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Wesley United Church– Year C
April 13, 2025, 11:00 am.
Palm Sunday
Worship Leaders: Linda Farrell & Bev Bragg
Reader: Roy Richards
Music: Glenda Feltham
Greeter: Elsie Organ
Bell Ringer: Ross Cooper
Gathering in the Spirit
Welcome to our worship service either online or in a printed form.
Life and Work of the Church may be found at the end of the service.
Our Blessings & Birthdays for this week are:
Lighting of the Christ Candle
As the people walked in the desert, they followed the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night; as we journey this Lenten path, to Jerusalem, the cross, and beyond, we follow the light of Christ!
Introit: VU # 127 Ride On! Ride On in Majesty
Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry:
O Saviour meek, pursue thy road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
CALL TO WORSHIP
L: Steadfast God, Lent has been a long journey.
P. Now the long shadow of the cross and the footsteps of Jesus find us waiting at the gates of Jerusalem.
L. We have arrived.
P. Yet it seems the journey is still not complete; there is a deeper journey still to make.
L. This Lenten wandering has been just the beginning.
P. The greatest story is still to be told.
L. Come, let us gather at the gates of the city; the crowds are preparing to enter.
*Opening Hymn VU # VU # 123 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
1. Hosanna, loud hosanna
the happy children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the joyful anthem rang;
to Jesus, who had blessed them
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
2. From Olivet they followed
‘mid an exultant crowd,
the victory palm branch waving,
and singing clear and loud;
the Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
content that little children
should on his bidding wait.
3. “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer;
earth, let your anthems ring.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his humble presence
eternally rejoice!
Opening Prayer
O God, as the people spread their coats and palm branches on the ground to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, so we welcome him into our lives this morning. Let us open our hearts, eyes, ears and mouths to him so that he may reign in our hearts and live in us this day and all days, giving us the opportunity to praise your holy name. Amen
Invitation to Confession
Let us come together to a moment of confession. Imagine Jesus entering our presence just as he entered Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago. Envision the palm branches, the donkey, the shouts of "hosanna." Understanding who he is and knowing who we are, let us pray together and then silently.
Prayer of Confession
O Lord, as we remember your triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we remember your model of humility: how you rode into the city on a donkey. Forgive us when we have been proud; help us find quiet contentment in our lives and meaning in always doing your will. Give us courage this week to face the events of Good Friday, to overcome our fears and desires for self-preservation. Keep us strong when the price of discipleship is high. Forgive us our sins, as we remember the price you paid for them. ( Silent Prayer) Amen
Words of Assurance
L. Friends, in a fateful journey to across, Jesus proclaimed God’s unconditional and never-ending love for all people. Hear, then, in the tragic events of this week that same proclamation and receive that same love, which you in turn might share with others who hunger for it.
P. Thanks be to God. Amen
Listening for the Spirit
*Hymn VU # 122 All Glory, Laud and Honour
Refrain
All glory, laud and honour
to you, Redeemer King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
1. You are the King of Israel,
and David’s royal son,
now in the Lord’s name coming,
our King and blessed one. (R)
2. The multitude of pilgrims
with palms before you went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before you we present. (R)
3. To you, before your passion,
they sang their hymns of praise;
to you, now high exalted,
our melody we raise. (R)
4. Their praises you accepted;
accept the prayers we bring,
great author of all goodness,
O good and gracious king. (R)
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 50:4-9a
This reading is a part of the third of four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 40-55. We have learned that the Servant Songs are a group of poetic passages that portray a figure called “the Servant of the LORD.”
This passage describes the Servant of Israel as both learner and teacher, who listens every morning to God’s instruction. The Servant is the ideal Israel, who was everything Israel was not. The passage stands at a critical juncture for the recurring figure of the servant, at which dark signs increasingly cloud the promise of his mission. The passage provides the Christian year with a particular understanding of Jesus’ journey to resurrection through the cross.
Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication
The Lord GOD has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
The Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord GOD who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Psalm 31: 9-16
This psalm is a prayer by one who suffers unjustly and in that suffering, puts complete trust in God. The psalm is chosen as a lectionary reading for the Sunday of the Passion, the beginning of Holy Week. It has been said that his psalm notes that David’s troubles made him a man of sorrows, and that he acknowledged that his afflictions were merited by his own sins. The psalm also prophesies the silencing of those that speak evil of the people of God.
Psalm 31: 9-16
L. Have mercy on me, God, for I am in trouble; my eyes are wasted with grief, my soul and my body also.
P. My life is worn out with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails me in my misery, my bones are wasted away.
L. I am the scorn of my enemies, yes, even of my neighbours.
P. My acquaintances shudder at the sight of me; when they see me in the street, they shrink away.
L. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
P. I hear the whispering of many; fear is on every side, while they conspire against me, and plot to take my life.
Refrain:
I trust in you, you are my God.
L. My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
P. Let your face shine on your servant, and save me, for your mercy’s sake.
Refrain:
I trust in you, you are my God.
Response to Psalm
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11
This reading describes Jesus’ final “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem. He rides on a donkey to fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah about the king arriving in Jerusalem. The crowds praise Him as the Messiah, lining His path with branches and their cloaks. They shout out “Hosanna to the Son of David!”. This passage also highlights the meekness and outward poverty of Zion’s King, and how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion’s citizens.
Matthew 21:1-11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Message: The Donkey’s Ownership
Inspired by Rev Martin Dale
This morning’s Gospel reading is the beginning of one of the most momentous and important weeks in our Christian history. We know the story so well that it is hard to find something new to say. So I would like to ask you a question this morning:
“Why do you think that in the space of one short week Jesus could go from being the most popular person on the planet to public enemy number 1.”
According to Rev Martin Dale, the key to the answer can be found with the ownership of the Donkey.
In our Gospel reading today, St Matthew records
“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.”
And St Luke provides more detail about the ownership of the donkey when he records this: “As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
I’ll explain the importance of this statement in a moment.
First, let me start with the background to the political situation in Jerusalem at the beginning of the third decade of the First Century AD. The Jews had been waiting a long time for a Messiah – someone who would free them from the oppression of a foreign ruler. They looked back in history about 200 years to BC 167- the time when Judas Maccabees threw off the yoke of the monarchic kings of Syria and reclaimed Jewish independence. For the Jews that was the type of Messiah they were expecting at the beginning of Holy Week.
However, in Holy Week Jesus dispelled their illusions.
Why did the crowd change in one short week from worshipping Jesus to baying for his blood?
Rev Dale suggests it is because Jesus brought unacceptable CHANGE to their thinking. He challenged their concept of the Messiah, and as with change, religious people didn’t like that. In fact, if the crowds had been watching carefully, they would have realised that even on Palm Sunday itself, something wasn’t quite right.
Why?
Because if Jesus was coming as an all-conquering King, he would not have ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. Instead, had he come as a political Messiah, he would have ridden into Jerusalem on a white stal-lion – the symbol of power. But he came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey – the symbol of servanthood.
You may recall earlier in my message; it was said that the key to understanding why the crowds turned on Jesus lay in the ownership of the donkey.
Rev Martin writes that he believes the riding in on the donkey was a well-planned operation. He believes that Jesus had purposely planned to ride a donkey into Jerusalem and that it was no mere chance.
Why would he think this?
His evidence started with Jesus’ instructions which were given more clearly in Luke’s Gospel, but it also appears in part in Matthew’s too:
Let me read them to you. He tells his disciples
"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ’Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ’The Lord needs it.’
Clearly the disciples did not know the donkey’s own-ers – otherwise Jesus would have simply said “Go and get the donkey from whatever the owner’s name was".
St Luke then records that when the disciples did go and fetch the donkey, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
NOTE: Plural owners
This is important because if the donkey had at least two owners you can be sure they were poor. The donkey didn’t belong to some rich landowner for whom the donkey was just another possession, and he wouldn’t be too worried if one of his donkeys went missing for a week. The donkey was more than likely a prize possession for at least two poor people. So, the donkey would have had to be a sizeable investment for each owner.
So now the next question is: WHY would the owners have parted with such an investment to strangers - the disciples?
Rev Dale feels a reasonable explanation is that the expression “The Lord needs it" was a pre-arranged codeword. If this is so, Jesus had put a lot of meticulous planning into riding the donkey into Jerusalem
If Jesus has planned the event, what is the point that He is making by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey?
We know that Jesus was well versed in Scripture, and he would have been aware of Zechariah’s prophecy that was given four centuries earlier - that said one day the true King would come not on a charger but on a donkey
The prophecy in 9:9 in the book of Zechariah reads like this:
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
But the crowds didn’t understand the statement Jesus was making when he came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. They were too caught up in their own preconceptions of the Messiah and what the Messiah meant to them. They weren’t listening to the change in their thinking of Messiahship that Jesus was making
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, there was an air of expectation because of what the people had learned in Isaiah 53 of how the donkey was so meaningful as part of the servanthood of the Messiah. The crowds were simply waiting for Jesus to give the word, and they would rise up and storm the Roman troops.
But he didn’t.
Instead, St Luke records in 19: 45,46: Jesus ….entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written” he said to them “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers”
Instead of leading a revolt to throw out the Roman secular power, Jesus went into the Temple to “clean up shop” there.
Why – because he came to CHANGE their expectation of what the Messiah meant. He attacked the corruption in the Temple. He felt that God’s people needed to be reformed first before those who had no allegiance to God. He took the Jews - not the Romans to task. And instead of listening to the change that Je-sus brought, the Jews turned on him. The religious Jews rose up in fury. For it was when He went into the Temple that they began to realise how different Jesus’ mission was to their expectations
Rev Dale believes that Holy Week was a well-planned operation, as the ownership of the donkeys shows, and the preparations in the Upper Room for the last Supper on the first Maundy Thursday also supported that the preparations were done in secret.
If Jesus had not acted confidentially, his enemies would have confiscated the donkey and the prophecy from Zechariah could not have been fulfilled.
As we know, Passover was a happy time, and the crowds were in a good mood. And Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah was coming into town. But then, the mood started to change when at the end of the procession, he went into the Temple to clear out the moneychangers and traders rather than lead an uprising against the Roman military.
Then, by the time of the first Good Friday, Jesus’ opponents had realised what a threat he was and had rallied the troops. The High Priest, speaking prophetically said: One man must die for the good of the peo-ple” By Good Friday, Jesus’ enemies had had time to stir up trouble in the crowd.
Jesus knew this, and Rev Dale says that after a careful reading of all the Gospels he feels it shows that Jesus knew the Cross would lay at the end of the celebration.
So, what can we take from our Gospel reading this Palm Sunday
1. Jesus’ mission rocked the folk religion of the day.
2. Jesus came to change the mindset of those who called themselves God’s chosen people.
3. The way the people reacted showed that they were not God’s people.
Let us, as God’s Church, be careful not to miss the changes that the donkey of Christ proclaimed. Let us continue to be open to new ideas and opinions of others. Let our faith continue to give us strength so that we can accept what God has in mind for us in the future. Thank you, God for this wonderful community of Faith and for us being a true family. Thanks be to God. Amen
Responding to the Spirit
Video: VU # 124 He Came Riding on a Donkey
1 He came riding on a donkey,
He came riding into town;
Slow and easy kind of lowly
He came riding with the dawn.
His disciples walked beside him,
Staying close, a little shy;
Not too sure where he would guide them,
On to live or on to die.
But all the morning sang his praises;
Waking birds and dancing wind;
Here he is, the Son of Davd;
Riding on to take his throne.
2 Then the children gathered, singing
shouts of laughter, bursting cheer;
in the streets their song was ringing,
“Hosannas” filled the morning air.
Timid adults strained to see him,
caught the Spirit, joined the song;
spread their cloaks along before him,
branches flashing in the sun.
So all the city sang his praises;
waking streets and dancing crowd;
here he is, the Son of David;
our Messiah, Son of God.
3 In our fasting, and our feasting,
called to follow in his way;
called to walk his road to Easter,
called to live his cross today.
Hosanna to the Son of David,
Hosanna in the heavens above;
blessed is he who comes to save us,
blessed is he who brings his love.
Let us join to sing his praises;
open hearts and souls to God;
he is with us, Son of David;
God’s Messiah, Christ the Lord.
Prayers of the People
Lord Jesus, we remember this day that you rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, proclaiming your kingdom of justice, love and forgiveness and showing us that you would willingly accept suffering to invite us into God’s presence. Your entrance unsettled the religious leaders, you were disruptive and challenged power and authority calling for a new way of living. May we share in your willingness to give and understand how to change when needed. Give us courage to work for justice and live out your way of love in this world.
Lord Jesus Christ, whose greatest moments of triumph happen on the back of a donkey’s foal and nailed to a bloody cross, we gather to prepare the way for you in our lives and in our world.
Lord, there are so many things that draw our attention. So many realities that seek our faith and acceptance. But, you ride into our experience revealing another kind or reality- a reality where death does not have the last word, a reality where pride, selfishness and evil are defeated by love and self-giving, a reality which does not parade itself for all to see, but fills every moment, every situation and everything with life, while waiting for us to discover it. And so, we pray that you lead us to this discovery so that we can live our lives in the way that we should as being one of your great disciples.
We pray for our faith community as we journey with you through your passion and death. May we all more deeply understand and accept what these events mean to us.
We pray for all who are sick and suffering. We pray for families who are mourning for their loved ones and we ask for your guidance to lead us in ways that we may be able to help each and every one. We especially pray for those of whom we name aloud or silently in our hearts ________________.
Hear our prayers, as we pray the prayer that You, our Lord, taught us to say and follow:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
Mission and Service Story
Supporting a Rights-Based Approach to Growing Food
The Association of Economic and Social Development Santa Marta (ADES), a Mission and Service partner, is located in an area of Central America that is very vulnerable to climate change. This hot, dry region regularly experiences drought. Mining projects have also negatively affected the environment and the people in the region. ADES and other community organizations decided to act to protect the community’s right to a healthy environment.
An example of how ADES has responded is a three-year agroecology project co-funded by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation and The United Church of Canada Foundation, along with Mission and Service. Agroecology benefits the land and water because it recycles nutrients back into the soil. It also reduces production costs, lessening the financial burden on rural farmers.
In this project, ADES works closely with the community to grow food in a rural region of El Salvador, promoting sustainable agriculture that protects biodiversity, maintains the integrity of the land, and up-holds rural culture.
At the centre of the project is the Dora Alicia Sorto School Farm, where rural families, mainly led by women, learn about agroecology. The school provides training, technical expertise, and seeds indigenous to the region. It focuses on preserving the surrounding environment and on upholding gender and human rights as part of its approach to food security.
Your gifts to Mission and Service help support ADES’ agroecology project. Thank you for your generosity!
Offertory Invitation
On that first Palm Sunday, we remember our Lord, our Shep-herd and how He cares for us, providing all that we need in abundance. He calls us to love one another in truth and action. May our gifts reflect our trust in the Shepherd’s care and may our offerings show our willingness to love one another. Our gifts will now be presented.
Offertory Hymn VU # 542 We Give You But Your Own
We give you but your own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is yours alone,
we give it gratefully.
*Offertory Prayer
Triumphant God, we echo the shouts of “Hosanna!” as we relive the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and all that waits in the week to come. Like that first parade so long ago, we may have different ideas of what kind of a messiah we long to welcome. Many of us seek one who thinks like we think, who will wield power to meet our longings. As we give our gifts this morning, may we be of the heart and mind of submission. You know better than us the messiah that is needed for your kingdom to come on earth, as it is in heaven. In Christ, we pray. Amen.
*Closing Hymn: VU # 126 Ride On, Ride On, The Time Is Right
1. Ride on, ride on, the time is right:
the roadside crowds scream with delight;
palm branches mark the pilgrim way
where beggars squat and children play.
2. Ride on, ride on, your critics wait,
intrigue and rumour circulate;
new lies abound in word and jest,
and truth becomes a suspect guest.
3. Ride on, ride on, while well aware
that those who shout and wave and stare
are mortals who, with common breath,
can crave for life and lust for death.
4. Ride on, ride on, though blind with tears,
through voiceless now and deaf to jeers.
Your path is clear, though few can tell
their garments pave the road to hell.
5. Ride on, ride on, God’s love demands.
Justice and peace lie in your hands.
Evil and angel voices rhyme:
you are the man and this the time.
*Benediction & Commissioning
Go from here singing hosannas all the way home.
Do not be afraid, Jesus is walking with you. Go in the peace and love of our Lord.
*Sung Benediction VU # 639 One More Step Along the World I Go vs 1
1 One more step along the world I go,
one more step along the world I go,
from the old things to the new,
keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
keep me travelling along with you.
Life and Work of the Church
Donations received in memory of Florence Tufts by
Dave & Margie Davis and Elsie Organ.
Donations received in memory of Hilda Pike by
Neil Anderson, Niece Jill and Power family, Debbie Moss, Leo & Helen Coffin and Suzanne Parsons.
Today, on our Memory Board, we are remembering Russell Burridge, Donna V Sheaves and Henry W. Anderson
Church Board Meeting will be on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00 pm
Ronald MacDonald House sent us a thank you letter for the many pop tabs that we gave them. Thank you to all who support this worthy cause.
Easter Sunday Morning will include the Sacrament of Communion. Also, please have all memorial names of remembrance to Joan by Thursday, April 17 so it can be included in the bulletin.
Thank you to the ladies who helped to serve & clean up the lunch at the Salvation Army this past Tuesday. Also, thank you to Mabel who delivers every Tuesday and to Evelyn who did Joan’s deliveries for her this past week.
UCW are hosting a Market Fair on Friday, April 25 from 10:00am-2:00pm. If you would like to rent a table and sell your wares, please let Bev Hinks know. It is $10.00 per table. There will be coffee and tea plus baked goods to enjoy. These items will be sold by donation. Set up is the day before in the afternoon or after supper. You can sell anything you wish whether it’s crafts or flea market items.
Gateway Women’s Center are having a purse project where they are asking for people to donate a purse/bag of any kind which would include a few personal hygiene items.
Our UCW Group still has cups and saucers with pictures of our old church on them and they are giving these away. Please let any of the ladies know if you would like one. A really nice souvenir of our history- especially in this 100th year of our church’s beginning.
Columbarium Niches: There are just two niches left that can be reserved. Each niche, which can hold two urns, cost $2500.00. Please contact Mabel Spencer if you are interested in purchasing a niche.
Walking Group – Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:00 am Please call Dinah Carter for more information.
Dart Group- Tuesdays at 1:00 pm Please see Coordinators Debbie Moss & David Davis for any information or if you would like to join.
Knitting Group – Thursdays, 1:00-4:00pm. Please see Coordinator Ruth Deveaux for any information or if you would like to join them.
Sewing/Quilting Group- Thursdays, 1:00-4:00. Please see Coordinator Evelyn MacDonald for more information.
Food Bank –The Food Bank needs sugar, can milk, tea bags, butter or any nonperishable item. You may bring your items to church or drop them off at the Thrift Store.
Recycling Depot Thank you to those who have been donating their recyclables to our account. Our account total is now $14.10. You may donate by using the pin number 6953434 (our telephone number) when you drop off your recyclables.
Sunday Morning services on our web site. You are able to read our worship service by clicking on the following link: www.wesleyunitedchurch.sitew.ca Once you are on the site, click Sunday Worship which will take you to the service.
PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance Program)-This is a program where you can authorize for your bank to deposit a certain amount each month into our church’s bank account. Please contact Mabel Spencer or send an email to us if you would like to take part in this easy program.
Offerings Needed to Meet 2025 Budget
Local: $5000.00 Monthly
M & S: $ 200.00 Monthly
Date Local Account M & S
January 2542.00 262.00
February 3969.00 217.00
March 3544.45 288.00
April 6 421.00 54.00
Many blessings for this week and may we remember Jesus’ journey on this Palm Sunday which included many symbols and messages for us to interpret.
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