March 18, 2013
Opening Hymns:
139 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh139.sht
139 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh139.sht
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 118:19-29
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The
stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b]
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[c] to the horns of the altar.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b]
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[c] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are
my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give
thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
his love endures forever.
Message:
Lent is a time to reflect on God’s sacrifice. It is 40 days long (not counting Sundays) which reflects Jesus’ fast in the desert. It is a time when I re-evaluate my life and attempt to draw closer to God while letting go of sin and the extra things in my life that do not help me grow. So… it is almost hard for me to grasp the concept of Palm Sunday towards the end of the long “fast” we have a big celebration. The crowd is cheering for Jesus as He arrives in Jerusalem. All too quickly the cheering turns into shouts against Jesus, and people yelling “Crucify Him!”
The Psalm for today gives praise to the Lord. It is similar to the
praise that Jesus receives as He enters Jerusalem. The crowd is celebrating
because they recognize Jesus as one who does miracles, and who will save them.
However, He does not save them in the way they would want Him to. They wanted
victory in a war, and He provided sacrificial love. Herod wanted to see
miracles just for the fun of it, while Jesus wanted to use His gift to provide healing and love
to those in need.
When things aren’t going our way in life, do we let this psalm drift
from our thoughts? Do we let our praises fade away when God’s plan doesn’t
quite match up with ours? Please don’t be like the crowd in Jerusalem! When God’s
plan doesn’t match up with ours there is a good reason... and WE are the ones who must change. Let us hold onto Palm
Sunday in our hearts and continually shout our praise to the Lord. He has come
to save us, Alleluia!!!
Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for coming into this world and for saving us all from every one of our sins. Thank you for Your sacrificial love. During our times of trouble and times of joy alike, let us sing praises to You. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn
278 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh278.sht
Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for coming into this world and for saving us all from every one of our sins. Thank you for Your sacrificial love. During our times of trouble and times of joy alike, let us sing praises to You. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn
278 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh278.sht
May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.
Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God
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