“You can’t worship love and individuality in the same breath.”
D.H. Lawrence
words: early Eastern liturgy
music: Peter Scholtes © 1966 CPP/Belwin, Inc.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna, hosanna
In the highest
It’s Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, when the church remembers how Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and left bearing a cross on which he was to be crucified. The fickle nature of human kind is on display and the faithfulness love of God is the response.
Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
Praise the Lord, for it is good to make music to His Holy Name.
Proclaim His love in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening.
The Lord makes the righteous flourish like a palm tree;
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord.
They will flourish in His courts; they will still bear fruit in old age.
The Lord will cause them to stay fresh and green.
The Lord is upright, and all His works are faithfulness; He is the rock of our salvation.
Hosanna! Praise the Lord, for it is good to give Him thanks and praise!
I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one.
(from Psalms 92 and 22:22-24)
words: Edward Mote
music: William B. Bradbury, arr. Page CXVI
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
His oath, his covenant, his blood
Support me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
When he shall come with trumpet sound
O may I then in him be found
Dressed in his righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne
refrain
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
O Spirit of God, help our weakness and unbelief.
Where you see in us any wrong thing encouraged,
any evil desire cherished,
any delight that is not your delight,
any habit that grieves you,
any nest of sin in our heart,
then grant us the kiss of forgiveness,
and teach our feet to walk the way of your commandments.
Help us to walk the holy life with firm and brave steps,
and to wrestle successfully against self-centeredness.
Teach us to praise, adore, and magnify you,
and make us a perfume of praiseful gratitude to you.
We do not crouch at your feet as a slave before a tyrant,
but exult before you as children with a father.
Give us power to live as your children, and root our hope in Christ.
Let’s acknowledge these things silently before the Lord, knowing forgiveness and rest are freely available in Jesus.
When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. (Titus 3:4-5)
God’s grace abounds for us, even in our weakness.
Receive the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
During the reflection time, children are invited to engage in a special time of reading and song so they can learn and discover the gospel in a language and style more suitable to them. Click here for the video.
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”(which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
A Prayer of Lament:
On March 16, a gunman killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, at three spas and massage parlors in Atlanta. The gunman denies the murders were racially motivated and discussions with him are ongoing. This horrific tragedy has stirred up fear and anger among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and fits within recent and historic racially-motivated violence that has spiked during the pandemic. Learn more on the All Souls website. Please join us in a this prayer by Cole Arthur Riley.
God whose friends fell asleep,
Whose friends fell asleep to your pain in the garden—
we confess that many of us
have fallen asleep to the pain of
Asian people in our midst.
Be near to every Asian person
whose pain and trauma
is so often ignored, is so often dismissed.
Help us to bear witness to their tragedies
and make space for them
in our hearts and minds and cravings for justice.
May those who fear today
be met with divine protection.
Cover them in a peace that allows them
to still grieve in the way we were meant to.
May those who are angry be met with a holy rage.
Guide them to people
who will not demand their complacency
or that their emotions be subdued,
but who will remind them they are
worthy of fighting for,
of crying for.
It is not well, and we will say so together.
Remind us today, their grief will not be erased.
On March 22, a gunman opened fire in a Boulder, CO grocery store killing ten people. The news is still unfolding. Please join us in grieving the loss of these victims and for their murderer.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
words: African American spiritual, arranged and adapted by Evan Wilson (2020)
music: African American spiritual, arranged and adapted by Evan Wilson (2020)
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
chorus:
I ain’t gonna study war, I ain’t gonna study war
I ain’t gonna study war no more
I’m gonna follow the prince of peace
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
There is love for my enemies
chorus
Brother, lay all your violence down (O sisters who pray for peace)
Come to the riverside (Come to the riverside)
Come to the riverside
Come, let us walk in the light of God (4x)
Nations will not take up the sword,
Nor will they train for war (4x)
All we have is given to us by God. Our offerings express this joyful dependence as well as our commitment to join God in his work of renewal. He who met our most dire need through Christ will continue to provide for every need we have— so, whether we have much or little, God calls us to treasure and trust Him above all.
All gifts go toward ministry initiatives of All Souls and relief of those in need.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or imagine,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Let us go forth and serve our world as those who love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God!
Drive Thru Communion is on this afternoon at a slightly later time. Join us from 1:30-2:30p in the parking lot at The Hallows Church on 35th and Cloverdale. Andy and R.J. will wear masks and gloves and maintain 6 feet of distance while serving you communion through your car window. Please bring masks for everyone in your vehicle. Get Directions.
We are delighted to announce that on April 4th, Easter Sunday, we are planning to host our first in-person worship gathering since the beginning of the pandemic. RSVP to attend.
As we enter the final stretch of Lent, we as a community are preparing to observe Holy Week: the days in which the church remembers the final days and events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. This year, we’ll once again be providing resources for observing Holy Week at home. We’ll also offer one online gathering and two socially distanced, outdoor gatherings for Good Friday and Holy Saturday. RSVP for Good Friday a/o Holy Saturday.
Tonight, we are continuing a conversation we are calling Pandemic Parenting on Zoom at 8:30p. Join us as learn to experience and extend God’s grace in parenting. Join us on Zoom.
Vespers is our mid-week, evening prayer service. Join us on Wednesdays at 8p over Zoom. Together, we are walking through a 5-Step Prayer Reflection which we are incorporating into our observance of Lent this year. Please join your All Souls family as we grow in prayer together. Join us on Zoom.
Whether it's the prolonged sense of isolation due to COVID-19, physical or mental health concerns, or challenges with work or within the home— this is a difficult season on many fronts. If you are struggling, please know that you do not have to weather this alone. Our pastors, staff and leadership are available to talk or to get you connected. Reach out.