ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH THE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD LITTLETON, COLORADO March 25, 2018 8:00 & 10:30 am PALM SUNDAY / SUNDAY OF THE PASSION Who Entered to Suffer and Die March 25, 2018 AS WE GATHER Palms and passion hardly seem to fit together but in Jesus they do. The palms welcomed Jesus to the triumph of suffering that paid the full price of our sin, and the hosannas cried out to Him who exchanged His life for death that we might live. There are no palms and hosannas that do not end in the cross, and there is no passion that does not lead us to faith and to rejoice in what His suffering accomplished. Our Lord came to the cross not as an unwilling victim but as the One who alone surrendered His life into death. We do not come to the Lord under coercion or as people compelled but at the bidding of the Gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
PREPARATION PRELUDES All Glory, Laud, and Honor Paul Manz Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Michael Burkhardt WELCOME TOLLING OF THE BELL Congregation, please stand during the tolling of the bell INVOCATION In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. BLESSING AND DISTRIBUTION OF PALMS Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! Brothers and sisters in Christ: In the five weeks of Lent, we have been preparing for this week, for the events of our Lord s death and resurrection. The great and wondrous paschal mystery now lies before us as we enter with Christ with palms and hosannas before He confronts the cross. Everything in Lent points to this week. As we commemorate how our Lord entered to the welcome of palms and hosannas, we also remember His death, which gives us life, and His resurrection, through which we dwell with Him for all eternity. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. Almighty God, we pray You to bless and consecrate these palm branches and those who bear them that we may honor Christ as our Lord and King and that we may follow Him without fear as He leads us on the pathway of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! PROCESSIONAL GOSPEL John 12:12 19 (Jesus enters Jerusalem.) The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter. Glory to You, O Lord. The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey s colt. At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him! This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ. COLLECT Let us pray. O Lord, as once Your Son was welcomed with palms and hosannas as He made His way to the cross, so lead us to welcome Him by faith today. Give us Your Holy Spirit that we may believe in Him above all things, proclaim His saving death to the whole world, and rejoice in what He accomplished for us by the offering of Himself upon the cross; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
GREETING Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! Let us go forth in peace. In the name of Christ! HYMN Hosanna, Loud Hosanna LSB 443 SALUTATION WORD The Lord be with you. And also with you. PRAYER OF THE DAY Let us pray. Almighty Father, You sent Your Son not for the accolades of the crowd but for the suffering of the cross. Give us faith so that we may recognize what He came to accomplish, rejoice in what His obedient love has done for our salvation, and acclaim Him Lord with hosannas without end; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. MINISTRY OF MUSIC (10:30 only) Hosanna, Hosanna! arr. Martin Ascension Chorale HYMN OF THE DAY The God of Abraham Praise Verses 1-3, 6, 8 LSB 798 MESSAGE "Christ Is The Passover" by Steve Cohen CREED Apostles Creed (Found in the Back Cover of Hymnal)
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Let us pray the Lord that He may hear us on behalf of the people of God and all people as they have need. That the humility of our Lord s suffering and death bring forth in us the fruits of faith and renewed faithfulness, for us and for all who hear His Passion today, let us pray to the Lord. That the sufferings of Christ in our place not only strengthen us in faith but give us courage to proclaim His salvation to the ends of the earth, let us pray to the Lord. That the wounds of the sick, the suffering, the grieving, and the dying find healing in the wounds of Christ our Lord, [especially...], let us pray to the Lord. That by His gracious example of humility unto death we learn humility of faith, repent of our sin and unrighteousness, and learn to delight in His will and walk in His ways all the days of our lives, let us pray to the Lord. That the Lord receive the tithes and offerings we bring, with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in our worship, as testament of our faith and as sign of our gratitude, let us pray to the Lord. That God visit His grace to us and to all nations, that we have good leaders and that we be good citizens, until the day when we join the saints before the Lord in His eternal city, where He has prepared for us an everlasting place, let us pray to the Lord. PAX DOMINI The peace of the Lord be with you always. We greet one another with a word of reconciliation, such as Peace be with you. OFFERING (8:00 only) Hosanna, Hosanna! arr. Martin Ascension Chorale
HOLY COMMUNION AT ASCENSION The Lord, our Host, invites to his Supper those who are baptized into the Christian faith, confess him as Savior, have examined themselves, truly repent of sins, believe the Risen Lord is present in the sacrament with his true body and blood, and resolve to live faithfully and obediently. For those with an intolerance to alcohol, the center ring of the tray contains grape juice. Gluten free wafers are available to those with wheat allergies. Children who have not been instructed, yet desire a blessing, are invited to come forward with arms crossed. When receiving the bread and wine, the communicant may respond with Amen!, a word of affirmation and belief. SACRAMENT PREFACE The Lord be with you. 2 Timothy 4:22 And also with you. Lift up your hearts. Colossians 3:1 We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Psalm 136 It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD 22:19 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23 25 Matthew 26:26 28; Mark 14:22 24; Luke Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me. In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. LORD S PRAYER Text found in back of Hymnal AGNUS DEI DISTRIBUTION MUSIC Holy Manna by Michael Cox Diana Gaide, Pianist Jerusalem, My Happy Home LSB 673 In the Cross Alone I Glory (8 am only) arr.petak/ijames Ascension Chorale What Wondrous Love Is This LSB 543
GENERAL COMMUNION BLESSING BENEDICTION The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6:24 26 CLOSING HYMN No Tramp of Soldier s Marching Feet LSB 444 CONGREGATIONAL CONCERNS POSTLUDE Lift Up Your Heads Michael Burkhardt Serving in Worship OFFICIANT and CELEBRANT DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES Pastor John Larson Michael Zehnder ELDER 8:00 Scott Luethy 10:30 Michael Lawrenz ACOLYTE 8:00 Esther Langness 10:30 Cody Urbach USHERS 8:00 Hank Peepgrass, Members of the Congregation 10:30 Jason Dierking, Members of the Congregation SERVER 10:30 Margo Pasha ALTAR GUILD Dawn Munson, Judy Peterson, Deb Shiflet, Cathy Utecht FLOWERS Nancy Lugton, in celebration of Emily Muldoon on her 25 th birthday and by Susan Anderson, in loving memory of Steve Anderson. CCLI License #1903595