I decided to do things a little differently this year, hence including the order of service as well as the meditations, so you can see how they fitted in! At this particular church, the opening prayer and closing hymn of blessing are the same every week, and led by the worship leader.
Opening
Prayer led by Worship Leader
Introduction
Hymn: All glory,
laud and honour
Reading: John
12:12-16
Prayer
over the Palms:
Hymn: Make way, make way for Christ the King
Meditation 1:
Each year there are a
few days’ holidays around Passover,
when as many people as
possible go to Jerusalem for the biggest festival of the Jewish year.
This year,
you're going, too.
Perhaps you go every
year,
or perhaps you can only
go once every few years,
if you don't have much
money.
Whatever,
this year, you are
going to Jerusalem.
Perhaps you are
travelling with a large party,
perhaps there are only
two of you.
But today is the day
you arrive at Jerusalem.
It's hot.
You're walking along,
a bit hot and rather
thirsty,
and somewhat tired of
walking.
It will be good to get
into Jerusalem,
and to your room at the
inn.
Suddenly, though,
there is a noise in the
crowd.
What is happening?
Everyone has stopped
moving.
But there are cheers
and shouts going on.
What are people
shouting?
Listen, a minute:
"Hosanna to the
Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the
highest!"
What on earth are they
on about?
What's going on?
People are pulling
branches off the trees.
They're throwing down
their cloaks.
Who is this person
coming along, anyway?
It's someone riding a
donkey.
How extraordinary.
Why a donkey, please?
How very undignified.
And yet everyone else
is cheering him.
Oh well, why not.
"Hosanna",
you shout,
joining your voice to
everyone else's.
"Hosanna" .
And carried away by the
emotion of the moment,
you throw your cloak
into the road for the donkey to walk on.
Later, when the moment
has passed,
you wonder what on
earth it was all about.
Your cloak was torn by
the donkey's feet.
It's dusty and spoilt
from lying in the road.
Your new cloak,
that you had bought
specially for the festival.
It's ruined.
And you were shouting
and cheering like a mad thing.
How very odd.
Prayer (Thanksgiving)
Worship Group sang two songs, "Before Your Majesty I bow" and "You laid aside your Majesty", to lead us from the triumphal procession to the Passion.
Reading: Mark
15:1-15
Meditation 2:
Now it is two or three
days later,
early in the morning.
You look out of your
bedroom window,
and see that a massive
crowd has gathered outside the governor's palace.
You step over, to see
what all the fuss is about.
"What's
happening?", you ask.
"Pilate's going to
release a prisoner",
explains the
knowledgeable one.
"Like every year.
This year it's going to
be a chap called Barabbas,
you know, the
terrorist."
"No it isn't,"
interrupts another person.
"There was a new
prisoner bought in last night.
That teacher, the
Galilean one.
You know.
They arrested him,
but I gather Pilate
wants to release him."
"No way,"
says a third voice.
"The chief priests
won't wear that.
They want him dead."
And then a hush.
Pilate appears on the
balcony. A few quiet "boos",
but the crowd is fairly
patient.
"Who shall I
release to you?" he asks.
"Barabbas!"
yell the crowd.
"We want Barabbas.
At first it is only a
few voices,
but gradually more and
more people start to shout for Barabbas.
"We want Barabbas,
we want Barabbas!"
"Well," goes
Pilate,
"Are you sure you
don't want Jesus who is called the Christ?"
One or two people start
to shout "Yes",
but you are aware that
there are some heavies in the crowd and they soon shut up, and start
the chant again:
"We want Barabbas,
we want Barabbas!"
"Then what shall I
do with this Jesus?" asks Pilate.
And the voices start,
slowly at first,
but more and more
people join in:
"Crucify him,
Crucify him!"
And you find yourself
shouting, too.
"Crucify him,
crucify him!"
But why?
Normally you hate the
thought of crucifixion.
The Romans consider it
too barbarous for their own citizens.
Only people who aren't
Roman citizens,
local people,
slaves.
Only they get
crucified.
So why are you shouting
for this man to be crucified?
Prayer of penitence and assurance of forgiveness
Hymn: My
song is love unknown (H&P 173)
Reading: Mark
15:21-32
Meditation 3:
So
they did crucify him.
There
were rumours going round all night.
You
didn't get any sleep; you kept hearing things
He
was with Pilate.
With
Herod.
They
were going to let him go.
They
weren't.
And
now he is up there, being put to death.
Maybe
he was no better than those thieves beside him.
Who
knows?
You
certainly don't.
Yes,
he's suffering.
God,
that must hurt.
Hope
it never happens to me.
Shouldn't
happen to a dog, crucifixion.
All
the same, what does this mean?
Didn't
he say he was going to destroy the Temple, rebuild it in three days?
Now
he's dying; now he's up there, can't do anything about it...
Maybe
he was all a big fake, not the great Teacher.
Such
a pity. He could have been the Messiah, but......
that
death?
Would
the Messiah really die?
Prayer (Collect for the Day)
Hymn: When
I survey the wondrous Cross
Reading: Mark
15: 33-39
Meditation:
Forsaken!
Forsaken
by God.
Left
alone, alone on the Cross to die.
And
yet, and yet.
He
feels alone, abandoned, forsaken.
And
yet, and yet.
He
suffers, suffers dreadfully.
And
yet, and yet.
That
cry, that cry when he died:
“It
is finished! I've done it!”
A
cry of triumph, of triumph over death.
Forsaken,
yet triumphant.
“Surely
this man was a Son of God”.
Prayers of Intercession
The
Lord's Prayer
Hymn:
Jesus
is Lord, Creation's voice proclaims it
(This was our wedding hymn, and it was our 33rd wedding anniversary yesterday, so I chose it, as I always do if I can at this time of year.)
Notices
and Offertory
Closing
hymn of blessing.
