Sunday, April 2, 2023 - Worship Service
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Order of Service
We continue our live broadcast this morning and welcome in-person worshipers into the Sanctuary (with socially distanced seating). Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this morning’s service, both online and in person.
Join us on our St. Andrew’s Guelph YouTube Channel, select the live service, and remember to invite your friends and families. You can also join us via Zoom by following the link in your Friday or Sunday morning email. If you’d like to begin receiving our weekly emails, you can sign up here.
The Proclamation - Matthew 21: 1-11 (CEB)
Reader: Henry Muth
Call to Worship - Liturgy from PWS&D
L: Just as the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,
P: the Spirit sends us into places of uncertainty where
we confront our weakness and insecurities.
L: Sometimes the wilderness is the city.
P: In the city, life can be a struggle where the vulnerable are victimized by unfamiliar structures.
L: Jesus rode into Jerusalem to reclaim the city for God.
P: By entering on a donkey, Jesus showed that he would rule with humility and compassion.
L: As the Church, we too bring care to those whom the city too often forgets.
P: We remember that many are lost and alone: refugees, the unhoused, sex workers, those far from home.
L: We cannot put the burden on the destitute to find their way through the urban maze.
P: We come in humility to serve those whose resources are few and whose needs are many.
In the Words of a Teenage Entrepreneur
Osline Pauleus lives in Haiti, a country which experiences some of the world’s highest levels of food insecurity, caused by climate change and civil unrest.
One day Osline decided to go and see what other kids her age were doing at a youth club in her community. Intrigued by their activities, Osline decided to join the club.
The youth club, run by PWS&D’s partner in Haiti with support from Canadian Foodgrains Bank, helps young people develop skills for growing food crops that are more resilient in the face of increasingly unpredictable climate patterns.
“From the club, I learned a lot of things, like how to plant my own garden and use natural resource management. After receiving some training in the club’s demonstration garden, I decided to start my own kitchen garden, where I planted okra, peppers, tomatoes, jute leaves, eggplant and spinach,” shares Osline.
Today, Osline’s garden is fruitful. Not only does she earn an income from it, but her garden also provides healthy food for her family and inspiration to her community.
This Lenten season, help support projects that provide sustainable solutions to address food insecurity and climate change.
Processional Hymn - All glory laud and honour
(The congregation will follow the choir and clergy, in procession, into the sanctuary and to your pew for the remainder of the service.)
Refrain: All glory laud and honour to thee, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosanna ring!
Though art the King of Israel, thou David’s royal son, who in the Lord’s name cometh, the King and blessed one. (refrain)
The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went; our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present. (refrain)
To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise; to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise. (refrain)
Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring, who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King. (refrain)
Greeting
Rev. John - Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Congregation - Hosanna in the highest!
Anthem - Hosanna to the Son of David
Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Let us pray:
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
“Go to the village ahead of you,
and at once you will find a donkey tied there,
with her colt by her.
Untie them and bring them to me.
If anyone says anything to you,
say that the Lord needs them,
and he will send them right away.”
God, forgive us for the times
when we do not trust your word
and do not follow where you lead.
We long to be the ones
who can go into the village ahead of you.
Forgive us when we play it safe.
This took place to fulfill
what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
God, forgive us for forgetting
that you are always coming toward us.
You are drawing near,
like a king on a donkey.
Help us find you in our midst.
The disciples went
and did as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt
and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees
and spread them on the road.
Creator God,
forgive us for the moments
when we choose greed over generosity,
or when we choose our self-image
over our loyalty to you.
Give us the courage to be unabashed
in our faith.
Give us the strength
to throw our coats on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him
and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Son of David,
give us the conviction to shout your name
from the rooftop.
Give us the wisdom to sing, “Hosanna!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the whole city was stirred and asked,
“Who is this?”
The crowds answered,
“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
With hope in our hearts we pray to you, Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. AMEN.
Hymn #340 At the name of Jesus
(The Children are invited to go to their class with Julia)
Sermon: Where Are You Headed?
A Time for Reflection
Hymn #340 - My song is love unknown
Invitation to Offering
You can still mail cheques to St. Andrew’s Guelph, 161 Norfolk Street, Guelph, ON N1H 4J8, Or you can donate to St. Andrew’s through CanadaHelps.
Click Here to Donate to St. Andrew’s via Canada Helps here.
You are also invited to sign up for Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR). Instead of using offering envelopes or giving online, you can set up a regular donation through your financial institution. To learn more, click here.
Presbyterians Sharing is how we support our denomination as a whole. Your gifts the variety of missions and ministries that The Presbyterian Church in Canada supports throughout Canada. It also ensures that we are well resources by our National Office staff.
If you are able, the MOCC would encourage you to consider donating to Presbyterians Sharing. You can do so by clicking here. (Make sure that you indicate that you are from St. Andrew’s Guelph on the online form in order for it to count towards our commitment)
Or you can make a donation directly to Presbyterians Sharing through St. Andrew’s Guelph. Please mark your donation: Presbyterians Sharing.
We are making a difference TOGETHER.
If you’d like to make a donation to Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D) you can do so by clicking here.
Offertory - Two Versets on “Love Divine”
Offertory Prayer
Anthem - God so loved the world
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn #242 What wondrous love is this
Benediction
Please use the few moments of silence for quiet meditation and reflection as we begin Holy Week.
We gather on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg and the Haudenosaunee Peoples. We are also on lands that are part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. We live and work, worship, learn and meet on lands that are the traditional territory of many different Indigenous Peoples who were here before the establishment of European colonies.
