TheoTrek — A Journey with God in Discipleship
Palm Sunday Order of Service
Rev. Chris & Karen Harbin, Central Baptist Church—Lowesville, VA
16 March 2008
"Shout and cheer, everyone! Raise the roof! Your king is coming! a good king who makes all things right, a humble king riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey."
— Zechariah 9:9
LET US CONNECT WITH GOD’S FAMILY
Welcome and Announcements — Rev. Chris Harbin
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Passing of the Peace (Take this time to welcome those around you)
LET US RECOGNIZE GOD’S PRESENCE
Ringing of the Hour
Prelude
Opening Prayer
Litany of Acclamation
Chris: The way has been prepared.
Church: For the crowds it is the way of celebration.
Karen: Wave high your palm branches! The Lord of life approaches!
Church: Sing with great joy for the Savior has come to us!
C&K: All creation shouts praises to the King of Kings!
All: Hosanna! Hosanna!
Chris: Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.
All: Hosanna!
Karen: But for Jesus, this king we proclaim, it is the way of completion.
Church: Amid shouts and waving palm branches, Jesus comes into the Holy City.
Chris: Open your hearts this day to receive the Savior.
Church: We open wide our hearts and spirits to receive Jesus the Christ who comes as our King.
Musical Message — Comes the King
Children's Message — Rev. Karen Harbin
Procession of the Palms
Processional Hymn #213 — We Will Glorify
Litany from God’s Word: Psalm 118:19; 21-29
Leader: Swing wide the city gates - the righteous gates!
Church: I'll walk right through and praise the Lord!
Leader: You have heard me and become my salvation!
Church: You are worthy of my praise!
Leader: The stone the builders rejected is the strongest part of God's house.
Church: Jesus is that stone; let us give thanks as we enter in.
Leader: The stone that was rejected is our Rock and strength.
Church: The Lord did this and it is truly amazing!
Leader: This is the day which the Lord has made!
Church: We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Leader: This is the very day God acted --
Church: Let's celebrate and be festive!
Leader: We'll ask the Lord to save us
Church: He is our salvation and our victory.
Leader: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Church: Hosanna!
Leader: The Lord is our God
Church: He has given us light
Leader: Start the celebration.
Church: March with palm branches all the way to the altar.
Leader: You are my God and I will praise You.
Church: I will tell You how thankful I am.
Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
All: His love endures forever.
Morning Prayer with The Lord’s Prayer
LET US DEDICATE OURSELVES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Hymn of Personal Dedication and Offerings #126 – All Glory, Laud, and Honor
Celebration with Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response — Gloria Patri, Hymn 252
Offertory Prayer
Instrumental Meditation
CONFESSION FOR OUR SINS AGAINST THE BODY OF CHRIST
This plain, dark cloth is symbolic of the Church. We all have sinned in some way. We all have caused the church to be torn to pieces in some way by our action, by our attitude, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have participated in ripping apart the Body of Christ.
(The worship leaders slowly rip the cloth down the center, giving the pieces to ushers to distribute.)
Individuals are invited to tear a strip off the cloth piece as we pray this prayer together.
Leader: Most holy and merciful Father;
All: We confess to you and to one another that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
Leader: We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us, giving up his very life on our behalf. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We have placed our own issues ahead of the mission to live and bear your gospel throughout the world starting with our own community.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: our pride, hypocrisy, and impatient desire for immediate gratification.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: For our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of others.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: For our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: For our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: For our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us.
All: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Leader: Amen.
Moment of Reflection in Silence
EXPRESSION OF REPENTANCE FOR OUR SINS AGAINST THE BODY OF CHRIST
Nurses, doctors, and medics used strips of sheets to help with the care of the wounded. During World War I and II, people were asked to tear up bed sheets, roll up the strips, and turn them in to the Red Cross for use as bandages.
Black strips of fabric have been used by those in mourning, tied to their arm. A yellow strip of fabric has been used, tied around a tree, to show the hope of someone returning. A red strip of fabric is used, folded over on itself as the symbol for AIDS ministries. We have seen similar symbols in other colors to support other illness - such as pink, for breast cancer - or to support grieving persons - such as orange and maroon, for Virginia Tech.
The strips of fabric we have torn are a visual sign of our failures before God. As a sign of our confession to God for things done and left undone, let us each come forward with our strip of fabric during the following prayers and tie it on the cross. The cross is that place where all of our failures are met by God's overwhelming grace, love, and mercy. In God's presence, we bring our petition for forgiveness for our failures and for our participation in the ripping apart of the Body of Christ.
Prayer of Repentance
Leader: Lord, Jesus Christ, when our words and actions reflect a reluctance to confess you publicly as Lord of our lives:
All: Forgive us.
Leader: When we fear that humbling ourselves would be seen by others as weakness or some kind of defect in our character:
All: Forgive us.
Leader: When we have betrayed your love for us through our lack of love for you, for others, and for ourselves:
All: Forgive us.
Leader: When we gloss over the events of your passion and death because we look forward to Easter as a time to enjoy holidays and have fun:
All: Forgive us.
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, fix your mind in us.
All: Remake us in your likeness;
Leader: Empty us of all that hinders us from following you to where pain and suffering, exploitation and injustice exist.
All: Remake us in your likeness.
Leader: Gracious and loving God, empower us with the Holy Spirit so that our lives continually glorify you and our tongues forever confess Jesus as Lord. This we pray in Jesus' name.
All: Amen.
LET US HEED GOD’S WORD
Scripture Reading — Matthew 21:1-11 (Pew Bible, p. 955) — Rev. Chris Harbin
Message from God’s Word — “King as Come” — Rev. Chris Harbin
Hymn of Proclamation #268 — The Love of Christ Who Died for Me
As you consider responding to God’s call, you are invited to call on the pastor to discuss any issue, including rededicating your life, making Christ Jesus the Lord of your life, following Christ in baptism, or joining Central as a local expression of the body of Christ. How will you make Christ Jesus central in your life?
(Cloth strips service adapted from: http://www.next-wave.org/mar99/Liturgy.htm by Maria Hoshaw, Alexandria, VA)
Question to Ponder this week:
How often do I overlook the impact my sins have on the church?
Do I see the importance God places on the unity among believers?
What role do I play in building-up the Body of Christ?
While I claim Christ as my king, do I submit my life to Jesus’ will?
To what point will I follow Jesus as King?
Do I place limits on the kind of King Jesus is allowed to be?
How do my expectations and desires interfere with following Christ?
—©2008 Christopher B. Harbin