Sunday 28th March - Living Boldly (Palm Sunday)
- Rev Claire
- Mar 28, 2021
- 5 min read
Welcome to our service today. It's Palm Sunday - the day we remember Jesus' journey into Jerusalem as he began the steps into Holy Week. We're also finishing our series on 1 Peter looking at 1 Peter 5 - Living Boldly. After the service we will gather on zoom for coffee and hot cross buns at 12.15pm. The link is here
This week is Holy Week and we have a number different things happening. Each day from Monday there will be a video reflection from our leaders which will be available on our YouTube channel and shared on social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications of new video releases.
We have an Easter Trail in our church grounds beginning Monday at 11am. Drop in and take part. If you do not have an Easter Trail Sheet then it will be available on our facebook page from Sunday Evening. If will also be shared on our church WhatsApp group. Get in touch if any problems.
Our building will be open for Private Prayer on Good Friday 10am-2pm. There will be prayer stations. We ask that anyone attends wears a mask and observes the current guidelines that mean that on Good Friday any social interaction must be outdoors in groups of no more than six or two households.
Holy Week Services
Maundy Thursday 8pm - Communion on Zoom (bring bread and wine)
Good Friday 11am - We have been invited to join with New Addington Salvation Army for their service on zoom. The code will be shared on WhatsApp and in our congregation fb group. Please message us if you are not able to access and need the code.
Easter Sunday 9am - A short outdoor service in the church grounds. Normal social distancing guidelines apply. Please remember to bring a mask even though we are outdoors.
Easter Sunday 11am - Live zoom family resurrection celebration (resources also available on our website as normal).
Ongoing Services
Our normal Sunday services will be staying solely online until Stage 3 of the lockdown roadmap (Currently May 17th). We will be opening up for bi-weekly family services with craft and dancing on the 19th April. Keep an eye on website and social media for more info!
Worship
Call to Worship
Songs for Worship
Here is a playlist of songs. You might want to save the last two for before and after the sermon
Palm Sunday
Watch the video for the story of Palm Sunday. You can read the story in the Bible here in Matthew 21:1-11
The people praised and celebrated Jesus as he arrived in Jerusalem. We might not have palms as in tree branches, but we do have palms on our hands and we can use them to worship God.
Lift up your palms high in the air to worship God. As you do so name some of the things you are thankful for at this time.
Hold your palms out open in front of you like you are offering yourself to God. We worship him by offering all of ourselves to him. Ask God to help you live and serve him the best you can.
Look at your hands and think about how they help you care for others and help them. Try and help someone else in a different way today and give your service as active worship to God.
If you are feeling creative you could make your own Palms out of your hands like the one in the picture. You might want to use them to help you pray. Write a different name or situation on the palms and ask God to hold them in the palm of his hands.
Prayers
We pray to you, Lord of palm-branches and the cross,
for you understand us and in love you have promised
not to push away any who come to you.
So we pray for people who feel pushed away:
pushed away from a living faith in Jesus by pressure from friends and family;
those who feel pushed away by other people in churches
if they do not share the same kinds of ideas, or ways, or clothes;
for people who are pushed out by those who want power,
whose main love to be noticed, to have control.
We pray for your church that all those who trust in Jesus
will be made able by your Spirit to follow his humility,
to see and imitate his servant life, to welcome and not to condemn.
Help your church to be like Jesus.
We pray to you, Lord of palm-branches and the cross,
for you know the warm glow of being praised and the loneliness of being hated.
We pray for world leaders,
quick to stand in the limelight taking decisions which affect everyone in the world
but slow at times to do the steady, less glamorous work to which they are called.
We pray for world leaders to understand their role to serve the peoples of the world,
that posturing will be replaced by practical action to make a difference,
and jockeying for position be replaced by genuine efforts
to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for those who are weak.
In days when food banks are required in our land
to feed families who struggle to provide the basics for life,
we ask that you will re-arrange our priorities and help us to live more like Jesus.
We pray to you, Lord of palm-branches and the cross,
because you know how quickly life changes to death.
We pray for those who have recently lost those whom they have loved.
In the shock, confusion, pain and sorrow especially of unexpected loss,
we pray for hearts to be open to the comfort of your Spirit,
shown through friendship and community and as deep calls to deep.
We remember those we know who mourn in these days,
who need to be sure of that you invite those in sorrow to turn to you;
and we name them before you now...
We ask, God of grace, that you will make us more like some of the crowd:
that we will follow Jesus and give him our praise in the way we live;
that we will turn away from wrong and evil and stand on the Master’s side,
that we will be faithful in worshipping the one who has come in the Lord's name
through our singing, our worship, our prayers, our attention,
in giving our skills, time and means through the days of our lives;
and in the offering which we make now.
Bless, we pray, all that is given to your glory and the good of many.
Through Jesus who is the Saviour of all. Amen
Word
Our sermon today is based on 1 Peter 5. It would be helpful for you to read it before listening to the sermon. You can find it here
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