Palm Sunday Service
Palm Sunday Service
Prelude
*Procession: “Hosanna” - NS 14
OR “Praise Him, Praise Him” - HS 68
Have the children wear “coats” and “cloaks” (scarves, fabric shawls, or
period costumes if available). As the congregation sings the hymn the
children follow the worship leaders to the rostrum handing palm fronds to
the congregation and laying them in the aisles. When the procession arrives
at the rostrum, the children remove their “coats” and “cloaks” and strew
them across the area. The adults can watch to see that they are not placed
where people may be walking during the service.
*Welcome and Call to Worship:
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Leader: Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
People: Hosanna!
Leader: Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king
comes to you;
People: Hosanna to the King!
Leader: Triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on
a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
People: Be exalted, O Lord, my God.
Leader: He shall command peace to the nations;
People: Hosanna to Jesus, the bringer of peace and
salvation!
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—Zechariah 9:9–10, adapted |
*Hymn: “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” - HS 23
OR “Song of Zechariah” - SP 5
*Invocation
*Response
Focus Moment: “The Donkey’s Lightest Burden”
Message
Disciples Generous Response
Scripture:
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter
through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered
me and have become my salvation. You are my God, and I will give thanks
to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for
he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
—Psalm 118: 19-21, 28-29
Blessing of mission tithes
*Hymn: “Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty” - HS 268
OR “Now Thank We All Our God” - HS 60
*Benediction
*Congregational Response: “Jesus, Remember Me” - NS 26
The Donkey’s Lightest Burden
Let me tell you, a donkey’s life is not an easy one. Donkeys are born to
carry burdens…people’s burdens, loads of things that are not even ours! I have
carried water jugs to the well for water, and I have carried the wheat bags in
from the field. I have carried lots of other things, too, but there was one day
that I was chosen to carry something very special.
I had been tied up just outside the door where my master had dropped off a
load of fruit for the market. He and some of his friends were telling stories to
each other. The day was warming up, and I was hoping we could get on our way
back home.
That’s when I saw them–the two strangers entering the gates of the village.
Right away I wondered who they were. I knew they weren’t from around this place.
So I wondered who they were and why they had come to our little village. You
see, it wasn’t exactly a tourist spot. It was mostly just a few families trying
to make a living and doing the same things everyday. So these guys got my
attention right away.
I was surprised when they came right up to the door post, my door
post, and began to untie me. Maybe, I thought, they had made a deal with my
master to buy me. Or…or…maybe they were stealing me! I dug my heels into the
dust preparing myself for the old stubborn donkey routine. Just when I was about
to make the biggest donkey bray I could muster up my master and his friends
noticed what was happening. “Hey there!” they called out, “What are you doing?
Where are you going with that donkey?”
So then these strangers answered, “The Lord needs it.” That’s it. That’s all
they said! “The Lord needs it.”
What Lord? And what does he need me for? I was beginning to get pretty
nervous now. These guys were going to be in big trouble.
But then my master smiled, gave a nod to them, and turned back to talking
with his friends. I couldn’t believe it! What was he doing? What were they
doing? And what were they going to do with me?
Fears raced through my head as we wandered down the road to the little town
of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. I couldn’t imagine why I was needed here.
Finally we stopped at a small home just inside the town. As the strangers
brought me a bucket full of water to drink, other people came out from the
house. They took off their cloaks and spread them on my back. It felt strange. I
had never carried coats before. This wasn’t a heavy burden at all.
And then, he came out of the house…the man they called Jesus. He had a
gentle face, but I noticed there was something sad in his eyes. He looked at me
as though to thank me, and then he sat on all those coats that the others had
thrown on me.
I had never carried a person before and it was a new feeling. It didn’t feel
like much of a burden at all.
As we set off towards Jerusalem I didn’t feel afraid anymore. I still
wondered where we were going, and I wondered why. Yet I felt like something
special was happening. As we got close to the gates of Jerusalem I saw a crowd
of people had gathered. They were shouting something and waving branches from
the palm trees and laying their coats in the road. As we came closer I heard
what they were saying, but at first I didn’t understand what they meant.
“Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David! Glory to God!”
Then I realized that this man I carried was a king, a savior! It was Jesus
the prophet from Nazareth! Everyone had heard of him and his miracles. I had
heard the people in my little village telling how he had healed people and that
he told stories of love and forgiving. And so as we walked through the gates I
held my head proudly and was careful not to stumble or fall. This was precious
cargo I was carrying! On down the streets of Jerusalem and on towards the temple
we went with the procession following us.
Later the disciples returned me to my home. Life pretty much returned to
normal, but I could not forget that day when I got to serve Jesus in that
special way. Not long after that day I heard my master and his friends quietly
talking. I couldn’t quite hear the whole story, but I did hear something about a
cross and an empty tomb. I don’t really know about all that. After all I am only
a simple donkey. But I do know that the most precious burden I ever carried was
Jesus, the man with the kind face and sadness in his eyes that day.
—by Trish Hernandez
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