KINGTON PARISHES
SUNDAY 5th APRIL 2020
Palm Sunday
Morning Prayer With The Reading Of The Passion And
Blessing Of Palms
Sorry that we can’t welcome you in person but a warm welcome if you’re joining us for the live-stream Service.
WORSHIP AT HOME
MORNING PRAYER
You may wish to light a candle and have some reflective music playing in the background.
THE GREETING
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
All: and also with you.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world. Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.
The palms are blessed with this prayer
God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die; let these palms be for us signs of his victory and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
MATTHEW 21. 1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
PSALM 31.9-16
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbours, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
MATTHEW 27. 11-54
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ For he realised that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, “I am God’s Son.” ’ The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
THE CREED
Do you believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
I believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
I believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world?
I believe and trust in him.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
We stand with Christ in his suffering.
For forgiveness for the many times we have denied Jesus, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For grace to seek out those habits of sin which mean spiritual death, and by prayer and self-discipline to overcome them, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For Christian people, that through the suffering of disunity there may grow a rich union in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those who make laws, interpret them, and administer them, that our common life may be ordered in justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those who still make Jerusalem a battleground, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those who have the courage and honesty to work openly for justice and peace, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those in the darkness and agony of isolation, that they may find support and encouragement, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those who, weighed down with hardship, failure, or sorrow, feel that God is far from them, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
For those who are tempted to give up the way of the cross, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
That we, with those who have died in faith, may find mercy in the day of Christ, let us pray to the Lord. All: Lord, have mercy.
All: Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.
COLLECT: 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.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Standing at the foot of the cross, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
BLESSING
May the father, who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, bring you by faith to his eternal life. Amen.
May Christ, who accepted the cup of sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will, keep you steadfast as you walk with him the way of his cross. Amen.
May the Spirit, who strengthens us to suffer with Christ that we may share his glory, set your minds on life and peace. Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Palms blessed this morning will be available in
Kington Church porch Tuesday morning onwards
For your prayers: Please pray for our Diocese of Hereford, our Bishops Richard and Alistair, Derek our Archdeacon and Guy Wilkinson, Rural Dean. Please pray for the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean, Meru (Kenya), West Malaysia (South East Asia), Idaho (The Episcopal Church), Mexico (Mexico), West Tennessee (The Episcopal Church), Ideato (Nigeria), Michigan (The Episcopal Church), West Texas (The Episcopal Church), Milwaukee (The Episcopal Church), West Virginia (The Episcopal Church), Western Izon (Nigeria), Minna (Nigeria), Western Kansas (The Episcopal Church), Minnesota (The Episcopal Church), Western Kowloon (Hong Kong), Idoani (Nigeria). Porvoo: Sweden: Uppsala; Wales: Diocese of Llandaff. Please pray for all who are ill at this time and especially all in our communities who have been commended to our prayers. Please pray for Ron Edwards, all who have recently died & all whose anniversaries occur at this time.
*** Please note that because of “Clap for Carers” the Maundy Thursday service will be at 8.15pm not 8.00pm as previously advised.
Materials in this booklet are drawn from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, Common Worship: Pastoral Services, and Common Worship: Daily Prayer, all of which are copyright © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England.
St. Mary's, Kington PCC is a registered charity and its number is 1185453. If you would like to make a donation to St. Mary's please visit: https://www.give.net/20273880.
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