Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Let us worship God!

Christ has risen.
He is risen indeed!
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
Almighty God, through Christ, you give us everlasting life. By the power of your Holy Spirit, please show us today a glimpse of that new life as we reflect upon your glory.

The story of Palm Sunday tells of how
people removed their cloaks and spread them out
in front of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.
The cloak we wear every day to face the world
is both the persona we wish to present,
and our defense against the elements.
As we come to worship may we be willing
to lay down our defenses and disguises,
at the feet of the One who sees us we really are.
And then, set free for worship,
may we offer our praises
with open hearts and lives.

Almighty God, You created us in your image, each of us in your likeness.
Help us to worship You alone, Lord, and never bow to any created thing.
We see your handiwork in every one of your works, but You alone are worthy of our hearts.
Accept our worship today, God, because of Jesus, our perfect sight of You.

"Lord, like the women at the tomb on the first Easter, we come out of our darkness and into your light
We come out of emptiness to enter your fullness
We come out of our hopelessness to find your joy
We come out of our confusion to seek your peace
We come far from home because we know we have been found
We come at your invitation to celebrate your risen life and to praise you as Lord."

Before we get to Easter, we need to linger:
in the vulnerability of the basin and the towel
at the remembrance and promise of the table
in the struggle and betrayal of the garden
in the shadows and shouts of injustice
at the bloody, brutal, and beautiful cross
in the silence of linen and spices and death
For without these, the empty tomb is empty

"The Lord says,
For I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth;
The former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating;
For I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”
Lord, help us to bring about this new creation even here today."

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’
And believe in your heart that God raised him from dead,
You will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified.
And it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
God of grace, we profess our faith in you. Please show us your grace as we worship you today."

"Who will save us from the ways of death?
Jesus Christ our Lord; thanks be to God!
God’s grace is sufficient for us;
In Christ, the weak are made strong.
Weeping may linger for the night,
But joy comes with the morning."

"We are called into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
to be God’s servants in the service of all,
to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table,
to join Christ in his passion and victory.
“Beloved let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
All who love are born of God and know God.
Let us worship God!"

The hungry search for bread.
The thirsty look for water.
This is a place for those who are hungry and thirsty in spirit.
Those who ache for meaning will pursue it.
Those who yearn for a deeper life will seek it.
This is a place for those who ache and yearn for something more.
So let us come here today with our hunger and thirst, our unsatisfied longings, our heart-felt yearnings,
and let the God of life satisfy our souls.

Hear our prayers O God,
Listen to the words of our mouths.
Surely God is our help
The Lord is the one who sustains us.
We will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.

"In the morning when the sun rises we shall praise You, O Lord.
You have delivered us through every long night and given us safe passage across rivers of struggle.
The darkness is past; the light has come. Let us raise our song and prayer to you, O Lord, in joy."

Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.
Everywhere—from east to west—praise the name of the Lord.
For the Lord is high above the nations;
His glory is higher than the heavens.

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice is like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
We celebrate your incredible love today.

Let us worship the God who satisfies our every need, the Good Shepherd who guides us to abundance and refreshment. Let us praise the God who specializes in the restoration of the soul, who navigates our perfect path, and is present with us in times of trouble. He is our Blessing and our Protector. God surrounds and nourishes us in the midst of the assailing forces that seek our destruction. Let us give thanks and praise to our relentless God!

"Jesus says to you and to me:
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
But will have the light of life.”
Let us fix our eyes upon the true Light as we gather and worship today."

"Come, let us be about our preparations for a new advent of love among us.
The wastelands of life around us cannot shut out the promise of life-giving water.
Hatred and warfare, injustice and suffering, are not the last word, for they are not of God.
We hear again the promise of peace, coming in the one who lived Shalom among all people.
We see again the light God promises in the midst of our darkness.
We are feeling again the joy that comes through partnership in the gospel.
May our worship recall us to what is centered in life; to the One who gives us breath and purpose in life.
We come to embrace the new advent, to be renewed in peace, faith, joy, and love."

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
The Light that is the Word of God, God incarnate
Let us worship as we wait for the newborn king!"