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Word and Worship
for Palm Sunday Blessed is
the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna
in the highest! Mark 11: 1-11 11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and
Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and
said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter
it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and
bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’
just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here
immediately.’” 4They went away and found a colt tied near a
door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5some
of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6They
told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7Then
they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on
it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others
spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9Then
those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! 11Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and
when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out
to Bethany with the twelve. |
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Psalm 31: 9-16 (today’s Responsorial Psalm) 9
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul
and body also. 10For
my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my
misery, and my bones waste away. 11I
am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my
acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12I
have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13For
I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they
scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. 14But
I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15My
times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16Let
your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. |
Opening Prayer for the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Everlasting God, in your endless love for the human
race, you sent our Lord Jesus Christ to take on our nature and to suffer death
on the cross. In your mercy, enable us to share in his obedience to your will
and in the glorious victory of the resurrection, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
New
Testament Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who,
though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something
to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a
slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a
cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the
name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Gospel Reading: Mark 15:1-39
15As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and
handed him over to Pilate. 2Pilate asked him, “Are you the King
of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 3Then the chief
priests accused him of many things. 4Pilate asked him again,
“Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5But
Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
6Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for
whom they asked. 7Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with
the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. 8So
the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9Then
he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the
Jews?” 10For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the
chief priests had handed him over. 11But the chief priests
stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12Pilate
spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the
King of the Jews?” 13They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14Pilate
asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more,
“Crucify him!” 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be
crucified.
16Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the
governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. 17And
they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a
crown, they put it on him. 18And they began saluting him,
“Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They struck his head with a reed,
spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20After mocking
him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then
they led him out to crucify him.
21They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry
his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22Then
they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a
skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he
did not take it. 24And they crucified him, and divided his
clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26The
inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27And
with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his
left. 29Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads
and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three
days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31In
the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him
among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let
the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may
see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
33When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they
said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36And someone ran,
filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink,
saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37Then
Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain
of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39Now when
the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last,
he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Thanks and Offertory
The
Prayers of Church:
Relying on
the promise of God, we pray boldly for the world, the church, and all in need. [Short pause]
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· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we see a true picture of your glory: not overwhelming, but inviting; not overpowering, but serving. Give us the grace to follow in the same way. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we encounter your patience with the misunderstanding crowd. Open us to our own misconceptions, that we may change direction. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we catch a glimpse of suffering love beyond comprehension. Pour this same love into our hearts, that we may share your compassion with our suffering world. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we hear your call to follow, to serve, and even to die. Strengthen the faith of your church, that we may embrace the opportunities which surround us. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we experience your willingness to join us in our pain, our illness, and our distress. Give us the willingness to do the same for those who suffer around us, especially those we name before you. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we are challenged to let go of all things for the sake of the cross. Give us the humble faith we need, to go where you call us to go. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious God, we pray for our bishops,
Susan and Michael and the congregation of St. Peter Church, Zurich and their
pastor, Pr. Nadine Schroeder-Kranz. In
your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious God,
we pray in thanksgiving for those who lived and served in your name and who now
rest from their earthly labours, those saints who have been gathered into your
eternal embrace, remembering. In your
unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
Into your
hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our
Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against
us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the
glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
4The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may
know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens
my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5The
Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn
backward. 6I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks
to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and
spitting. 7The Lord God helps me; therefore I have
not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I
shall not be put to shame; 8he who vindicates me is near. Who
will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let
them confront me. 9It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a garment; the moth
will eat them up.
Benediction and Sending
Go forth into
the world to serve God with gladness;
be of good
courage; hold fast to that which is good;
render to no
one evil for evil;
strengthen
the fainthearted; support the weak;
help the
afflicted; honour all people;
love and
serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace. Share the Good News. Thanks be to God
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
·
There’s a saying: “To be of one mind.” It goes
beyond the idea that a group of people think alike. It means that a group has
determined that a certain way of doing things is the way they will go. It
carries with it the idea that actions will flow from the values and ideas that
the group holds in common. When it happens and pretty much whenever it happens,
things are accomplished.
·
For Paul to say Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, it
means that the mind of Christ Jesus was to be the model of the mind of all
Christians.
·
Our reading starts in the middle of Paul’s thought.
The Chapter begins with this: If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make
my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition
or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let
each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others.
·
Were the Philippian Church to have the “same mind”,
Paul as much as says it would be a comfort to him and he would take it almost
as a personal favour. If those Gentile Christians had the mind of Christ, their
conversion would be complete. They might be examples to the rest of the
Christian world and Paul would be able to feel that his preaching had
accomplished what it was supposed to do. Their faith would be known by all as
strong in what they did even without further words.
·
What would constitute the mind of Christ Jesus? That
would not be easy to say here and now. Jesus did not live in our times with all
the strangeness of our days. Yet his example and his way of living would hold
for any time and any place.
·
The main hallmarks of the mind of Christ are simple
and powerful – humility and obedience. There is more, yes, and still
these remain the bedrock of Jesus’ life.
·
Jesus humbled himself by emptying himself and not
grasping at the form of God.
He became human in every way possible, enduring hunger, thirst, anger, fear,
frustration, and probably physical illness. We know he suffered on the cross,
but he suffered even before that. He humbled himself to die a convict’s death,
the death of a rebel.
·
This was also Jesus’ obedience. We have a hymn
called A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth. None of the Passion narratives
mention Jesus reactions during the crucifixion. He refused to speak during the
trial and said only a few things on Calvary. Whether he complained or not is
not the point; the point is he did it and did it out of obedience to the
Father’s will.
·
Humility and obedience; possibly two of the hardest
virtues to have and maintain. They fight against our nature quite often. Yet we
are faced with them as the bedrock of Jesus’ life and because of that, the
bedrock of discipleship. To have the same mind as Jesus means more than merely
thinking good and happy thoughts; it implies taking on the nature or character
of Jesus.
·
We could say that humility and obedience in Jesus’
life are his nature and character. We recall Jesus’ own prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane, asking Abba, Father,
for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want,
but what you want. (Mark 14:36) That is what we are called to; not to
a redemptive death but a redeemed life that show’s Jesus to the world by having
the same nature and character, the same mind that we find in Jesus.
…be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
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