Why the Weakness of God is Strength of Another Order

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday  C     April 10, 2022
Is. 50: 4-9a        Ps. 31: 9-16         
Phil. 2:5-11       Luke 23:1-49  

Lectionary Link

 

The genocide in war that is taking place in Ukraine now is the last in a historical train of mass slaughter of people by other people for no other reason than one group with power find another group of people inconvenient to their lives, so their solution is to get rid of the people or at least dominate them into oppression, totalitarian control, and slavery.

We as people of European descent know our own history of how our nation has come into existence in practices that have come to be called genocide.   And genocide was not really defined as such until after the great holocaust of the World War II era in Europe, Eastern Europe and in Stalin's Russia.

As we agonize daily over the killing of the innocent in Ukraine for no reason at all, we are forced to ponder the non-intervention habits of the Great One whom we confess to be God.

The words of Psalm 22, which were carried onto the words of Jesus from the cross, echo for us again.  "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?  My God, my God, why have you forsaken the people of Ukraine?

And it is really the wrong question, isn't it?  The real questions are these: All you people, who conspired against Me, Jesus, as God's messenger of Peace and Love, why have you forsaken me and brought me to death? People of the earth, why do you often forsake each other with extreme acts of inhumanity committed against each other?

And these real questions regarding the freedom for human beings to do really awful things to each other, begs the theological question:  God, why do you allow us to behave so badly without intervening?  Even a  good earthly parent intervenes when a bully child is threatening a weaker child?

And this brings us to the topic of the weakness of God, which is a strength and power of another order.

Why the weakness of God seen as God's non-action and seeming passivity in face of massive human bullying?

The weakness of God is seen chiefly within the inner contradiction of the Divine life.  And what is that contradiction?  God is perfect freedom, pure creativity, and for creation to share something of the divine nature, means that a degree of that freedom has to be shared with the created order for creation not to be but a robot.  If God intervenes as direct external intervention, then morality based upon having true freedom has no significance.

God's apparent weakness in allowing genuine freedom is contrasted with God's greatness of being the entire sustaining environment within which all actors of the created order live.

So why do these events of genocide and wrongful deaths and harm seem significant?  Evil in its individual performance is like the news.  How so?  Badness and evil get more attention on the news than just plain everyday ordinary goodness.  So Evil gets a megaphone and can present the lie that evil is indeed "normal."  No, evil gets the megaphone of recognition precisely because it is the exception from the general normalcy of goodness.

But for those in the throes of evil, like the people of Ukraine, it is hard to feel the normalcy of goodness; it feels like forsakenness, it feels like goodness and the God of goodness are not apparent in this specific instance.

So, what is our response?  First we continue to uphold the normalcy of Goodness and the God of Goodness.  Next, we teach the real significance of moral freedom, which proves that we are not predetermined robots; we are significant moral agents.  And we recognize the heroic goodness which even now is responding to the terrible evils; people of goodness rally to provide defense, provide help for refugees, provide food, provide political pressure to end this.  As bad as this evil is, the heroic of the assertion of goodness is even more powerful, and we pray that in time this goodness will reassert itself as the goodness of peace and restoration for the people of Ukraine.

Yes, we would rather that heroic goodness in the face of evil not be needed.  We wish that people always and everywhere could be convinced about the superior excellence of kindness and goodness.  But freedom means that evil probabilities can always lurk, which is why we want to be at the task of persuading people about the Gospel of Goodness about the love of God in Christ.

What happened to the event of the forsakenness of Jesus on the Cross?  It became in St. Paul the message of heroic goodness being undefeated by the event of death.  The death of Jesus because a spiritual identity for the early Christians who in the general oppression of the Roman Empire, often felt like sheep being led to the slaughter.  Identity with the death of Jesus as a spiritual practice became the means of learning how to convert our freedom to express the goodness of God and to reject the evil selfishness in its minor and major forms.

The cross of Jesus became a spiritual method to access the inside job that God's Holy Spirit would use to help us promote and live the normalcy of goodness that is proclaimed since creation when God created everything and said, "Everything and you are Good."  Now go live in that goodness and learn to die to every unworthy impulse which challenges that Goodness.

The greater power of God's restraint to honor true freedom and moral significance is seen in the power of the Holy Spirit to be the inside job that God is always, already doing within us to be perpetually overcoming evil with goodness.

Our mission of the Cross of Jesus today is this: when and where God and goodness seem to be inapparent in the lives of people today, let us rise to be the apparent love and goodness of God and so help restore the normalcy of goodness to each life situation.  Amen.

Sunday School, April 10, 2022 Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

 Sunday School, April 10, 2022   Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Themes

Explain the two meanings of this day, Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday

The day of two crowds

One crowd of the followers of Jesus who came to Jerusalem perhaps from Galilee and the countryside wanted to make him the king of Jerusalem.

The people in Jerusalem who received most of their jobs by being employed in the building projects of the Roman government, were worried about the people who wanted to make Jesus a king.  The people in Jerusalem were worried about the Roman soldiers punishing them because of the popularity of Jesus.

During the day time the crowd with Jesus had their parade.  They put him on a donkey and celebrated him as their king.

At night Jesus was taken by the authorities and arrested and put on trial.  The crowd who went to the trial were a different crowd.  And they wanted to get rid of Jesus and so they told the Roman governor that Jesus was trying to be a rival king to Caesar, the Emperor in Rome.

The Roman government put people on a Cross to die in public so all people would be reminded not to rebel against the Roman government.

Jesus really did not want to be a rival king to the Caesar, he wanted to become a “king of hearts.”  He wanted to be someone who ruled the thoughts and feelings of all people with love and kindness.

Let us wave palm branches today to remind ourselves that Jesus is the king of our hearts.

A Palm Sunday Story

Once upon a time in a village near the city of Jerusalem, the village of Bethphage; a little donkey was born in the pasture.  And that donkey was called by his owner, Shorty, because he was so tiny when he was born.

  But the donkey’s mom, called him Christopher.  When Christopher became old enough to talk to his mom, he asked her, "Why does my owner call me Shorty, even now when I've grown to be a tall and strong donkey?"  Christopher's mom said, "Well once you get a name, it sometimes just sticks and people won't let you be anything else."

  Christopher asked his mom, "Then why do you call me Christopher?"  His mom said, "Well, I'm not sure but I just had this feeling that it was the right name for you."

  Christopher looked in the other pasture and he saw a beautiful big stallion prancing around.  He saw important Roman Generals ride this beautiful horse.  And Christopher thought, "I wish that someone important would ride on my back some day.  And Christopher was a little jealous of the stallion.

  But one day something exciting happened to Christopher.  Two visitors came to the farm where Christopher was kept.  They called themselves disciples of Jesus, and they said there was going to be a parade into the great city of Jerusalem.  They also said that they needed a donkey to carry their king.  Christopher's owner Farmer Jacob, said, "I've got two donkeys, that jennet over there and her colt that I call "Shorty."  If Jesus needs the donkeys, take them.  Jesus is my friend, he healed my son, and I owe him everything I have."

  So the two disciples took Christopher and his mom with them and they went to a place just in front of the sheep gate in Jerusalem.  There was a large crowd gathered who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Holiday.  After waiting for about an hour, the crowd soon got excited.  Jesus arrived and it was time for the parade to start.  The people put some robes on Christopher to make a saddle for Jesus.  Christopher had never been ridden before, and he was nervous.  But Christopher's mom said, "Calm down, Jesus is the nicest man in the world.  You don't need to buck him off."

  Jesus Climbed up on the back of Christopher and the parade started.  The people took some branches from some palm trees and they began to wave and shout and scream, because their superstar was there.  They followed Jesus as he was riding Christopher into the city of Jerusalem and Christopher trotted proudly through the streets.  This was the happiest day of his life.  At night, he and his mom were tied up at the house of one of the disciples in Jerusalem.  Christopher's mom was proud of him and she said, "Well now I know why I named you Christopher.  "Christopher" means, "the one who carries Christ."  And today you have carried Christ on your back, so today you have lived up to your name."  Christopher was so happy he wanted hee haw with joy.  But his happiness didn't last too long.

  He looked out on the street and he saw another parade.  In the darkness he saw a tired and naked Jesus walking with soldiers.  And the soldiers were forcing him to carry this large wooden cross on his back.  He was bleeding and he was too weak to carry the cross, so at one place they forced a man named Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.  The people who were following the soldiers were laughing and making fun of Jesus.  They were saying, "you're going to die Jesus.  You were just pretending to be a king, but you don't have any power, you're going to die Jesus."

  Christopher ran to his mom and said, "If I had known that this would happen to Jesus, I would not have brought him to Jerusalem."

  Christopher's mom said, "It is a terrible, terrible thing, but we must trust God.  Jesus is the best and nicest person who ever lived and God will take care of him.

  Well, Jesus went on to die on the cross.  And he was buried in a grave.  But does the story does not end here.  Come back next week and we will tell you the end of the story.  What happened to Jesus after he died and was put in the grave?

  What was the donkey's name?  Christopher.  What does Christopher mean?  It means "The one who carries Christ."  In a way, every Christian could be called Christopher.  Because you and I are asked to carry the presence of Christ into this world by being nice and kind.  Amen.

An intergenerational family Holy Eucharist

April 14, 2019: Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Gathering Songs: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!; The King of Glory Comes, Were You There?; Hosanna! Hosanna!

Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.

People: His mercy endures forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Opening Song: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! (Renew! # 71)

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! 

Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise;

Be exalted, oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest!

Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings!

Lord we lift up you name with hearts full of praise;

Be exalted oh Lord my God! Glory to the King of kings!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Assist us with your mercy and help, O Lord God of our salvation that we may enter with joy as we think about your mighty acts, which have given us life and an everlasting future; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

First Litany of Praise: Hosanna

O God, you are Great!  Hosanna

O God, you have made us! Hosanna

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Hosanna

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Hosanna

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Hosanna

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Hosanna

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Hosanna

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

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

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 118

On this day the LORD has acted; *we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Hosanna, LORD, Hosanna! *LORD, send us now success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *we bless you from the house of the LORD.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus 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. As he was now 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."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

  

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Song: The King of Glory, (Renew # 267)

Refrain: The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices. 

            Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.

1          Who is the king of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages. Refrain

2          In all of Galilee, in city or village, he goes among his people curing their illness. Refrain

3          Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another. Refrain

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is the celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Were You There? (#172, blue hymnal)

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? …

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side? …

4. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? …

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Hosanna! Hosanna, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 102)

Hosanna!  Hosanna!  The little children sing.  Hosanna! Hosanna! For Christ, the Lord, is King. 

Prepare the way, the children sing, Hosanna to our Lord and King. 

Hosanna!  Hosanna! The little children sing.  (repeat)

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People: Thanks be to God! 

Embrace the Passion Gospel Through St. Paul

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday  C     April 14, 2019

Is. 50: 4-9a        Ps. 31: 9-16         

Phil. 2:5-11       Luke 23:1-49  

Lectionary Link

  Once again, we've got our donkeys to church for Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.  And we are faced with the contrast between the Palm Procession crowd who cried "Hosanna" to their king and the Passion Gospel crowd that screamed, "Crucify Him."  Were they the same crowd?  Probably not.

The Hosanna crowd were probably the country bumpkins from Galilee who made their Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem and they wanted to make their hometown boy Jesus, the new king of Jerusalem.

But Jerusalem was controlled by the Roman authorities.  The Romans were invested in Jerusalem.  They in fact provided most of the jobs in Jerusalem.  They were building roads, bridges and aqueducts and they were actually building the temple complex as part of their public works program.  The Jewish religious leaders had to negotiate a place for their religious communities with the Roman authorities.  They could not have country prophets bringing their mobs and threaten the tenuous relationship with the Roman authorities.

So, one can understand how easy it was for the religious authority to gather a crowd of people in Jerusalem to help to get rid of Jesus who might threaten to bring down the wrath of the Roman soldiers and threaten the public work projects in Jerusalem which provided most of the jobs.

The two crowds can be explained with political and economic reasons.

But I am more interested in how the Passion Gospel functions in the life of the church.  We know it functions in our annual liturgical calendar.  The church calendar is a annual cycle of teaching curriculum tied to the events in the life of Jesus.  The church has divided the life of Jesus up into an annual cycle to teach and inculcate the values of Jesus to us and to the new people who are invited to our faith community.

But the Passion Gospels have often been dreadfully misused in church history.  Sometimes after the recitation of the Passion Gospel, enraged Christians used the Passion account to justify the persecution and harming of Jewish minority groups.  This is part of the shameful history of the use of the Passion Gospel.

When the Passion Gospels came to their last editions, the churches had increasingly become Gentile communities separated from the synagogues.  So in the presentation of the death of Jesus, the Passion texts seem to put as much blame upon the Jewish religious authorities and they seem to try to absolve Pilate and Herod as those who mere pawns of the Jewish religious authorities.  The fact is that the Romans were the ones in power for the awful spectacle of the practice of crucifixion.  It is most unfortunate that the Passion accounts have been used for anti-Semitic behaviors in the history of the church.

The reason it is so sad, is that the church has lost the mystical meaning of the Passion Gospels which was surely intended in the early church.

What is the mystical meaning of the Passion Gospels?  

St. Paul wrote before the Gospel were written.  He and others had a practice of the mystical transformation of their lives through an experience of identity with the Risen Christ.  The Risen Christ, re-lived a divine life within Paul.  Paul said that he was crucified with Christ and that he no longer lived, but Christ lived within him.  He said, he determined to know nothing except Christ, and him crucified.  He said that cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greek and Hellenistic Roman community.  But the cross was the power of God to those who believed.  No Messiah for the Jews would be found on a cross; that was a stumbling block.  No king would be crucified; that was foolishness to the Greek-trained mind.

The early church wrote the Gospels as manuals of mysticism for people to identify with Christ; to know that Christ was mystically or spiritual born in each person and who lived and ministered within in each person.  Each person was to know an identity with Christ in his life, death and resurrection.  And all of this was coded in the Gospel narrative.

The death of the good and perfect Son of God, Jesus was regarded to be a good energy.  Each Christian in identity with the death energy of Jesus on the cross was given power, a higher power to die to what is unworthy in one's life because of selfish ego states.  In Christ, one could die to oneself, and allow the higher power of the Christ nature to be born within oneself.

The Passion Gospel readings are cryptic presentations of the mystical experience of Paul and others in identity with Christ.  Do you see how much the church has lost the mystical aspect of the Passion?  We reduced it mere historical events that we try to reproduce in Passion plays.  We tried to merely externalize the mystical event and in so doing we have lost contact with the mystical event.  We have thrown the baby out with the bath water.

Today we need the mystical power of the death of Christ to help us die to all that is unworthy in this life, to our addictive repetitions and to our selfish behaviors.

It much easier for us to just keep the Passion of Christ on a liturgical calendar as an attempt to act out an historical event.  We are happy to remain rubberneckers to this cruel event rather than take the invitation of St. Paul to be united in identity with Christ in his death and resurrection.

The event of baptism is a ritual that signifies this continual reality of dying and rising with Christ as the continuous mystical transformation of our lives.

Today on Passion Sunday, you and I are invited to the power of the death of Christ, as an experience of the mystical transformation of our lives.

Let us not be rubbernecker to the Passion event today; let us embrace a full identity with Christ in his death as a way to end that which is unworthy within us.  Amen.

Sunday School, April 14, 2019 Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Sunday School, April 14,  2019   Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Themes

Explain the two meanings of this day, Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday

The day of two crowds

One crowd of the followers of Jesus who came to Jerusalem perhaps from Galilee and the countryside wanted to make him the king of Jerusalem.

The people in Jerusalem who received most of their jobs by being employed in the building projects of the Roman government, were worried about the people who wanted to make Jesus a king.  The people in Jerusalem were worried about the Roman soldiers punishing them because of the popularity of Jesus.

During the day time the crowd with Jesus had their parade.  They put him on a donkey and celebrated him as their king.

At night Jesus was taken by the authorities and arrested and put on trial.  The crowd who went to the trial were a different crowd.  And they wanted to get rid of Jesus and so they told the Roman governor that Jesus was trying to be a rival king to Caesar, the Emperor in Rome.

The Roman government put people on a Cross to die in public so all people would be reminded not to rebel against the Roman government.

Jesus really did not want to be a rival king to the Caesar, he wanted to become a “king of hearts.”  He wanted to be someone who ruled the thoughts and feelings of all people with love and kindness.

Let us wave palm branches today to remind ourselves that Jesus is the king of our hearts.

A Palm Sunday Story

Once upon a time in a village near the city of Jerusalem, the village of Bethphage; a little donkey was born in the pasture.  And that donkey was called by his owner, Shorty, because he was so tiny when he was born.

  But the donkey’s mom, called him Christopher.  When Christopher became old enough to talk to his mom, he asked her, "Why does my owner call me Shorty, even now when I've grown to be a tall and strong donkey?"  Christopher's mom said, "Well once you get a name, it sometimes just sticks and people won't let you be anything else."

  Christopher asked his mom, "Then why do you call me Christopher?"  His mom said, "Well, I'm not sure but I just had this feeling that it was the right name for you."

  Christopher looked in the other pasture and he saw a beautiful big stallion prancing around.  He saw important Roman Generals ride this beautiful horse.  And Christopher thought, "I wish that someone important would ride on my back some day.  And Christopher was a little jealous of the stallion.

  But one day something exciting happened to Christopher.  Two visitors came to the farm where Christopher was kept.  They called themselves disciples of Jesus, and they said there was going to be a parade into the great city of Jerusalem.  They also said that they needed a donkey to carry their king.  Christopher's owner Farmer Jacob, said, "I've got two donkeys, that jennet over there and her colt that I call "Shorty."  If Jesus needs the donkeys, take them.  Jesus is my friend, he healed my son, and I owe him everything I have."

  So the two disciples took Christopher and his mom with them and they went to a place just in front of the sheep gate in Jerusalem.  There was a large crowd gathered who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Holiday.  After waiting for about an hour, the crowd soon got excited.  Jesus arrived and it was time for the parade to start.  The people put some robes on Christopher to make a saddle for Jesus.  Christopher had never been ridden before, and he was nervous.  But Christopher's mom said, "Calm down, Jesus is the nicest man in the world.  You don't need to buck him off."

  Jesus Climbed up on the back of Christopher and the parade started.  The people took some branches from some palm trees and they began to wave and shout and scream, because their superstar was there.  They followed Jesus as he was riding Christopher into the city of Jerusalem and Christopher trotted proudly through the streets.  This was the happiest day of his life.  At night, he and his mom were tied up at the house of one of the disciples in Jerusalem.  Christopher's mom was proud of him and she said, "Well now I know why I named you Christopher.  "Christopher" means, "the one who carries Christ."  And today you have carried Christ on your back, so today you have lived up to your name."  Christopher was so happy he wanted hee haw with joy.  But his happiness didn't last too long.

  He looked out on the street and he saw another parade.  In the darkness he saw a tired and naked Jesus walking with soldiers.  And the soldiers were forcing him to carry this large wooden cross on his back.  He was bleeding and he was too weak to carry the cross, so at one place they forced a man named Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.  The people who were following the soldiers were laughing and making fun of Jesus.  They were saying, "you're going to die Jesus.  You were just pretending to be a king, but you don't have any power, you're going to die Jesus."

  Christopher ran to his mom and said, "If I had known that this would happen to Jesus, I would not have brought him to Jerusalem."

  Christopher's mom said, "It is a terrible, terrible thing, but we must trust God.  Jesus is the best and nicest person who ever lived and God will take care of him.

  Well, Jesus went on to die on the cross.  And he was buried in a grave.  But does the story does not end here.  Come back next week and we will tell you the end of the story.  What happened to Jesus after he died and was put in the grave?

  What was the donkey's name?  Christopher.  What does Christopher mean?  It means "The one who carries Christ."  In a way, every Christian could be called Christopher.  Because you and I are asked to carry the presence of Christ into this world by being nice and kind.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Holy Eucharist

April 14, 2019: Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Gathering Songs: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!; The King of Glory Comes, Were You There?; Hosanna! Hosanna!

Liturgist: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.

People: His mercy endures forever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Opening Song: Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! (Renew! # 71)

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! 

Lord we lift up your name with hearts full of praise;

Be exalted, oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest!

Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings! Glory, Glory, glory to the King of kings!

Lord we lift up you name with hearts full of praise;

Be exalted oh Lord my God! Glory to the King of kings!

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Assist us with your mercy and help, O Lord God of our salvation that we may enter with joy as we think about your mighty acts, which have given us life and an everlasting future; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

First Litany of Praise: Hosanna

O God, you are Great!  Hosanna

O God, you have made us! Hosanna

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Hosanna

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Hosanna

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Hosanna

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Hosanna

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Hosanna

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

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

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 118

On this day the LORD has acted; *we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Hosanna, LORD, Hosanna! *LORD, send us now success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *we bless you from the house of the LORD.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus 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. As he was now 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."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

  

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Song: The King of Glory, (Renew # 267)

Refrain: The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices. 

            Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.

1          Who is the king of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages. Refrain

2          In all of Galilee, in city or village, he goes among his people curing their illness. Refrain

3          Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother; in all of Galilee was never another. Refrain

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is the celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast. 

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Were You There? (#172, blue hymnal)

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? …

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side? …

4. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? …

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Hosanna! Hosanna, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 102)

Hosanna!  Hosanna!  The little children sing.  Hosanna! Hosanna! For Christ, the Lord, is King. 

Prepare the way, the children sing, Hosanna to our Lord and King. 

Hosanna!  Hosanna! The little children sing.  (repeat)

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People: Thanks be to God!