Our Home Church liturgy for Palm Sunday is now online.

We are getting more adventurous and competent, this week’s order of service gives you hints as to how to layout your worship space, audio files to listen to, readings and prayers to join in with and plenty to contemplate as we start our journey into Holy Week.

Liturgy for Palm Sunday – 5th April 2020

1. Gather at or around a table – place a candle in the middle of it
2. If there is only one of you in your home – make up a circle by including symbols of your faith from around your home (hymn book / cross / bible / rosary ….)
3. You are ready to begin the service – listen to the bells from St. Catherine’s

Opening

Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosannah in the highest.

Sing along with the first hymn – CP128 All glory laud and honour

The Gospel

• Listen to the reflection
• Read aloud the St Matthew’s Passion no matter how many you are (if there is only one of you then you can employ as many voices as you wish, nobody will ever know!)
• Pause to allow the gravity of those events speak to you…..

Intercessions

4. Lay your leaves around the base of the candle

• pause to allow the gravity of these events speak to you …… (children / teens missing friends / adults the whole world in untold suffering and anxiety)
• carefully open out all hands around your table to face upwards ‘lifting’ all that need to God in his love and stay with that moment…..
• carefully turn all those hands round so palms are now facing down above the leaves and I will give you some words of Blessing to say and again stay with the moment…..

“See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more. Lord we thank you for this promise and ask for your blessing in the meantime on these our friends and on the nations in this world that you chose to make your home. Amen”

The creed

5. When you are ready to – as Christians throughout the world what unites us, not only at this time, but always is our belief, our trust in a loving an unfailing God – say together the Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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.

The collect

6. Read the Collect for Palm Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Closing

6. Enjoy singing along with the hymn Ride on ride on in majesty
   
7. Listen to the Blessing

Notices

Keep eyes on website and e-mails throughout Holy Week for further worship material

Keep the leaves safe please. They all need to find their way to church at some point in the future, thank you.

Join with Anja in learning the Easter Hallelujah at home. Please practice if you can – one verse will just about see you through washing your hands.

*Holy Week alert

– family activity programme – You can also find our Holy Week Activities for Families here, starting today until Easter day there are activity suggestions to try with children – large or small.
– during the first half of Holy Week it is traditional to read through the whole book of Lamentations
– since it is more than a month since we have had a confession take a moment during Holy Week or on Good Friday itself to reflect
– keep your eyes on website for Good Friday and Easter weekend liturgies….