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April 30, 2023
Fourth Sunday of Easter
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· We continue to receive the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering today.
· Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for a time of fellowship.
· PNC will meet today at 10:45
· Please see bulletin insert for items needed for Senior Hospitality Center.
· Find the address for Rich and Lois Lewis posted on the bulletin board.
· Please sign up for the Ladies Lunch Bunch for Wed. May 10—Going to Homer’s Deli at 11:30!
 
PRAYER REQUEST 
JoAnn Grimm who struggles with health problems.
The family of Maxine Wagner who grieve for their aunt.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
Kolleen Klemmedson who is recovering at home.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP
  Hearing the call of our Good Shepherd, we come to listen for his voice.
 
  We hear him call our names. We are led out, and we follow where he leads.
 
  We come to be saved in his love.
 
  We come to offer our praise and sing to his glory.
 
  Let us worship our God.  Amen.
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
Through Christ, our Loving Shepherd, we have been led to trust in you, O God.  You call us by name, lead us, protect us and offer new life.  As we come to worship this day, may we place our lives and our hearts into your hands.  Amen.
 
 
*HYMN                                Love Divine, All Loves Excelling                                #376
(You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
We are invited into God’s heart.  Let us accept the invitation by laying our failings before our Lord.
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION   (Psalm 23)
  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
 
  Forgive us, Lord, because we do want, and the wanting eats away at our peace.
 
 “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”
 
  Lie down?  We don’t have time to lie down!  There is too much to do.  Forgive
          us, Lord!
 
  “He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in right paths
         for his name’s sake.”
 
  But the paths are not clearly marked, and too often we fail to discern you
         leading us.  Our souls cry out with loneliness and confusion. For failing to
         seek your guidance, forgive us, Lord.
 
  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your
        rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
 
  Are you with us, Lord?  We have run ahead, trying to escape the darkness.
         Where are you?  Your rod and staff sometimes feel like tools of punishment
         rather than care. Forgive us, Lord.
 
  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head
       with oil, my cup overflows.”
 
 Forgive us for the times we have refused your invitation to the banquet.  Forgive
       us for not giving you credit for the abundance of our blessings, and for our
       cup which does, indeed, overflow.
 
Amen.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE  
Hear the conclusion of this psalm—“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”---  Goodness and mercy are the attributes of our God. With these, God sent his Son to take our sins upon himself that we might, indeed, dwell in the house of the Lord our whole lives long.  Be assured, my Friends.  We are forgiven and brought close the heart of our God.
 
 
 
SONG OF PRAISE      Gloria Patri      #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE      
May the peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
O Christ, You are the Gate that we seek.  This morning as scripture is read and proclaimed, may we find this entrance and discover a fuller understanding of your call upon our lives.  May we be the lambs who recognize the voice of our Shepherd and follow with you into the green pastures of our world.  Amen.
 
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS  
 Acts 2:  42-47
 [Those who received Christ and were baptized that day] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
 
 John 10: 1-10
10 1“Very truly I tell you anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.  7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
 
SERMON   Listening for The Shepherd’s VoiceListening for the Shepherd’s Voice
Diane hates to clean house!  She will put off that hateful chore as long as she possibly can.  But when she does clean, boy do things sparkle! Diane dislikes cleaning so much because her mother INSISTED that it be done thoroughly—every time.  Every item must be removed from the self to dust it and then wiped clean before being replaced.  Door jams, the top of doors, base boards and picture frames must be wiped clean.  Floors must be mopped or vacuumed completely. That means moving anything that is capable of being moved.  Under beds needed attention.  Don’t let the dust bunnies get away!  Sinks not only cleaned, but wiped clean, appliances polished and windows washed—at least on the inside if there was any speck to be seen.  Cleaning house took all weekend.  It totally understand Diane’s dislike for the chore.
By comparison, Debbie was a good-enough kind of gal when it came to cleaning house.  She cleaned with the eyeball test.   If it didn’t look dusty, why dust?  And when she did dust, she either went around things or moved them slightly out of the way so she could get the job done.   Floors got the spot treatment unless they were obviously dirty throughout, and why move things?  Who looks under the bed anyway?  A quick wipe up here, a little vacuum there, throw some things in the closet or drawer and it’s all good.  If anyone wanted to do a white glove test, then shame on them!
So there you have 2 extremes in the art of cleaning.  I think most of us would agree that there’s a sweet spot in the middle right?  But at the same time, it’s tempting to fall into the Debbie category.
Sometimes in all the things we do, we, as humans get a little lazy.  We try to find short cuts.  We question the value of taking those extra steps, we procrastinate and then rush through things without taking the time to review or put in that extra effort.
I believe our scripture for today—both of them—argue that short cuts and sloppy processes just don’t cut it in our relationship with God—or for that matter in our relationships with one another.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd.  But how did he get there?  Sure, God had a hand it it—Born of the Virgin Mary, given the Holy Spirit at his baptism, issued instructions and the power to heal.  But don’t we also notice that this Jesus puts himself out there?  Wouldn’t it have been easier and a lot more comfortable for him to set up shop, like say in Nazareth and had people coming to him for healing or for lessons from God?  Wouldn’t it have been easier to show up in Jerusalem and present himself to the Pharisees, show them the power of God, done some healing on days other than the Sabbath and worked within the system?   Wouldn’t it have been easier to at very least avoid confronting and antagonizing those in power?
Those would have some of the possible short cuts.  But God didn’t call Jesus to short cuts or to easy, safe solutions.  He didn’t call his Son to love those who first loved him.  He didn’t call him to look the other way when injustices were being enacted around him.  If he had done some of those things he probably could have avoided the cross, but God had placed that cross squarely in Jesus’ path.  There would be no avoiding it.
Jesus is reminding his listener—you and me—that the true Messiah is to be like that loving shepherd who doesn’t take short cuts or avoid the difficult things in order to care for his sheep.  Those who do take those short cuts, who do look out for their own skin are thieves and bandits—and they should NOT be trusted.
We are the sheep of God’s pastures.  We, too, have some responsibility here.  We are called to listen for the call of our Shepherd.  We need to be present and aware and
ready to differentiate between the Shepherd’s voice and that of the thief.  If we are overly involved in our day to day lives, if we are fixated on our phones or in getting to our next fun activity, if we have turned off our ear for God’s voice or plopped ourselves in front of a blaring TV, then we won’t hear, or if we do hear, we won’t recognize the call.
Or maybe we hear any call and because we haven’t done our homework, we run to follow whomever gets through to us in that moment—much to our peril.  Sometimes the bandit or the thief’s voice is smooth and silky.  It promises such beautiful things and doesn’t require much of us in the process.  It’s sort of like, “just send me your bank account information so I can transfer $300,000 into your account before I have to flee Nigeria!”    Sounds good right?  But then disaster strikes.
Jesus is painting a picture of his efforts and care for God’s people.  It’s because he doesn’t take short cuts that we can trust him.
When Jesus offers these words, those listening don’t get it, so Jesus starts over again.  This time he tells them that he is the gate.  We get confused because we ask, “How can Jesus be both the Shepherd who is granted entrance through the gate AND the gate?”  I think those are two completely separate, even if similar, metaphors.
Jesus is saying, “OK, let’s scrap that one.  Let me try a different way. “I am the gate for the sheep.”  In other words, “I am the one who will open new life and salvation for you. Before he had asserted that the true shepherd didn’t jump over the fence.  Now he’s saying that we, as sheep can’t hope to find true life and well-being by following the thief, or for that matter, by breaking through the fence.  “Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out to find pasture.”
Finding pasture is well-being and life for the sheep.  It’s being led to lie down in green pastures, to be led beside the still waters, to be accompanied and guided through the darkest of valleys.  It’s not winning the lottery or becoming rich and famous.  It’s not gaining positions of great power or living in the lap of luxury.  It’s everyday life where we go about our routines in peace, where we have friends and family around us, where we don’t worry about whether bombs will drop on our heads or if we will have enough to eat or heat for the winter winds.  It’s serenity, satisfaction, calm and joy.
The portrait of the early church is a picture of what that life in Christ looks like.  We’re told that “they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.”  In other words, they continued to grow in their understanding of the faith.  They spent time together, working to know one another.  They actively prayed, probably together and individually, as well.  They practiced communion by taking the Lord’s Supper and just eating their meals together.
The description goes on, “All who believed were together and had all things in common.  They would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
It’s an idealized version of what was happening at that time.  I don’t think they probably held EVERYTHING together in common. Many person items would be exempt.  Clothing and shoes, tools with which they did their work.  The family business would continue to operate, maybe with hiring some of the members from the community, and part of the profit would be shared.
Later in Acts we hear of Ananias and Sapphira who sold some land but gave only a portion of the proceeds to the community.  In Peter’s rebuke, they were scolded, not for saving some back, but for not being truthful about that.  That tells me that this community was exceedingly generous and caring with one another.  They were willing to sell and share as it was needed and they were fully engaged in their new community of faith.
Do you hear both the effort and the positive results?  They prioritized their new faith and one another.  They put in the time.  They actively cared for one another and used their own personal resources to make that happen.  We are human and our capacity to get hurt feelings, to have our egos get in the way, to be stubbornly focused on our desired path for doing something.  We get angry.  All these things would have still be present for that early group of Christians.  But in spite of these things, they largely worked!
These scriptures invite us to recognize that a life of faith isn’t without requirements upon each of us.  Just like Jesus didn’t get to skate through things or jump the fence to become Messiah the easy way, we are required to devote time and energy to our relationship with Christ.  We’re required to listen for his call and to be willing to follow, even when it might seem difficult or scary.  We’re required to love one another—and let’s be clear, that doesn’t mean we like everybody.  It means we offer to all the same respect and consideration.  We work to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to know goodness and joy.
We need a Good Shepherd.  Our world needs the peace and the hope and the serenity that he brings.  Let’s learn and grow together as a congregation. Let’s be in fellowship together and learn about one another.  Let’s offer our gifts to this faith community.  That means our presence, our prayers, our efforts and our dollars.
We can’t recreate that early church reality, but we can keep that image as a model into which we can grow, at least in part.
Our Good Shepherd is calling.  Can you hear it?  Let’s go.  Together let’s follow.
 
Amen.
 
 
 
 
*HYMN      Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us  #387
  (you may be seated.)
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
​
OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD
 
 
*DOXOLOGY      Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow   #592
 
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
 
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  (from Isaiah 40: 10-11, paraphrased)
See, the Lord God comes with power and might,
and he’s ready for whatever will come.
He will deal with his enemies and bless those who have followed him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
gathering the lambs into his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them along,
leading the nursing mothers to good sweet pasture.   
 
*HYMN     Precious Lord, Take My Hand  #404       
(You may be seated.)
 
Sending Forth
 
*CHARGE & BLESSING  
 
POSTLUDE
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.

April 23, 2023
Third Sunday of Easter
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
We continue to receive the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering today.
 Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for a time of
 fellowship.
 PNC will meet today at 10:45.
There will be no Bible Study this Wed., April 26.
Mission Team will meet on Wed., April 26 at 10:00.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
 
JoAnn Grimm who struggles with health problems.
The family of Maxine Wagner who grieve for their aunt.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
Kolleen Klemmedson who is recovering at home.
 
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP  ( Adapted from Acts 2: 37-42)
 
Upon learning of their role in Jesus’ crucifixion, the crowd asked of Peter,
 
What should we do?
 
Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.
 
And then we will receive the Holy Spirit.  This promise is for us and for our children,
 
And for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to us.
 
Therefore, let us devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.
 
Praise to our God.  Let us worship.  Amen
*GATHERING PRAYER
 
Through Christ our Savior we have come to trust in you, Loving God.  You raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory so that our faith and hope might rest in you.  As we come to worship this day, may we offer our lives and our hearts into your hands.  Amen.
 
 
*HYMN                          The Day of Resurrection!   #118
(You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
 
In this season of resurrection we dance to the alleluias, knowing that the gift of new life offers forgiveness and hope.  Let us come together to lay our hearts and souls at the feet of our living Lord that we might know the incredible joy of walking with our Savior.
 
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to recognize you as you come to walk with us.  Forgive us when we insist on our own truth and close our ears to your invitation and your love.  Forgive us for failing to offer our hospitality to the poor and the hungry and in the process fail to see your presence in them.  There are so many times when we insist on going our own way and clinging to our own truth.  Help us to know you in the midst of our days.  Help us to take your hand and go where you will lead.  Amen.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                            
 
In Jesus, God has ransomed us, not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.  Christ carried our sins to the cross so that we might be freed from guilt.  Let us give thanks and rejoice.  We are the beloved people of our Lord!
 
 
 
SONG OF PRAISE                   Gloria Patri               #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
 
May the peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
In the midst of our journeys we seek moments of clarity and grace that can show us the way.  Like the disciples who heard the story of life from our Lord’s own lips—even though they did not recognize him—let us hear God’s truth this day.  May our hearts burn within us for the glory of our Lord.  Amen.
 
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Acts 2: 14, 37-42
 
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews[a] and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,[a] what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
 
                                      
Luke 24:13-35
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.[b] 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,[c] who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.[d] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive
. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah[e] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
 
 
SERMON   To Know.  To Experience.  To Accept.  To Rejoice!
 
 
Jody didn’t understand her friend.  Why couldn’t Connie couldn’t leave for their girl’s adventure until after worship?  Why was she so involved in church, anyway?  She taught Sunday School.  She went to Bible Study on Wednesdays.  She baked brownies for the Bake Sale.  She was a Deacon who went with the pastor to take communion to shut-ins.  What was the attraction with all this churchy stuff?  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, Rose from the grave, Forgives our Sins, Calls us his disciples, Yada, Yada, Yada!
Jody had gone to Sunday School as a child, too.  She’d learned the whole bit, and she kind of liked the pageantry and feel of the candle light service on Christmas Eve.  She still went to Easter worship with her mom, and once in a while was fine, but every Sunday?  And to be so involved all during the week?  What was with that, anyway?  Jody called herself a Christian.  She certainly didn’t follow any other religion, and she was a kind person. She just didn’t feel like she needed to go to church every week to be OK.  She was too busy, had too much she wanted to do to spend all that time studying or praying or doing all the churchy stuff.
There are a lot of people like Jody.  They are Christian by virtue of living in a society that celebrates Christmas and that posts the 10 commandments.   They read books and magazine articles that reference the parables of Jesus.  They understand the concept of “I will pray for you,”  and they talk about seeing Grandma again when they get to heaven.  But this faith stuff really hasn’t taken hold of their hearts.  It hasn’t engaged their whole being.  That’s not a criticism.  It’s just a fact.
I wonder if Cleopas and that other disciple who hasn’t been named might have been a little like our Jody.  They had obviously heard and seen Jesus in the week before his arrest, if not even earlier.  They were well aware of what had transpired that day.  They had witnessed the chaos and confusion, the grief and the questioning, but it hadn’t really broken through to their hearts.  It hadn’t sunk into that inner place in their soul that makes the hope of Christ sparkle and shine.  It was in their head only, and that meant it wasn’t quite real—not yet.
They were talking about what the women had reported. They were probably exploring options for that empty tomb.  Were the women pulling a hoax?  Did someone steal the body?  Did the women accidentally go to the wrong tomb?  Had the other disciples done this to try to make Jesus’ words about rising again come to life?  They talked through all these things—you know, just the way we, today try to solve the major problems and questions of our world.
They were so busy talking, so concentrating on their conversation that when the stranger come up behind them, they didn’t notice for a time.  They weren’t afraid of him.  He wasn’t threatening.
He asked what they were talking about, and Cleopas responds, “Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has taken place in these days?”  Jesus pressed them more, and they gave a succinct but accurate portrayal of events.  “Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people—Our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified.  But we hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes and besides all this, it is now the 3rd day, and some of our women were at the tomb and did not find his body there.  They saw a vision of angels who said he was alive.  Others went to the tomb, but did not see him.”
I wonder how it felt for Jesus to hear that story.  Luke tells us he chastised the men for their slowness in not grasping what had happened.  He proclaimed that the words from their own prophets had told that this was exactly what must be.  He then lifted up scriptures to interpret this event in the words of scripture.  Why then are you surprised?  Why are you speculating about what happened?  Didn’t he tell you that this was going to be?
The conversation went on with the stranger doing the teaching and the two disciples listening intently.  It’s a typical Jesus thing—to teach and to help us understand the workings of our God.  Wouldn’t you have liked to hear that discussion?
At some point in the late afternoon they arrived in Emmaus, their destination. These two disciples were good people, polite and generous.  They asked their traveling companion to stay with them overnight.  That, of course, meant a meal, and Jesus was either asked to do the blessing or he, still being in the teaching mode took that place at the table.
Listen to the way Luke describes what happened next.  “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them.”  What does that remind you of?  Exactly—Jesus’ last supper with the disciples.  Let me remind you of Luke’s description of that event.  “Then he [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you’”
Took  --Blessed, or in this case, gave thanks, -- broke—gave it to them.  That’s not a coincidence.  This was a sacramental moment.  Jesus had already offered his body to be broken. Now he brings these things to their memory--- and to ours.
This is the moment that suddenly the scales covering their eyes fall away.  Now they recognize Jesus.  I think God needed Jesus to be unrecognized in the beginning of their encounter.  He needed the disciples to hear the explanation that Jesus offered.  God needed them to understand it on a cognitive level first.
But the cognitive level by itself is insufficient until it hits the level of the heart.  In the blessing and breaking of the bread their hearts were engaged.  Now they got it. Now they understood with both their heads AND their hearts.  Now they could fully accept Jesus as Risen Lord and Savior.
These disciples encountered Jesus.  They were now connected to him with a super-glue type of strength.  Now they could reflect on their time on the road with Jesus.  “Did not our hearts burn within us?”  At that earlier point so much was going on.  The stimuli of their surroundings, their muscles moving, their minds trying to keep up with Jesus, their questions and thoughts, their glances at one another to see if their friend was getting this, too.  With all of that confusion, the experience of passion sort of got lost. It was just enough below the surface that they didn’t connect with it.  But now, in reflection, they recognized that at a deep and instinctual level they had felt Jesus presence all along.
We can relate to Cleopas and this other, can’t we?  Do you remember when Jesus quit being an intellectual construct and became, instead, personal with you?  Do you remember that moment when you wanted him to be YOUR Lord and Savior?  It was probably NOT in the midst of an intellectual study.  It was probably NOT when you memorized the 10 commandments.  It was probably NOT when you played the shepherd or maybe even a sheep in the Christmas program in Sunday School. All that was important.  It laid the groundwork, but it was when someone helped you to know the grandeur of God, and at the same time how very much God loved you that the personal nature of our faith sunk in.  Maybe it was when the world around you seemed to be falling apart and God threw you a life line.  Maybe it was at a moment when you felt something so passionately that you could almost hear God’s voice saying, “Do something.  I will go with you.”
That was the moment when the intellectual became the personal.  That was the time when you really felt God’s incredible love, and his hope for our world and God’s power to help bring that hope to fruition.
That’s what was happening with Cleopas and his friend.  They were encountering Christ.  Their protective shields had dropped, and they got it.  In our opening story Jody had yet to experience Jesus in that personal way.  Not her fault.  It happens in God’s time, but Connie can help open the door.  She can do exactly what these two disciples did.  She can tell her friend the story and her own experiences of Jesus. That’s what the disciples did.  They ran back to Jerusalem to share with the others what they had experienced.  They helped to lay the ground work for God’s in-breaking moment to touch other hearts and other lives.
That’s why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  It’s not a legalistic thing.  Rather it’s the means by which we remember in a totally experiential way.  I think of it as a booster shot of faith.  A booster shot of Jesus’ love.
We all need booster shots.  We all need to know that Jesus is as present as our very breath.  We all need to know that God is using us to make our world a better place.
We here at First United Presbyterian are working on our own booster shots.  We will be telling the story of Jesus’ love by sharing our space with older adults in the community.  It will give these beloved children of God a place to connect with others and to chase away the loneliness.  We will be able to share God’s love with them, not through preaching or proselytizing, but in a relational way that opens doors to new life.  I hope there will be opportunities to tell our stories of faith, to invite these others to join us for worship, to assure them that they are special and beloved by God.  God will give us the opening for that when the time is right.
So may we, too feel our hearts burning within us.  Christ our Savior is risen. He is risen for us!
 
Amen.
 
 
*HYMN                                The Strife Is O’er          #119
(You may be seated.)
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD
 
 
*DOXOLOGY    Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow   #592
 
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
 
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
 
  Apostle’s Creed
 
 
*HYMN                  Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing   #538 
(You may be seated.)
 
Sending Forth
 
*CHARGE & BLESSING                                                
 
POSTLUDE
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
 
 

​ 
April 2, 2023
PALM PASSION SUNDAY
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today we receive One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study continues from 9-10 thru May 24.
Join the community Cross Walk leaving Christ Episcopal at 11:30 am and/or Stations of the Cross at St. Boniface beginning at noon on Good Friday
Come celebrate Easter and Communion here next Sunday with Pastor Joyce.
Session will meet Tuesday, April 11, 9:30 am.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
*JoAnn Grimm who  is struggling with health issues. 
* Richard Lewis continuing recovery at home.
* Members who are on hospice: Joan Pinkston and Maxine Wagner.
*  Arlene Pawlik continuing recovery. 
* The people of Ukraine in their continued war and suffering.
* Other areas of violence and oppression.
* Areas recovering from natural disasters.
* All who are struggling with health concerns.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP             Psalm 118:1,19-29, NLT
 
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
    and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
    We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
    Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
 
*OPENING PRAYER
                  
God of mercy and grace, we bless you and praise you for your faithful love and for the gift of your Son, Jesus the Christ. We celebrate his entrance into Jerusalem and remembering those days we wave our own palm branches to honor him. We recall his story through the days that followed and we mourn with his friends as he was crucified. God, as we recall these storied today, fill us with understanding, but also with hope, for unlike his disciples that week, we already know the next chapter. Thanks be to God!
 
*PALM SUNDAY
                    Matthew 21:1-11, NCV
As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem, they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers 2 and said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will quickly find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, say that the Master needs them, and he will send them at once.”
 
4 This was to bring about what the prophet had said:
 
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Your king is coming to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey,
    on the colt of a donkey.’” Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9
 
6 The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their coats on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The people were walking ahead of Jesus and behind him, shouting,
 
“Praise to the Son of David!
God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Psalm 118:26
Praise to God in heaven!”
 
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was filled with excitement. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
 
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
 
*HYMN       Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!      #89
                    (You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO PRAYER                 Psalm 31:9-16, GNT
 
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in trouble;
my eyes are tired from so much crying; I am completely worn out.
10 I am exhausted by sorrow, and weeping has shortened my life.
I am weak from all my troubles; even my bones are wasting away.
 
          (Silent prayers for our own needs.)
 
11 All my enemies, and especially my neighbors, treat me with contempt.
Those who know me are afraid of me;
    when they see me in the street, they run away.
12 Everyone has forgotten me, as though I were dead;
    I am like something thrown away.
13 I hear many enemies whispering;
    terror is all around me.
They are making plans against me,
    plotting to kill me.
 
          (Silent and pastoral prayers for the world.)
 
14 But my trust is in you, O Lord; you are my God.
15 I am always in your care; save me from my enemies,
    from those who persecute me.
16 Look on your servant with kindness; save me in your constant love.
 
Almighty God, grant us courage and faith to fully put our trust in you and your constant love. May we reflect that kindness to your world all around us. Amen.
 
THE BETRAYAL           Matthew 26:14-16, NLT
 
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
 
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
 
Judas’ sin was greed and betrayal. Let us confess our own sins to the Lord.
 
Lord Jesus, we confess the times we too have betrayed you by our thoughts, our actions, or our words. We are sorry for the times we have failed to stand up for you, for the times we have ignored a sacred nudge to help someone in need, for the times we have followed our own agenda instead of your will, for the times we have ignored the demands of justice or the needs of the earth and its creatures, for the times we have judged others without being honest about our own flaws, for the times we have been unwilling to recognize the equality of all humankind or back that recognition with action. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We remember this day how far Jesus went to show us that we are forgiven and loved. Through Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
 
SONG OF PRAISE       Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
 
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
The Last Supper              Matthew 26:17- 30, NLT
 
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
 
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
 
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
 
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
 
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
 
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
 
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
 
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
 
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
 
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
 
HYMN         An Upper Room Did Our Lord Prepare    #94, v. 1-2, 4
 
JESUS’ PREDICTION            Matthew 26:31-35, NLT
 
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
 
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
 
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
 
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 1
 
GETHSEMANE             Matthew 26:36-46, NLT
 
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
 
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
 
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
 
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
 
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
 
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
THE ARREST                Matthew 26:47 - 56
 
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
 
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
 
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
 
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
 
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 2
 
JUDGEMENT                Matthew 26:57-68, NLT
 
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
 
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
 
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
 
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
 
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
 
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
 
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
 
INTERLUDE
 
PETER’S DENIAL                  Matthew 26:69-76, NLT
 
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
 
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
 
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
 
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
 
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
 
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
 
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
 
MEDITATION                                             I Wonder
 
As I share my ponderings roused by these scripture readings from Jesus’ triumphal entry to his passion and burial, I will pause often for you to begin to ponder your own answers.
 
I wonder what it was like for the disciples as they went to ask a stranger for that donkey.
Were they surprised the owner agreed so easily when they said the Teacher needed it?
Why am I still surprised each time Jesus meets my needs?
 
I wonder what it was like for them to see the crowds waving palm branches and hear the hosannas as Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Did they remember stories of David riding a donkey into Jerusalem when he became king? If I had been there would I have danced by the roadside and shouted with them? Why is it I don’t often celebrate with Jesus beyond our worship time together?
 
I wonder if it was easier to ask a friend if they could use his upper room to prepare the Passover. Did they feel the excitement of preparing for this annual celebration of a sacred meal? Did they think about the stories it told as they prepared each food and about God setting the Hebrews free from enslavement in Egypt? When I take communion, do I pause to give thanks for all the ways God has set me free? Do I ask Jesus to free those who are enslaved to poverty or addiction or depression or whatever else in our world today?
 
I wonder if that night the disciples thought about all that had happened in the past three days, clearing the Temple of the money changers, and declaring it a place of prayer, hearing Jesus continue to teach whoever came to listen. Were they aware of the animosity building among the Sanhedrin? Were they as afraid of the tensions building in Jerusalem that week as I am of the tensions building around the world in 2023?
 
I wonder how they felt when they came to eat that night. Were they as eager as Jesus to share this meal or were they just squabbling over who would sit where? Were the others just as flustered as Peter when Jesus washed their feet? Did anyone notice Judas’ anxiety that night or suspect why he was nervous? Were they shocked when Jesus let Judas leave? Sometimes I get so caught up in what’s going on in my own head that I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on around me or I fail to see what Jesus might be doing in my world.
 
I wonder if the disciples understood what Jesus meant about the bread and cup being his body and blood. Do we consider and understand the spiritual significance of that meal?
 
I wonder if they were surprised when Jesus said they would all leave him. Did they deny it in their own minds? How about Peter, denying then that he would deny even knowing Jesus before morning? I know I will make lots of mistakes and I will make bad choices, sometimes even when I’m aware that what I’m doing might be displeasing to God. But somehow I always want to think of myself as doing my best anyway. Am I like those disciples?
 
I wonder how the disciples found the strength to sing hymns as they walked to Gethsemane. I would have had too much on my mind to sing. It takes courage and intention to sing and offer praise on a gloomy day.
 
I wonder how disappointed Jesus must have been each time he found the disciples asleep and unable to pray. Were they also disappointed in themselves each time they woke up? Sometimes I fall asleep as I pray, but sometimes I forget to pray. In what other ways have I disappointed Jesus?
 
I wonder how Judas felt as he kissed Jesus on the cheek. With a simple greeting he identified Jesus who was then arrested. Was Judas embarrassed he had turned Jesus in, especially doing so in front of those he had been with the past three years? Was he able to look Jesus in the eye or did he turn away? When have I turned a blind eye to my own bad choices or ignored the love in Jesus’ gaze in spite of my mistakes?
 
I wonder if any of the guards arresting Jesus thought this was wrong or if any of the Sanhedrin doubted the intentions and advice of the High Priest. Did they just go along with it doing what was expected? What went through Nicodemus’ mind at that point? Jesus became the scapegoat not just symbolizing the taking away of sins as the High Priest would send them away on the Day of Atonement, but also as a political sacrifice for leadership who didn’t want to lose power. That’s a far less noble reality. How often does someone have to be that kind of scapegoat in our world today? Have I done that to anyone?
 
I wonder how Peter found the courage to follow Jesus but not the courage to acknowledge knowing Jesus. He came so far yet fell so far, but not too far from grace. Did Peter know as the cock crowed not only that he had failed Jesus, but also that Jesus would still forgive him and use him to build a community for those who believe? I think of the ways God has used me in spite of all my mistakes.
 
I wonder if those who chose to buy Potter’s Field with Judas’ returned “blood money” ever stopped to reflect on their own sin as Judas did. I’m sad that he chose suicide to deal with his guilt rather than understanding Jesus’ intentions to forgive all our sin. Are there ways I choose to punish myself rather than accept Jesus’ forgiveness?
 
I wonder if Pontius Pilate regretted his assignment to Jerusalem as the crowds shouted for Barabbas and to crucify Jesus. Can you imagine the conversation with his wife later when she had tried to stop him, but he proceeded to give in to the crowd’s demands? He felt caught in the middle but didn’t stand up for what he believed, that Jesus was innocent. How often do I give in to what society says rather than stand up for what I believe to be right?
 
I wonder what went through the soldier’s minds as they mocked and flogged Jesus or gambled for his clothes. What was Simon of Cyrene thinking as he was drafted to carry Jesus’ cross? Did the crowds have a clue what they were doing or that Jesus was innocent? What finally triggered the Centurion’s recognition that Jesus was indeed the Son of God? What does it take for me to recognize when the crowd is wrong, when leaders are steering us the wrong direction? Am I willing to speak up or do anything about it?
 
I wonder if anyone else noticed the women watching in horror as Jesus hung on the cross and died or that only one of the disciples stood with them. I am amazed and grateful that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea found the courage to try to give Jesus a proper burial. Did they no longer care what their friends or colleagues thought? The women watched so they could come back and honor Jesus with their final ministrations of love. Did Joseph or Nicodemus notice them and understand? Would I have stood with them if I were there then? What have I done to show my love or support for Jesus in my lifetime?
 
In the days ahead, I invite you to also ponder these things – what happened then and how you react and respond to the needs of Christ’s mission in our own day.
 
 
JUDAS                 Matthew 27:1-10, NLT
 
27:1 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
 
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
 
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
 
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
 
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
 
“They took the thirty pieces of silver--
    the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
10 and purchased the potter’s field,
    as the Lord directed.”
 
OFFERING OURSELVES TO GOD
 
God of Mercy and Grace, Judas failed to receive that give from you and punished himself for his crime. But rather than going the way of Judas, we choose to freely offer our lives and resources to serve you as best we can. We are able to do so only because we indeed live in your mercy and grace. Amen.
 
OFFERING
 
DOXOLOGY        Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow          #592
 
TRIAL                   Matthew 27:11-26, NLT
 
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
 
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
 
 
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
 
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
 
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
 
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
 
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
 
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
 
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
 
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
 
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
 
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
 
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
 
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 3
 
THE CROSS                  Matthew 27:27-44, NLT
 
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
 
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
 
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
 
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
 
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
 
*HYMN       When I Survey the Wondrous Cross        #101
                    (You may be seated.)
 
JESUS’ DEATH            Matthew 27:45-56, NLT
 
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
 
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
 
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and
women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
 
54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
 
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
 
Affirmation of Faith               Philippians 2:1-11, NCV
 
5 In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.
 
6 Christ himself was like God in everything.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.
7 But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.
    He was born as a man
    and became like a servant.
8 And when he was living as a man,
    he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
    even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
9 So God raised him to the highest place.
    God made his name greater than every other name
10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus--
    everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
11 And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
    and bring glory to God the Father.
 
THE BURIAL                 Matthew 27:57-66, NLT
 
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
 
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
 
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
 
PLACING THE PALL
 
CHARGE AND BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE
 
EXIT IN SILENCE
                    
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.