THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN

CHURCH AT CALDWELL

 

Our Purpose:

To help all people build life-transforming relationships with God and each other.

 

The members and friends of FPC welcome people from all backgrounds - -  people of faith from throughout the world, people who profess no faith,  Christians of all denominations and those who are searching for religious and spiritual meaning.

Welcome!

 

April 14th, 2019

Ten o’clock

PASSION/PALM SUNDAY

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

 

GATHERING

 

PRELUDE

Hosanna!”

Noel Benson

 

*PROCESSIONAL HYMN NO. 197

“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”

Ellacombe

Lighting the candles today is Acolyte Kaci Pace

 

CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 118)

Gracie Suda, Lay Reader

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

This house of worship blesses you, holy God!

God has sent the Light of the world to us.

Let us celebrate God’s gift with a procession of palms and shouts of “Hosanna!”

O give thanks to the Lord. God is good to us!

God’s steadfast love endures forever!

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

CONFESSION LITANY OF CONFESSION

God of the foolish cross, tottering down the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey,

You are not the savior we expect.

Your power doesn’t look like the power we want our God to demonstrate.

Your wisdom makes no sense to us.

We are happy to join the crowd, waving branches,

but not so sure we want to follow you

into the temple courts

into the upper room

into the Garden of Gethsemane

to the foot of the cross.

Forgive our false assumptions.

Clarify our clouded vision.

Let us relax into the foolishness of your love, your grace.

Hosanna, hosanna! 

 

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

...Friends, believe the good news.

In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

 

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE NO. 188 (stanza 1)

“Jesus Loves Me!”

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.                                                                                  

 

PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING

 

ANTHEM

“Sing Hosanna!”

Charles McCartha

Children’s Choir

 

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

Please note: Children through 7th grade may leave the sanctuary for Sunday School following the Time with the Children. Please exit through the doors on either side of the Choir loft.

 

PARISH LIFE

Members, friends and visitors, please sign the Friendship Pad in each pew and pass it to the person next to you. The last person will pass the pad back to the first person, who will then please place the sheet in the offering plate. Worshipers are invited to use the cards in the pew racks for prayer requests so we may share one another’s joys and concerns. The ushers will collect the cards during the hymn following the sermon and they will be offered during the Prayers of the People.

 

MINUTE FOR MINISTRY

“A Starry Night to Make A Difference”

Susan Jones

 

SCRIPTURE

John 12:12-16

page 100 NT

Today we read the account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from the gospel according to John.  It is from this gospel alone that we get both “Palm” and “Sunday.”  That is to say, only in John does the crowd greet Jesus with palms--they are tree branches in Matthew, leafy branches cut from the fields in Mark, and absent altogether in Luke.  And only in John is Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem able to be pinpointed to a day of the week, viz. Sunday.  The church has followed John's tradition in celebrating Palm Sunday a week before Easter with a procession of palms since the fourth century.

 

SERMON

“Managing Expectations”

Dr. Sommers

 

*HYMN NO. 160

“A Stable Lamp Is Lighted”

Andujar

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

OFFERING OFFERTORY

“Love Unknown”

John Leavitt

Chancel Choir

Jill Colavita, Soloist 

 

*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 607

“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Old Hundredth

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Christ, all people here below;  Praise Holy Spirit evermore; praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.

 

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

 

GOING FORTH

 

*HYMN NO. 543

“God, Be the Love to Search and Keep Me”

(stanzas 1-4)

Green Tyler

 

*BENEDICTION

 

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE NO. 543

“God, Be the Love to Search and Keep Me” (stanza 5)

Christ in the eyes of all who see me, Christ in the ears that hear my voice, Christ in the hearts of all who know me: O Christ, surround me; O Christ, surround me.

 

*THE PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

 

Please exchange greetings of welcome and peace with your neighbor.

 

*Please rise in body or in spirit.

 

†We are glad you have chosen to worship here today! Please come again! For more information about our church, please visit our website: www.firstprescaldwell.org. An information packet is available at the rear of the sanctuary and an Usher or one of the Greeters that you met as you came in will be glad to provide you with more information.

 

† Your prayers of intercession are requested for those members and friends known to be currently or recently hospitalized or who continue to need our prayers and support:

 ...Mary Aharrah, Maggie Bischoff, Harry Coppens, Ray Corbin, Jay Courter, Catherine Fleming, Alice Gibson, Gordon Gibson, Bill Hartman, Sandra Harvey, Bill Hayden, Don Hultz, Christopher Kerwin, Edna Lawshe, Dottie Leonard, Marge Lucas, Thelma Mitchell, Sue Olsen, Barbara Piggery, Louise Ritscher, Richard Rose, Erwin Rosin, Barbara Romaine, Bob Scarrillo, Debbie Wefferling, Laura Winter and Helena Wispelwey.

 

† Notary Service is available in the church office.  Sundays from 9am-12pm.