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Mark Wheeler
I Peter 2:4-12
Sixth Sunday in Lent, Palm Sunday, 04/10/2022
“Hosannas to the Highest Heaven”
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
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#203 . . . Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!
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Join in as Vern leads us in our Call to Worship:
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Hello everyone! Welcome to worship at Lidgerwood!!
In song and voice – Julie and then Vern led us in praising Jesus as King! Glory to the Highest!
Welcome! We are glad you are here with us today!
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- We still have – COVID Guidelines – mask-wearing is totally optional – wear one of it feels safer, and be respectful of distance-keeping when we are not wearing a mask.
“Masks are optional, and respect is required!”
We truly want that no one should feel judged, and everyone should feel safe, so continue to be gentle with each other. Still listening to the Philippians 2:4 passage:
“ in humility, each counting others better than himself; each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.” Philippians 2:4
We are gathered in our church sanctuary – a holy place – and it’s also a safe place – where the divine and the human connect together. Welcome to this holy sacred and safe place today.
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Let’s take a second to welcome each other, and those in the room, look at the camera and say HI to your friends who are at home. Tell your loved ones, whoever you can see , “The Lord is with you – and also with you!!”
Welcome to this “gathering” in God’s name. We are assembled in NorthEast Spokane, WA, along with people from all over the world. We are very glad you are “here” with us.
Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit presence and power, in your homes, through your phones and computers, in this building here, and in your lives. Pray with us … and hear and be transformed by God’s Word.
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Today we have a Special Song of praise and devotion –– My Faith Looks Up to Thee!! Enjoy and settle in while Lilly and Donna and Micki lead our worship!
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Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God, bridging the gap between us and You, O God. We sing the carols of Christmas. Christ lived to teach us how to live and to demonstrate Your love and mercy to us. As we approach the real work of Christ, at Easter, shine Your light so brightly on us that we will be unable to find any darkness in which to hide. Help us to deny ourselves this sober season so that we might be the instruments to help usher Your Kingdom in … through Christ our Lord, Amen.
At our Thursday Bible study class, before we begin reading and gleaning from God’s Word we always share some prayer-time together. I remember once, I’m thinking several years ago, as we were sharing in prayer someone brought up Marilyn McLean who was recovering from foot surgery … and someone said how wonderful of a lady she is … and someone else mentioned that her brother’s a pretty good guy, too. There you go Dick, was that good for a Lenten Embarrassment? But before you’re too embarrassed, the focus didn’t stay on you for very long. This group of people who have never met most of your family – went straight from complimenting Marilyn and Dick to saying how good their parents must have been!
Isn’t that a great illustration of seeing a good thing and giving credit where it probably really belongs?
When our focus is wrong, our praise is usually misplaced. On this day, 1,990(-ish) years ago the people of Judea lined the streets between Bethany and Jerusalem and ticker-taped the parade of Jesus and His 12 disciples as they approached Jerusalem. But their enthusiasm and praise were misplaced because their focus was wrong. They thought Jesus would free them from living under the thumb of Roman occupation. And in just a matter of a few days they turned on Jesus and instead of praising Jesus they were hazing Jesus. They shouted “Crucify Him!”
That’s what we do during this Holy Week between Palm Sunday and Easter. We figure out where we’re focused. And, we figure out how to adjust our focus so others will give credit where it really belongs. When people shout their “Hosannas”, it oughta be directed at the Highest Heavens!
This morning, rather than hear the Gospel stories about the historical triumphant entry Jesus makes into Jerusalem again, listen to the instructions Peter gives about how we live that triumph every day! I Peter 2:4-12 …. ----
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4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture [Isaiah 28:16]:
See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.
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7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone, [Psalm 118: 22]
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A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.
They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. [Isaiah 8:14]
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9 But you are a chosen race,a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
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So far this season of Lent we have looked at Bible stories and biblical directives about how God envisions His Church – how God envisions Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church – to be a SIGN pointing the way to the Kingdom of God (when people see our lives and our worship they should discover that who we are directs them to Jesus Christ); and to be a FORESTASTE of the Kingdom of God (when people are near us they should smell the Holy Spirit in our clothes and taste Him in our language).
Today let’s discern God’s vision for His Church as an INSTRUMENT of the Kingdom of God.
Musicians, especially those who write their own music, have a hard time. They may have a brilliant idea buzzing around in their heads; and they can write it all out on paper for others to see; but their great act of inspiration is not complete until someone can actually take up the music and try to sing it! Only then is it really music; only then will people hear their creation; only then can anyone really praise the composer!
This is a BIG calling! Our Chancel Choir – Cantata Choir – is working on this year’s Easter Cantata. (They’re actually working on 2020’s Easter Cantata! It’s a cantata that they’ve done before, but with the war in Ukraine right now, this particular cantata is especially potent! … and it is beautiful! But it has taken a lot of rehearsal and practice. And even if it’s not perfect next Sunday, we will be overwhelmingly blessed by what they present. And God will be glorified by the musician who wrote it and the singers who sing it and the congregation who worships with it. This is a wonderful Rehearsal for Heaven!
In the same way, the Prelude song we sang, Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, is rhythmically challenging for me to play on the guitar (which everyone knows, is not saying much) –. This is an uncomfortably high calling for me; but I really believe that God is glorified by our effort to praise Him when our hearts are bent on focusing on Him!
Peter tells us: “[There are those who refuse to know Jesus] But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do His work and speak for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. … Live exemplary lives among [your neighbors] so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when He [finally] arrives!” (Vv. 9 & 12, The Message)
We are called not only to be a sign that points the way. We are not only to be a foretaste of what is to come. We are called to help usher in the Kingdom of God. We are to be an apostolic instrument of God’s mission. God’s salvation does not fall magically from the clouds, but it reaches the ends of the earth through the life and ministry of the Church. As the Body of Christ in the world, the Church is God’s primary agent of healing, forgiveness, and transformation.
Like when our Bible class looked at Marilyn and Dick and praised their parents … the world should look at us and offer praise to God! Let’s make sure the Hosannas go to the Highest Heavens!
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LPC’s calling for 2022 and our 2nd hundred years of Hosannas will mean we need to reach a new culture of people with the Christian message of salvation in Jesus Christ. We need to experience a little Heaven on Earth in such a way that our friends will ask us what makes the difference … and then we can say, “Come to Church with me, and see.”
Great God of Creation, we worship You in spirit and in truth.
Lead us into our 2nd hundred years of singing Hosannas in NE Spokane.
Prepare us for Your coming Kingdom and everything You would have us do and be here at LPC. We want the whole world to sing, “Hosanna in the Highest – O may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice, and in His blissful presence … eternally rejoice!”.
Confirm Your direction with joy and hope.
In Jesus’ authority. Amen.
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Our Choral Anthem !!! Choir – – “A Green Hill Far Away!”
17-19 What a joy it is to celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem! The disciples gathered the colt for him to ride; people shouted “Hosanna!”, waved palm branches and placed their cloaks as a Red Carpet for the colt. Even when some were cautious, Jesus reminded them that the stones would sing out. For triumph was truly coming to the Holy City, triumph in a way they couldn’t imagine.
So we, this day, wave our palms, sing and shout “Hosanna!”. We want Jesus to ride into all the places of tension and anger of our lives. We want Jesus to heal the hurts and establish His reign of peace forever. We need to shout with joy and let the shouts ring in our hearts. Let’s come to the Lord in prayer – Bring us hope, gracious Lord, where we have allowed fear and confusion to reside. Bring us healing, where we have been wounded or have wounded others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. Bring us peace, where we have been bombarded by anger and alienation. Bring us with You, into the holy city, not made with human hands, but in Your heavenly realm.
- what are some praises, thanksgivings, adorations we want to offer?
- Is there a person or a situation you want to lift to our Lord for His answers and grace?
20 We pray this in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray: [The Lord’s Prayer]
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Like the earliest Christians, we sing Hosanna here in this place because of the commitment and faith and generosity of others who shared the Good News of the Gospel in their time.
So we turn now, in our time, and share our faith and our commitment through generous giving to support the ministry of this church in Christ’s name. Let us gather our gifts together and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.
Hosanna in the Highest! We pray for strength of faith and character to never stop singing Hosanna!
We lay before You our gifts of faith, hope, and love.
We pledge to give more of our time, more of our hearts, and more of our material possessions,
that we may serve Your greater good. Amen.
– Offering (4449 N Nevada St, Spokane, 99207 ; or on-line on FB or click HERE, or text 833-976-1333, code “Lidgerwood”)
Expedition Song #204 – All Glory, Laud and Honor –! We began today singing Hosannas to the Highest heaven, and we close singing more Hosannas!!
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We continue with this benediction: May we Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit.
And give glory to God, today, and forever! Amen.
And as we do that: “May the Lord bless you and protect you;
may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.”
30-31 Announcements
Resources:
Dietterich, Inagrace T.; Sign; Foretaste; Instrument; Center for Parish Development; Pp. 12-15.
Wheeler, Mark; “Hosanna to the Highest Heaven”; Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church; 04/01/2007.
https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/3662/worship-connection-palm-sunday-2022
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