Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –

We remember the day when Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem.

Hosanna to the son of David!

We remember that Jesus did not come as a conqueror but as a Messiah to save the lost.

Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

We remember that He came among us so that we might know God’s love and peace.

Hosanna in the highest!

We remember that God did not abandon us to our sins but through His undeserved grace God granted us the privilege of becoming His children.

Praise be to God!

Prayer of Praise  

(Bruce Prewer in Australian Prayers p46 & 47) 

We thank you, O God, for Jesus Christ, the word of forgiveness, the source of hope, and the promise of renewal.

Hosanna!  Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

We thank you, O God, for the assurance that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners.

Hosanna!  Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

We thank you, O God, for the experience of your mercy, and the sense of your presence in our lives.

Hosanna!  Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

We praise you, Gracious God, for you make Disciples out of sinners, for you bring rejuvenation into tired and barren lives.

Hosanna!  Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Amen.

You are invited to listen or join in singing 2 songs:

The first song is ‘Give thanks with a grateful heart’ from  Scripture in Song volume 3 number 509

Henry Smith

The second song is ‘Lord the light of your love is shining’ from Scripture in Song volume 3 number 580

Graham Kendrick

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we rejoice in your entry into the world and into our lives!

As did the crowd lining the road into Jerusalem, we sing your praises and exalt your reign.

But even so, our hearts are far from true worship,

Our minds are distant from true understanding.

We are disappointed with your humility,

We are uninspired by your selflessness.

Our sin leads us to death even though you promise us life.

Our treachery guides us to hostility towards others even though you call us to peace.

We confess that our wills are as rebellious as Jerusalem’s,

that our faith is often more show than substance,

that our hearts are in need of cleansing.

Have mercy on us, Saviour of our lives.

Help us to lay at your feet all that we have and all that we are,

 trusting you to forgive what is sinful, to heal what is broken.  To your glory we pray.  Amen.

(by John Paarlberg)  https://www.faithward.org/worship-lent-palm-sunday-prayer-and-call-to-worship-ideas

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Philippians 2: 8) 

Jesus Christ was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death, his death on the cross for our sins.  We have confessed our sins in the presence of God, so, trusting in the mercy of God and placing our trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ, we are confident in knowing that God has heard us and has forgiven us.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 13 & 14 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may perceive your mercy and grace, that in your truth we may find freedom, and that in your will we may discover peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Zechariah 9:

9  Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!  Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!  Look, your King is coming to you!  He comes triumphant and victorious, but humble and riding on a donkey – on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10  The Lord says, “I will remove the war chariots from Israel and take the horses from Jerusalem; the bows used in battle will be destroyed.  Your King will make peace among the nations; he will rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/zechariah/9.html)

Philippians 2:

5  The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:  6  He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.  7  Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness.  8  He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death – his death on the cross.

9  For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.  10  And so, in honour of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees,  11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/philippians/2.html)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Matthew 21:

1  As Jesus and his Disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives.  There Jesus sent two of the Disciples on ahead  2  with these instructions:

“Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  3  And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them.’; and then they will let them go at once.”

4  This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said:

5  “Tell the City of Zion, Look, your King is coming to you!  He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  (Zechariah 9: 9) 

6  So the Disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do:  7  they brought the

donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on.

8  A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  9  The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout,

“Praise to David’s Son!  God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!  Praise be to God!”  (Psalm 118: 25 & 26) 

10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar.  “Who is he?” the people asked. 

11  “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/matthew/21.html)

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You  are invited to list to or join in singing the Hymn ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty’  (TiS348  AHB264)

Henry Millman

Sermon

  Frank Herman Albright was a career Officer in the United States Army from the late 19^th century to the early 20^th century, eventually reaching the rank of Brigadier General.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herman_Albright)  He once said,

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make the effort worthwhile.”  (Reader’s Digest Quotable Quotes p69) 

   Of course, there is the negative side to attitudes as well. 

  A Dr William D Brown, who, so far as I could determine, is a Clinical psychologist,  (https://www.trtcle.com/our-faculty/23/william-d-brown-phd)  wrote a book titled ‘Welcome stress!  It can help you be your best’.  (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/806226.William_D_Brown) 

  In this book he wrote this phrase,

“Failure is an event, never a person.”  (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/154218-failure-is-an-event-never-a-person)  (Reader’s Digest Quotable Quotes p115)

  How often have we taken the hurtful attitude of labelling a person after an event?

  In today’s reading from the letter to the Philippians, Paul talks of attitudes.  The background to this part of his letter is that he had heard accounts of troubles in the Church in Philippi, stories of squabbling, of self-seeking behaviour, and of petty conceits.  It seems that the same problem occurred in other Churches for Paul was addressing the same issues in the Church in Galatia when he said “We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.”  (Galatians 5: 26)  Paul states to the Church art Philippi, “The attitude you should have is the one that Jesus Christ had:”  (Philippians 2: 5)  .

The answer according to Paul was humility, humility before God leading to humility in our relationships with other people.  (Ralph Martin in Philippians  An Introduction and Commentary p93)  So, where do we see humility in Jesus?  To start with, says Paul, we must understand the original nature of Jesus, for he says of Jesus that “He always had the nature of God”, or as another translation states “Jesus, being in every nature God.”  (Philippians 5: 6)  We have no hesitation in accepting this because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  The Apostle John addresses Jesus as “He who comes from above”, and later states “The Father loves His Son and has put everything in His power.”  (John 3: 31 & 35) 

    Paul continues, “but Jesus did not try to become equal with God.”  Jesus was in every way the same as God yet did not seek to be equal with God.  It is helpful to put this into perspective by briefly looking at those who did seek equality with God.

  In Genesis chapter 3 we have the account of Satan conversing with Eve, where he questions Eve’s understanding of God’s command not to eat the fruit of the Tree growing in the middle of the Garden of Eden, and where doubts are raised as to God’s intention behind this command.  Satan suggests to Eve that “God said that because He knows that when you eat it you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad.”  Eve’s response was to think how wonderful it would be to become wise.  She was enticed into thinking how wonderful it would be to be the same as God.  Adam and Eve, created Earthly beings, subsequently disobeyed God’s command, and did not trust in God’s provision.

  In Matthew chapter 4 we have the account of the Temptations of Jesus.  The third temptation was where Satan took Jesus up to the top of a very high mountain and showed Him all of the Kingdoms of the World in all of their greatness, and said “All of this I will give you, if you kneel down and worship me.”  (Matthew 4: 9)  Here is Satan, a created Heavenly being as we read in the Book of Job  (Job 1: 6)  , seeking to supplant God and directly challenging God’s will.  Jesus, who from before creation was with God and was God, is different.

    What do we read was the action of Jesus?  Paul continues by saying that of his own free will Jesus gave up all he had and humbly took on the nature of a person, he took on a human likeness.  This is a reference to the Incarnation of Jesus.  To understand what Paul is saying, we must first consider what Jesus gave up; that is, He gave up His infinite spiritual nature and his constant close communion with God.  And what did Jesus take up?  As one writer puts it, “Jesus shared our Human nature in all of its frailty and finitude”.  (Ralph Martin in Philippians  An Introduction and Commentary p100) 

Why was it important for Paul to stress this?  At the time the early Christian Church was being exposed to certain beliefs that downplayed or even denied the importance of the person and work of Jesus, that is, his life and death and resurrection; stating that if Jesus was the Son of God, that is, a spiritual being, it was impossible for him to be a human and for him to die on the cross.  These beliefs held that Jesus only appeared to die, reviving at a later time while he was in the coolness of the tomb. 

    However, for Paul, such beliefs obscured the truth of the Gospel.  As he writes in his letter to the Church in Rome, “What the law could not do, because Human nature was weak, God did.  He condemned sin in human nature be sending His own Son, who came with the nature like humanity’s sinful nature, to do away with sin,”  (Romans 8: 3)  The old man Simeon had the same understanding when he saw the infant Jesus in the Temple, for he proclaimed to all who would listen “With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, (God), which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples; a light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and to bring glory to your people Israel”.  (Luke 2: 30 to 32) 

    Secondly, Paul states that Jesus humbly walked the path of obedience to His death on the cross.  This makes reference to the crucifixion of Jesus.  Such obedience comes out so clearly in the words of Jesus while He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My Father if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  (Matthew 26: 39)  Christ’s love was directed at fulfilling God’s redeeming work.  But we also see Christ’s love being directed to Humanity itself.  The writer of the Book of Hebrews states “Jesus Himself became like people of flesh and blood and shared their human nature.  He did this so that through His death He might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.”  (Hebrews 2: 14 & 15) 

    Walter Brueggemann states that “Jesus’ death was the most debased, shameful public death imaginable in the ancient world.  (Walter Bruggemann Charles Cousar Beverley Gaventa and James Newsome in Texts for Preaching Year A p234)  Ralph Martin in his Commentary on Philippians describes crucifixion as “a death of unimaginable pain and utter shame, which to the Jew meant that the victim was placed outside of God’s covenantal people.”  (Ralph Martin in Philippians  An Introduction and Commentary p102 & 103)  Reading of the anguish of Jesus in his final moments on the cross brings to bear not just the physical pain, but the mental and spiritual agony that He chose to go through.  Is it any wonder then that Paul sees Jesus as the ideal example for his readers?  Christ’s obedience, Christ’s willingness to regard others as more important than Himself, and Christ’s rejection of his own status, are the aspects of Christ’s mind that Paul urges on the Philippians.  (Walter Bruggemann Charles Cousar Beverley Gaventa and James Newsome in Texts for Preaching Year A p234) 

‘A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.’  Matthew 21: 9

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1303296464/vector/jesus-comes-to-jerusalem-on-donkey-triumphal-as-king.jpg)

   But, where do we see humility in Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem?  It could be argued that Jesus deliberately chose the time, the place and the means whereby His short journey would attract the most attention and the greatest public response.  He started at Bethpage at the Mount of Olives, a high point to the east of Jerusalem.  From here you could look down towards Jerusalem.  Equally, anyone looking towards Bethpage could clearly see, follow and hear a procession proceeding down the road.  When Jesus started His journey His disciples threw their cloaks over the donkey.  In their culture, you only do that for a King, as we read in 2 Kings 9 when Jehu became king of Israel.

  Onlookers quickly became aware of the significance of the Disciples’ actions and did the same.  In addition, they took up the chant from Psalm 118, shouting as Jesus passed them by, “Praise to David’s Son!  God bless Him who comes in the name of the Lord!  Praise be to God!”  (Psalm 118: 25 & 26)  Jesus intended, through both the setting and the nature of the procession, to gather an audience, to generate noise, to portray a carefully crafted message, and to challenge the religious leaders to make a response to Him, one way or the other.  Where is there humility in such actions?  Surely the hoped for consequences would be the gathering of as large a number of followers as possible, and to build up his prestige and influence?

    However, a careful reading of the passage presents a clearer picture.  Jesus rode on a donkey and not on a horse.  In the culture, royal persons rode donkeys on peaceful occasions.  They rode horses as a warrior when they were off to war.  Matthew carefully records that the image Jesus was portraying was that He was coming to bring peace not an insurrection against their Roman oppressors.  In so doing Jesus was alluding to a prophesy by the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah, who wrote, “Look, your King is coming to you!  He is humble and rides on a donkey”.  (Zechariah 9: 9)  In responding the way they did with their cloaks and palm leaves and chanting from Psalm 118, the onlookers were taking part in an act of worship, acknowledging that it was God to whom both they and their King were serving, and to whom they were to obey.  At no time was Jesus seeking acclamation for Himself alone, nor to build up an empire for Himself on Earth.  As one writer puts it, Jesus’ triumphal entry is one of meekness and humility rather than one of power and pride.  (Walter Bruggemann Charles Cousar Beverley Gaventa and James Newsome in Texts for Preaching Year A p229) 

    But we must ask whether those waving the palm branches and shouting their praises understood all of this.  They proclaimed Jesus as “David’s Son”, yet called Him a prophet from the Town of Nazareth in Galilee.  If He was David’s Son, surely they would have proclaimed Him as a Prophet coming from the Town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David.  This had already been the source of confusion for some people.  In John chapter 7 we read of some people responding to the claim that Jesus was the Messiah by stating “The Messiah will not come from Galilee.  The Scripture says that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David and will be born in Bethlehem, the Town where David lived.”  (John 7: 27, 41 & 42)  The Scripture alluded to here is the passage from Micah 5: 2, made famous because it was the passage provided by the religious leaders to King Herod 33 years previously in response to the request by the Magi for information on the birthplace of the newly born King of the Jews.  (Matthew 2: 5 & 6)  Did the crowd then clearly understand the nature of Jesus and of their celebrations?

    And for what type of King were the onlookers hoping?  Were they focusing on the meekness and humility of Jesus or were they seeking to fit Jesus into their schemes and dreams about freedom from their enemies and oppressors?  The Apostle John records one such occasion, after Jesus had fed the large crowd from the five loaves and the two fish, when he left the crowd because He sensed that they desired to “seize him in order to make Him King by force.”  (John 6: 15) 

    What must be remembered is that within a week, the same crowd of onlookers who had proclaimed Jesus as King were demanding his death.  One writer talks of the fickle nature of human opinion that will turn when the powers that be threaten peoples comfort and security.  (Walter Bruggemann Charles Cousar Beverley Gaventa and James Newsome in Texts for Preaching Year A p234)  How could there be such a change in their attitude towards Jesus?  How could there be such a change in their approach to how God was acting in the World?

    Were the onlookers genuine in their praise of Jesus as He rode along?  I believe so.  I believe that for that short time they had a revelation of Jesus as the coming King, the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  What they failed to grasp was the means that God had planned for their salvation, that, for God, victory involved their redemption through the sacrifice of His Son. 

   What happens in the days ahead, what Jesus teaches and how He conducts Himself in the face of arrest, betrayal, denial, trial, mocking and finally death, provides the appropriate definition of humbleness.  Christ resolutely lives out His vocation to be the Son of God, refusing to come down from the cross, saving others and not Himself, and trusting only in God.  For Jesus, being a King was not about control or domination.  Instead, it meant obedience to a divine calling, and an acceptance of the role as God’s suffering servant.  (Walter Bruggemann Charles Cousar Beverley Gaventa and James Newsome in Texts for Preaching Year A p236) 

    We can only give our praise to God for His redeeming grace to us.  We can only give our praise to Jesus Christ for walking the path of obedience all the way to death on the cross.  Let us share with the words of the Psalmist, “You are my God and I give you thanks, I will proclaim your greatness.  Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good and His love is eternal.”  (Psalm 118: 28 & 29)  Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer    

‘For the life that you have given’  TiS774  

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria – there is no introduction.]

[This YouTube clip is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

Almighty God, we hear of things happening, both near and far away, that which makes us afraid of what is in store for humanity.  

Strengthen our trust in your power and authority to fulfill your will and purpose in the World.

We hear of the destitute and of the needy, and their terrible plight tears at our soul.

May we not throw up our hands in despair, but be active in doing what we can to alleviate need and to advocate for change.

May the World acknowledge your power and authority as the ruler of all.  May Governments and those in positions of power and decision making seek your will and guidance, may they seek to act to bring health and prosperity to all and not wealth and status for the few.

May peace and justice be the driving forces among peoples and not division and prejudice.

Have mercy on the lonely and the grieving, those who feel shut off from the company of others and withdrawn into a world of self absorption. 

May they feel your presence close by and experience the comfort and peace of mind that only you can give. 

We pray for those who are ill or injured. 

May you provide relief for them in this difficult time.  We pray for those who provide care and comfort to them that they will see the reward for their efforts. 

Bless and inspire the Church Worldwide to witness to your grace and to declare your great work of the forgiveness of sin.  Let it not be tempted to deviate from this call so as to seek honour or position or any reward offered by the World, lest its ministry be diluted and its witness made ineffectual. 

May there be unity within the Church.  May we not be content with divisions or accept contention between factions as a fact of life.  May we all seek a unity of purpose to bring your light to an ever darkening World.

  (from Leading Intercession p101, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year C pp91 & 92) 

We pray for the Church, that we may strive to have the same mind as Christ as we offer our lives in loving service to others.

We pray for courage, that your love will sustain us in times of suffering and rejection, and help us to trust in your providence each day.

We pray for all Christians, that you will fill us with life and raise us up as we surrender ourselves to you and seek to do your will.

We pray for all who are suffering because of the Gospel, that you will sustain them, help them to give faithful witness to the Gospel, and make fruitful their witness in the hearts of others.

We pray for all who have experienced abandonment, betrayal, or rejection, that your Spirit will comfort them, help them to hold fast to the truth, and guide them to new communities.

We pray for leaders of Government and Business: that through the example of Jesus, they may recognize how to be servant leaders and never forget the needs of the most vulnerable.

We pray for all who work in the legal system, for judges, attorneys, and juries: that they may always respect the dignity of both the injured and accused parties and work diligently to find the truth.

We pray for greater respect for human life, that every heart may honour the mystery of Human life at all stages along life’s journey.

We pray for all who are grieving, that you will comfort them, bring supportive people to accompany them, and fill their hearts with peace.

We pray for the grace to forgive, that we may have the courage to forgive freely all who injure us just as you have forgiven us.

We pray for peace, that you will open new awareness among all conflicting groups to the dignity of each person, inspire leaders with new ways to settle disputes, and protect the children and elderly from harm.

https://liturgy.slu.edu/PassionA040223/ideas_other.html  Copyright © 2023. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.

We pray for the peoples of Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia.

We are thankful for the faithful witness of Christians here through the centuries, especially in times of occupation and persecution for the peaceful resolution of disputes, for the distinctive cultural contributions and resources in these lands, and for the religious freedom and ecumenical cooperation that is growing.

We pray for greater respect for the Roma people and others who are marginalized and who lack adequate livelihoods in these lands, for welcoming and engaging those of other faiths and ethnicities, for growth in spiritual as well as physical health, for democratic governance that advances God’s justice and peace for all.

Prayers

Oh sweet Christ, draw us who are weak to you, since we cannot follow you if you do not draw us on.
Give us a brave, resourceful spirit, and, if the body is feeble, may your grace precede, mediate and follow, because without you we can do nothing and we are nothing.
Give us resolute spirits, fearless hearts, true faith, firm hope and perfect love,
that we may patiently and joyfully lay down our lives for you.

(Prayer by John Hus)

For Everlasting Peace

I will appoint peace your governor, and justice your ruler.
No longer shall violence be heard of in your land,
or plunder and ruin within your boundaries.
Isaiah 60:17-1

To the Creator of nature and humankind, of truth and beauty, I pray:
Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations.
Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war.
Hear my voice when I beg you to instil into the hearts of all human beings the wisdom of peace, the strength of justice, and the joy of fellowship.
Hear my voice, for I speak for the multitudes in every country and in every period of history who do not want war and are ready to walk the road of peace.
Hear my voice and grant insight and strength so that we may always respond to hatred with love, to injustice with total dedication to justice, to need with the sharing of self, to war with peace.
O God, hear my voice and grant unto the world your everlasting peace.

(Pope John Paul II in “L’Osservatore Romano,” 3-9-81,14)
Intercessions

The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians to encourage them. May we have the same hope as the Corinthian church as we pray for the church of God and for all people according to their needs.
Eternal God, we thank you for calling us by name. In you we live and move and grow. We pray for churches and Christians throughout the world. Remind us of our common foundation in Christ . May we grow together in faith and in love, until we attain that unity which is your will.
Build us together in Christ, Make us your dwelling place.
Send down your Spirit so that we may know Jesus and bear witness to our life and unity in him. May we know the mind of Christ in order to speak God’s wisdom everywhere. Strengthen us to work towards peace and reconciliation in church and society.
Build us together in Christ, Make us your dwelling place.
We pray for the churches in Slovakia and for all churches which are experiencing change – growth or struggle, reconciliation or conflict. Inspire and strengthen them in works of witness and service.
Build us together in Christ, Make us your dwelling place.
We pray for those who have no home, no land, no food, no work, no medicine, no peace. May we recognize and serve Christ in the suffering and the needy.
Build us together in Christ, Make us your dwelling place.
We thank you for all your gifts of creation. Teach us to share with others our time, our energy, our resources and our love. Make us sensitive and responsive to the wounds in the human family and creation. May we be faithful to our calling and live a long life on earth. May we give our whole life to Christ, for we belong to him and in him are united all things on earth and in heaven. Amen.

(Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2005, Slovakia)

Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We thank you God for Bible Society’s translators working in PNG.  We pray for the translators and local communities carrying out Bible translation work, that their resource needs would be met.  We pray too for additional consultants and training for the national Translation Officers.

We thank you God for the work of Bible translation and revision in New Caledonia in 2023. We pray that a replacement for the current Translation Coordinator would be found, and that this translation work would lead to meaningful engagement with the Scriptures in New Caledonia.

We pray for the work of Bible translation in Vanuatu, where Bible Society is undertaking four new translations of the New Testament, a revision of two Scriptures and the digitisation of three Bible translations.  We pray that the people of Vanuatu will be better able to understand and apply God’s word to their lives.

(2023/Bible Society 2023 prayer letter.pdf)

We thank you God that so many schools have chosen to re-engage a Scripture Union backed chaplain to support their students and school community in 2023.  We pray for returning chaplains and the recruitment of new chaplains to fill current vacancies

We remember prayer hubs being held across northern Victoria, giving thanks for the volunteers and staff members who are involved with these, and pray for a rich time of fellowship together.

We pray for the children and youth program SUPA Miners – an online Minecraft ministry held in the ACT, that this would continue to become a joy-filled and supportive community for our young people

We pray for Dianne Kenyon (Ministry Catalyst in SA) as she has conversations with members of local churches about beginning new ministries.

We pray for the SU Australia national leadership team; that they would be led by the Spirit and guided by Jesus, every step of the way.

(SU%20Prayer-Guide-March-2023.pdf)

We pray for the Frontier Services Bush Chaplains working in Queensland, the National Disaster Recovery Officer, Rev Dr Stephen Robinson, Pastor Joe Eka in the Kennedy Area, Pastor Michael Chapman in the Carpentaria/McKay Area, and Rev Dona Spencer in the Bottle Tree Area, thanking you for their dedication to meeting the needs of those on farms and properties in the sparsely settled areas in the west and the north of the State.  Please guide them and protect them in their travelling.  Please encourage and support them during the times when they are overwhelmed with the needs of those they serve.

(https://frontierservices.org/bush-chaplaincy/)

We pray for the work of The Leprosy Mission International in Bangladesh, that there will be smooth cooperation with National bodies dealing with the elimination of Leprosy and TB.  We pray for the success of projects that focus on finding and treating new cases of leprosy, community based rehabilitation, research, advocacy, and tertiary care services.  We pray for the success of the L360 (Learning 360) umbrella project that seeks to gather data and information from eight projects across Bangladesh using a new database, with the goal of extending it to all projects in due course.  Pray that  staff will be able to analyse the information gathered and learn from this data how to improve what work is being done.

(2023/The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary)

Please be with Kylie Conomos as she rests over these School holidays.  Please bless the work that she does at Bald Hills State School, as she supports the children and the families, and the staff of the School.

We pray for the leaders of Religious Education classes at Bald Hills State School, that they will be enthused with the taking of their weekly classes.  May the Holy Spirit be working in the hearts and minds of the children who attend these classes that they will respond to the Gospel message that is being presented.

We pray for those who we have not seen recently, that they will experience your closeness and encouragement each day

May your words give nourishment to the roots of our faith so that in our words and actions we can serve those in the Community in which we live and move.   Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Hymn ‘I have a Saviour’ from Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 177. The words are printed below:

Verse 1 of 3

I have a Saviour, he died for me,

In cruel anguish on Calvary’s tree,

I do not merit such love divine,

Only God’s mercy makes Jesus mine.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Verse 2 of 3

I have a Keeper, he now prevails,

I fear no evil whate’er assails,

His arms enfold me safe and secure,

In his blest keeping victory is sure.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Verse 3 of 3

I have a Master, he bids me go

Rescue lost sinners from sin and woe.

I love to serve him, this Master true,

Now I am willing his will to do.

Chorus

Jesus, my Saviour, I come to Thee

In full surrender, Thine own to be.

Robert Harkness

Sacrament of Communion 

(following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222) 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

Christ, our Lord, invites to his Table all who love him, all who earnestly repent of their sin and who seek to live in peace with one another.

Prayer of Approach

Lord God, we come to your Table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our own.  We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy, and on that we depend.  So, feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your son, that we may for ever live in him and he in us. Amen.

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Hear the words of the institution of this Sacrament as recorded by the Apostle Paul:

  “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new Covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, for the remembrance of me.  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’”  (1 Corinthians 11: 23 to 26) 

  And, so, according to our Saviour’s command, we set this bread and this cup apart for the Holy Supper to which he calls us, and we come to God with our prayers of thanksgiving.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

With all we are, we give you glory, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one and holy God, Sovereign of all Time and Space.  We thank you for this wide red land, for its rugged beauty, for its changing seasons, for its diverse people, and for all that lives upon this fragile Planet.  You have called us to be the Church in this place, to give voice to every creature under Heaven.  We rejoice with all that you have made, as we join the company of Heaven in their song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

We thank you that you called a covenant people to be the light to the Nations.  Through Moses you taught us to love your Law, and, in the Prophets, you cried out for justice.  In the fullness of your mercy, you became one with us in Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us on the cross.  You make us alive together with him, that we may rejoice in his presence and share his peace.  By water and the Spirit, you open the Kingdom to all who believe, and welcome us to your Table: for by grace we are saved through faith.  With this bread and this

cup we do as our Saviour commands: we celebrate the redemption he has won for us.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Pour out the Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.  Make us one with him, one with each other, and one in ministry in the World, until at last we feast with him in the Kingdom.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, in your holy Church, all honour and glory are yours, Father Almighty, now and for ever.

Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

now and forever.  Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

Receive this Holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and feed upon him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

Praise to God who is revealed as the One who loves.

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

Therefore, we offer to God all that we are and all that we shall become.

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

Accept our thanks for we have seen the greatness of your love.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Hymn ‘Joyful, Joyful we adore you’ (TiS 152)

Henry Van Dyke

Benediction

 (from Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Year A Palm Sunday)  

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  In all you do give thanks to the Lord whose steadfast love endures forever.  And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

‘Now to him who loves us saves us’  TiS771

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring