Koonung Heights Uniting Church – Service of Worship at Home
Palm Sunday – 28 March – 10am or whenever possible
You may like to light a candle during your time of worship.
Feel free to text the Peace to other members of the congregation.
Introit: “Gloria, Gloria” – (Click on this link and skip the ads – words below)
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we meet to worship today,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin nation,
the first inhabitants of this place.
I pay my respects to their elders,
past, present and emerging.
I also honour them for their custodianship
of the land on which we gather today.
Call to Worship:
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Let palms wave, in high ‘hosannas’.
Let coats and cloaks create a path:
the unloosed colt and untamed Rabbi ride,
to usher in the coming kingdom.
Hosanna, hosanna!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!
We Sing: “The heavens shall declare” – (Click on this link and skip the ads – words below)
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Holy One,
we have come together to offer our worship,
to celebrate once again that our Lord Jesus came to save us all.
Hosanna, blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
We remember all who waived palm branches
or laid an outer garment on the ground for Jesus,
the One who came to save us all.
Hosanna, blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
We remember the people oppressed by Rome,
looking for a saviour,
a warrior to restore Israel to its former glory,
a king who would save them all.
Hosanna, blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
We hear again the shouting,
the people clamouring for a glimpse
of the man they hoped would save them all.
Hosanna, blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
We come humbly into your present, Lord
and offer this time of worship,
knowing that we, too, need you to save us.
Hosanna, blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Hear these words of assurance from Psalm 118:
The steadfast love of God endures forever.
When we call on God in our distress God answers us and sets us free.
The Lord is our strength and song and our salvation.
In this is the good news. Thanks be to God.
The Peace:
May the peace of Jesus Christ,
the One who comes on a donkey as the bringer of peace,
be with you always.
A Time for All: (Click on this link and skip the ads to hear the story)
Back at Bethany …
Villager: Oh hello again.
Disciple: Hello! That’s the colt safe back. We’ve had him tied up.
Villager: Thanks. So what’s the story? Why did the Teacher need him?
Disciple: Well, we had a bit of a procession! Jesus rode him up to the city.
Villager: A procession? Jesus usually tells people not to make a fuss.
Disciple: I know. But he had this all planned with you, didn’t he? You knew he was coming for the colt.
Villager: Yep, he sent a couple of your friends a few days ago to ask us. They didn’t say he’d be riding it.
Disciple: They probably didn’t know!
Villager: So why the procession? Was there a crowd?
Disciple: A small crowd, yes! Jesus does have quite a following and everyone’s here for Passover.
Villager: The trouble he’s been in, I wouldn’t have thought that he’d want to draw attention to himself at a time like this.
Disciple: Oh, we know. He thinks he’s going to be handed over to them; he’s given us the ‘doomsday talk’.
Villager: Really? Surely he doesn’t want to be right about that. You should be careful.
Disciple: We’re not the first protestors to take up the streets. And it’s over now with none of us arrested.
Villager: Jesus has more of a reputation though. He’s outspoken and he’s confident. Loved by ordinary folk like us; suspected by the authorities. They won’t want any festival riots. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had word of your ‘protest’.
Disciple: I didn’t realise you knew him so well.
Villager: People talk. He’s been in the village often enough. Haven’t you been at Martha’s too, occasionally?
Disciple: Yes. That’s where we’ll be tonight. I think she shares your caution.
Villager: Well, she’s a wise woman. So what happened when you went into the city? Nothing else attracted attention I hope?
Disciple: No. Our noisy little crowd went their ways. Jesus wanted to go to the Temple before sunset so a few of us went with him.
Villager: A quiet time of prayer to end the day then, no more unrest?
Disciple: He didn’t way a word.
Villager: Good, good. You’ve probably got away with your procession and protest then. Keep safe now.
Disciple: Thanks. We will. Goodnight.
Villager: Goodnight.
Prayer
Let us pray …
Jesus, son of Mary,
help us see you in our world today and help us to meet you in everyone we see.
Jesus, son of Joseph,
teach us how to live and guide our footsteps in your way.
Jesus, son of God,
watch over us, keep us safe and listen to us as we pray.
Amen.
We Sing: “Hosanna, hosanna” – (Click on this link & skip the ads)
Bible Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 –
A Song of Victory
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of
the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever
Bible Reading: Mark 11:1-11 – Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
1 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Watch and listen to the reflection
Reflection: Isn’t it Ironic!
You might remember a song by Alanis Morrisette that was released in 2007. It starts like this …
An old man turned 98
He won the lottery and died the next day
It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay
It’s a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
The story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem is well-known. In fact, we tend to read it once a year as we remember the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey. It is the story that is seen to mark the beginning of the final week of Jesus life (though in all reality it might have been a longer period than Mark’s gospel represents), and it will end with Jesus death and resurrection. Also, it’s a story that is full of irony.
This story is a turning point in Mark’s gospel and it’s precisely for that reason that it teems with irony. In fact the conflict between the apparent triumph and the impending arrest, and crucifixion, create a situation in which we cannot help but be sensitive to irony. This mostly stands out in the role of the crowds who greet Jesus with shouts of “hosanna” and place their cloaks and branches on the ground as they welcome him. It is all too soon that the crowds, presumably made up of the same people, will demand the release of a common criminal and the death of “the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
While the text doesn’t tell us whether the crowd is large or small, we are often caught up in the crowd and their response. Crowds are fascinating and we find it easy to see ourselves among them, at least at the beginning of the narrative when they are welcoming Jesus and crying out “Hosanna”. Like the crowds that we have recently seen gather, and might even have been a part of, this crowd is a coming together of people with hopes, longings and yearnings.
The crowd are seeking justice and want to be heard. They want someone to take their concerns seriously. With this intent, they are coming to see Jesus. All this means that Jesus comes in a sense not only as who he is, but as one the crowd expects has something to offer them. Those gathered in the crowd are longing for a king who will save them, and they literally cry out “save us” as they utter the words “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
These words are a direct quote from Psalm 118, a psalm of thanksgiving penned by one who has been in a desperate situation and ultimately been delivered by God. As part of a thanksgiving liturgy, and the Passover liturgy, these words from the Psalm would have been known by many of those coming to celebrate Passover. As the crowd awaits the arrival of the one they claim as their king, you can hear in their cries the hope of their deliverance.
And here is another irony, for this crowd who hope for so much and shout out “hosanna” now, will later call for Jesus’ crucifixion. What begins here as a religious procession ends later with a public display of state terror – and this is when it’s not as easy to envisage ourselves as being a part of the crowd – as we witness the shift in their mood.
The hopes and yearnings of the crowd are interesting because they are transient just like our own hopes and yearnings can be. We cry out for justice and yearn for deliverance but can change our cries when it becomes uncomfortable to be associated with those who are making a noise. We want things to be different but not if it causes us discomfort. We are happy to be counted with those who shout ‘hosanna’ but do not want to be numbered with the ones who cry ‘crucify’.
The irony doesn’t end there. The writer of Mark is generally very succinct in his narration of events, but at the beginning of this passage he is quite wordy as he talks about the colt. It is important for Mark that we stop and take notice of what is going on here.
As Jesus’ enters Jerusalem, the Royal City, he enters with the authority of a King, even though he does not come on a warhorse that he owns. In fact, he needs to borrow a donkey, yet there is no question that what he needs is supplied. When told that “the Lord needs it” the colt is lent. Just like a king, Jesus’ disciples are able to procure what Jesus needs without any trouble.
Let’s return to Alanis and her song for a moment. When she was asked about writing it, Alanis commented that the irony isn’t just in the situations presented in the lyrics. For her it was about the dramatic irony when someone is unaware of the significance of an event. It is how she explains that “life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything’s gone wrong”. Surely this is what is occurring when Jesus enters Jerusalem. What Jesus is coming to do will help people out more than they realise.
While the people in the crowd are seeking a king, the King they get is not the one they expect. The longing of God’s people is met in the person of Jesus Christ, but not in the way that was imagined. Many in the crowd sought revolution, dynamic reversal and were hoping that this king Jesus would give them that. It is not a lot different from what many of us want … things to change and be put right in a way that speaks power and what is right for our purposes.
But Jesus did not come as this sort of Royal King, one who was mighty in battle and coming to overthrow the powers that be. While people’s expectations that Jesus would overthrow the status quo were high, these did not come to fruition in the way people expected.
This is because Jesus came as a servant king. Why, because the ways of God are different from the ways that we associate with leadership and power in the world. Unlike us, Jesus is not about bringing victory to a small group, to his people and followers alone. God issues a far greater invitation than that. If we go back to the covenant, we can see that what Jesus taught, introduced and ultimately made possible, was a communal opportunity for all people.
While we understand Jesus’ death and resurrection as a once for all act, the call to believers from all generations is to follow. And if we are truly to follow Jesus call, we may need to be prepared to move like Jesus, to live in a way that is radically different and to help turn the world on its head.
And maybe it is in doing this that we resolve all the irony. We all need to make a choice … the choice of whether or not we will follow the One who can answer our cry of “Hosanna”.
As we continue our journey towards the cross, which looms ever larger, may we have the resolve to keep going, even when it is difficult. May we be prepared to step out of the watching crowd and walk alongside Jesus, the One whose death will ultimately invite us into life. May we be prepared to take up the task that is given to us. May we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, look to call out injustice and all that oppresses.
And through it all, may we keep our eyes focussed on the One who came to serve and bring us abundant life.
Amen.
We Sing: “Lord, what a parade!” – (Click on this link for the tune – words below)
Lord, what a parade! The crowd quickly grew;
What noise they all made in welcoming you.
“Hosanna!” they shouted. “It’s David’s own son!
Hosanna! Come save us! God’s reign has begun!”
They welcomed you in, a conquering king,
Yet what kind of reign would you really bring?
It wasn’t a war horse you rode on that day;
A creature of peace carried you on your way.
Did those in that crowd expect something more
Than one who reached out in love to the poor?
Did they think a saviour with armies was best,
Or did they remember: the peaceful are blessed?
Lord Jesus, it’s true — we give you glad praise,
Yet living for you will challenge our ways.
So may we be open and welcome your reign.
Hosanna! Come save us! Renew us again!
Prayer of Dedication:
Generous Lord,
you give freely of your love
and you care for everyone.
Receive our offerings,
take and use them
for the work of the kingdom.
Amen.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Gillian Tonson):
Let us join in a spirit of prayer …
Loving God, we thank you that we can come before you so freely in this place. Thank you for your great love for us and the forgiveness you offer us when we remember our wrongdoing.
Today as we remember the story of your entry into Jerusalem our minds are taken back to the crowds who welcomed you humbly laying their coats on the ground beneath your feet. May we be welcoming of others into our community. Help us to be aware of the barriers which hinder some people entering any church. May we make every effort to take down those barriers.
Lord hear us, Lord hear our prayer.
We pray for leaders in many aspects of our world facing different problems:
– Leaders in the flood rescue response in NSW and Qld this week.
– Leaders in our Uniting Church working with our 1st Peoples and those trying to provide more social housing where it is needed.
– Leaders in our presbyteries heading up new local mission initiatives.
– Leaders in Health in our country, making frontline decisions on getting out the vaccines, and those at the grassroots giving the vaccine.
– Federal and State leaders as they listen to people and lead discussions responding to lifetime stories of domestic violence.
– World leaders focussing on huge issues: the health pandemic, the balance a of 1st and 3rd world responses to peace, climate change, socially displaced peoples.
We pray for wisdom, strength and humility for these people and may your inspiration give progress to these and many other important issues of our times.
Lord, hear us, Lord hear our prayer.
We pray for families, for the parents of children as they instruct them in righteous ways of living, giving and receiving respect.
We pray for our Minister Rev. Heather, and her family and those others we know who need your touch.
(Time of silence)
Lord, hear us, Lord hear our prayer.
Holy God, hear the prayers of your Church. Forgive our sins and send us the grace we need to be faithful followers of Jesus, as we walk again the journey to the cross this Holy week. We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name;
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and 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 forever.
Amen.
We Sing: “At the name of Jesus” – (Click on this link & skip the ads)
Blessing:
It is not about our voices or our excitement,
or our fickle natures that turn from ‘Hosanna!’ to ‘Crucify!’
It is about his willingness to take the road anyway, wherever it leads,
and to keep on going even when the noise of the crowds died away
and when friends abandoned him;
to keep on going
when the silence became eerie
and when the end was in sight.
He kept on going.
We have entered Holy Week.
We are in Jerusalem with Jesus.
We prepare to accompany him.
We go.
We reflect.
We prepare.
Amen.
Thanks to all those who have assisted in preparation for this liturgy with encouragement, prayers and conversation. I have also utilised the following resources:- Spill the Beans (Issue 38), By The Well Podcast and Texts for Preaching.