Come join us as we close the day and welcome the evening in this devotional time.
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A SERVICE OF EVENING PRAYER
Even Here: When It's Going Well
March 25, 2021
Jesus knew that the time was coming. He tells the disciples that a seed must fall to the earth before new life can spring forth. In what ways have you seen new life spring forth from change, or even from death?
Prelude
All Glory Laud and Honor (vs. 1,3,4) ELW 244
Refrain
All glory, laud, and honor
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. Refrain
The multitude of pilgrims
with palms before you went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before you we present. Refrain
To you, before your passion,
they sang their hymns of praise.
To you, now high exalted,
our melody we raise. Refrain
Welcome
Dialogue
Who comes this way?
I wonder who he is!
They say he is the Christ, the Messiah,
Who comes this way?
Is it really him?
I want him to beat the Romans
and save us from poverty and hunger.
Who is he? Why are we cheering him on?
Is he good or bad? He must be rich to get such praise.
Move away! Let me see him.
I just want to see his face and then I will know who he is, let me see…
Wait!
He is only a man.
And he is just on a donkey
He is only a man, what is so great about him?
Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest! Save us!
But who is this man, and how will he save us?
Who comes this way?
~ Adapted from a writing by Pastor Shannon Keeney at First United Methodist Church in Littleton, NH.
Confession and Forgiveness
Holy and gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against you this day. Some of my sin I know – the thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed – but some is known only to you.In the name of Jesus Christ I ask forgiveness. Deliver and restore me, that I may rest in peace.
By the mercy of God we are united with Jesus Christ, in whom we are forgiven.
We rest now in the peace of Christ and rise in the morning to serve.
Collect
O Lord, you rode on.
You rode over the cloaks and under the branches,
You rode through the shouts and past the praises,
Receiving the praise that you deserved,
but not confusing our praise in your presence for your purpose in coming.
O Lord, you rode on.
You rode towards the controversy and the cost,
You rode towards the curses and the cross,
Receiving the stripes you didn’t deserve, to give us a reward that we couldn’t earn.
O Lord, you rode on.
You rode through the tomb and the grave,
You rode through our time and space,
Ascending to a throne that will never decay,
A priesthood that will never pass away,
A life of love that will always remain,
And hearing us even now, even here, as we pray.
O Lord, you rode on.
We remember the journey you have taken
as we commit ourselves to walking in the same way.
Give us the strength, hope, and joy we need
as we follow.
Amen.
~ written by Pastor Joe Welty, Broadway-First Baptist Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Psalm 116
1I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I pray, save my life!"
5Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6The LORD protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9I walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
10I kept my faith, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";
11I said in my consternation,
"Everyone is a liar."
12What shall I return to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?
13I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
14I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
16O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the LORD.
18I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Psalm 31:1-5,9-16
1In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake lead me and guide me,
4take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
9Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
10For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
11I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13For I hear the whispering of many —
terror all around! —
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Reading Mark 11:1-11
1When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'" 4They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" 6They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
11Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Reflection
Response
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.
Offering Prayer
Faithful God, you walk beside us in desert places, and you meet us in our hunger with. abundant provision from your gracious hand. Accompany us in this journey that we may pass over from death to life, through Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Contemporary Reading: “It looks like the sky is coming apart and together at the same time”
by Maya Stein
It looks like the sky is coming apart and together at the same time
And the body is holding its losses like a fist. And a fleshy hope
is opening to an unprecedented vastness. And whatever we think
we are leaving behind will keep insisting. And the things we desire
will elude us. And our efforts will pose as failure. And we will not recognize
how far we’ve come. And we will solve one problem and create another.
And we will feel broken. And we will not be broken. And the silence
will be deafening. And we will love destructively. And no one
will appear to be listening. And there will be too many doors
to choose from. And we will keep saying, “I don’t know how to do this.”
And we will be more capable than we ever imagined.
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers
Let us pray.
Gracious and loving God,
In the journey of life, you are our guide and our companion.
From our beginning to our end, you are with us, even here.
You run this race alongside us,
at times encouraging us,
at times comforting us,
at times tending to our wounds,
at time carrying us when we don’t think we can take another step.
For six weeks we have been on a Lenten journey,
and you have been right here with us—
with us in our discipline and devotion,
with us in our weakness and failure,
with us in our fear,
with us in our hope.
Even here.
As we prepare to spend Holy Week with Jesus in Jerusalem,
we are amazed once again by his gentle spirit and fierce determination.
As he confronts those who challenge him,
he confronts our own stubbornness and defiant wills.
As he cares even for those who hate him,
we are challenged to love as he loves.
As he bears witness to the emergence of your kingdom,
our eyes are opened to your presence all around us.
As he moves with resolve toward his dark destiny,
we find ourselves struggling to understand why it has to be this way.
God, the journey is not just about the destination;
it is about each step along the way.
The journey itself is a blessing,
with all of its joys and sorrows.
As we run this race you are shaping us into new people.
As we move with you, we are continually born anew.
Help us to be attentive to each step,
in the darkness and in the light.
Help us to fully experience all that we encounter,
the good and the bad,
for in it all we discover you.
Though the race of life goes on,
our Lenten journey is nearing its conclusion.
Bind us ever closer to Christ,
so that we may turn our hearts and minds
to all that he experienced in the crucible of this holy week,
a week both terrible and wonderful.
~ adapted from prayers written by John W. Vest, and posted on John Vest. http://johnvest.com/
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
Charge & Benediction
May our healing God be with you today and in all your tomorrows.
May we feel God’s presence as we travel this journey.
May your gestures of kindness be well-received by those on your path.
May our anxieties be stilled.
May your aloneness be. Sacrificial gift to others.
May our grief be heard.
Even here
Even here.
May the love of God abide
Within your home
And within the hearts
Of all who dwell inside.
God be with you until we meet again.
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Postlude
My Song is Love Unknown (vs. 1-3, 5) ELW 343
My song is love unknown,
my Savior's love to me,
love to the loveless shown
that they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I that for my sake
my Lord should take frail flesh and die?
He came from his blest throne
salvation to bestow;
the world that was his own
would not its Savior know.
But, oh, my friend, my friend indeed,
who at my need his life did spend!
Sometimes we strew his way
and his sweet praises sing;
resounding all the day
hosannas to our king.
Then "Crucify!" is all our breath,
and for his death we thirst and cry.
In life no house, no home
my Lord on earth might have;
in death no friendly tomb
but what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav'n was his home
but mine the tomb wherein he lay.
All Glory Laud and Honor Text: Theodulph of Orleans, 760-821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-1866, alt. Music: Melchior Teschner, 1584-1635. Public Domain.
My Song is Love Unknown Text: Samuel Crossman, 1624-1683, alt. Public Domain. Music: John Ireland, 1879-1962. Music © 1924 John Ireland, admin. John Ireland Trust. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
