CHS Worship Resources: Sunday, April 5, 2020: Palm Sunday

Welcome to the CHS Vientiane Worship Service Resources

We invite you to take time this Sunday, in families or very small groups of friends, to responsibly share space to worship God together. If you are on your own, please be assured we are together in the Spirit and if you have needs, or just want to share concerns, please don't be afraid to reach out and share these with the CHS community. Contact details can be found on our church website at: http://www.the-chs.org/

Ideas for parents to use with their children at home can be found on this page (click this link).

~ Pastor Tony

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Scripture Sentence

We proclaim Christ nailed to the cross.

He is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

(1 Corinthians 1:23, 24)

Collect

Lord Jesus Christ,

on the first Palm Sunday

you entered the rebellious city

where you were to die.

Enter our hearts, we pray,

and subdue them to yourself.

And as your disciples blessed your coming

and spread garments and branches in your way,

make us ready to lay at your feet

all that we have and are,

that we too may bless your coming

in the name of the Lord.

Amen.

Approach to God: a call to worship based on Psalm 118

Leader: Open to me the gates of righteousness,

All: that I may enter, and give thanks to the Lord.

Leader: We will give You thanks, for You have answered us;

All: You have become our salvation.

Leader: The stone that the builders rejected

All: has become the chief cornerstone.

Leader: This is the Lord’s doing,

All: and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made;

All: We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Opening Song of Praise

Hosanna (MP 1221)

1 Praise is rising,
eyes are turning to You,
we turn to You.
Hope is rising,
hearts are yearning for You,
we long for You.
’Cause when we see You,
we find strength to face the day;
in Your presence
all our fears are washed away, washed away.
Hosanna, hosanna,
You are the God who saves us,
worthy of all our praises.
Hosanna, hosanna,
come have Your way among us,
we welcome You here Lord Jesus

2 Hear the sound of hearts
returning to You,
we turn to You.
In Your kingdom
broken lives
are made new,
You make us new.
’Cause when we see You,
we find strength to face the day;
in Your presence
all our fears are washed away, washed away.
Hosanna, hosanna . . .

Hosanna, hosanna.
Hosanna, hosanna.

Confession

Our heavenly Father

thank you that you love us and care for us all the time.

We know that this week we have not always lived the way you tell us.

We have done wrong things and not done all the good things we should have done.

Only you can save us,

so please forgive us

and help us to live as your friends.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

silence

Merciful God,

forgive us our sins

and bring us to eternal life,

through Jesus Christ

your Son, our Saviour.

Amen.

Creed

We believe in God the Father,

Maker of all things.

We believe in his Son Jesus Christ,

Lord and Saviour of the world.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

giver of life and light.

We belong to the Church,

God’s family everywhere.

Amen.

Bible Readings

Psalm 118: 1,2,19-29

Matthew 21:1-11

Children’s Song

Hosanna, Hosanna (MP 242)

1 Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest;
hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest:
Lord, we lift up Your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
hosanna in the highest.

2 Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings;
glory, glory, glory to the King of kings:
Lord, we lift up Your name
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
glory to the King of kings.

Prayer for / with the children

Loving God,

We pray especially for children.

As the temperatures rise outside

and playing outside in the heat of the day

doesn’t seem much fun,

we pray for children and parents to be able to cope

with long hours cooped up indoors.

We pray that work, school-work and house-work

will all somehow manage to get done

and that there will still be plenty time for fun, games and enjoying being together.

Thank you loving God that you are here together with us too.

We continue to pray for grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends,

please keep them safe and well until we see each other again.

Give them the assurance that they are loved by us and you

and grant them your peace.

We pray in Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Sermon

Transcript of CHS Sermon for Sunday 05.04.20

Video of CHS sermon for Sunday 05.04.20

(*Bonus feature: here is Bishop Rennis’ Midweek Sermon from Singapore)

Song

Ride on, ride on in majesty (MP580)

1  Ride on, ride on in majesty!
    Hark, all the tribes, ‘Hosanna!’ cry,
    O Saviour meek, pursue Your road
    with palms and scattered garments strowed.

2  Ride on, ride on in majesty!
    in lowly pomp ride on to die:
    O Christ, Your 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 wondering eyes
    to see the approaching sacrifice.

4  Ride on, ride on in majesty!
    Your 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 Your meek head to mortal pain,
    then take, O God, Your power, and reign.

Offering

(Please do bear in mind that as long as we are still able to, CHS is continuing to support various projects and people in need and needs will likely increase during this time. You may want to set aside some money in an envelope every Sunday and bring these to church when we next meet back at ARDA.)

Dedication of our Offering

Blessed are you, Lord God,

from the first of time to the last.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power,

the glory, the splendour and the majesty;

for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the sovereignty,

and you are exalted over all as head.

Wealth and honour come from you;

you rule over all.

Of your own we now give you,

for the good of your Church

and the glory of your name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayers

(Please do use the newly formed WhatsApp group or contact Pastor Tony directly if you have any prayer needs you would like included in our intercessions.)

Prayers for Sunday 05.04.20 kindly submitted by Yeow Kok Liang

Locked Down (A prayer from Rev Dr Lezley Stewart)

There were other doors
once locked in fear,
in a time of waiting
and distress.

It was an uncertain,
questioning time -
longing for what had been known
and treasured before.

Into that space,
calming and soothing,
came these welcome words -
“Peace be with you.”

Peace be with you in every worry,
in every sleepless night,
in every loss experienced,
in every comfort now distant.

Peace be with you in every certainty,
in the shared burden of these days,
in the unexpected connections,
in the gift of another sunset and sunrise.

Peace be with you and yours,
the deepest peace,
the strongest peace,
the peace that passes all understanding.

Christ is our peace
and is in our midst.
His words echo again -
“Peace be with you.”

God who brings us the peace that surpasses all human understanding,

we bring before you our prayers for others and ourselves…

Let us pray to God,
who alone makes us dwell in safety:

For all who are affected by coronavirus,
through illness or isolation or anxiety,
that they may find relief and recovery:
Lord, hear us,

Lord, graciously hear us.

For those who are guiding our nation at this time,
and shaping national policies,
that they may make wise decisions:
Lord, hear us,

Lord, graciously hear us.

For doctors, nurses and medical researchers,
that through their skill and insights
many will be restored to health:
Lord, hear us,

Lord, graciously hear us.

For the vulnerable and the fearful,
for the gravely ill and the dying,
that they may know your comfort and peace:
Lord, hear us,

Lord, graciously hear us.

For church leaders and congregations,

for all who seek to put their trust in you,

that they would be guided by your Holy Spirit

to act wisely and courageously:

Lord hear us,

Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of you our loving God.

We are thankful for your faithfulness to all those

who have run the race of faith

and entered their eternal rest with you.

Grant us grace to run the race with perseverance

until we are reunited with all your people in your everlasting Kingdom.

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.

Amen.

Closing Song

Hear the call of the kingdom (MP 1282)

1 Hear the call of the kingdom,
lift your eyes to the King;
let His song rise within you
as a fragrant offering
of how God, rich in mercy,
came in Christ to redeem
all who trust in His unfailing grace.

2 Hear the call of the kingdom
to be children of light
with the mercy of heaven,
the humility of Christ;
walking justly before Him,
loving all that is right,
that the life of Christ may shine through us.
King of heaven,we will answer the call.
We will follow, bringing hope to the world,
filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
salvation in Jesus’ name.

3 Hear the call of the kingdom
to reach out to the lost
with the Father’s compassion
in the wonder of the cross,
bringing peace and forgiveness,
and a hope yet to come:
let the nations put their trust in us.
King of heaven . . .

Blessing

Leader: Lord Jesus, Servant King, you came into Jerusalem.

All: Go with us as we seek to serve others.

Leader: Lord Jesus, Conquering King, you came into Jerusalem.

All: Go with us as we seek to live for you.

Leader: Hosanna to you, Lord!

All: Hosanna! Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,

in the name of Christ.

Amen.

Music sources:

Ride on, Ride on in Majesty: Words by Henry Hart Milman; Music by John Bacchus Dykes

Hear the Call of the Kingdom: Stuart Townend / Keith Getty / Kristyn Getty