Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 118)
One: Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good.
All: God’s mercy endures forever.
One: Let the congregation now proclaim the goodness of God.
All: God’s mercy endures forever.
One: On this day the Lord has acted.
All: On this day we will rejoice and be glad!
One: The gates of righteousness are open to all;
All: Let us enter together and offer thanks to the Lord.
One: With Christ as our head we will form a procession with branches up to the holy altar.
All: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
One: We will shout to the Lord, for God is good and God’s mercy endures forever;
All: Hosanna, Lord, hosanna! Lord, send us now success as we strive to follow you.
Prayer of Renewal (John Buch)
Lord God, as we sing our ‘Hosannas’ today may we remember that you were riding toward suffering and rejection, pain and humiliation, to bring you to the cruel Cross. Let us not forget that this journey did not end on a lonesome hill, but in joy on Easter Day when you rose from death to redeem our souls and reign forever. Help us, as we daily lay our lives before you, to face the challenges of life with determined love, living out the resurrection life that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and King over our lives.
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.[a]” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd[b] spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”