March 29, 2026 Palm and Passion Sunday
WELCOME
OPENING PRAYER
God of all the ages,
make us real or make us nothing.
As we sing “Hosanna!”
bring us to the foot of the cross.
As we wave palms, show us your tomb.
On this day of praise and passion,
help us to hold the tension between life and death
and to learn the mystery that you are in both.
Teach us to turn our faces toward you
and help us to bear witness,
that we might testify always to your faithfulness. Amen.
PROCLAIMATION OF THE ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM Luke 19:29-40
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 As he[JESUS] rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.37 Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
*PRELUDE & PROCESSIONAL HYMN No. 197 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the joyful anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
‘mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud;
the Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer;
the Lord of heaven, our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
Christ comes to the center of our busy,
conflicted lives.
He comes in triumph and humility.
He comes in glory and in mercy.
He comes knowing the best of who we are,
and he comes knowing our worst.
Trusting in God’s grace,
let us make our confession.
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Christ our Redeemer,
try as we might,
we do not follow your example.
We do not empty ourselves,
we do not humble ourselves,
we are not obedient.
You simply ask us to care about
this world you created,
but we fail to do even that.
Forgive us.
You have given us the greatest,
clearest example of love.
Heal us, and help us to follow.
*SILENT PRAYER FOR CONFESSION
*RESPONSE NO. 196, refrain
“All Glory, Laud & Honor”
All glory, laud, and honor
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring!
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Even in the face of hatred and violence,
we know that Christ loves us.
Even when enduring death,
Christ cares for us;
Christ forgives us.
Thanks be to the God of mercy.
*PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Before the foundation of the world Christ forgave us, and forgives us still today. Let us forgive as we have been forgiven and share the peace of Christ.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Worshippers are invited to briefly “pass the peace” of Christ to those directly seated around them thus keeping our worship time “decent and in order” with a focus upon being part of God’s community.
ANTHEM “Ride On” . Harry Causey
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE & MISSION OFFERING
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Please join me in the unison prayer…
Holy Spirit, share with us your wisdom; gift us with your hope; sustain us with your truth. Be in our hearing and our thinking, that through the words of Scripture we might know your call on our lives. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 21:1–11
21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd[b] spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “The King of Peace”
This entire organization, with a bunch of driven men to accomplish something. We were a bunch of underdogs. And you know what an underdog is? It’s a hungry dog. And Jeff Stoutland has had this in our building for five years — it’s a quote in the O-line room that has stood on the wall for the last five years — “Hungry dogs run faster.” And that’s this team.
Bottom line is, we wanted it more. All the players. All the coaches. The front office. Jeffrey Lurie. Everybody wanted it more. And that’s why we’re up here today. And that’s why we’re the first team in Eagles history to hold that freakin’ trophy
You all remember Jason Kelce’s Super Bowl Parade speech from 2018. The Eagles had won the Super Bowl; the light poles were greased and the parade had between 700,000 and 1.4 million people in attendance: depending on who did the counting. A joyful celebration of a sports victory for Philadelphia and it does make for a good illustration on this Palm Sunday. Today is a day of celebration! Have you ever been a part of such a parade? Did you attend the last Super Bowl Parade in Philly? Have you marched in a Parade?
Have you ever found yourself caught up in a cheering crowd? It is an experience unlike any other, to be surrounded by such positive energy and blissful joy. It is a rallying cry and unifying moment for many, all pointed in one direction. Our gospel text from this morning paints this amazing picture as Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem to a cheering crowd. It is a ticker-tape parade, as the crowd parts to make way for the honored guest. They roll out the red carpet for Jesus, laying their coats on the ground. It is an entrance fit for a King, and indeed that is how Jesus is welcomed.
It is significant that he is entering Jerusalem, the city made great by his ancestor David. Remember David? The Cinderella story of the youngest son of Jesse, the shepherd boy who was anointed by Samuel? He went on to become one of the greatest kings the people of Israel had ever seen.
Under David and his son Solomon, Israel experienced the greatest period in its history. The country was united, all twelve tribes under one king . . . David was the just and righteous king. He became associated with goodness, power, protection, and justice; he was the ideal shepherd-king, the apple of God’s eye, even God’s son. The time of glory, the ideal time, was remembered. So revered did David become that the hoped-for future deliverer, the messiah, was expected to be a “son of David,” a new David, indeed greater than David. And this new David, this son of David, would rule a restored kingdom from Jerusalem.
While Jerusalem was once a great city, in the centuries after David, it was fraught with conflict and decline. By the first century, we see Jerusalem in conflict, struggling to balance both secular authority from Rome and religious leadership. The expectation of the crowd is that the Messiah will overthrow these powers, and bring Jerusalem, and by proxy all of Israel, back into glory. The crowd cheers as the victor comes home. They proclaim him as king. He is the “Son of David,” the Messiah they have been waiting for. On this final Sunday of Lent, we rejoice along with the crowd that God has given us an incredible and much anticipated gift – a King!
But, instead of singing “We Are the Champions,” or “screaming the E.A.G.L.E.S. chant,” this crowd has another chant – “Hosanna!” This is a unique word in Aramaic, found only in this story in the gospel accounts given by Matthew, Mark, and John. It is a shout of praise, but literally means “save (or help), I pray.” It is a phrase that would have been familiar to the Jews as a part of their worship practices, described beautifully in our Psalm from this morning (Psalm 118:25). This cry is familiar to us, too, especially in these final days of Lent, a time in which we are even more aware of the many places in our lives that need saving. We shout Hosanna: for all that we personally need to be saved from in this world. For our own personal sins, the mistakes we have made, the things we have left undone, all the ways we have failed to be the disciples we claim to be. We shout Hosanna: for the sins of the world that need divine presence – whether we are directly involved or indirectly watching from a distance. For the ways we have exploited our natural resources and have caused harm to the earth. For conflicts that have escalated to drone attacks, missiles, and no end in sight. For the ways in which we have failed to care for our neighbors and have abandoned the least of these. We shout Hosanna: For all of this and more, the things we dare not say out loud, but in our Lenten journey have discovered in the dark corners of our lives. Our cries build, gently and humbly at first, penitent, then turn into shouts with an energized fervor and deep longing for something to change. Palm Sunday is no ordinary parade. It is the culmination of who God’s people are and a cry out for what they need, both in the first century and today. “Save us” is a powerful thing to shout. It’s not the usual cheer at a celebration rally. It points to a much deeper truth about the crowd and what it is looking for.
What do you think of when you imagine a king? Chance are, something like the hopes and expectations of the Palm Sunday crowd; an all-powerful Messiah who will overthrow secular powers and bring the people back to their glory. Almost a superhero, if you will. Once upon a time there was a group of preschoolers in a Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, using a method of storytelling known as Godly Play – lots of hands-on activities to share the Gospel. After sharing the story using simple wooden figures, the children are invited to wonder and engage with the story. After the palm branches had been laid and Jesus entered the city gate, The pastor sat back and asked “I wonder, what kind of king Jesus would be? The children answered with great ideas – a kind king, a nice king, a strong king, and so on. Then, one little one gave the best answer of all time. “The king of silliness!” she exclaimed gleefully and then dissolved into giggles.
Her answer might have been one of the best to describe this particular story. Matthew’s telling in particular is rich with satire and irony. Did you pay attention to his instructions to the disciples and how he comes into the city? Riding 2 animals: a donkey and a colt. It is a hysterical image to consider. Mary Hinkle Shore suggests that it “resembles a circus trick more than a royal procession.” The description of his entry suggests layers of meaning. Shore continues to compare the entry into Jerusalem as:
an event that today we might call performance art. Jesus enacts a prophetic word that looks toward the arrival of one who will rule God’s people in a time of peace.
In contrast to expectations, and other processions of Roman guards and governors, Jesus enters on the humblest of animals – both of them. It is a dramatic statement; meant to send a message about what kind of king he would be. It is meant to make us think, even among our cheers, that we should probably begin to expect something different than a mighty warrior. In this act, Jesus flips the script, and those in leadership begin to take notice. The brightness of the parade is contrasted to the shadows that begin to appear, ominous foreshadowing for where Jesus is heading. This tension emerges again, even more so if we pay attention to the irony and threat Jesus’ entrance as “king” really presents.
Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice tried to convey this in their magnificent rock opera, Jesus Christ, Superstar, which debuted in 1971. The story is loosely based on the Gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus’ life, but highlights and extrapolates a lot of political and interpersonal aspects that go beyond our text, which in some circles made it quite controversial. Nevertheless, the depiction of his entry into Jerusalem is a great picture, visually and melodically. As the title suggests, the whole show plays with the idea of Jesus being a celebrity with rock-star status. It also balances the outlandish nature of the crowd and their hopes combined with the ominous undertones of what would come. It captures what Matthew describes in verse 10, with “the whole city was in turmoil.” Take a look, and imagine yourselves again in this parade with this scene from the more recent film, produced in 2000:
“I wonder, what kind of king Jesus would be?” Would it look like this? Or is there more to the one who enters Jerusalem than just some superstar status. Matthew’s gospel closely connects Jesus with the Jewish understandings of the Messiah from the Hebrew Scriptures. Here, he includes reference to Zechariah. Chapter 9, Verse 9 indicated the dual animals of a donkey and a colt, symbols of peace and reconciliation. Reading further from the prophet, we find that the rest of the Zechariah passage details what kind of king this will be. Verse 10 reads, “He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations (Zechariah 9:10).
Rather than a mighty warrior king, Jesus is the kind of king who brings about peace. This is the fulfillment of the scriptures. And I think the crowd understood that a bit, especially those who had been following him. Jesus, after all, has up to this point presented himself as nothing other than a teacher and healer, a “miracle-making philosopher/rabbi whose only firepower is his compelling presence and word.” And that was enough to draw a crowd.
The crowd of Palm Sunday represents the height of the excitement over who Jesus was on earth, and hints at the possibility of what his kingdom might bring. Those who gathered along the sides of the road that day longed for a Savior. There was so much in the world from which they needed redemption and peace. This was more than just good fun on a Sunday afternoon; it was an urgent plea for their very lives. This is what Palm Sunday is all about. A people’s deep longing for something more. It is a story rich with drama and full of spirit, the perfect text to usher us into this Holy Week. Of course, we know where this story leads – by the end of the week our King will wear a crown of thorns. And yet, with this knowledge we still dare to praise him and lift him up above all others. We share in the hope of the people gathered that day long ago, because we are those people, too.
This is why we still shout, “Hosanna!” And we rejoice that our shouts will not just echo into the abyss. For God has given us the gift of a King. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Messiah has entered the gates triumphantly, and goes before us. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Amen.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Patmos Abbey—The Order of Saint Columba
We believe that our lives are held within the encircling love of God, who knows our names and recognizes our deepest needs. We believe that Christ is the divine Child of the living God, and that his grace is like living waters that can never be exhausted. We believe in the birthing, renewing, enabling Spirit of God who yearns over our welfare as a mother yearns for her child. We believe that God is in the arid desert as well as in green pastures, and that hard times and disciplines are also loving gifts. We believe that our journey has a purpose and a destination, and that our path leads to a human glory we cannot yet imagine. We believe that in the church we are fellow pilgrims on the road, and that we are called to love one another as God loves us. This is our faith and we are humbled to profess in Jesus the Christ. Amen
*HYMN No. 198
“Ride On! Ride on in Majesty!”
1 Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry;
thy humble beast pursues its road
with palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
O Christ, thy triumphs now begin
o’er captive death and conquered sin.
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
The hosts of angels in the sky
look down with sad and wondering eyes
to see the approaching sacrifice.
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
bow thy meek head to mortal pain;
then take, O God, thy power, and reign.
THE PASTORAL PRAYER
& THE LORD’S PRAYER
Holy Lord, Holy Friend, we lift our hearts to you. We remember that prayer is not merely our privilege but a necessity, that we need to reach out to you and be centered in your love and peace. Hold us gently as we pray, and speak to us in turn, that we may answer prayer in your name. Jesus, we believe that all things are created in you, and that you are in everything, what we can see and what we can’t. And yet creation is wounded today, just as you were wounded on the cross. We pray for those suffering from violence across the globe and in our own communities. We pray that those wounds, like your wounds, would not go to waste, but would be a turning point towards healing. May we respond to suffering, not with the ridicule and sarcasm of the Roman soldiers who taunted you on the cross, but with compassion and love so great that all people become reconciled. We long to see a world resurrected from its pain — to see people gather without fear, trusting that they will hold each other in respect and love.
We pray also today — and this is hard to do, but it was your commandment — for those who have killed and wounded others this week. We pray that we might work to heal their wounds as well, and the wounds of the communities they come from, that they might not fester with such hatred and cruelty. Help us not to return evil with evil but to look at even the person whose actions horrify us as one whom you have placed in our care. Help us do this; it is more than what we can do alone.
Jesus, as we remember that you have reconciled the whole world to yourself through the cross, help us also remember that you touched so many individual lives in your ministry. As we pray and work for peace between nations and cultures, we also pray for peace between every individual person. Teach us to gently call out behavior that demeans or bullies another; teach us to ask lovingly for what we need; teach us to share each other’s load. If we are overwhelmed by the hatred in the world, teach us to be kind to the people in our reach. If we are overwhelmed by the fear in the world, teach us to be brave in following you. If we are overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, teach us to tackle one piece at a time.
In the midst of so much hard news, we pray our gratitude for the flashes of joy, peace and freedom that you bestow on us — for time with family and friends, for lengthening spring days and life springing up all around us, for the dedication of the members of this church to its mission, and most of all, for your presence among us.
In the week ahead, we ask that you help us focus on you. Hold us together when we begin to spin apart, just as you keep the world spinning on its axis. Teach us not to blind ourself to either suffering or salvation. Give us courage to see this life of faith through.
We add now the prayers of our hearts, knowing that you listen with love to each one:
[Prayers of the congregation may be spoken here.]
And now we offer the prayer that your people have prayed for millennia, which has carried us through all the violence and fear and peace and healing of the years, the prayer Jesus himself offered to us:
LORD‟S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS
In a village there were two donkeys, and the Lord needed them. Strange request, and stranger choice, but the Lord needed them. You never know what God needs. You never know what God can use.
Trusting that what you have is just what God needs, commit your offerings to the Lord. Whether they are given physically or online, of your time, your talent, your treasure, whether they are extraordinary or humble, your gifts build up the body of Christ in the world.
*OFFERTORY
*RESPONSE N0. 260, v. 4
“Allelujah! Sing to Jesus”
Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary,
earth your footstool, heaven your throne.
As within the veil you entered,
robed in flesh, our great high priest;
here on earth both priest and victim
in the eucharistic feast.
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Holy one, we cannot offer you great treasures as the world measures them. Here is only what we have at hand: cloaks and palm fronds to line your path, and all our ordinary sacrifices. Accept these gifts, and transform them, that we may share in your great work of love. Amen.
CLOSING SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:1-16
26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”
6 Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9 For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
ANTHEM “Behold the Lamb of God” Dana Mengel