Palm Sunday
Apr 13, 2025
Loving God and loving neighbor here in central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth—all to the glory of God
Prelude Music
Prepare your heart for worship.
Rebekah Barnes
Palm Sunday Opening Hymn—#126 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
Rebekah Barnes and Pastor Josh
Verse 1
Hosanna, loud hosanna
the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
Verse 2
From Olivet they followed
mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of men and angels
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
Verse 3
“Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heav’n, our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice.
Welcome and Announcements Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh
Lighting the Candles Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes
Statement of Faith—What is the Meaning of Holy Week? Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Pastor Josh and Congregation
L: As we gather for worship this Palm Sunday, we must remind ourselves of its true meaning. What are Palm Sunday and Holy Week all about?
C: During this holy week we remember the events of the last week of the Lord Jesus Christ’s life on earth. In that week he fulfilled the prophets’ words and entered the city of Jerusalem, where he was lifted high upon the cross, that the whole world might be drawn to him. By his suffering, death and resurrection he defeated the power of death, becoming the source of eternal life for all who put their trust in Him.
Greeting Your Neighbors Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation
Call to Worship—Based on Psalm 118:26 Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Scott Puopolo
L: God calls us to worship and we respond. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
C: Hosanna in the highest!
Opening Prayer Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Scott Puopolo
Worship Songs Join with the congregation in praise to God.
Rebekah Barnes and Pastor Josh
#124—All Glory, Laud and Honor
Verse 1
All glory laud and honour
To Thee Redeemer King
To whom the lips of children
Make sweet hosannas ring
Thou art the King of Israel
Thou David’s royal Son
Who in the Lord’s name comest
The King and Blessed One
Verse 2
The company of angels
Are praising Thee on high
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before Thee we present
Verse 3
To Thee before Thy passion
They sang their hymns of praise
To Thee now high exalted
Our melody we raise
Thou didst accept their praises
Accept the prayers we bring
Who in all good delightest
Thou good and gracious King
Jesus Strong and Kind
Verse 1
Jesus said
That if I thirst
I should come to him
No one else can satisfy
I should come to him
Verse 2
Jesus said
If I am weak
I should come to him
No one else can be my strength
I should come to him
Chorus
For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus strong and kind
Verse 3
Jesus said
That if I fear
I should come to him
No one else can be my shield
I should come to him
Verse 4
Jesus said
If I am lost
He will come to me
And he showed me on that cross
He will come to me
Hear the Hallelujahs Roar
Verse 1
The whole earth it is longing
And waiting for the dawn
When we will see Christ come again
And worship Him as Lord
Verse 2
The night will fade behind us
We’ll walk in endless days
Beside our God who dwells with us
As glory fills our gaze
Chorus
A song of praise is rising
From every tribe and tongue
O hear the hallelujahs roar
To Christ the worthy one
Verse 3
No guilt shall hold us fearful
Our tears will be no more
We’ll run and not grow weary then
Our strength will be restored
Verse 4
But still we will remember
The cross that He embraced
His blood that made us worthy heirs
Our great redeemer’s grace
Verse 5
No captive held in slavery
No hunger no more strife
And death has lost its fatal sting
For all we’ll know is life
And death has lost its fatal sting
For all we’ll know is life
Tag
To Christ the worthy one
To Christ the worthy one
Scripture Meditation—Mark 11:1-11 (p. 1007 in Pew Bible) Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Judy Stabolepszy
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Confession and Assurance—Palm Sunday 2
Pastor Josh
L: Like the people who greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem and then later pronounced “Crucify him,” we are fickle people who often deny Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
C: Jesus, our Lord, we shout hosannas to praise you. With eager hands, we place our cloaks and palms on the path before you. Yet, Lord, we confess that the mouths that seek to praise you often deny or defy you. And we confess that the hands that seek to serve you often become fists. Lord, hear us as we confess.
[Take a moment and silently confess your sins]
L: Hear the Word of the Lord from Psalm 118: Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures for ever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. In Christ, God answers us and sets us free! In Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God.
Congregational Prayer Lift your burdens and concerns to the Lord.
Scott Puopolo
The Lord’s Prayer In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation
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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Children Dismissed for Children’s Church
Laura Agyekumhene
Scripture Reading—Leviticus 5:1-19 (p. 99 in Pew Bible) Read this portion of God’s word.
Scott Puopolo
“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; 2 or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; 3 or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; 4 or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; 5 when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, 6 he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 “But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely, 9 and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephahof fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the Lord’s food offerings; it is a sin offering.13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.”
14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.”
L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.
Sermon Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh
Song of Response—Hear the Hallelujahs Roar Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
Rebekah Barnes and Pastor Josh
Verse 1
The whole earth it is longing
And waiting for the dawn
When we will see Christ come again
And worship Him as Lord
Verse 2
The night will fade behind us
We’ll walk in endless days
Beside our God who dwells with us
As glory fills our gaze
Chorus
A song of praise is rising
From every tribe and tongue
O hear the hallelujahs roar
To Christ the worthy one
Verse 3
No guilt shall hold us fearful
Our tears will be no more
We’ll run and not grow weary then
Our strength will be restored
Verse 4
But still we will remember
The cross that He embraced
His blood that made us worthy heirs
Our great redeemer’s grace
Verse 5
No captive held in slavery
No hunger no more strife
And death has lost its fatal sting
For all we’ll know is life
And death has lost its fatal sting
For all we’ll know is life
Tag
To Christ the worthy one
To Christ the worthy one
Extinguishing the Candles You are the light of the world.
Acolytes
Benediction Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh
Postlude Music
Rebekah Barnes