Sunday, April 5th, Palm Sunday

Sunday School this week is all about Palm Sunday! Find this week’s lesson here. The children’s bulletin and worship notes below are intended to be used during the Palm Sunday service. You can read this story in the Spark Story Bible on page 454.

Gathering

Processional Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus enters Jerusalem

1When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
 5“Tell the daughter of Zion,
 Look, your king is coming to you,
  humble, and mounted on a donkey,
   and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, 
 “Hosanna to the Son of David!
  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
 Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Word

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

Paul uses an early Christian hymn to help us comprehend Jesus’ obedient selflessness on the cross and how God has made Christ lord over all reality. The perspective of the cross becomes the way we rightly understand God, Christ, our own lives, and fellowship within the community of Christ.

5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
 6who, though he was in the form of God,
  did not regard equality with God
  as something to be exploited,
 7but emptied himself,
  taking the form of a slave,
  being born in human likeness.
 And being found in human form,
  8he humbled himself
  and became obedient to the point of death—
  even death on a cross.

 9Therefore God also highly exalted him
  and gave him the name
  that is above every name,
 10so that at the name of Jesus
  every knee should bend,
  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 11and every tongue should confess
  that Jesus Christ is Lord,
  to the glory of God the Father.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Passion Play

Creed, Prayers, Passing of the Peace

The Creed

We have faith in God who lives among us. We are not alone, we live in God’s world:

We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus,

the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.

We trust in God. We are called to be the Church:

to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in creation,

to love and serve others, to seek peace and resist evil,

to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God!

The Offering

We have a number of ways to participate and contribute when you are unable to attend worship in person. You can make a one-time donation, or manage ongoing giving. You may also chose to use the GivePlus App. Simply download the GivePlus app, and then search for “Holy Spirit Lutheran Church” using our zip code: 98034 (there are two other Holy Spirit Lutheran Churches in the country). Through that app you can also set up one-time or ongoing giving from your phone.

The Meal

This video includes music where you’re invited to join in the song. Follow along with the words and sing along! Music offered by Quarantones featuring Lorica.

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, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Sending

Special thanks to Chris C. for his photography and Steve G. on bagpipe

Church is more than a building – church is who we are called to be, no matter where we are. This week, we’ll be working on finding opportunities to be the church in our community and world during this time. What might that look like for you? Here are some emerging opportunities:

• If you know how to sew and have been wondering what to do with all that extra fabric at home, join the 100 Million Mask Challenge created by Providence.

• The Sofia Way, which provides shelter and resources for women, is looking for additional help in providing meals (several options can be done from home).

• The New Bethlehem Project has expanded their hours and is also looking for help in providing meals. Again, many of their options can be done from home, or from a distance.

Worship Reflection

We invite you to reflect on these questions throughout the week.

1. Which of the works of art included in the reading of the Passion most effected you? Why?

2. Can you imagine yourself in the story of the Passion? Who in the story do you think you would be? 

3. Pick a particular scene in the Passion story.  Draw your own picture of how you imagine the part of the story you choose.  Put your picture up in your home as we move through Holy Week together to remind yourself of the story. 

4. Do you remember the last time you were in a large crowd?  How did you feel and react?  Is it easy for you to express your own opinion in a large group of people? 

5. Do you think people behave differently when they are in a large crowd? How is it similar to or different from when, like now, many are alone or with only a few others?

If you would like to share your reflections, we invite you to tag us on social media.

facebook.com/hslc425

instagram.com/hslckirkland

PERMISSIONS INFORMATION

Spoken liturgy from sundaysandseasons.com; alt. Used by permission under Augsburg Fortress license #14006-LIT.

Additional spoken liturgy written by the local community and used by permission of the authors.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Jesus is Coming, Pave the Way with Branches.  Text and music by Bret Hesla.  Tune: © 1999 Bret Hesla, admin. Augsburg Fortress Text: © 1999 Bret Hesla, admin. Augsburg Fortress.  All rights reserved.  Used by permission under OneLicense.net license number A-708353.

Christ, Have Mercy on Us All. Text and Tune by Ray Makeever. © 1983 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used by permission under OneLicense.net license number A-708353.

Other Music Used in Today’s Worship

 Offertory

Amazing Grace.  NEW BRITIAN, early American folk-tune.  Arrangement for flute and piano by Rebecca Bonham.

Postlude

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.  PASSION CHORALE, H. L. Hassler/J. S. Bach.  Arrangement for flute and piano by Rich Heffler.

Artistic Works Included as Part of Today’s Reading of the Passion According to St. John

Christ Before Pilate Again.  Painting by Duccio di Buoninsegna.  Circa 1308-1311, Italy.

Ecce Homo.  Painting by Antonio Ciseri. 1871, Switzerland. 

Kroning met de doornenkroon (Christ with the Crown of Thorns).  Painting by Dirk van Baburen. 1623, Netherlands.

This Is Jesus - Behold the Man. Painting prepared as an llustration for the book This is Jesus by J. Kirk Richards.  2015, United States of America, Utah.

What is truth? Christ and Pilate. Painting by Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge. 1890, Russia.

Jezus przed Pilatem (Christ in front of Pilate). Painting by Mihály Munkácsy.  1881, Hungary.

5th Station of the Cross: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross.  Painting by Tea Schiano. 2019, United States of America, New Mexico.

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and Descent into Hell. Painting by Serhii Lohinov.  2017, Ukraine.

Jesus His Stripped of His Clothes.  Painting by Greig Leach.  2015, United States of America, Virginia.

Women at the Crucifixion. Painting by Andres Mantegna. 1459, Italy.

I am Thirsty.  Charcoal on paper with Photoshop colors by artist Fusciart (Richard A. Fuscia, Jr.).  2018, United States of America.

Christ of Saint John of the Cross. Painting by Salvador Dalí. 1951, Spain.