Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
April 1, 2012
Worship 10:00 am              Sunday School 11:10am

Palm Sunday 

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)            "Ride on, ride on in majesty"             239
  Announcements
  Prelude                                "A Tune from Tallis"                                    Tallis
                               (read the words of Hymn #251 as you prepare to worship)

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                       "When I survey the wondrous cross"                         259

*Opening Prayer

  Before Pilate                             Mark 15:1-15

  Hymn                           (vs. 1) "O sacred Head, now wounded"                        252

  Led to Golgotha                       Mark 15:16-39

  Hymn                     (vs. 1 & 4) "In the cross of Christ I glory"                       566

  Laid in a tomb                          Mark 15:40-47

  Hymn                                 (vs. 4) "Were you there"                                   257

  Responsive Confession                                                                             697

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
                                 (please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

  Hymn                                      "Lead me, Lord"                                        538

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                Philippians 2:1-13

  Message                     "And every knee shall bow" (mp3)

*Hymn                              "All glory, laud, and honor"                                237
                            bring your palm branch and place it at the foot of the cross
                                                         bring your offerings as well

*Benediction

*Postlude                                     "The Palms"                                          Faure

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
Philippians 1:2

“Grace to you and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our worship on this particular Sunday often begins with a shout of “Hosanna” and the waving of Palm branches to remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. By the end of the service, a corner is usually turned and we head into what is the darkest week in the church year, when we recall the coming storm that led to death of Jesus upon the cross.

            As today is also the first of April, we will foolishly reverse that order. Following the descending and ascending pattern of the Christ Hymn in the second chapter of Philippians, we will first “survey the wondrous cross” and hear the story often told on Good Friday, according to the gospel of Mark. Our service, however, will end with a “Hosanna,” and you will be invited to bring forward your palm branch and lay it before the Lord at the foot of the cross. 

Please rise now, in body or spirit, and let us sing our hymn of passion. #259
  

Opening Prayer

Lord God, what foolishness it is
      to stand before the cross, a symbol of defeat,
            and proclaim the death of your Son upon it
                  to be the path of victory.
What foolishness it is
      to preach that the last shall be first;
      that in order to gain life
            it first needs to be released,
      that real power is discovered amid weakness,
      that a true leader is not one who grasps the sword
            but one who bends down and washes feet.
                  Surveying the cross,
                        we are but fools for Christ’s sake.
May your wisdom, O Lord,
      be written upon the page of this time of worship,
            and likewise be inscribed upon our hearts
                  as we seek the mind of Christ this hour.
                        In his name,
                              and with your promised presence,
                                             we pray. Amen!
  

Before Pilate
Mark 15:1-15

1 - 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. Pilate asked him,

2 - “Are you the King of the Jews?”

1 - He answered him,

2 - “You say so.”

1 - Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again,

2 - “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.”

1 - But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

2 - Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them,

1 - “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

2 - For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again,

1 - “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”

2 - They shouted back,

1 - “Crucify him!”

2 - Pilate asked them,

1 - “Why, what evil has he done?”

2 - But they shouted all the more,

1 - “Crucify him!”

2 - So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Hymn  (vs. 1) "O sacred Head, now wounded"    252

scripture text from the New Revised Standard Version
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Led to Golgotha
Mark 15:16-39

1 - Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him,

2 - “Hail, King of the Jews!”

1 - They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

2 - 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. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

1 - It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read,

2 - “The King of the Jews.”

1 - And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying,

2 - “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!”

1 - In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying,

2 - “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.”

1 - Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

2 - When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice,

1 - “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”

2 - which means,

1 - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

2 - When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,

1 - “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.”

2 - And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying,

1 - “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

2 - Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said,

1 - “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Hymn  (vs. 1 & 4) "In the cross of Christ I glory"   566

scripture text from the New Revised Standard Version
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Laid in a tomb
Mark 15:40-47

2 - There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

1 - When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

2 - Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.

1 - Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Hymn   (vs. 4) "Were you there"     257

scripture text from the New Revised Standard Version
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Responsive Confession

 Leader:   O Prince of peace,
               from peace that is no peace,
               from the grip of all that is evil,
               from a violent righteousness…
People:   deliver us.
 Leader:   from paralysis of will,
               from lies and misnaming,
               from terror of truth…
People:   deliver us.
 Leader:   From hardness of heart,
               from trading in slaughter,
               from the worship of death…
People:   deliver us.
 Leader:   By the folly of your gospel,
               by your choosing our flesh,
               by your nakedness and pain…
People:   heal us.
 Leader:   By your weeping over the city,
               by your refusal of the sword,
               by your facing of horror…
People:   heal us.
 Leader:   By your bursting from the tomb,
               by your coming in judgment,
               by your longing for peace …
People:   heal us.
       All:   Grant us peace. AMEN

Hymnal #697 - Peace litany, 20th c., source unknown 
    

Pastoral Prayer

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Benediction

As you head onward from this place and time
      seek the mind of Christ,
            discovering daily what it means
                  to live without grasping,
                  to love without smothering,
                  to listen without pre-judging,
                  to witness without controlling,
                  to help without arrogance,
                  to speak without deceit,
                  to hope without knowing-it-all,
                  to humbly serve and obey God…
            in other words,
                  to be a fool for Christ’s sake.

Embraced by the wisdom of God,
      Blessed by the foolishness of Jesus, and
            Sent by the power of the Holy Spirit,
                  Go in peace.