Saturday, April 9, 2011

A Liturgical Ordo for Palm Sunday

I have long thought that the fusion of Palm Sunday with Passion Sunday has been the least felicitous dimension of recent lectionary and liturgical reform.  For this Palm Sunday I have re-shaped the liturgy so that it is a Palm Sunday liturgy with the blessing of the palms and the procession forming the final liturgical action.  Bearing the palms we shall enter Holy Week and hear the Passion on Good Friday.  Any comments are welcome.


Gathering of the Community

Opening Hymn

“Into Jerusalem Jesus Rode”  Common Praise #183

Introductory Responses

Christ became obedient unto death for us,
Even death upon a cross.
He was pierced for our sins,
bruised for no fault but ours.
His punishment has won our peace,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches and wisdom,
strength, honour, glory and praise.  Amen.

Hymn of Confession

“We Lay Our Broken World”  Common Praise #613, sung to Southwell #511

Absolution

May God who loved the world so much that he sent the Son to be our Saviour forgive you your sins and make you holy to serve as Christ served.  Amen.
(Common Worship revised)

Collect of the Day

God of our salvation,
we give you thanks for Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who came in your name
and turned the lonely way of rejection and death
into triumph.
Grant us the steadfast faith
to enter the gates of righteousness,
that we may receive grace to become worthy citizens
of your holy realm,
through the same Jesus Christ who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.
(Revised Common Lectionary Prayers with trinitarian ending added)

The Proclamation of the Word

First Reading

Isaiah 50.4-9a

Psalm 

Psalm 31.1-2a, 9-16  Songs for the Holy One

Second Reading

Philippians 2.5-11

Gradual Hymn

My Song Is Love Unknown”  Common Praise #184 vv. 1, 2, 3, 6

Gospel

Matthew 21.1-11

Homily

An Affirmation of Faith

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in God the Father,
the Source of all life and love,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,
the incarnate Word of redemption,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the Breath of life eternal,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.

We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.
 (Common Worship revised)

The Prayers of the Community

The Prayers of the People

The Exchange of the Peace

The Holy Communion

Offertory Hymn

“People Draw Near to God in Their Distress”  Common Praise #201

The Prayer over the Gifts

Life-giver, Pain-bearer, Love-maker,
day by day you sustain the weary with your word
and gently encourage us to place our trust in you.
Awaken us to the suffering of those around us;
save us from hiding in denials or taunts that deepen the hurt;
give us the grace to share one another’s burdens in humble service.
We ask this in Christ’s name.  Amen.
(Revised Common Lectionary Prayers emended with closing phrase)

The Great 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.

Eternal God, Source of all being, we give you thanks and praise for your faithful love.  You call us into friendship with you and one another to be your holy people, a sign of your presence in the world.

When those we trust betray us, unfailingly you remain with us.  When we injure others, you confront us in your love and call us to the paths of righteousness.  You stand with the weak, and those, broken and alone, whom you have always welcomed home, making the first last, and the last first.  Therefore we raise our voices with angels and archangels, forever praising you and saying (singing):

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed in the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed are you, O Holy One:  when Hagar was driven into the wilderness you followed her and gave her hope.  When Joseph was sold into bondage, you turned malice to your people’s good.  When you called Israel out of slavery, you brought them through the wilderness into the promised land.  When your people were taken into exile you wept with them by the river of Babylon and carried them home.
Restore us, O God, let your face shine!

At the right time you sent your Anointed One to stand with the poor, the outcast, and the oppressed.  Jesus touched lepers, and the sick, and healed them.

He accepted water from a woman of Samaria and offered her the water of new life.  Christ knew the desolation of the cross and opened the way for all humanity into the redemption of your reconciling love.

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus, at supper with his friends, took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, “Take and eat:  this is my body which is given for you.  Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you:  this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Loving and Holy One, recalling Christ’s death and resurrection, we offer you these gifts, longing for the bread of tomorrow and the wine of the age to come.  Therefore we proclaim our hope.
Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life.  Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Pour out your Spirit on these gifts that through them you may sustain us in our hunger for your peace.  We hold before you all whose lives are marked by suffering, our sisters and brothers.  When we are broken and cast aside, embrace us in your love.
Restore us, O God, let your face shine!

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, O Source of all life, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread,
Communion in Christ’s body once broken.

Let your Church be the wheat
which bears its fruit in dying.
If we have died with him,
we shall live with him;
if we hold firm,
we shall reign with him.

The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.

The Communion

Hymn after Communion

“O Sacred Head, Surrounded”  Common Praise #198

The Sending Forth of the Community

Liturgical Introduction

Dear friends in Christ,
during Lent we have been preparing
for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery.
On this day our Lord Jesus Christ
entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph.
The people welcomed him with palms and shouts of praise,
but the path before him led to self-giving, suffering and death.
Today we greet him as our Sovereign,
although we know his crown is thorns and his throne a cross.
We follow him this week from the glory of the palms
to the glory of the resurrection
by way of the dark road of suffering and death.
United with him in his suffering on the cross,
may we share his resurrection and new life.

Collect

Let us pray.

Assist us mercifully with your help,
Lord God of our salvation,
that we may enter with joy
into the celebration of those mighty acts
whereby you give us life and immortality;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Blessing of the Palms

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right to praise you, almighty God,
for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Hebrews acclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Sovereign,
with palm branches in their hands, crying,
Hosanna in the highest.
May we also, carrying these emblems, go forth to meet Christ
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;
who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.  Amen.

Distribution of the Palms and Procession

Processional Hymn

‘All Glory, Laud and Honour’  Common Praise #181

Dismissal

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Let us go forth in peace.
In the name of Christ.  Amen.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Richard. St. Thomas, Chilliwack will be using your service next week!!! A couple of different hymns, but essentially we will follow it fairly closely.

Unknown said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you Richard!!! St. Thomas, Chilliwack will be using this Palm Sunday liturgy. We have chosen a few different hymns, but the service will be very close to this one. This is great....thank you.