Welcome to our morning worship for Palm Sunday.

The service is led by Rev Stephen Haward and was recorded in the building this morning.

All hymns are available on YouTube.

These are the details of our journey through Easter and if you are local we would love to welcome you to any of the events.

HYMN ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’
Dan Schutte, CCL 53960 ©Oregon Catholic Press (OCP).  

Welcome and Call to Worship, Prayer and Bible Reading – Isaiah 49:13-19

Open the gates and clear the way.
THE KING IS COMING HERE TODAY.
Shout ‘hosanna’ and shout it a lot.
THE KING IS COMING, READY OR NOT.
Lift a palm and make it wave.
WELCOME THE ONE WHO COMES TO SAVE.
See what the king has chosen to ride.
HE COMES IN PEACE AND NOT IN PRIDE.
Yes!  Open the gates and clear the way.
LET JESUS ENTER THIS PLACE TODAY.
AMEN.

HYMN Mission Praise 1221 ‘Praise is rising’

Church News and Bible Reading John 12:12-19

HYMN Mission Praise 478 ‘My song is love unknown’
Samuel Crossman (1624-83)

Sermon, Prayers, Closing Words, Blessing

Ride on Lord Jesus. 
Upon a colt, 
over cloaks, 
under branches – 
RIDE ON LORD JESUS.
Towards a city, 
through its gates, 
past the crowds – 
RIDE ON LORD JESUS.

As Hosannas fade 
and enemies sneer, 
as danger closes 
and friends falter – 
RIDE ON LORD JESUS.
SHOWING THE WAY, 
TEACHING THE TRUTH, 
BRINGING LIFE FOR ALL. 
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD – 
RIDE ON LORD JESUS.                             Christian Aid

HYMN Mission Praise 580 ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty’
Henry Hart Milman (1791-1868)

Isaiah 49:13-19

Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
14 But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.’
15 ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are ever before me.

17 Your children hasten back,
    and those who laid you waste depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘you will wear them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.
19 ‘Though you were ruined and made desolate
    and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
    and those who devoured you will be far away.

John 12:12-19

Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
‘Hosanna!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written:
15 ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.’
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realise that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’