GREETING
We come remembering palms, God,
but knowing arrest, trials, suffering,
and crucifixion awaited our holy King.
We come seeking victory in Jesus,
but hating the tortures and the death
he endured to win the war against sin.
We come trusting in Jesus’ victory,
and take up the crosses he gives us,
to add our passion to his, to honor you.
HYMN 289 “Ah, Holy Jesus”
PSALM 31:9-16
PRAYER
(Think back to the beginning of this day. Start there, and mentally walk through the day again, while you thank God for the day's blessings and God's continuous work of love. Confess and repent of those times when you forgot, ignored or rebelled against God. Continue to pray with your personal prayer list.)
SCRIPTURE LESSON
(Choose a passage of scripture to read. It can be a chapter, a paragraph, or a particular story. Daily lectionaries are available online or in print that assign a lesson each day from the gospels, epistles, Old Testament and psalms on a three-year cycle. Or you can create a plan to read a book of the Bible, or the whole Bible. Then follow the steps below.)
Read a passage of scripture. Read it out loud, very slowly and carefully as if for the first time. Continue reading until a word, phrase or sentence captures your attention. Stop there to repeat the word, phrase or sentence over and over, listening to it deeply in your heart.
Reflect on why the passage got your attention. Consider the area of your life to which this may apply. Is God saying something to you in this passage? Take time to listen carefully to whatever God may be saying to you.
Respond to God in prayer (or with journaling, music, art or whatever you choose) about what you have heard. Ask questions. Open yourself to God’s will for you.
Rest in God’s company. Be still and quiet. Move beyond thinking, practicing interior silence. Let yourself be open to God’s presence. Savor this moment with God.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
(Declare your faith by repeating “The Apostles’ Creed” (882) or “The Nicene Creed,” (880) or use the following affirmation.)
We believe God, our Father, creates passionate love.
God loves us passionately, yet passionately hates our sin.
Mostly God hates the separation and death that sin produces.
And so God chose to eliminate our separation and our death,
by sending Jesus to defeat sin with God’s own passionate love.
We believe Jesus, the Son, lived fully, loved completely,
and gave ultimately his own passion of suffering and death.
He did this for the love of the Father, and love for each of us.
Jesus overcame death’s tomb because nothing stops such love,
and he will come to gather all who bear the marks of his passion.
We believe the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, lives here.
Sin no longer separates, and death no longer threatens us.
God dwells powerfully in us, and we dwell richly in God.
Now, God Within calls us also to live and love passionately,
and with God’s Spirit we will reflect Jesus’ passionate loving. Amen.
GLORY BE TO THE FATHER 70 or 71
PRAYER
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” we joyfully shouted to Jesus.
Yes, we were there in Jerusalem with our spiritual ancestors, God.
We have heard the story so often. It has become a real part of us now.
If we had been there, we would have broken off palm branches,
and we would have laid them in the streets to honor the Messiah.
We would have used even the cloaks from our backs to pave the way.
Everybody was so excited, shouting and yelling their welcome.
Well, maybe not everyone. Jesus really terrified some of the people.
No one knew what Jesus would do, just that things would be changing.
It was what everyone was praying for, the Messiah taking over.
We knew our government, our society, and our lives were flawed.
We knew we needed a Savior to bring us to genuine faith in you, God.
If only we had not been so two-faced with our noisy welcome of Jesus.
We have too often lacked real commitment to you, our loving Father.
First we shouted our hosannas, and then shouted, “Crucify him!”
God, what have we done? What are we still continuing to do even now?
Our salvation is at hand, but our relationship so on again, off again.
Like the apostles, we are too quick to abandon your Son, Jesus.
We want Jesus to come and save us, but only if it is done our way, God.
We want to live like your children, like we are citizens of heaven,
but we also want to follow our own passions, set our own goals.
How much better it would be if we welcomed Jesus with our whole heart.
Keep us, God, from being afraid to trust Jesus to lead us all the time.
Let Jesus change the world. But make sure he changes us too.
Amen.
SILENCE AND COMMITMENT
(Pause to reflect and listen. Work to push out of your mind any distracting or irrelevant thoughts. Concentrate your thoughts on the words of the hymns and choruses you have sung, the prayers you have spoken and the scriptures you have read. Be aware of what you are feeling. Listen for anything that God might be saying to you in this time you have spent together. As God responds to your prayer-time, seek guidance for how you can best respond to God’s will. Then commit to serving God’s will for you.)
HYMN 294 “Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed”
CLOSING PRAYER
The palms are gone,
and the cross now too,
but, God, Jesus lives on.
His life back then,
and his risen life now,
make all the difference.
He gives us hope,
in your love’s power,
to raise us up with him.
Thank you Father!
Tomorrow is so new,
and forever, now we see.
Amen.
Copyright 2020. Robert D. Ingram, 32746 Jourden Rd., Albany, Ohio 45710 (dr.bobingram@gmail.com). Used by permission.
