Gathering

Call to Worship

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest!

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Gathering Hymn                         All Glory Laud and Honour          # 344

Chorus:

All glory, laud, and honour 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.  Chorus

• The company of angels are praising you on high;

Creation and all mortals in chorus make reply.  Chorus

• The multitude of pilgrims with palms before you went;

Our praise and prayer and anthems before you we present.  Chorus

• To you, before your passion, they sang their hymns of praise.

To you, now high exalted, our melody we raise.  Chorus

• Their praises you accepted; accept the prayers we bring,

Great author of all goodness, O good and gracious King.  Chorus

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

Prayer of the Day

Word

A Reading from Zechariah, the 9^th chapter.  

An oracle foreshadowing Israel’s messianic era.

The Reading: Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  ¹⁰ He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Word of God.  Word of Life.

               Thanks be to God.

Psalm 118:1-4, 19-29

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever!

Let Israel say,
   ‘God’s steadfast love endures for ever.’
Let the house of Aaron say,
   ‘God’s steadfast love endures for ever.’
Let those who fear the Lord say,
   ‘God’s steadfast love endures for ever.’

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,
   and has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you.

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.

A Reading from Philippians, the 2^nd chapter.

Paul uses an early Christian hymn to help us comprehend both Jesus’ humility and his glory.

The Reading:

⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
⁷ but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
⁸   he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

Word of God.  Word of Life.                                                                 

Thanks be to God.

Gospel      

            The holy gospel according to Mark, the 11^th chapter.

            Glory to you, O Lord.

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ ⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ ⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

‘Hosanna!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰   Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

¹¹ Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Hymn of the Day                        Prepare the Royal Highway                    # 264

1. Prepare the royal highway; the King of kings is near!

Let every hill and valley a level road appear!

Then greet the King of glory, foretold in sacred story;

Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word.

• God’s people see him coming: your own eternal king!

Palm branches strew before him! Spread garments! Shout and sing!

God’s promise will not fail you! No more shall doubt assail you!

Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word!

• Then fling the gates wide open to greet your promised king!

Your king, yet every nation its tribute too may bring.

All lands will bow before him; their voices join your singing:

Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word!

• His is no earthly kingdom; it comes from heaven above.

His rule is peace and freedom and justice, truth, and love.

So let your praise be sounding for kindness so abounding:

Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word!

Copyright 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin Augsburg Fortress.  Used by permission under ONE LICENSE #A-736296. All rights reserved.

Prayers

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Sharing of the Peace

Meal

Offertory                             “Now We Join in Celebration”                    # 462

Now we join in celebration at our Saviour’s invitation,

dressed no more in spirit somber, clothed instead in joy and wonder,

for the Lord of all existence, putting off divine transcendence,

stoops again in love to meet us, with his very life to feed us.

Lord, as round this feast we gather, fill our hearts with holy rapture!

For, this bread and cup of blessing, are for us the sure possessing

of your loving deed on Calvary, of your living self, our victory,

pledge of your unfailing presence, foretaste here of heavenly gladness.

Text: Joel W. Lundeen, 1918-1990 © Joel We. Lundeen, admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-736296. All rights reserved.

Offertory Prayer

The Great Thanksgiving

P:         The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.  We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Eucharistic Prayer

Holy God, our living Water and our merciful Guide,

together with rivers and seas, wells and springs, we bless and magnify you.

You led your people Israel through the desert, and provided them water from the rock.

We praise you for Christ, our Rock and our Water, who joined us in our desert, pouring out his life for the world.

A plate of bread in each home may be lifted up.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying: Take and eat.  This is my body given for you.  Do this for the remembrance of me.

A cup of wine in each home may be lifted up.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.  Do this for the remembrance of me.

Remembering, therefore, his life, death, and resurrection, we await your salvation for all this thirsty world.

Pour out your Spirit on this holy food and on all who are gathered for this feast.  Wash away our sin, that we may be revived for our journey by the love of Christ,

through whom all glory and honour are yours, Almighty God, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever.  Amen

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

Distribution

If you are in a group, you may serve one another.  If you are alone, you may serve yourself.  All use these or similar words:

The body of Christ, given for you.

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

Blessing

Post-Communion Canticle                     “Now We Join in Celebration”  

Lord, we share in this communion as one family of God’s children,

reconciled through you our brother, one in you with God our Father.

Give us grace to live for others, servig all, both friends and strangers,

seeking justice, love, and mercy till you come in final glory.

Text: Joel W. Lundeen, 1918-1990 © Joel We. Lundeen, admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-736296. All rights reserved.

Post-Communion Prayer

Sending

Announcements may be made.

Benediction       

Sending Hymn                 Let All Things Now Living                         # 881

To God the creator triumphantly raise,

Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,

Who still guides us on to the end of our days.

God’s banners are o’er us, God’s light goes before us,

A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,

‘Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,

As forward we travel from light into light.

And sun in its orbit obediently shine;

The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,

The deeps of the ocean proclaim God divine.

We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;

With glad adoration a song let us raise

‘Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:

“To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!”

Text: Katherine K. Davis, 1892-1980, © 1939, 1966, E.C. Schirmer Music Co.  Reprinted under ONE LICENSE #732181-A

Dismissal

            A:         Go in peace.  Share the good news!

Thanks be to God!