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Message: The One Who Shakes the City / Mt 21:1-12

About 2000 years ago, Jerusalem was full of people. At Passover, pilgrims had come from many places. The streets were crowded, and the sound of voices filled the air. The whole city felt restless. Passover was the feast that remembered how God had brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt. It was a story of freedom. Yet as the people kept this feast, they were still living under Roman rule. They remembered God’s saving work in the past, yet many continued to carry the weight of oppression and a deep sense of helplessness. Jerusalem was full of religious energy, movement, and activity, but it was not truly open to new hope. The same habits remained. The same patterns continued. The same powers held their place. The temple was no longer “a house of prayer,” but had become “a den of robbers” (Mt. 21:13). The fig tree bore no fruit (Mt. 21:19). Religious leaders cared more about honour and status than about God’s way (Mt. 23:6-7). And Jesus said over the city, “See, your house is left to you,...
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Order of Service / Palm Sunday / March 27, 2026

  *Gathering Hymn and Words Hosanna, Loud Hosanna (#123 VU) Hosanna, Loud Hosanna (v.1 | #123 VU) Sing: Hosanna, loud hosanna the happy children sang; through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang: to Jesus, who had blessed them, close folded to his breast, the children sang their praises ,the simplest and the best.   One: We join with the crowd that eagerly awaited the coming of Jesus.   All: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God! Hosanna in the highest! One: Fulfilling prophecy, Jesus entered the city riding humbly on a donkey. All: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God! Hosanna in the highest!   Hosanna, Loud Hosanna (v.2 | #123 VU) Sing: From Olivet they followed 'mid an exultant crowd, the victory palm-branch waving, and singing clear and loud; the Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state, content that little children should on his bidding wait.   One: Jesus’ followers were excited, filled with anticipation. Yet, w...
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Message: We Shall Overcom / Ezekiel 37:1-14

Today is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. We know where Jesus’ path is leading. It leads toward Jerusalem, toward the cross, toward Golgotha. Lent invites us to walk with Jesus, who shows us the reality of pain, loss, and death on the road to resurrection. In this season, we are called first to look, to pause, and to reflect on the shadows of life, the dryness of the spirit, and the violence of the world. In today’s first scripture reading, God brings Ezekiel into the middle of a valley. It is filled with bones, very dry bones. It is a place marked by long death. Everything seems over. No future can be seen. It is the kind of place where talk of new life almost sounds impossible. This vision reveals the reality of Israel during the Babylonian exile. The walls of Jerusalem had fallen. The temple had been destroyed. Many had died in war. Most of those who survived had been taken to Babylon. In that foreign land, they lived with discrimination and humiliation. What they felt was not only the sha...
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Order of Service / Lent 5 / March 22

*Gathering Hymn Come Down, O Love Divine (#367 VU) Welcome & Land Acknowledgement Lighting the Christ Candle Call to Worship One: We come in worship, seeking God’s guidance and love.    All: May this time of worship fill us with the Spirit, to restore our faith and our hope in God’s presence. One: Although we are well-intended, we need God’s word to renew our direction and commitment.   All: May this time of worship strengthen our hearts to follow God’s way. One: God calls us to support each other and draw on the example of those who went before.    All: May this time of worship comfort us with the truth of God’s love throughout the ages. One: In worship, let us welcome God into our hearts. All: In worship, let us affirm our love of God and God’s love for us. *Gill Le Fevre. Gathering LE 2026 . Page 29. Opening Prayer *Opening Hymn Breathe on Me, Breath of God (#382 VU) Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison) God of mercy, we confess that we someti...
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