and, arm in arm, they crossed the finish line. The audience rose to their feet in applause; there was not one winner, there were nine winners.
For a fleeting moment these children showed us what the Kingdom of God is like. They challenged the world’s concept that first place is everything. In the race that we’re in, everyone matters. Particularly those who have fallen and are on the outside.
Finally, I would suggest to you that the cheering stopped because Jesus began to talk more and more about a cross. In the early part of his ministry, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God. This they wanted to hear about, especially since they misunderstood this kingdom to be a restoration of Israel to the days of King David’s glory. But increasingly Jesus began to talk about sacrifice – even giving up your life.
The story is told of a pee-wee baseball game. When the young boy got up to the plate he looked over to the coach, and he saw him give the signal to sacrifice bunt. He then promptly proceeded to take three big swings and struck out. The coach ran up to him and said, “Didn’t you see me give you the signal to sacrifice?” “Yes”, the boy replied, “But I didn’t think you meant it.”
Isn’t that what we so often say to God? “Yes, Lord, I heard that talk about sacrifice but I didn’t really think that you meant it.” The cross says emphatically that he did mean it.
Peace, Pastor Dave
Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living 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.
Offering
Please consider making your offering online at https://rushriverlutheran.org/give/
Prayers of the People
P Let us pray for the Church, for all in need, and for the whole of God’s creation. That as we now enter this holiest of weeks, you may give your people hope that it is Jesus, our Lord, who leads the way and takes into his body on the cross the sins of the whole world.
C Heal us, O God.
P That we may put away our own false desires, and boast only of the cross of Christ.
C Heal us, O God.
P That all who seek righteousness may find the hope of righteousness in our Lord who bore the cross for them and for all.
C Heal us, O God.
P That we may honor all people as our brothers and sisters and share Christ’s blessing of peace and salvation.
C Heal us, O God.
P For those who have made the procession from life to death, that they may join the endless chorus of praise at the throne of God.
C Heal us, O God.
P We pray for all who are held captive by anxiety, despair, or pain, especially Edna Christenson, Allen Halvorson, Sharon Hurajt, Gary Mead, Merle Overvig, Evan Peterson, Wayne Ramberg and Evie Roen.
C Heal us, O God.
P Into your healing, wounded hands for our sake, we commend all for whom we pray.
C By Christ’s wounds, we are healed. 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, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Sending hymn: Were You There
Blessing
P May the healing presence of almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you now and always.
C Amen.
By Michael Hoy. © 2020 Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved.
