Tag Archives: Palm Sunday

A Palm Sunday Communion Prayer

02 Sunday Apr 2023

Posted by in Communion Liturgy

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Through a season of exile we’ve journeyed together-
In the valleys of the dry bones, parched and looking for water,
In the mountains hoping to hear the voice of God,
In times of tears, drowning in the voice of the tempter-
Grieving for loved ones near and far.

And so we arrive at the gates of Jerusalem.
With palms in hand, we seek the first sight of Jesus on a donkey.
We are ready to proclaim at the top of our voices.

Congregation will say or sing Sanctus.

For it’s this week that Jesus entered into Jerusalem,
Flipping the tables of injustice,
Preaching and teaching for those yearning to hear the message of God.

And then came the night when Jesus was ready to gather with friends,
Celebrate their time together, and mourn what could have been.

While they were eating, Jesus took the loaf of bread,
After blessing and breaking the loaf, he said to his friends:
“Take, eat; this is my body.”

And after supper, he took the cup and gave thanks for the blessings,
He gave it to his followers, saying to them
Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood, bound in covenant.
Remember me as we drink together.  Remember that God will forgive your sins.

They sang together one more time before Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

It is at this time that we remember that Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Spirit of God, bless our bread and cup. 
Bless all of us as we reflect together on this holiest of weeks. 
Bless our minds and hearts during our time at the table today
As we seek the grace given to us by you.  Amen.

A Shelter-in-Place Palm Sunday Liturgy

02 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by in Current Events, Lent Prayers, Liturgy, Pop

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I am using the Matthew 21:1-11 text plus Isaiah 61:1-4.

Entry into Worship
In the spirit of the springtime,
we raise our palms and flowers.
In grateful praise,
we celebrate God’s beautiful creation.

With gratitude,
we breathe in the warming air
and smell the floral scents
dancing in the breeze.

For creation and for our Creator,
we sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.
No matter our location-
we join together this day.

Invocation
Glorious God,
This is the day that you have made!  From our front porches to our basements, from our bedrooms to our kitchens, we see your light, and we sing our songs of Hosanna.  As world events distract our minds, assist us with focusing on your presence here and now. We give thanks for your enduring and steadfast love.  Hosanna, Glorious Creator! Hosanna in the highest! Amen!

Prayer of Reconciliation
On Palm Sunday, we remember the words of Scripture:
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Through the life of Jesus, we were given steps to follow.
Through the life of Jesus, we too see how we also came along to carry your name, Gracious Creator.

Instead, we worried about our own names and reputations.  We concern ourselves with our own paths and not the one of Jesus.  We sing “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” and we run away from following Jesus.  Build up our courage. Give us resolve to try again tomorrow, knowing that we have been called to follow Jesus’ steps: to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind-up the broken-hearted, and to comfort all who mourn.  Amen

Assurance of Grace
The Spirit of God is among us, giving us grace and imparting strength.  May this courage take hold of our hearts. Let us try again this very moment.  God will call us again and again to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen!

Reflection on Offering
Whether we are in front of computers or with smart phones in our hands, God is using technology to draw us closer.  God is also using new avenues for us to contribute our talents, time, and treasures to the church. Our Creator uses every means to draw us closer and share what we have.

In this time and space, as we support our staff and care for our congregants, our giving sustains the work of the church.  Please give as you can as our ministry continues in this most unique of situations.

And with gratitude, we pray together:

Gracious God, for treasures collected, for time given, and for talents shared, we express our thanks.  Encourage us to use our offerings to sustain and expand the work of the church. Amen.

Benediction
Whether we are expressing our joy for Jesus the Christ on Facebook
or continue Christ’s work as we plan online,
we are entering a new world, excited to share the good news of God’s love and grace.

Let us share this love on every platform, through every phone call, and in various letters-For the Spirit of God is with us, bringing us joy, and helping us find new avenues to the future.  Amen!

Michelle L. Torigian (c) 2020  Free to use or adapt as needed with attribution.

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Are you looking for a communion liturgy?  Head over to Gifts in Open Hands for a beautiful Communion for Palm Sunday during quarantine/shelter in place.  Thank you Maren C. Tirabassi for your writing!

Waving Our Palms Means Something More

24 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in Life, Pop

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Palm SundayThis is part of the Palm Sunday Sermon delivered at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Old Blue Rock Road, on March 24, 2013.

When we celebrate Palm Sunday, we’re not just praising Jesus.  Our call to faith is deeper than sitting in a cheering section on Jesus.  We can’t support for Jesus without cheering on our sisters and brothers who struggle.   By waving our palms in this parade, we’re cheering a system where all are given dignity and rights.

Here’s the thing – it’s risky.  Jesus died for standing up for humanity and the humans he met.  Jesus died because of the sins of broken systems.  In many similar ways, we’ve seen these deaths in recent history.  Martin Luther King Jr. died because he spoke to loudly on issues like civil rights, labor and the war.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer died because he was outspoken against Hitler and the Nazis.

If any of us to really have the faith of Jesus, we’d have the faith that would put fear aside and put our neighbors front and center.  Our lives would be at risk – from ridicule by our loved ones to arrests and death.

I wish I could have that level of faith that Jesus had – the kind that would stand up for radical love and grace no matter what the cost.  But I worry what others will think.  The let the fear of “what will people think of me if I voice my opinions” get in my way.  What will people think of me if I attend a rally or protest or parade… It’s not that I don’t stand up for what I believe, it’s just that I’ll lower my voice a bit if I know I’ll offend others.  It’s scary to be as bold as Jesus.

But boldness and justice is an imperative part of our faith.  I know that justice is reoccurring theme in Scriptures.  Some form of the Hebrew word for justice, mishpat, is used over 400 times in the Hebrew scriptures.  The faith of the prophets who stood for love and justice was the faith of Jesus.  He carried that radical love and boldness into the future by advocating for the marginalized.

Looking at the repeated mention of justice in scripture would indicate to me justice is a part of our call as Christians.  So how do we look at justice issues as a faith community, especially as a faith community of diverse theological and political views?  Our first and most important step is dialogue.  It’s trying to understand why our neighbors believe what they believe and try to figure out if we are called to advocate for the marginalized.  While we may not agree as a full community, we are still journeying together to find out what we can do to give dignity to all of God’s children.

Yes, we are called to feed and house and clothed, but we’re not called JUST to feed and house and clothe.  Through Jesus the Christ, God has called us to stand up to the powers that be to create just ways of living.  I’ve often used the illustration of mission and mercy as pulling people out of a fast running river.  Justice is going upstream to find out why they fell in the river to begin with.  Most of us have found our place at the bottom of this stream pulling people out.  But what if we traveled together upstream to find out why people have fallen into the river and maybe even do something about it?

And If we had the faith of the prophets and the faith of Jesus to be radically loving and just, who would we stand up for in our society?  Much like they took care of the widows and orphans, is our call to stand up for the single mom who can’t afford childcare?  Just like they called for the Israelites to take care of the aliens, are we called to take care of immigrants in our land?  Just like the Just like Jesus cured those with leprosy, are we called to advocate for those with HIV/AIDS or other stigmatized illnesses?  Just like Jesus had a grassroots protest on the other side of Jerusalem, are we called to protest systems that oppress?

Celebrating Palm Sunday means supporting Jesus’ stand against oppressive systems.  It means more than hosannas and yippees.  It’s standing on the side of justice and risking who we are to stand for the greater good.  So when we wave the palms, we’re not only supporting Jesus, we supporting Jesus’ way of loving others at a cost.

As we face the most intense part of Lent – Holy Week – how will we reflect on the powerful love and courageous steps of Jesus?  In what ways can we love, advocate and serve radically?  In what ways can we be bold in our faith?  If we are willing, let us pick up the palm leaves not only to honor our redeemer, but to stand with him as he shares the love of God with all he meets.