Palm Sunday Worship prayers - April 1, 2012

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Gathering

Call to Worship

Youth:             Hosanna! Bless is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!

People:            Hosanna! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Youth:             Hosanna in the highest! Let us worship and praise God. Amen.

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                         Almighty and Everlasting Father, on this wonderful day of praise and thanksgiving, pour out Your Spirit upon Your people, so that we may honor and glorify Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We lift up our hands and hearts to ask for Your blessing and favor. We seek to please You with our words and prayers, as well as our songs and devotions.

People:            Most Merciful God, our lives are meant to be dedicated to You, but we have allowed ourselves to be distracted and disloyal. We have sometimes sinfully shunned Your commands and set aside Your ways. We are guilty of hiding our faith and neglecting our Christian service. We have ignored opportunities to be compassionate and caring. Instead of honoring Your words, we have glorified our own works. Instead of asking for pardon and forgiveness, we are full of pride and vanity. Hear us now as we humbly make our confessions to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                         Loving Father, turn our lives around and challenge our ways. Grant us the mercies of Your Son. Help us to look to Him for guidance and forgiveness, and also for purpose and meaning in our lives. For we make our confessions in Christ’s Name and seek to unite our spirits with Him, saying “Our Father, Who art in Heaven...THE LORD'S PRAYER.” ( debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Where is Christ in our lives? Is He at the center of our existence? Does He influence our choices and decisions? Can other people see Him in our acts and deeds? He is the Savior of our souls, for He alone has the power and authority to forgive our sins and to eternally restore us to God’s loving-kindness. So, let us glorify and honor Christ as our King, both now and always. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung in unison): 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. Amen.

Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:             O Lord, You are our God and earnestly we seek You for health and healing. Our souls thirst for Your righteousness and our bodies long for Your strength.

People:            Here, in this sacred sanctuary, we behold Your power and salvation. Your Love, O Lord, is better than life itself; therefore we will glorify You forevermore.

Pastor:             Living God, we lift up our prayers and ask for Your grace. Help and heal us, and all our loved ones, from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Satisfy our pleas with Your peaceful presence. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:             Because You are our help, O God, our souls cling to You. In Jesus’ Name, we confidently pray. Amen.

(Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 63)

Singing of “Sanctuary.”

Prayer of Illumination

Reader: Holy Spirit, help us to listen to Christ’s teaching through these sacred words. Keep us from being distracted by our thoughts and personal concerns. Grant us the ability to take these lessons and apply them in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison):  Lord Jesus, You give us the opportunity to inherit the kingdom of God. We can never repay the debt that we owe to You for our salvation. To show our gratitude, we offer our tithes and gifts. We pray that You will accept and bless them for the preaching of Your Word, the work of Your Church, and the saving of other souls. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Communion

Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison): May Christ make us bold witnesses of God’s Kingdom in the world today; may the Father strengthen our hopes through His amazing love; and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide and teach us, so that we may honor and glorify the One, Triune, and Living God, throughout our days on Earth and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude