God Gathers Us
Prelude - Judy Mank
Call to Worship - Luke 19:28-40
To be read aloud by someone in your home
Luke 19:28-40
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “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. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Opening Prayer
Take a moment to think about (or talk together) about what it means that Jesus is the King who saves us. How does the coming of Jesus as a Savior give us help and hope with what you are facing today?
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for sending His Son, and praising Jesus for coming to save us.
God Saves Us
Congregational Singing
We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.
Below are some hymns you can also use, including one played by our own Brendan Wilson.
Congregational Prayer
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, His model prayer (what we call the Lord’s Prayer) included this request: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. Jesus was not speaking of monetary debts, but rather those wrongs that we have committed against God and against others.
In other words, Jesus taught us to regularly consider how we have been living and confess our sins to God, asking for His forgiveness. AND Jesus taught us that in light of God’s forgiveness of us, we should forgive others.
If you are able (in light of the children you may have with you!), take a few moments of silence, considering your week and asking God to show you any area of sin you need to confess to Him, or any actions you need to take to make things right with others.
Then, pray asking for God’s forgiveness, and thanking God for His promise to forgive us when we ask.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Offering
During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:
you can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance
or
you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.
Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries.
Scripture Reading - Luke 22:39-46
Read aloud this morning’s Scripture reading:
Luke 22:39-46
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Sermon: King Jesus - Our Example & Our Hope
Benediction
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17