Resurrection Sunday: Matthew 28:1-10

MATTHEW 28:1-10

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”"

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

Holy Saturday: Mark 15:42-47

MARK 15:42-47 

"And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid."

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

April 15: Liturgy + Set List

Enter in Silence [Isaiah 53:3-7, Matthew 26:26-29, Matthew 27:28-31, Mark 15:33-34]

Welcome and Corporate Confession:

Merciful God, We confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, By what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In Your mercy forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, And direct what we shall be, So that we may delight in your will and walk in Your ways, To the glory of Your holy name. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [Book of Common Prayer]

• WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS

• KING OF KINGS

Corporate Confession:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy, and save Your people whom You bought with Your own blood. Do not turn away from us because of our sins. Remember us according to Your steadfast love, and Your gracious work for Your people. Deliver us that we may enjoy the benefits of Your chosen ones, and share in the joy of Your people, and join Your inheritance in giving praise. Amen. [Adapted from Seed Grains Prayer]

Individual Confession: Psalm 51:1-3

• NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD

  Sermon

• MAUNDY THURSDAY HYMN

Corporate Confession Based on Psalm 51:

ALL:
Have mercy on us, O God according to Your steadfast love and abundant mercy. We confess we have committed overt and secret sins against You. We’ve done evil in Your sight and our sin is always before us. We’ve tried to right our own wrongs in pride but our guilt causes our heads to hang low.

LEADER:
For those who hide themselves in the work of Christ, our High Priest, you’ve been give a broken spirit, a contrite heart. Your transgressions are blotted out. Your iniquities cleansed. You’ve been washed whiter than snow. In Christ, you can know joy and your broken bones rejoice! God renews our spirit and creates in us a clean heart. Because God’s renewing power, we can sing aloud of His power and goodness.

Communion

• HOW CAN IT BE

• IS HE WORTHY

  Final Word, John 19:30, when ready, people leave in silence

• JESUS PAID IT ALL

Good Friday: Mark 15:6-15, 15:21-39

MARK 15:6-15

"Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."

MARK 15:21-39

"And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”"

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

Good Friday

Who can call Good Friday good?

The betrayal, wrongful conviction, torture, crucifixion, and death of Christ can only be called good in a universe where God is sovereign and in control of all things. A world where all wrongs are made right for God’s glory and our good. Good Friday is only good when viewed in light of Resurrection Sunday when viewed in light of the life that is ours in and through the death of Christ.

Who can call Good Friday good?

Those who have had their sin removed as far as the East is from the West. Whose sin is buried beneath the ocean of God’s grace, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. Those who have become the righteousness of God because Christ became our sin. Those who never have to die because Christ died once for all.

Who can call Good Friday good?

The Father, Son, and Spirit can call Good Friday good.

Maundy Thursday: Mark 14:17-26, 14:32-42

MARK 14:17-26

"And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

MARK 14:32-42

"And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”"

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

13 April: Mark 14:1-2, 14:12-16

MARK 14:1-2

"It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”"

MARK 14:12-16

"And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover."

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

12 April: Mark 11:27-33, 12:1-12

MARK 11:27-33

"And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

MARK 12:1-12

"And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away."

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

11 April: Mark 11:12-19

MARK 11:12-19

"On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city."

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

10 April: Liturgy + Set List

• GOD SO LOVED

  Call To Worship: Zechariah 9:9

  Welcome to the 6th and final Sunday in the season of Lent, Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is a day full of contradictions: It is a celebration of Christ’s arrival, while sorrow knowing that He is on His way to the cross, shouts of celebration at Christ’s arrival which days later become shouts of ‘Crucify Him!’ It is the God of the universe riding humbly on a donkey, it is the God of the universe taking the punishment for the sin that we deserve so that we can have the life Christ deserved. Every person in this room is a person of contradictions. And as we continue in worship we to be honest with God, ourselves, and one another. Would you take a moment to read the prayer on the screen before we confess this prayer together? Let’s confess our sins to God and one another:

  Corporate Confession:

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.

Assurance of Pardon - Hear the Good News:

Hosanna to the Son of David! 

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

For Christ came into the world not to condemn the world,

But that the world through Him should be saved.

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us,

A fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Hosanna! Amen!

From the Worship Sourcebook based on Matthew 21:8-9, John 3:17, Ephesians 5:1-2

• GRACE ALONE

• THIS IS AMAZING GRACE

  Sermon: Joshua 23-24

  Choose this day whom you will serve is not a choice for one moment of one day, it is a choice made every moment of every day. But Scripture tells us that no one chooses God. Our choosing this day whom we will serve this day whom you will serve is only a response to how God in Christ has first served us. Let’s respond to our God together:

• GOD WITH US

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

  Benediction

Palm Sunday: John 12:1-13

JOHN 12:1-13

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”"

READ. MEDITATE. PRAY. CONTEMPLATE.

To download the full devotional, click here.

Preparing for Holy Week

We mark days that have marked us. This is why our calendars are filled with holidays celebrating where we have been, how far we have come, and who we’d like to be. As followers of Jesus, the two most significant days on the Church calendar are Christmas and Easter. These are days that change the course of history, and humanity. Quite literally splitting time into two halves - before Christ, and in the Year of our Lord.

We mark the days that have marked us, and we mark the days which have marked history. Following the Church Calendar with its seasons and holidays build meaning and transcendence into our lives. Rather than trying to pack all our meaning and celebration on a single day, the seasons allow us to build anticipation, expectation, and excitement as we approach these holy days. The reflection of Lent gives way to the blip of celebration on Palm Sunday, the days set apart of Holy Week, the gore of Good Friday, the quiet of Holy Saturday, and the triumph of Christ over Satan, sin, and death on Resurrection Sunday.

Holy Week preparation is important practically as well as spiritually. Maybe this year, preparation during Holy Week looks like spending time in the Gospels each day from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday. I have found this overview and timeline from ESV on the Harmony of the Events of Holy Week to be so helpful.

Here is a quick glance:

Friday/Saturday: Jesus arrives in Bethany, is anointed by Mary, and the crowds come to see

Palm Sunday: The triumphal entry

Monday: Jesus curses the fig tree, cleanses the temple, and returns to Bethany

Tuesday: Disciples see the withered fig tree, temple controversies in Jerusalem, Olivet Discourse and return to Bethany

Wednesday: Jesus continues daily temple teachings, Sanhedrin plot to kill Jesus, Begin passover preparation

Maundy Thursday: Passover Meal/Last Supper, Upper Room Discourse, Jesus prays in Gethsemane

Good Friday: Betrayal and arrest, Jewish trial, before Annas, before Caiaphas and part of the Sanhedrin, before full Sanhedrin, Roman trials, before Pilate, before Herod, before Pilate, Crucifixion, Burial

Holy Saturday: Silence, rest on the Sabbatha

Resurrection Sunday: Empty tomb witnesses, and Resurrection appearances