Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
April 9, 2006
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

Palm Sunday

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Organ Prelude

The Palms

  Scripture Prelude                      John 12:12-16

  Call to Worship        "Look, Now, Your King is Coming"                Govenor

*Opening Prayer

*Hymn                              "All glory, laud, and honor"                              237

  Scripture                                Psalm 118:19-29

  Bringing to the Lord our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory

*Response                      (vs.3) "Hosanna, loud hosanna"                            238

*Dedication

  Skit & Invitation             "It doesn’t involve me"                       Deacons

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

  Pastoral Prayer

  Dramatic Scripture Reading       Mark 15:1-39

  Hymn                             "Beneath the cross of Jesus"                              250
                            (Pre-schoolers then leave for Bell Ringers & Sunday School)

  Message                      "O, but it does involve you"

                                                       (what will happen as we sing)
*Hymns                      "When I survey the wondrous cross"                        259
                                       "In the cross of Christ I glory"                             566

*Benediction

*Postlude                                "Lift high the cross"

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Opening Prayer

Hosanna, Son of David! Hosanna, King of Kings!
You give us this day, full of hope and promise.
With grateful hearts we sing our praise to you.
Blessed, indeed, is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
You are our God, and we give you thanks.
All glory, laud, and honor to you, our redeemer.
Hosanna! Hosanna! Amen.

(As the Alleluia choir begins to return to their pews, receiving their palms as they go:)

Whether you have lived many years or only a few,
Children of the Lord, lift up your palm branch and wave it as you sing.
Let your heart be filled with wonder.
"Glory" ... "Laud" ... "Honor"... "Redeemer"
Big words ... awesome God!
#237 - SING OUT!
   

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         When Jesus entered Jerusalem long ago, he and his disciples were caught up in the excitement of an ongoing festival. Jerusalem, you see, was full of pilgrims headed to the Temple, for this was a time for remembering and celebrating the salvation of the Lord. When the children of Israel were oppressed in Egypt - centuries before - they cried out in their distress, "Hosanna" or "God save us." The Great "I am who I am" heard this cry and rescued them, setting them free to be a people of God.

         Little did many in that crowd when Jesus entered David’s city realize that this same God was on the move again, responding to the "Hosanna" cry of the children of Israel with a new lamb whose spilt blood would set them free. Do we realize it fully, even today?

         Children of God, bring your offerings to the Lord. Ponder what it means to wave your palm branch, to lay it down before him. Blessed is the lamb - Jesus the Christ - who comes in the name of the Lord. Give thanks, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Dedication

         Have we realized your coming, O Lord, any better than those who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem on that bright day so long ago? Do we truly sense your presence and power, your goodness and mercy? Are we willing to follow where your Son leads?
         Receive these offerings in His name. We give you thanks for hearing the cries of our hearts, even today. Hosanna. Amen.
   

Skit & Invitation
"It doesn’t involve me"

         The Deacons of our church are offering a workshop on April 23^rd on the need for all of us - especially persons age 18 and older - to make and document decisions concerning our health care in the event that we are unable to speak for ourselves. With privacy laws growing more strict, even family members do not have access to confidential health information of someone over age 18. If a severe illness should strike, or a tragic accident should happen, who will speak for you if you do not have established someone to be your "medical power of attorney"?

         Though this is a serious issue, the deacons will present a somewhat humorous skit aimed at the denial we all feel - that "it doesn't involve me." In truth it does, and the invitation will again be extended to come and learn more about what we can do now to plan ahead.

         (p.s. the sermon itself will connect with this same denial, in relation to the what Christ accomplished upon the cross - that, indeed, "it does involve you.")
   

Pastoral Prayer

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

Dramatic Scripture Reading
Mark 15:1-39
(Revised Standard Version)

         (As soon as the prayer is over, the organ begins playing, very softly, "The Old Rugged Cross." This will continue up thru verse 21, then stop.)

         ¹ And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. ² And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." ⁵ But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered. ⁶ Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barab’bas. ⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. ⁹ And he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barab’bas instead. ¹² And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?" ¹³ And they cried out again, "Crucify him." ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him."

         (Those chosen beforehand begin processing from the rear, one carrying the cross-stand, the others shouldering the cross, bottom first. No ‘pomp & circumstance’ nor ‘trail of tears’ in style, just simple silent carrying - do not distract from the scripture. Once up front, the first person places the cross-stand, then quietly helps the others put the cross into the stand. They then return to their seats.)

         ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barab’bas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. ¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. ¹⁷ And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ¹⁹ And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. ²¹ And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre’ne, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

         ²² And they brought him to the place called Gol’gotha (which means the place of a skull). ²³ And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. ²⁵ And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. ²⁶ And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." (pause)

         (A parent brings forward a child and lifts him/her up to tack a sign which reads "The King of the Jews" at the top of the cross. They then return to their seats.)

         ²⁷ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!" ³¹ So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

(Organ stops playing. The rest is read amid the silence.)

         ³³ And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "E’lo-i, E’lo-i, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ³⁵ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Eli’jah." ³⁶ And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Eli’jah will come to take him down." ³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

(what will happen as we sing)

         In response to the message, as a way of affirming that the cross does, indeed, involve them, each person the congregation will be invited to come forward as these hymns as sung. In the weeks before this service, we were busy with a digital camera taking pictures of each person in attendance. These developed snapshots will be on a table for people to pick up their own as they arrive. Those who did not attend during these previous weeks will have their picture taken this morning, with a print-out either given to them or waiting for them up front (to be decided).

         When folks come forward, they are invited to attach their picture to the cross (probably using a thumbtack available up front) in some place, and then return to their seat. Thus, this cross will become very personal. The "lamb who was slain" upon it died for me and you.

         This same cross will rest at the center of the tables set for Love Feast on Maundy Thursday.
   

Benediction