Palm Sunday: Living!

Sunday, April 13, 2025
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

Google Calendar ICS

Here it comes… we are at the beginning of Holy Week, and, in some ways for Jesus, the beginning of the end. How are they doing? Do they have a good grasp on what’s about to happen? Or are they stuck in anticipatory grief and denial? You probably already know the answer.

You can join us for worship in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship is live-streamed; videos are available here or on Youtube following the service. You are always welcome!

Palm Sunday: Living!

Psalm 118:1-2; 19-29; Philippians 2:1-11; Luke 19:28-40

Union Presbyterian Church

April 13, 2025

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Liturgist: Rev. Jeff Kellam Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube

Prelude       Chris Bartlette

“With Palms Before Him Went,” Douglas E. Wagner

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Welcome Rev. Jeff Kellam

Call to Worship (responsive) Rev. Jeff Kellam

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!

Rejoice greatly, O people of God! See, your king comes to you!

Hosanna in the highest!

He is triumphant, and he is victorious; he is mighty and he is humble:

Hosanna in the highest!

Proclamation of the Entrance into Jerusalem Rev. Pat Raube

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke, beginning at chapter 19, verse 28.

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

“Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Hymn # 91 PH

“Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”

(Public Domain)

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry;
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O'er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
The winged squadrons of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy power, and reign.

Call to New Life

As we witness the unfolding of this Holy Week, we walk alongside Jesus from his triumphant entry to the cross, and from the tomb to his resurrection. In our prayer we ask that God would strengthen us in faith, hope, and love, so that we might walk with him all our days.

Prayer for Palm Sunday

Everlasting God, in your tender love for humanity you sent your Son to take our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross. In your mercy, enable us to share in his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection; we pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

The old life has gone; a new life has begun.

Know that you are forgiven by the grace of God

And be at peace.

Sharing of the Peace

May the peace of God be with you. 

And also with you.

Let us share a sign of God’s peace with one another.

Scripture Psalm 118:1-2,19-29 (responsive)

As we pray this psalm together, we are reminded the people arriving for the Passover would have a joyous procession to the Temple, singing psalms as they went.

A reading from the Psalter, selected verses from Psalm 118.

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!

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “The King of Glory Comes," Willard F. Jabusch

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Anthem

“All Glory, Laud and Honor,” Caleb French

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

All glory, laud, and honor to Thee, Redeemer King,

To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring!

Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son.

Who in the Lord’s name cometh, the Blessed Anointed One.

Lift up your heads, O gates! Swing we wide, eternal doors!

Who is the King for Glory? The strong and mighty Lord!

O daughters of Jerusalem, rejoice and joyful be;

Upon a donkey rides your King in great humility.

The people of the city with palms before Thee went;

Our praise and prayers and anthems before Thee we present.

To Thee, before Thy Passion, they sang their hymns of praise;

To Thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.

Their praises Thou accepted; accept the praise we bring.

Delight in what we offer, our good and gracious King!

The company of angels are praising Thee on high,

And we will all creation sing out the glad reply,

Sing out the glad reply: “All glory, laud and honor!”

Scripture Philippians 2:1-11

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians:

If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he existed in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

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

Response  Holy Wisdom, Holy Word: 

Thanks be to God! 

Sermon “Living!”

Statement of Faith From “A Brief Statement of Faith” of the PC(USA)

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.  

We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children; healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted; eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.  

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

Hymn # 311 PH

“We Meet You, O Christ,” Fred Kaan

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

We meet You, O Christ, in many a guise:
Your image we see in simple and wise.
You live in a palace, exist in a shack.
We see You, the gardener, a tree on Your back.

In millions alive, away and abroad;
Involved in our life You live down the road.
Imprisoned in systems, You long to be free.
We see You, Lord Jesus, still bearing Your tree.

We hear You, O Christ, in agony cry.
For freedom You march, in riots You die.
Your face in the papers we read and we see.
The tree must be planted by human decree.

You choose to be made at one with the earth;
The dark of the grave prepares for Your birth.
Your death is Your rising, creative Your word:
The tree springs to life and our hope is restored.

Prayers of the People   

Lord God, our only comfort in life and in death is that we are not our own.

We belong—body and soul, in life and in death—

to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

And so we lift our voices in prayer for his world, and yours, saying,

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those

bound up in circumstances beyond their control,

restrained by oppressors,

and seeing no end to their captivity.

May they discover hope buried in deepest suffering;

through Jesus Christ,

who shared the weakness and despair of human life,

yet gave even death a new outcome

and brought resurrection from a closed tomb:

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the church,

set in the world

to show how people belong together

and how your gifts are given to be shared.

Grant that, as we feel

for the rejection and voicelessness of others,

we may meet Christ in them

and bear witness to his transforming love.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the communities

in which we live and work;

for people under stress

and unable to deal with their difficulties;

for those who seek comfort in ways which bring no help;

for all who are fearful.

Give us grace to show by our concern and actions

how each is loved and valued by you.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are sick or struggling,

those whose bodies or minds or spirits

are beset by troubles,

who are discouraged and longing for your presence.

For those who are grieving unbearable losses,

especially an unnamed friend of friends,

we pray your consolation and presence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We remember those now hidden from us, but at home with you.

We give thanks especially for those who have strengthened our own faith,

built up our trust in you,

and by their lives have drawn us into the life of Christ

who died in weakness and reigns in glory.

In thanksgiving we pray, hear our prayer.

Collect

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  # 461 W & R (verse 1)

“Breathe on Me, Breath of God”

(Public Domain)

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love whate'er you love,
And do what you would do.

Call for Offering

Doxology # 244 W & R (verse 6)

“O Love, How Deep, How Broad”

(Public Domain)

All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad–
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.

Prayer of Dedication of Our One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

O God, you call us to love and serve one another, in the name of Jesus Christ.

O Lord, we give you our hearts.

Generous God, you call us to help your children

who work your land and fish your seas;

who seek clean water and new ways to bring seeds to fruition.

O Lord, we give you our hands.

Compassionate God, you call us to respond to your children around the world

who suffer as a result of natural disasters.

O Lord, we give you our determination.

Righteous God, you call us to join in the struggle for justice,

and an end to poverty, hunger, and oppression.

O Lord, we give you our offerings.

God, our provider, we give thanks for the blessings in our lives; we pray for those who do not yet know the blessings of justice, freedom or hope. We ask for peace, safety and the resources for the empowerment and opportunity of our kin around the world who are poor, oppressed and disadvantaged, through the love of Christ and the comfort of the Spirit.

Amen.

* Hymn # 148 PH

“At the Name of Jesus”

(Public Domain)

At the name of Jesus
Every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him
King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure
We should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning
Was the mighty Word.

Humbled for a season,
To receive a name
From the lips of sinners,
Unto whom He came,
Faithfully He bore it
Spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious
When from death He passed;

Bore it up triumphant,
With its human light,
Through all ranks of creatures,
To the central height,
To the throne of Godhead,
To the Father’s breast;
Filled it with the glory
Of that perfect rest.

Christians, this Lord Jesus
Shall return again,
With His Father’s glory,
O'er the earth to reign;
For all wreaths of empire
Meet upon His brow,
And our hearts confess Him
King of glory now.

Benediction

Postlude  (organ) Chris Bartlette

"Hosanna!” Franklin D. Ashdown

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

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

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Palm Sunday: Living!