Palm Sunday/The Sunday of Passion 4/13/25
PALM SUNDAY
THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION
APRIL 13, 2025
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
WELCOME On this day when Christ Jesus entered into Jerusalem to begin his Passion, we begin our worship outside the sanctuary (in the upstairs fellowship area or in the front parking lot, depending on the weather).
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP
This is the day that the Lord has made!
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
For his steadfast love endures forever!
PALM SUNDAY GOSPEL
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 19th chapter
Glory to you, O Lord.
When [Jesus] had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
SONG
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
PRAYER AND BLESSING OF THE PALMS
Let us pray. We praise and thank you, O God for the great acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph and was acclaimed Son
of David and King of Kings by those who scattered their garments and branches of
palm in his path.
We ask that you bless these branches and those who bear them, and grant that we may ever hail him as our Lord and King and follow him with perfect confidence;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
We process into the sanctuary.
Please remain standing as we sing the hymn.
PROCESSIONAL HYMN All Glory, Laud and Honor LSB 442
Refrain
All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
1 You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain
2 The company of angels
Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply. Refrain
3 The multitude of pilgrims
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present. Refrain
4 To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise. Refrain
5 As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
Our good and gracious King. Refrain
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God,
You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to
suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His
great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the
same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Deuteronomy 32:36-39
The Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
and there is none remaining, bond or free.
Then he will say, “Where are their gods,
the rock in which they took refuge,
who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
let them be your protection!
“See now that I, even I, am he,
and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
ANTHEM Jubilation Choir For God So Loved the World Setting: Aaron David Miller
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
So that ev’ry one who believes in him
Should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God sent not his Son to the world to condemn the world,
But that the world through him might be saved.
SECOND LESSON Philippians 2:5–11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL VERSE (Stand) from One and All Rejoice
O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
GOSPEL Luke 19:41-48
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, 19th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
When [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
The Gospel lesson just read picks up the story of Jesus right after he was cheered by the crowd on his approach to Jerusalem. Jesus did two things at that time which showed the great emotion he was feeling about what lay ahead for him. First, he wept. And second, he cleansed the Temple.
Today I’d like us to examine these actions of his and explore what they have to say about his days to come. And not only this, but also to explore what they have to say to us as well. For the things Jesus did in those days blessed all people, of all time. And his emotion clearly indicates the importance of what he was accomplishing.
As we heard, the first thing Jesus did as he approached the city that day was to weep for it. And here we recall that Jesus had already begun lamenting the fate of the city back in chapter thirteen, when he had first set his face toward the city and started his journey. His lament at that time was expressed in the words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (13:34-35).
Jesus expressed this same mourning over Jerusalem’s fate at one other time as well. After his arrest and trial, Jesus was forced to carry his cross to the site of his crucifixion. And on the way he saw a great multitude of the people, especially women, who were mourning and lamenting him. The scene is pictured in the eighth of the fourteen stations of the cross – which at St. Paul’s is right back there in the corner. In response to their mourning for him, Jesus pointed to their fate instead, saying: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (23:27).
We know from the Gospels that Jesus was not afraid to show his emotions. This was made abundantly clear just a few days earlier when Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus (Jn 11:35). Knowing this about Jesus helps us understand and appreciate his full humanity.
But Jesus’ emotion is meant to indicate more than this too. Today’s reading, especially, shows us that the things he says and does are done out of love and that this love is not just one that reacts kindly and graciously to whatever happens but one that goes forward with a plan and a purpose. Jesus weeps for Jerusalem not just because he loves the people and is sad about what will happen to them but because he has planned its salvation, and most of its people are rejecting him.
The church helps us understand this connection between Jesus’ plan and emotion by calling these days the time of his Passion. The word “passion” prompts us to see both Jesus’ love and his determination.
In the course of his sorrowful statements, Jesus explains his rejection by saying that the people “did not know the time of [their] visitation.” And by this he means their visit from God – the visit that he himself was making.
The language of God visiting his people occurs frequently in the Old Testament. And it gets picked up a few places in the New Testament too. It occurs twice in the song of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, as he sings about the joy and significance of his son’s birth. And Peter also uses the term in his first epistle, telling his fellow Christians to “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (2:12).
God’s visitation is always a good thing. Peter mentions it because he knows that God will eventually reveal himself to the Gentiles and he wants them to have a good impression of the church going into this. Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem was good because of what he was accomplishing and because it was a true and actual visit from God in the most personal of ways.
But again, Jesus’ visit would be rejected by most. And this would lead to the city being forsaken. Indeed, within a generation the Roman armies would come and level it.
After he mourned this sad future, Jesus then showed his emotion in a second way. He did this by going into the Temple and cleansing it – driving out all those who were making money from the great festival.
Luke doesn’t give us the details of this “driving out.” But Matthew and John do. Matthew tells us that Jesus overturned tables. And John tells us that he made a whip of cords. These details show the emotion behind what Jesus was doing.
And here we should note that Jesus’ emotion that day may have been one of righteous anger. And unlike us, Jesus’ anger can be rightly felt and rightly expressed, for he is God.
But anger was not the greatest or prevailing emotion Jesus felt that day. His greater emotion was love – just like it was when he was moved to sadness. Everything Jesus says or does is prompted by his love.
Jesus may have been emotional when he cleansed the Temple. But his words and actions were also carefully calculated to express his message and purpose. And this we should explore.
The first of these messages is that Jesus cleansed the Temple in order to make it fit for his teaching. The Temple, says the scriptures, was the place where God dwelled among us people. And this dwelling manifested itself in the hearing of God’s teachings and the offering of prayers and sacrifices. In Jesus, God was giving his people new teachings and leading them to understand prayer and sacrifice in new ways.
In the days following his procession into the city, Jesus did a great amount of teaching in the Temple area – much of which we covered during the past weeks of the Lenten season. And because Jesus himself was the very presence of God on earth, it was fitting that the Temple be cleansed so that he would be teaching in a holy place.
In a prophecy from Malachi, one which we normally read during Advent, the prophet says: “Suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty.” And this prophecy was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. For Jesus is that messenger of God who would come to the Temple.
The next words of Malachi speak to Jesus too. They say: “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” By throwing out the moneychangers and the merchants in the Temple, Jesus was both purifying and refining as Malachi had predicted. Luke’s Gospel says that he “cast out” those who were selling. The Greek word used here is the same word used to describe Jesus’ casting out of evil spirits from those who were possessed. Jesus, because he is passionate about people and passionate about God’s house, will not allow evil to dwell in them.
Jesus cleansed the Temple in order to make it fit for his teaching. Secondly, he also cleansed the Temple in order to return it to a place of prayer. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.”
In these words of Jesus we hear echoes of a parable he had given just before entering the city, probably only a few days earlier. To those who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” Jesus then said: “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).
Jesus wants people to pray. And he wants prayer to be informed and sincere. A dedicated place of prayer like a Temple won’t guarantee a wise and sincere prayer, as we see with the Pharisee in the parable. But it still always helps towards these ends. The Temple moved a sinful tax collector to pray with a right heart. And Jesus knows that such places can be helpful for everyone.
As we consider this concern of Jesus, we should also remember that there was a place for legitimate business in the Temple. There had to be some buying and selling and money-exchanging in order for the worshipers at the Temple to offer their sacrifices. But Jesus knew that the Temple in his day had become a place for dishonest men to make money. And he did something about it. This action of his should be a reminder to us of the need to keep God’s house free from dishonest or deceptive profit. May God keep us from such things!
Yes, Jesus cleansed the Temple in order to make it fit for his teaching and to return it to a house of prayer. And there was also another reason for the cleansing. Jesus did it, thirdly, to show that the end times were near.
When the Old Testament prophets spoke about the coming Messianic Age, they often did this through references to the Temple. The famous prophecy from Isaiah 60– “Arise, shine, for your light has come”– goes on to say, “and I will adorn my glorious Temple” (v. 7,13). The Temple would be purified in the coming age, for Zechariah says, “there will no longer be a merchant (which is the meaning of “Canaanite” here) in the house of the Lord Almighty (14:21).” And the prophet Ezekiel spends nine whole chapters (40-48) speaking about the ideal Temple which will never again be defiled.
These prophecies identify an age when sin is removed and paradise restored. Christians know that this age has been ushered in – by Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus has removed sin and opened paradise.
Yet this age of his has only been fulfilled to this point in a now/not-yet manner. We are living in the Kingdom of Heaven now because Jesus the Messiah has come, but we have not yet begun to enjoy the complete fulfillment of the prophecies, which will only come at his return.
Until that time comes, we are to remember, especially, one final point that Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple makes for us. Just as Jesus cleansed that Temple there in Jerusalem many years ago, so also, he cleanses us from sin. And because of this cleansing, his Spirit now dwells in us.
We see this connection in St. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, where he tells the believers in two different chapters (3,6) that they themselves are now “temples of God.” Their bodies, he explains, are temples of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit dwells in them.
This was remarkably powerful language in Paul’s day. And it should be seen as powerful by us too. For we are not worthy to house God’s holy presence within us, not even close. Our body is more like a “den of robbers,” for we’re all about buying, selling, calculating and consolidating our personal assets and fortunes. These thoughts and actions too often dominate our days and lead to our sinful choices.
God does not tolerate our sins. He cannot and will not. Jesus’ passionate and righteous throwing out of the robbers from God’s Temple shows this clearly.
And yet, we can remember that within a few short days of cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus was in the company of robbers once again – two of them– one on his right and the other on his left. The three of them were all hanging on crosses together, having been crucified.
On Good Friday we will read about the conversation that took place between Jesus and those two robbers. But most of you already know the story. To the robber who came to him in humility, Jesus opened paradise. And here we are reminded that Jesus’ death has earned forgiveness for all. Unlike those robbers, Jesus was not crucified because he was deserving of death. Rather, he went willingly to his death because he had a mission. His mission was to save people from their sins. And his death was the sacrifice needed to atone for these sins.
We who know and believe this live in God’s grace – no longer considered robbers, but rather his temples. And this then should move us to keep ourselves holy. For sin does not belong in God’s house.
And when we do sin, we can confess it and know that the blood of Jesus cleanses us once again. That is God’s promise to each of us.
Today, the Sunday before Easter, is a day of contrasts. It began with a joyful procession but has now taken on a sense of sadness as we think about the awful suffering and death that awaits our Savior Jesus.
Our lives have such contrasts too. We live with joy in one moment and pain in the next. One hundred and sixty years ago at this time the people of our community in Washington DC were filled with joy because General Lee had just surrendered and the Civil War was finally over. But then, just a few days later, on April 14, which was Good Friday that year, President Lincoln was assassinated and the city was filled with grief.
Our country has recovered from that horrible day. But even more importantly, you and I have recovered from our horrible days of living without God’s grace. For we’ve heard the call to faith, placed our trust in Christ Jesus, and now live with God’s promise of life and salvation.
Knowing that God is with us and that he is bringing us to ultimate redemption allows us to keep going forward in faith despite the difficult days we might face. The Day of Resurrection is near! And that makes all the difference.
May God then keep us in this faith all of our days. And may he fill us – as his temples – with his joy and his peace. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Hosanna, Loud Hosanna LSB 443
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
Should on His bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
NICENE CREED Hymnal, back cover
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life ✠ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING (Be seated)
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH (Kneel)
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For hearts full of the mercy of Christ, that in these holy days we would lift our voices and bow our knees at His holy name, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For Christ’s Holy Church, that she may be defended against her enemies and kept faithful in the confession of Jesus Christ to the nations, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For Christian fathers and mothers, that receiving Christ and trusting His atoning sacrifice, they may be enlivened to sacrificial love for their children, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For our catechumens, that making their final preparations in these days they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped to make their confession of faith with wisdom and joy, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who govern, that God would preserve them in life and duty; and for all of us as citizens, that we may have the will and desire to honor authority as servants of Christ, living holy, upright and godly lives to the praise of God, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the sick, distressed and needy, for all on our prayer list, and for those we name in our hearts at this time… that God would give them His abiding comfort in every circumstance since in Christ we shall not die but live and declare His works, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who receive the Lord’s Supper, that Christ who rode into Jerusalem to save us from sin would prepare our hearts to welcome Him worthily in His blessed Sacrament, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Father, that You have sent Your Son not in wrath but in mercy. As we enter this most holy week and ponder together the mysteries of Your great salvation, show us the answer to Your people’s prayers of “hosanna” in the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
OFFERTORY LSB 192
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
PREFACE TO HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
It is meet and right so to do.
It is truly good right and salutary…evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
grant us Thy peace. Amen.
DISTRIBUTION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
COMMUNION HYMN Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come LSB 350
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
NUNC DIMITTIS AND CONCLUDING LITURGY LSB 199-202
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the
face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THANKSGIVING LSB 200
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
and His mercy endureth forever.
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT
Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
SALUTATION LSB 201
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
BENEDICAMUS LSB 202
Bless we the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION LSB 202
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.
Amen, amen, amen.
SENDING HYMN Ride On, Ride On in Majesty LSB 967
1 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the_approaching sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Ride On, Ride On in Majesty Setting: James L. Brauer
FLOWERS: In memory of my mother, Eunice. By Tamara Brown
FELLOWSHIP: Palm Sunday Breakfast is being hosted by Nick Lowrey and Board of Education
Those serving:
Sunday, 8:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Jim Easterly
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Rich Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: SP Youth
Comm. assist: SP Youth/ Jill Hecht
Reader: SP Youth
Acolyte: Miriam Buuck
Thursday, April 17 Maundy Thursday Worship– 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 18 Good Friday Evening Worship – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 19 Easter Vigil Worship– 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 20 Easter Worship – 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
12:15 Worship in Mandarin 中国崇拜
Special for Easter: Easter Breakfast between 9 and 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt – 10:00 a.m.
Acknowledgements
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
198 O Come, Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus Text: Hebrews 12:2, alt. Tune: Mark L. Bender, b. 1951 Text: © 2001 Crossway Bibles. Used by permission: OAR Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2009 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OAR Hymn License no. 110005326
442 All Glory, Laud, and Honor Text: Theodulf of Orléans, c. 762–821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt. Tune: Melchior Teschner, 1584–1635, alt. Text and tune: Public domain
443 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Text: Jeannette Threlfall,1821–80, alt.Tune: Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle, 1784, Württemberg Text and tune: Public domain
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt. Tune: Neu-verfertigtes Darmstädtisches Gesang-Buch, 1699, Darmstadt Text and tune: Public domain
967 Ride On, Ride On in Majesty Text: Henry H. Milman, 1791–1868, alt.
Text: Public domain Tune: Graham E. George, 1912–93 Tune: © 1941 (renewed) The H. W. Gray Company, admin. Alfred Music. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
