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Worship

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Draw Near to God -- James 4:1-10 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
The Three Crosses of Calvary -- Luke 23:32-43 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
We Too Can Be Resurrected! -- John 20:11-18 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
On Hoisting a Sail -- Acts 2:1-13 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
One Nation Under God -- Mark 12:13-17 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
The Grace of Gratitude -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Robert A. Beringer -- 1999
Greeting and Call To Worship
The Prophetic Word -- And The Living Word -- Isaiah 40:1-5, John 1:1-14 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
First Sunday In Advent Isaiah 40:1-5; John 1:1-14
The Hope Of A Girl -- And The Hope Of The World -- Isaiah 7:10-14, Luke 1:26-38 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
Second Sunday In Advent Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38
The Expectant Parents -- And An Unexpected Baby -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 2:1-5 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
Third Sunday In Advent Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 2:1-5
The Song Of Angels -- And The Son Of God -- Isaiah 9:2-6 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
Fourth Sunday In Advent Isaiah 9:2-6; Luke 2:6-14
The Simple Shepherds -- And The Lamb Of God -- Isaiah 53:1-7, Luke 2:15-20 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
Christmas Eve Isaiah 53:1-7; Luke 2:15-20
The Three Kings -- And The King Of Kings -- Isaiah 9:7, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Thomas A. Pilgrim, Lisa Johnson Wrote The Beholders -- 1999
First Sunday After Christmas Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 2:1-12
Releasing Joy -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 1999
Call To WorshipLeader: Let us rejoice in this day that God has made.
God Who Gave -- Titus 2:11-14 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 1999
Call To WorshipLeader: It is Christmas.People: The Holy Child has come.
Getting It Straight -- Acts 19:1-7 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1999
Call To Worship
Just A Few Drops Of Water -- Mark 1:4-11 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1999
Call To WorshipLeader: Quiet baptismal water connects us to God forever.
god or God? -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1999
Theme: god or God?Call To Worship
What Makes You Change? -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1999
Theme: What Makes You Change?Call To WorshipLeader: What changes us?
God's Kids Hope -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1999
Call To Worship
Alive, I Say -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1999
Call To Worship
A Reason -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1999
Call To Worship Leader: Is it possible that human weaknesses are for a reason?
Little Ado -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1999
Call To Worship
O Come, Blessed Light Of The World! -- Cynthia E. Cowen -- 1999
Lights Advent Devotions O Come, Blessed Light Of The World!
Celebrating The Advent Wreath -- Cynthia E. Cowen -- 1999
Bulletin Celebrating The Advent Wreath A Special Advent Service
Christmas Symbols And Songs -- Cynthia E. Cowen -- 1999
Leader's Helps Christmas Symbols And Songs

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Kingdom People -- Matthew 5:3 -- E. Dale Click -- 2004
Years ago when Richard Shepard, pastor of St.
Brokenhearted People -- Matthew 5:4 -- E. Dale Click -- 2004
Those who followed Jesus up the mountain were eager to hear his teachings.
Disciplined People -- Matthew 5:5 -- E. Dale Click -- 2004
A television quiz show would flash a word before a contestant and the contestant was expected to say
The Signs Of Summer -- Luke 21:25-36 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas -- 2003
The season of Advent is upon us, and with it is a spirit of heaviness.
The Hinge Of History -- Luke 3:1-6 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Henry Ford said that history is bunk; but history has gotten its revenge on the pioneer auto maker.
The Divine Opportunity -- Luke 3:7-18 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Opportunity comes with so many different faces that we often don't recognize it.
Songs Of The Season -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
No season of the year sings as well as Christmas.
Final Touch! -- Luke 6:20-31 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- All Saints Day - C -- 2003
When Sean O'Malley died in Ireland and was dutifully laid out in his casket for viewing at his wake,
Now What? -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2003
The Ascension of Jesus into heaven is one of those strange Bible stories that Cecil B.
Escape From The Island Of Spiritual Sloth -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2003
I was noodling around on the internet not long ago, doing some research on the "Seven Deadly Sins,"
Epiphany: Glory Beyond Our Expecting -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2003
In 1986 a relatively unknown basketball team from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock defeated
The Crowd That Watched God Die -- Luke 23:33-43 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2003
Have you ever noticed how people are attracted to the scene of tragedy?
Resurrection And Remembrance -- Luke 24:1-12 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Easter Day - C -- 2003
Down through the centuries there have been various and sundry attempts to try to discredit the resur
Bearing The Scars -- John 20:19-31 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
I remember taking my first real high school date to see the movie Jaws -- that summer blockbuster fr
The Gotcha God -- John 21:1-19 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
There is the embarrassment of getting publicly caught.
Believing And Belonging -- John 10:22-30 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Jesus is taking a walk today. It is winter, December, a little chilly.
Just Like That -- John 13:31-35 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
"Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." Perhaps more than any other single ver
Moving In -- John 14:23-29 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Philip Yancey, the best-selling author, once holed up in a mountain cabin for two weeks during a Col
Listening In -- John 17:20-26 -- Frank G. Honeycutt -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to be a disciple if Jesus walked among us in the flesh.
Epiphany: A Faith To Work Miracles -- John 2:1-11 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2003
I consider it divine good fortune that we have a scripture lesson so early in the year which encoura
Epiphany: The Joy Of Fulfillment -- Luke 4:14-21 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2003
I've read some books where it seemed the author had no purpose in writing.
Epiphany: The Tragedy Of Rejection -- Luke 4:21-30 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2003
In the church, most of us think of Epiphany simply as a season on the church calendar, and sometimes
From Empty Nets To Full Lives -- Luke 5:1-11 -- J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2003
It's funny what experiences and phrases will stay with you from childhood.
At The Corner Of Church And Main -- Luke 6:17-26 -- David Kalas -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2003
Once there was a great intersection in the ancient city of Bethlehem.
Saints In Shorts -- Luke 6:27-38 -- David Kalas -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2003
Seven years ago, our family moved from southern Virginia to northeast Wisconsin.

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Eighth Sunday After The Epiphany -- Isaiah 55:10-13, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Luke 6:39-49 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13 (C)
The Transfiguration Of Our Lord -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Ash Wednesday -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
First Sunday In Lent -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Second Sunday In Lent -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Luke 13:31-35 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Third Sunday In Lent -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1-9 (C)
Fourth Sunday In Lent -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Fifth Sunday In Lent -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Isaiah 43:16-21 (C, RC, E)
Sunday Of The Passion (Palm Sunday) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Good Friday -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Good Friday - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Isaiah 52:13--53:12 (C, RC, E)
The Resurrection Of Our Lord (Easter Day) -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Easter Day - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Second Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 20:19-31, Revelation 1:4-8 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Acts 5:27-32 (C)
Third Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 9:1-16 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Fourth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Acts 9:36-43 (C)
Fifth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Acts 11:1-18 (C)
Sixth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5, John 14:23-29 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Acts 16:9-15 (C)
The Ascension Of Our Lord -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Acts 1:1-11 (C, RC, E)
Seventh Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
The Day Of Pentecost -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Trinity Sunday -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Corpus Christi -- Genesis 14:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11-17 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS Lesson 1: Genesis 14:18-20
Proper 4 -- 1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39, Galatians 1:1-12, Luke 7:1-10 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Proper 5 -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24), Galatians 1:11-24, Luke 7:11-17 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Proper 6 -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36--8:3 -- E. Carver Mcgriff -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2000
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

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Death of a Blacksnake -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
I WAS DRIVING along a rural road recently when the car in front of me swerved off the shoulder and c
THE STRANGER -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
IT WAS a warm summer evening in the mid-fifties.
Obscenity Is ... -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
WHAT IS OBSCENITY?
SEX IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
I WAS WALKING down the street one day when I bumped into a minister-friend whose attention had been
INTERVIEW WITH A BAPTOMETHOCATH -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
(A reporter is at a convention of "one-way" religionists called Baptomethocaths.
THE FALL OF A SPARROW -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, a small sparrow soared from the top of a telephone pole and glided across the roa
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
THERE ARE THOSE who would say that the 1930s and 1940s were not good years in which to live, much le
A MILLION-DOLLAR STATUS SYMBOL -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
IT SITS THERE like a sleeping giant; a multi-million dollar structure of brick, steel, and glass, co
THE CLERK WHO ROARED -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
I WAS STANDING in a department store checkout line recently where I witnessed an amazing transformat
THE LONELY WOMAN -- Charles W. Byrd -- 1990
SHE SAT on the long porch of the nursing home, her small, thin body buried under heavy woolen garmen
Affirm -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Jesus once told a story about a woman who kept nagging a greedy and unjust judge until his resistanc
Bridge Builders -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
In A.D. 1191, Pope Clement III approved a new guild.
Cabbage Patch Kids -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Cabbage Patch Kids are dolls invented by Xavier Roberts.
Caesar -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
In Las Vegas there was an old Christian saint, named Sam, who was approaching his eightieth birthday
Alone -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
"No man is an island," wrote the seventeenth century Anglican priest, John Donne.
Ancestors -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Unless some things are carried from the past into the future, there will be no future worth having.
Atonement -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Atonement is the word Christians use to sum up what Jesus' death means to them.
Authority -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
"By what authority are you acting like this?" was the question posed to Jesus by the religious leade
Babies -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
In the early 1830's, in France, a schoolmaster wrote these words in his rollbook, after the name of
Ballot -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
At election time, we enter the polling booth to choose a candidate, by using a pencil or pulling a l
Branded -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Once upon a time, two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep.
Breath -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
"Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet," wrote Alfred Lord Tennyson about God.
Adam -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage.
Ecumenical -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
In 1892 Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary, was sent to Labrador, a large peninsula
Kingdom of God -- Edward Chinn -- 1987
When Leslie Weatherhead, the late English pastor, lived in India as a young man, he had a sturdy gar

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Lent 5
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Palm/Passion Sunday
30+ – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30+ – Children's Sermons / Resources
30+ – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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15+ – Sermons
70+ – Illustrations / Stories
20+ – Children's Sermons / Resources
15+ – Worship Resources
10 – Commentary / Exegesis
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16+ – Sermons
70+ – Illustrations / Stories
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15+ – Worship Resources
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Christopher Keating
Mary Austin
George Reed
For March 29, 2026:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sandra Herrmann
The work of salvation is embodied in the crucifixion and death of Jesus. That, all Christians are agreed upon. But how does that work? Jesus is obedient to God, undergoing torture and a horrible death, naked and in public view. Unless someone will come forward and claim the body after the crucifixion is over, it will be disposed of like garbage, literally: it will be thrown in the garbage pit outside of Jerusalem and slaked with lime to hold down the smell of the decaying flesh and hurry the process of tissue breakdown.
Perhaps we lose the punch of the imagery of "servant" in the Bible when we in our day view on cable television a movie like Remains of the Day. Watching the ever meticulous and loyal Anthony Hopkins prepare a table for dinner in a British palatial estate enables us to see what the ideal servant should do, how he should dress and act and talk, and how he should close his ears to whatever conversation takes place between host and guest.
R. Craig Maccreary
I suspect that most preachers will not be looking for ways to dive headlong into lifting up the passion as the centerpiece of their homiletical offering for this Sunday. No doubt there are good reasons to avoid wandering off the usual beaten path of the Palm Sunday parade: the palms, on order for a year, beckon to be taken home and folded into family Bibles as bookmarks; the children wait to have the promise fulfilled that they will be able to act up a bit in the parade of palms with a passion that is not usually permitted; and the choir has practiced for months.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
When Jesus died, the centurion who crucified him said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" Let us worship God's Son in all our activities today.


Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, forgive us when we fail to recognise you in other people.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, forgive us when we let ourselves down.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, forgive us for all those occasions when we crucify you afresh.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

StoryShare

Bryan Meadows
David O. Bales
Contents
What's Up This Week
"Upwards Motion" by Bryan Meadows
"Is It Truth?" by David Bales


What's Up This Week
Judy Sepsey
David O. Bales


Contents
"In the Arms of Love" by Judy Sepsey
"Mother of Judas" by David O. Bales


* * * * * * * *


Introducing Judy Sepsey

SermonStudio

David O. Bales
The novel The Ugly American is based upon facts of how Americans related to people in Southeast Asia. The insensitivity and arrogance of American government officials was generally depressing. One chapter of the novel, however, is particularly inspiring. An American woman, Emma Atkins, has come with her engineer husband to the fictional nation of Sarkhan. Emma is a curious, good-hearted person and she soon notices that in their small village all the older people are permanently bent over.
Lee Griess
Different churches celebrate Palm Sunday in different ways. At one church in Chicago, there is a tradition for worshipers to gather outside the church. Palm branches are distributed, and when the time comes, another group of worshipers emerge from the front doors playing instruments and together they march around the block, singing the songs of Palm Sunday. One year as the procession made its way around the block of the church building, a young man living in an apartment across the street, threw open the window and in his pajamas shouted, "What's all this noise?
Mark Ellingsen
God simply does not seem to do the sort of things we would expect our God to do. He does not always give us what we want. Most of us do not have everything we had hoped and dreamed for in life. He does not always answer our prayers. After all, we have all lost loved ones.
Robert J. Elder
Preachers often wonder what to do with Palm Sunday. Frequently the day is given to a celebration of Jesus' triumphal procession into Jerusalem.

Sometimes, though, worship provides a different offering, given the alternate title of Passion Sunday, leaving behind the pomp and celebration of Palm Sunday for a hard look at the events of the coming week, the last supper, the betrayal, the crucifixion, the burial in the tomb. It is because we know about the passion that is coming that preachers always wonder what to do with the happy celebration of Palm Sunday.
Albert G. Butzer, III
One of the harsh realities of the life of faith is feeling abandoned by God. Sooner or later most of us will experience what college chaplain Will Willimon once called "vacant places of the heart when God seems far away, remote."1 We often hear people say, "I come to church to celebrate the presence of God in my life," which is true for many people much of the time. But if we listen carefully we will hear others say:

I come to church to try to find what's missing in my life.
I come hoping that Someone will shed some light on my darkness.
Bill Mosley
Things are hardly ever the way they appear and certainly not on Calvary's hill. The Passion story from Luke makes the turning tables graphically clear. The king is crucified. The court of law is not legal. Justice is not done. Even the Roman governor can find no crime in this man. The evidence is compromised. Everything points the other way. So why does Jesus have to die?
Dallas A. Brauninger
First Lesson: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Theme: Like Flint

Call To Worship

He, who could tenderly sustain the weary with a word, was about to be clobbered. He knew it. He did not run. He faced it. He turned his own other cheek.

Collect

We stand together with you, O Parent of Jesus, through the unholy events of this holy week. We stand with you as you wait with your own face set like flint as you hear him cry out to you on the cross.

Prayer Of Confession
Beverly S. Bailey
Hymns
At The Name Of Jesus (PH148, UM168, CBH342)
All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name (PH142, 143, CBH106, NCH304)
He Is Lord (UM177)
Blessed Be The Tie That Binds (CBH421)
Go To Dark Gethsemane (PH97, CBH240)        
He Never Said A Mumblin' Word (PH85)
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna (UM27, PH89, NCH213)
Mantos y Palmas/Filled With Excitement (UM279, NCH214)
All Glory, Laud, And Honor (PH90, NCH216)

Anthems
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, Kenyon, Agape, handbells

CSSPlus

Good morning, boys and girls. Everyone here this morning has taken an elevator ride before, right? (Let them answer.) Have you ever gotten on an elevator that was going down, (point down) and you wanted to go up, (point up) so you went down (point down) to go up (point up)? That's what we are going to do this morning. Only our elevator is an imaginary one.
Good morning! Today I brought a sign with me. Can someone tell me what it says? (Have one of the older children read it.) Now why do you think I brought this with me this morning? (Let them answer.) I brought this with me because it is very similar to the sign they put on Jesus' cross. (Here you can recap the Passion Sunday reading.)
Good morning! I brought two pictures to show you today. Here
is a picture of Jesus having a dinner with his friends (show the
picture), and here is one of Jesus suffering on the cross (show
the picture). Now, if you were Jesus, which of these two things
would you rather be doing? (Let them answer.) Yes, of course. If
any of us were given that choice, we would rather be doing
anything other than suffering on a cross. In fact, I doubt that
there is anything that would convince one of us to allow

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