Palm Sunday & the
Journey through Holy Week
Choir and
clergy at the back of the church.
The
Gathering of the Community
Grace,
mercy and peace
from
God our Father
and
the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
Jesus’
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem [presider]
–
Matthew 21
When
they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying 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. 3If anyone says anything to
you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them
immediately.’ 4This took place to fulfil 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.’ 6The
disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they
brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A
very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches
from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The 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!’
10When he entered
Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ 11The
crowds were saying,
‘This
is the prophet Jesus
from
Nazareth in Galilee.’
Introduction
The presider says,
Dear
brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of
love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and
resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union
with the Church throughout the world. Christ enters his own city to complete
his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with
him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share
his risen life.
The people hold up palms crosses while this prayer is said by the
presider,
God
our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and
to die; let these palms be for us signs of his victory and grant that we who
bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way
that leads to eternal life; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn
181: All Glory, Laud and Honour
Choir and clergy process.
The
Collect
Let us
pray for a closer union with Christ in his suffering and in his glory.
Silence is kept.
Almighty
and everliving God, in tender love for all our human race you sent your Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ to take our flesh and suffer death upon a cruel cross. May
we follow the example of his great humility, and share in the glory of his
resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Sermon:
One brief paragraph
on each of the following: Palm Sunday, the Greatest Commandment, the Plot to
Kill Jesus, the Washing of the Disciples Feet, the Lord’s Supper, the Passion, and
the Glory of the Resurrection.
Hymn: This is My Commandment
The
Greatest Commandment
–
An affirmation of Faith – Matthew 22 [presider]
When
the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered
together, 35and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to
test him. 36‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the
greatest?’37He said to him, as we say now:
“You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.” 38This is the greatest and first
commandment. 39And a second is like it: “You shall love your
neighbour as yourself.” 40On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets.’ Amen.
The Prayers of the Community
[Litanist]
We
stand with Christ in his suffering. We pray for forgiveness for the times we
have denied Jesus, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for grace to find those habits of sin which harm us and those around us,
and by prayer and self-discipline to overcome them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for Christian people, that this Holy Week will bring us to the joy of the
resurrection and hope for the world, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those who are tempted to give up the way of the cross, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those who make laws, interpret them, and administer them, that our
common life may be ordered in justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those who still make Jerusalem a battle-ground, let us pray to the
Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those who have the courage and honesty to work openly for justice and
peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those in the darkness and agony of isolation, that they may find
support and encouragement, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
We
pray for those, weighed down with hardship and sorrow, that they may know that God
is near them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That
we, with those who have died in faith, may find mercy in the day of Christ, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Insert the
Cycle of Prayer; for the ill and those who have died.
THE
TRISAGION.
Holy
God,
holy and strong,
holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
holy and strong,
holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
The
Plot to Kill Jesus – Matthew 26 [Reader]
When
Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2‘You
know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be
handed over to be crucified.’ 3 Then the chief priests and the
elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called
Caiaphas, 4and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and
kill him. 5But they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there
may be a riot among the people.’ 6 Now while Jesus was at
Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to him
with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as
he sat at the table. 8But when the disciples saw it, they were
angry and said, ‘Why this waste? 9For this ointment could have
been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.’10But
Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has
performed a good service for me. 11For you always have the poor
with you, but you will not always have me. 12By pouring this
ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13Truly I
tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what
she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’ 14 Then one
of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and
said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty
pieces of silver. 16And from that moment he began to look for
an opportunity to betray him.
Confession
and Absolution
Let us confess our sins,
confident in God’s forgiveness.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus
Washes the Disciples’ Feet – John 13 [Reader]
3Jesus, knowing that
the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God
and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his
outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured
water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with
the towel that was tied around him. 12 After he
had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he
said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? 13You call me
Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.14So if I,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. 15For I have set you an example, that you also
should do as I have done to you.
The
Peace
The
peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Announcements
Hymn
504:
Jesu, Jesu
The
Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
Prayer
Over the Gifts
Gracious
God, the suffering and death of Jesus, your only Son, makes us pleasing in your
sight. Alone we can do nothing, but through his sacrifice, may we receive your
love and mercy. Amen
The
Passover with the Disciples and
the
Institution of the Lord’s Supper [Reader]
–
Matthew 26
On the
first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where do
you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ 18He
said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My
time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my
disciples.” ’ 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed
them, and they prepared the Passover meal. 20 When it was
evening, he took his place with the twelve;
Eucharistic
Prayer 3
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.
Blessed
are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and
praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who for our sins was lifted high upon the
cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself. By his suffering and
death, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in
him. Therefore with all the host of heaven who gather around your throne and
the Lamb, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.
Holy,
holy, holy Lord,
God
of power and might,
heaven
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.
We
give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known
to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken
through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son. For
in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the
Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and
made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error
into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the
night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke
it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “ Take, eat: this is my body which
is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After
supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them, 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.”
Therefore,
Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
and we
offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting
to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We
pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they
may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant.
Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified
by the Holy Spirit.
In the
fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring
us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the
Church, and the author of our salvation;
by
whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour
and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
As
our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we
forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver
us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for
ever. Amen.
The
Breaking of the Bread
We
break this bread,
Communion
in Christ’s body once broken.
Let
your Church be the wheat
which
bears its fruit in dying.
If
we have died with him,
we
shall live with him;
if
we hold firm, we shall reign with him.
Giving
of Communion
The presider says
Draw
near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for
you, and his blood which he shed for you.
Eat
and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts
by faith with thanksgiving. Amen.
Hymns
during-communion (two or three of the
following):
-
We
Cry Hosanna, Lord
-
183:
Into Jerusalem Jesus rode
-
Hosanna
-
455:
Dear God, Compassionate and Kind
-
614
Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive
The
Sending Forth of the Community
Anthem: God’s Holy Lamb
The
Post Communion
Lord
Jesus Christ, you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant, and in
obedience died on the cross for our salvation: give us the mind to follow you
and to proclaim you as Lord and King, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Faithful
God, may we who share this banquet glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our salvation, life and hope, who reigns as Lord now and for ever. Amen.
The
Blessing
May
the Father, who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, bring you by
faith to his eternal life. Amen.
May
Christ, who accepted the cup of sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will,
keep you steadfast as you walk with him the way of his cross. Amen.
May
the Spirit, who strengthens us to suffer with Christ that we may share his
glory, set your minds on life and peace. Amen.
And
the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be
among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Hymn
192: Were You There
Jesus before Pilate and
the Crucifixion of Jesus – Mark 15 [Reader]
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Mark
As
soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders
and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed
him over to Pilate. 2Pilate
asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ 3Then the chief priests
accused him of many things. 4Pilate
asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against
you.’ 5But Jesus made
no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed. 6 Now
at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they
asked. 7Now a man
called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during
the insurrection. 8So
the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom.9Then
he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ 10For he realized that it
was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11But the chief priests
stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12Pilate spoke to them
again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with
the man you call the King of the
Jews?’ 13They shouted
back, ‘Crucify him!’ 14Pilate
asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more,
‘Crucify him!’ 15So
Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after
flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 16 Then
the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s
headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort.17And they
clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown,
they put it on him. 18And
they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 19They struck his head with
a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20After mocking him, they
stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led
him out to crucify him. 21 They compelled
a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was
Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which
means the place of a skull). 23And
they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him,
and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should
take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the
morning when they crucified him. 26The
inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ 27And with him they
crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.29Those
who passed by derided him,
shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and
build it in three days, 30save
yourself, and come down from the cross!’ 31In
the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him
among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Messiah,the King
of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those
who were crucified with him also taunted him. 33 When
it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus
cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 35When
some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ 36And someone ran, filled a
sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying,
‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ 37Then Jesus gave a loud
cry and breathed his last. 38And
the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39Now when the centurion,
who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed
his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
Scattering
(Mark 4:20)
At the end
This
is the Passion of the Lord.
No response is made.
