Ryan Ahlenius Ryan Ahlenius

Living Room Worship, 4/5

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Starting with Palm Sunday, we will enter into our annual Holy Week events. We take this week as a church to remember and celebrate Jesus last week before his death and resurrection. Palm Sunday will mark the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. We will gather (over zoom) with our parishes on Maundy Thursday to remember the last supper between Jesus and his disciples.  We will again gather over zoom on Good Friday – mourning Jesus’ death in the glad knowledge that our sins are dealt with and that Death is conquered in the death of Jesus and his resurrection. And then, on Easter morning, we will celebrate Jesus’ victory over the principalities and powers, his salvation of the world in worship.

Use your time during Holy Week to celebrate in your home and to celebrate with Trinity as we learn to ground our whole lives on the death, resurrection and reign of Jesus. As we continue to look at Mark’s gospel and consider Jesus together, may we be truly mesmerized by King Jesus. He was no peaceful comforter. He was no modern religious proverb deliverer. He is a wild and glorious and shocking and beautiful King who has conquered sin and death. Let him be shocking to you again.

"The crowd went wild as they got nearer. This was the moment they'd been waiting for. All the old songs came flooding back, and they were singing, chanting, cheering and laughing. At last, their dreams were going to come true. But in the middle of it all, their leader wasn’t singing. He was in tears. Yes, their dreams were indeed coming true. But not in the way they had imagined. He was not the king they expected. Not like the monarchs of old, who sat on their jewelled and ivory thrones, dispensing their justice and wisdom. Nor was he the great warrior-king some had wanted. He didn't raise an army and ride to battle at its head. He was riding on a donkey. And he was weeping - weeping for the dream that had to die, weeping for the sword that would pierce his supporters to the soul.Weeping for the kingdom that wasn't coming as well as the kingdom that was. What was it all about? What did Jesus think he was doing?"

- N.T. Wright, "On Palm Sunday, Jesus Rides into the Perfect Storm"
 

Call to Worship

The call to worship is a reminder that God welcomes us into His presence.  [Leader reads aloud over all present, taken from Matthew 21:1-11]

Leader: “Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’.”

Together: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns
The Lamb upon His throne
Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own
Awake my soul and sing
Of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity

Crown Him the Son of God,
Before the worlds began,
And ye who tread where He hath trod,
Crown Him the Son of Man;
Who every grief hath known
That wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own,
That all in Him may rest.

Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns,
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings,
With many crowns,
For He is king of all.

Confession of Sin

As we come into the presence of God, we are made aware of ways that we have failed to love Him, trust Him and obey Him. He promises that all who confess their sins will be forgiven and cleansed. God, through the work of Jesus deals completely with our guilt and our shame.  We encourage you to kneel, bow your head, and reflect on ways that you have not lived in step with God’s commands and confess these to our good King and Father. You will stand when the Assurance is read. [Invite everyone present to kneel and read this passage of Scripture together, taken from Psalm 51]

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; 
according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.
so that you may be justified in your words, and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; 
You will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise.

[Confess sins privately]

Assurance of Pardon

[Leader will read this aloud once all rise]

Leader: Now stand, lift up your heads and hear the good news: God makes wonderful promises to those who confess their sins and ask Him for mercy. In 1 John 1:5-10:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

All Together: Thanks be to God

All I Have Is Christ 

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God's love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelu-jah, all I have is Christ
Hallelu-jah, Jesus is my life

Now Lord I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

The Nicene Creed

Creeds represent one of the Church’s earliest attempts to define the bounds of what we confess to be true. It focuses primarily on the incarnation of Jesus, the trinitarian nature of God, and the unity of the church being rooted in the apostolic witness, which is given to us in the Bible.

[Read together]

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

We believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

We believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.



Scripture Readings and Sermon

[Please read the scriptures aloud.]

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5

New Testament Reading: Mark 11:1-12:12

Prayer

Our God is not detached from our world - He hears and answers our prayers. During this time of great need, we are all aware of our need for God to move and display his power and glory in both the world around us and in the lives of those near to us. Whether you are alone or with your family, take a moment to pray aloud the written prayer below, then silently pause to reflect on the prayer, and then conclude this time by asking God to move in specific ways for those in your home by name, your neighbors, and your city. [Taken from The Book of Common Prayer, 2019]


Together: We praise you, Almighty God, for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph, and was hailed as King by those who spread their garments and branches of palm along his way. Sanctify these branches with your blessing, we humbly pray, that they may be for us signs of his victory. Grant that we who bear them in his Name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Benediction

God now sends us into the world, to both tell our neighbors about Jesus’ work, and to wield our lives for their good. 

Doxology [Everyone stands, raises their hands, and sings together]

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow Praise Him, all creatures here below Praise Him above, ye heavenly host Praise Father, Son, and Holy GhostAmen.



[Remain standing as the leader reads aloud, taken from Isaiah 55:10-13]

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven 
and do not return there but water the earth, 
making it bring forth and sprout, 
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; 
it shall not return to me empty, 
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, 
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Leader: May the peace of God be with you, 

Together: And also with you!

Interpreting and Applying the Sermon Text

We encourage you to take some time in the coming days to reflect on the sermon text and answer the following questions individually or with friends and family.

  1. Why does Jesus wither the fig tree? What warning does it present to God’s people?

  2. Mark 11-12:12 contain several depictions of God’s servants promising allegiance out of the corner of their mouths while profaning God with their lives. Are there ways in which your mouth sings praises to God and yet your heart is far from him? Be specific.

  3. As we commune with God during Holy Week, we acknowledge the reality of having been poor tenants in our world [i.e. we confront our guilt and our shame]. And yet, as we will sing about on Easter, we run to the King who graciously dealt with our murderous hearts. During this special week, what in your own heart do you need to bring to Him? How might you need to ask for help in this from your family or friends?

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