This Sunday we find Peter with the other disciples at the moment Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, and the crowds are singing and waving palm branches at him. But did they—the disciples—understand what was going on?
Join us throughout Holy Week and the first two Sundays in †he Easter Season as we participate in the Sanctified Art Series “Wandering Heart: Figuring out faith with Peter.” Join us in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship is live-streamed; videos are available here or on Youtube following the service.
Wandering Heart
Palm Sunday
Songs of loudest praise…
Psalm 118:1-2; 19-29
John 12:12-19
Union Presbyterian Church
March 24, 2024
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Claire Bombard Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Prelude Chris Bartlette
“Palm Sunday Procession,” Robert J. Powell
©2011, Lorenz Publishing Co., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Welcome Rev. Pat Raube
Call to Worship (responsive) Claire Bombard
Sing songs of loudest praise!
Hosanna!
Sing songs that are unashamed.
Hosanna!
Sing songs without being afraid.
Hosanna!
Sing for the God of tomorrow and today.
Hosanna!
Let us worship the One worthy to be praised.
Hosanna!
Let us begin by remembering how the people would have a joyous procession to the Temple.
Scripture Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
A reading from the Book of Psalms, Psalm 118, selected verses.
Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s mercy endures forever!
Let Israel now declare,
“God’s mercy endures forever!”
Open for me the gates of righteousness,
I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
here the righteous may enter.
I give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and you have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
By the Lord’s has this been done;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosanna! O Lord, save us!
We pray to you Lord, prosper our days!
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.
Form a procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will thank you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s mercy endures forever!
Hymn #265 W & R
“All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
(Public Domain)
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel,
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and blessed One!
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
The company of angels
Are praising you on high,
Creation and all mortals
In chorus make reply:
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before you went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before you we present:
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
To you, before your passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To you, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise:
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
As you received their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
for you delight in goodness,
O good and gracious King!
All glory, laud and honor
To you, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
Call to New Life
Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (responsive)
Holy God, we want to run into the streets and sing your praise!
We want to be bold and unashamed of this good-news Gospel.
However, too often we find ourselves standing against the wall.
Too often we stay quiet.
Too often we let others carry the song.
Forgive us for the moments when we could lead the parade,
but instead find ourselves standing on the sidelines.
Show us which songs are ours to sing.
Show us which parades are ours to lead,
and then give us the courage and conviction to do both.
With hope and honesty we pray, Amen.
Words of Assurance
Friends, no matter where we are on the parade route—
whether we are waving palm branches through the streets,
or standing against the wall, quiet and cautious,
Jesus marched for us.
Jesus’ love, his striving for justice and mercy, it was for us.
We are included in this story, and nothing can ever change that.
So hear and proclaim these words, and trust them deep in your bones:
We have reason to sing,
for Jesus Christ loved us yesterday,
Jesus Christ loves us today,
and Jesus Christ will love us tomorrow.
We are forgiven, claimed, and sent to serve.
Go out and sing. Go out trusting these words.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Sharing of the Peace
The Word of God is like a song,
a melody we love to sing, a refrain that gets stuck in our heads.
Let the song of God bring peace to your hearts.
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us share a sign of God’s peace with one another.
Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube
Music: “Hosanna,” Andrew Lloyd Webber
©1970, Universal Music Corp.
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Scripture John 12:12-19
A reading from the Gospel according to John, beginning at chapter 12, verse 12.
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!”
Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:
Thanks be to God!
Sermon “Songs of Loudest Praise…”
Statement of Faith (responsive)
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth,
who rode through the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey.
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth,
who challenged Rome’s oppressive power with peaceful protest.
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth,
who was surrounded by crowds of dreamers and believers.
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth,
so even today, we will sing songs of loudest praise.
Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Anthem Choir
“Hosanna to the King,” Dan Forrest
©2006, Beckenhorst Press, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Hosanna! Hosanna to the King!
Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna! Hosanna to the King!
Prayers of the People
Response: To you we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer.
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Prayer Response
“Jesus, Remember Me,” Jacques Berthier
©1981, GIA Publications, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
Call for Offering
Doxology
“Lenten Doxology,” R.G. Huff, Pat Raube
©2024, WorshipRx, All rights reserved.
Used with permission.
Lord, we are wand’ring through these forty days,
Walking with Peter as he walks with you.
We tune our hearts, lift them to you in praise:
Come now, our fount of all that’s good and true.
We praise the Father, we praise you the Son,
We praise the Spirit, our God, Three in One.
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn #123 W & R
“Fairest Lord Jesus”
(Public Domain)
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown!
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling, starry host:
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels heaven can boast.
Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be thine!
Benediction
…Go trusting that good news.
Amen.
Postlude Chris Bartlette
“Lamb of God,” Twila Paris, Lloyd Larson
©2006, Mountain Spring Music
Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847
Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.
“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.
“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal
“Words for Worship” by the Rev. Sarah Are Speed (taken or adapted) |A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org. Image: “Then They Remembered,” by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity | A Sanctified Art | sanctifiedart.org.