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.thechs.org/
~ Pastor Tony
Scripture Sentence
"Now is the hour of judgement for this
world; now shall the prince of this world
be driven out. And when I am lifted up
from the earth I shall draw everyone
unto myself."
(John 12: 31,32)
The Collect
(Passion Sunday)
Almighty and ever-living God,
in tender love for all our human race
you sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take our flesh
and suffer death upon a cross.
Grant that we may follow
the example of his great humility,
and share in the glory of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
(Palm Sunday)
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
Call to Worship – based on Psalm 118
Give thanks to God
Hosanna to God, hosanna in the highest
God’s steadfast love endures forever
Hosanna to God, hosanna in the highest
God has come, answering prayer, bring joy and hope
Hosanna to God, hosanna in the highest
Opening the gates of our hearts
Hosanna to God, hosanna in the highest
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna to God, hosanna in the highest
Give thanks to God.
Amen
Opening Hymn of Praise
Praise is rising - 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.
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.
Amen
Silence
As we observe again the sacrifice of Jesus,
His willingness to live with effects of the violence and hate of human beings,
To the point to death;
Help us to know that this act in history,
points to an eternal truth of God always willing to forgive;
to give people a chance to begin again;
and to free us all from things we regret;
mistakes we have made;
inadequacies that we struggle with.
Help us take seriously that like the crowds around Jesus
we can be fickle
And sometimes unintentionally allow ourselves to be dragged along
by the views and thoughts of others
without noticing that we are joining in with consequences
that lead to death and not life.
Forgive us.
Reveal to us our attitudes that are not life giving.
For You are always calling us on a path of greater self-discovery,
of greater clarity about who we are and what our purpose is.
As we walk alongside Jesus, facing the consequences of His call,
illuminate Your will for us, and what new life You are calling us to live.
Bless us.
These prayers we ask in Jesus' name,
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: Psalm 31:9-16
First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel: Mark 15:1-39
Song:
Oh Lamb of God
Your only Son no sin to hide
But You have sent Him from Your side
To walk upon this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God
Your gift of love they crucified
They laughed and scorned Him as he died
The humble King they named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God
Chorus:
Oh Lamb of God, Sweet lamb of God
I love the Holy Lamb of God
Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God
I was so lost I should have died
But You have brought me to Your side
To be led by Your staff and rod
And to be called a lamb of God
(Chorus)
Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God
Prayer Shout with and for the children
(gradually getting quieter)
Equal with God:
Jesus is Lord
Emptied himself:
Jesus is Lord
Came as a slave:
Jesus is Lord
Found as a man:
Jesus is Lord
Humbly obeyed:
Jesus is Lord
Went to his death:
Jesus is Lord
Death on a cross:
Jesus is Lord
(getting louder)
God raised him up:
Jesus is Lord
Gave him the name:
Jesus is Lord
Higher than all:
Jesus is Lord
Every knee bow:
Jesus is Lord
All tongues confess:
Jesus is Lord
Amen
Sermon
Song
Above all... (MP 1022)
1 Above all powers, above all kings,
above all nature and all created things;
above all wisdom and all the ways of man,
You were here before the world began.
2 Above all kingdoms, above all thrones,
above all wonders the world has ever known;
above all wealth and treasures of the earth,
there’s no way to measure what You’re worth.
Crucified, laid behind the stone;
You lived to die, rejected and alone;
like a rose trampled on the ground,
You took the fall and thought of me, above all.
Dedication of our Offering
God of all goodness and grace,
give us such confidence,
such peace, such happiness in you,
that your will
may always be dearer to us
than our will,
and your pleasure than our pleasure.
All that you give is your free gift to us,
all that you take away is your grace to us.
May you be thanked for all,
praised for all,
loved for all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Prayers of Approach,Thanksgiving and Intercession
Approach
Living God,
as we step into Holy Week,
open our hearts and minds.
May this coming week will be holy for us.
May we live this time expecting that in some way You will meet us.
In whatever way we live this week,
give us the times and spaces to ponder again,
that You know and understand suffering
and You offer to meet us and hear again – our struggles over this past year
and old pains that have not healed for us.
Inner struggles that never quite seem to go away.
May this week help us to name and offer to You our wounds.
Help to ask and tune in to Your wisdom and response to us.
Loving God,
we may not have the words for our prayers.
We may not understand ourselves as much as we would like,
but we step into this week trusting in the tradition of which we are part –
that by pondering Your walk towards the cross,
by focussing on Jesus’ last journey;
Somehow You will speak to us on our journey.
You will honour our effort and intention
and draw us closer to You.
So, in the quietness of our hearts now – we speak to You
of our intentions for this Holy Week.
Silence
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
may the Lord make His face to shine upon you,
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
and bring you peace.
Thanksgiving
Thank You loving God,
that You know and understand us and all human beings.
As we walk again through Holy Week
may we listen again to our own hearts
and notice which part of the story is especially touching our hearts this year.
Thank You that Your Word is living; not frozen in history, but alive.
Ancient stories revealing present truths.
You know what we need to hear this Holy Week,
whether we need to hear the challenging aspects
or the reassurance and support.
You work in the layers within us we nowadays call unconscious;
we trust You to work in us so that this Easter
we might find more of Your life welling up from within our own being.
Amen
Intercessions
Prayer for our World
(please add in current/relevant issues for your community and the world where indicated)
We pray for those in power who act from fear and self-protection,
who do not want to change or see the log in their own eyes,
(We pray for President Assad of Syria, Min Aung Hlaing and the military leaders in Myanmar and other leaders who oppress their people)
May life reveal to them their narrow-mindedness
and open them up to the power of love.
We pray for those who actions are misunderstood
(We pray for women campaigning to end female genital mutilation and other repressive practices)
And for women across our world whose gifts go unrecognised,
who are considered second-class citizens,
whose silence is often misinterpreted
May they all be helped to find their voice.
We pray for the poor
(especially those Rohingya refugees in Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, many of whom lost their homes due to a massive fire there)
that justice will come
We pray for those who get led astray by others who lead them on,
or by their own self-righteousness,
or because they are caught up in an ideology that promises freedom
(We pray especially for the Islamic radicals attacking and killing the citizens of Capo Delgado in northern Mozambique)
Show them the way of love and community
We pray for those who know they have let their friends down,
who in the heat of a moment, like Peter, defend themselves before their friend
(pause for reflection)
May they learn from their mistakes
and have people reassure and set them on their feet again.
We pray for those who, like the watching women at the crucifixion, are alongside someone else who is suffering
and do not know what to say or do
(Pause for reflection)
May they be shown how to stay simply present
and be there for others in pain without needing to do or say anything.
We pray for leaders who, like Pilate, do not take responsibility for their actions,
who knowingly wash their hands and allow others to act unjustly and in violence
[We pray for an end to the violence and persecution in Xinjiang, Tigray, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, Niger and South Sudan]
May they actions be seen for what they are and may the power of democracy be upheld.
We pray for individuals we know who are facing pain, suffering, bereavement, distress
(Pause for reflection)
May this story of Holy Week sustain them
and bring them comfort, companionship and hope.
God of all creation, of all humanity,
hold all things in balance for us and with us
and keep teaching us how to be people who birth peace and hope and love.
Amen
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 for ever.
Amen
Closing Song
Thank you for the cross - Worthy is the Lamb (MP 1109)
Thank you for the cross, Lord,
thank You for the price You paid.
Bearing all my sin and shame,
in love You came
and gave amazing grace.
Thank You for this love, Lord,
thank You for the nail-pierced hands.
Washed me in Your cleansing flow,
now all I know,
Your forgiveness and embrace.
Worthy is the Lamb
seated on the throne.
Crown You now with many crowns,
You reign victorious.
High and lifted up,
Jesus, Son of God,
the darling of heaven crucified.
Worthy is the Lamb,
worthy is the Lamb.
Thank you for the cross . . .
Worthy is the Lamb . . .
Worthy is the Lamb. (4 times)
Worthy is the Lamb . . .
Worthy is the Lamb. (6 times)
Prayer of Blessing and Sending
Go into Holy Week,
Walking in the footsteps of Christ
May facing hard things allow transformation of your being
That Easter light might be born in you
The blessing of God of light,
Creator, Guide and Inspirer,
rest and remain with you
now and forevermore.
Amen
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ.
Amen
