GATHERING TO PRAISE GOD Sunday, April 2, 2023

Palm Sunday

Prelude

Choral Introit

**Welcome

Praise Songs
God You Reign
Hosanna

The People Gather Isaiah 55:6-7
L: Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
P: Let the wicked forsake their ways; and the unrighteous their thoughts.
L: Let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them.
P: And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Hymn Hosannah, Loud Hosanna UMH 278 vs 1,3

The People Pray
Lord, we are now nearing the time when your Son faces death on the cross. As we see him humbly preparing to die for us, teach us the folly of pride; teach us bear our limitations gracefully; teach us to be honest about ourselves and about our neighbors; tea h us to be your humble servants. Amen.

Children’s Moment

Choral Offering
Whispers of the Passion
Prologue
Solemn Invitation
The Wall and Gates of Jerusalem
Whisper of the Palms

The Word of God for the People of God
*Scripture*
Jonah 3:5-10
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on mourning clothes, from the greatest of them to the least significant.
6 When word of it reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, stripped himself of his robe, covered himself with mourning clothes, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he announced, “In Nineveh, by decree of the king and his officials: Neither human nor animal, cattle nor flock, will taste anything! No grazing and no drinking water! 8 Let humans and animals alike put on mourning clothes, and let them call upon God forcefully! And let all persons stop their evil behavior and the violence that’s under their control!” 9 He thought, Who knows? God may see this and turn from his wrath, so that we might not perish.[a]
10 God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.

Matthew 20:1-16
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarion,[a] he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “Then he went out around nine in the morning and saw others standing around the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’ 5 And they went.
“Again around noon and then at three in the afternoon, he did the same thing. 6 Around five in the afternoon he went and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you just standing around here doing nothing all day long?’
7 “‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied.
“He responded, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and moving on finally to the first.’ 9 When those who were hired at five in the afternoon came, each one received a denarion. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarion. 11 When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 ‘These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun.’
13 “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’ 16 So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”

Message About Face

Pastoral Prayer

The People Bring Their Gifts
There are baskets in the back or use your online app

The People Offer Praise Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95

The People Come to the Table
*Blessing the Sacraments*
Sharing the meal

The People Go into The World

Hymn Blest Be the Tie That Binds UMH 557 vs 1,4

Benediction

Postlude

# Sermon Notes

Why is Jonah upset?
How often has the prosperity of another gotten under your skin?
Have you found yourself feeling like Jonah, who is exceedingly displeased and angry because God relents from bringing disaster upon Nineveh?
How does God’s grace being given to another person assure you of his grace toward you?