APRIL 13th, 2025
PALM/PASSION SUNDAY
“In silence, you hear the call to turn within. See the light that exists inside you and freely, willingly, shine that light on the world. You never know the impact you can make on another person’s life. You may never know if you made a difference so keep shining anyway. Sometimes the best rewards are no rewards at all...one person can change the course of history.
YOU are that person just as Jesus was and is that person!!
LENTEN THEME: “The Six Different Directions -- #6 -- OUTWARDS”
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: vacant
Reader: Heather Mayers
Guest Trumpeter: Richard Scholz
Gathering
*Indicates please rise as you are able
PRELUDE
CHOIR PROCESSIONAL
ENTRANCE HYMN: VU # 123 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
WELCOMING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEGEMENT
We acknowledge that we are worshiping today on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, as well as in Treaty 7 territory which includes the Siksika, Piikani or Peigan, Kainai or Blood, Tsuut’Ina, and Stoney Nakoda Nations.
*INTROIT MV # 8 “And on This Path”
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Jesus is about to approach Jerusalem, and we know that our journey of Lent is nearly over.
ALL: There will be a colt waiting for him and he will ride it into the city of ‘those who crucify their prophets’.
Leader: The crowds will gather around him, crying out… “Hosanna!! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God!”
So, wave the palms!!...Sing it loud!!...This is the day!!
ALL: We celebrate his arrival in Jerusalem. We take our part in the excited crowd. We bow before the King, riding on a donkey.
Leader: And we wave our palms in the air…and we are all a part of the crowd which celebrates the arrival of the one for whom we’ve been waiting for. Are we ready for what will happen next?
ALL: Yes we are!!...So we wave our branches, and we sing out loud as we worship today!! Let us worship together, in community, and in knowing that God is here with us and that this entry into Jerusalem needs to happen for our world to break open to peace.
A LENTEN EXTINGUISHING of CANDLES LITURGY
The Candle of Unity
Leader: Today is the sixth Sunday of the Lenten time or as we know it, Palm Sunday. Lent has always been a time to think about the things that block us from following God’s way of loving and caring for this world and for one another. As we think about how fractured and divided we can be as a people, it can be hard to believe that we will ever be brought together in a real and lasting way. We grieve how unforgiving we can be to each other and how much harm and hurt we can cause to one another by allowing our differences to keep us apart. As we move with Jesus into Jerusalem this Palm Sunday, we extinguish our candle of unity, just for today, as we seek to learn new ways of respecting our difference and respecting each other so that we can be together as one.
…......This morning, let us take a moment to offer our prayers of confession to God, asking that our longing for unity be uplifted…
(silence)
(The sixth candle, the candle of Unity, is extinguished, and then we offer our prayers to God, following the ringing of the Prayer Bell…)
ALL: God of the Lenten journey, as the smoke from these candles rise to greet you, may they take with it our sometimes-warped sense of unity. Instead of being amazed by wealth and power, help us to see the power your love offers the world. May your extravagant gift of life and mercy empower us to challenge ourselves to live more faithfully and walk more gently in this world…together…Amen
Leader: Today, we find ourselves in an uncomfortable spot in our lives as Christians, as followers of Christ………..
Let’s put the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in today’s time:
CENTREING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of all that is and who directs our eyes to see, we heard that there was no donkey this time, or a colt for that matter. In fact, there wasn’t any sort of animal to be seen. Even though you were directing us with our sight, we were, of course, looking somewhere else. All we heard was this Harley Davidson bike – the ‘hog’ they call it and we’re not really quite sure what that means. They told us that Jesus was riding into town with a black leather jacket and had jeans that were all frayed at the knees and L-O-V-E tattooed on the knuckles of his right hand. Those who saw him said his smile was like the sun, warming shadowed corners and causing the way to blossom unexpectedly. Those who saw him told of all the light left over to be taken home and set in eyes…in hearts…and at windows for strangers. It was like a miracle, they said…well…the rest of us missed it. We were in another part of the village waiting for the Messiah; the one who we thought was going to come in a brand-new Mercedes…Amen
*HYMN VU # 313 “God, Whose Almighty Word”
Engaging With the Sacred Text
The Liturgy of the Palms
PSALM PASSAGE -----------
PSALM 118:1-2, 19-29, VU p. 837 Parts One, Three, and Four) (Heather Mayers)
(The stone that the builders rejected…)
Refrain: “Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!”
Heather: Let Israel now say:
ALL: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Heather: Let the house of Aaron say:
All: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Heather: Let those who fear God say:
ALL: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Refrain: “Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!”
Heather: Open to me the gates of the temple,
that I may enter and give thanks to God.
ALL: This is the gate of God; through it the righteous shall enter.
Heather: I thank you for you have answered me;
you have become my salvation.
ALL: The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
Heather: This is God’s doing, marvellous in our eyes.
ALL: This is the day that God has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Refrain: “Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!”
Heather: Save us, O God, we pray;
ALL: God, we pray, give us success.
Heather: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
ALL: We bless you from the house of God.
Heather: God, our God, has given us light;
ALL: with palm branches in hand let us march to the altar.
Heather: You are my God, and I will thank you;
ALL: you are my God, and I will extol you.
HYMN OF ILLUMINATION MV # 58 “We Sing of Your Glory”
GOSPEL PASSAGE
LUKE 19:28-40 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheering crowds…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“Entering the Week of Many Moods - Outwards”
*HYMN MV # 128 “When They Heard That Jesus Was Coming” Verses One, Two, and Three only
Responding
WE PRAISE GOD WITH OUR OFFERING
(Invitation – Rev. Jope) O Gracious God…it is hoped that the gifts which we about to share or have already shared will spread widely, like the smell of Mary’s fragrant oil, blessing and anointing whenever and wherever they may be needed …may this be so as our offering will now be received…
CHOIR SELECTION “Canticle for Palm Sunday”
by: Tom Fettke
Guest Trumpeter: Richard Scholz
OFFERING DEDICATION PRAYER (Gord Dunbar, Kincardine, Ont.)
Leader: Loving God, the world we have fashioned within your good Creation is incomplete and flawed – yet ripe for renewal. In Jesus, you show us the path that mends what is broken. Bless these gifts we offer in Jesus’ name, we pray, using them to transform woundedness into healing…Amen.
SUNDAY’S PRAYERS of the HEART (unison)
ALL: VU # 148 “Jesus, Remember Me”
Leader: O Christ of the ages, O Jesus of Jerusalem…there was a feast of friendship, there was a story of betrayal, a memory of gifts given… you looked with such intense love on each one gathered there, mist had covered your deep brown eyes as you held each one in your gaze, you closed your eyes and I could see the farewell tear of friendship as it followed the curve of your cheek…
ALL: VU # 148 “Jesus Remember Me”
Leader: You took the bread, you blessed it gently, profoundly, with old words and new…did you mean to say it is yourself?...and then the wine, again with words old and new…did you mean to say this, too, is now yourself?...you looked again at each one there and gave the eternal gift: “remember me and do the same”…
ALL: VU # 148 “Jesus Remember Me”
Leader: And with those around the table then, and so with us who gathered here now, if we knew how close our hearts were held inside of yours, we would always have been amazed that you meant this for us, too…how shall we ever be brave enough to do what you have done when grief engulfs our every breath and each memorial word will be laden with our loss?
ALL: VU # 148 “Jesus Remember Me”
Leader: And we all share in the words of The Lord’s Prayer…
LORD’S PRAYER
BLESSING
COMMISSIONING
*Commissioning (unison):
Hosanna! We praise you, O Christ. Hosanna! We lift our voices with joy. Hosanna! We have welcomed you among us. Now we promise to continue the journey beside you. As the shouting dies and the way grows hard and the outstretched arms of the cross beckon you forward, we continue by your side…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN VU # 122 “All Glory, Laud and Honour”
HOLY WEEK BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
RECESSIONAL