Quote for Reflection:

You're coming into town on your donkey tonight

It will permeate across the ages
Coming into town on your donkey tonight
And you're wearing your garland
You'll be going out in the spirit
You're coming into town on your donkey tonight
But you'll be going out on a cross

Rickie Lee Jones, Donkey Ride

from the album The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard

-We Gather as Gods People-

HYMN

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

UMH 213

CALL TO WORSHIP
Doesnt he come into town like the strongman we want?
Hosanna! Hallelujah!
But something is not quite right.
Isnt he in a bulletproof black Cadillac SUV?
No- he comes in on a donkey.
Isnt he surrounded by secret service and the beautiful people?
No- its kids and peasants and lepers and hookers.
Arent his people waving the red, white, and blue?
No- they throw their cloaks on the ground and wave branches.
Doesnt he shout, Make Judea great again!
No- he says that the stones will cry out.
Wont he make us winners and those we hate losers?
No- he calls everyone to take up their cross and follow.
Isnt he the king we want?
The Messiah for whom we clamour?
Or will his Way disappoint us with its difficulty today
And cause us to shout Barabbas! tomorrow?
PRAISE

Hosanna! Hosanna!
We Will Glorify the King of Kings

FWS 2109
FWS 2087

PASSING THE PEACE

YOUNG PEOPLES MESSAGE
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
OPENING TO GOD
I tell you, if these were silent,

the stones would shout out.

UMH 278
SG-H
Luke 19.40

Silently, they cry out.

The stone the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone.
God gave Moses the tablets of stone.
God is able from these stones to raise up children of Abraham.
Command this stone to become a loaf of bread.
You who are without sin cast the first stone.
No stone will be left on another.
I will remove your hearts of stone.
Your bother's blood cries out to me from the ground.
The stone was rolled away.
Even the stones know they are dust and to dust they shall return,
evolving always toward gentleness, toward each other.
The stones cry out, all Creation
sings praise to God's love made present,
wails in lament for our fearful cruelty
and the cry of the dispossessed,
those who are trampled, thrown, treated like dirt, stoned,
used for our wars and imprisonments.
Even the stones shout hope for the word to come.
Listen to the stones. Let your heart join them.

-We Listen for Gods Word-

PSALTER

Psalm 118:19-29

UMH 839

GOSPEL
Luke 19:28-40
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called
the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, Go into
the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a
colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone
asks you, Why are you untying it? just say this, The Lord needs
it. So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told
them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, Why
are you untying the colt? They said, The Lord needs it.
Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the
colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading
their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down
from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of
power that they had seen, saying, Blessed is the king who comes in
the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest
heaven!
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, order
your disciples to stop. He answered, I tell you, if these were
silent, the stones would shout out.

-We Respond to Gods Word-

REFLECTION:

You Say You Want a Revolution

HYMN

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

UMH 474

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORDS PRAYER

OFFERING & DOXOLOGY

UMH 94

-We Scatter to Serve the World-

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BENEDICTION
Lowrie
And now we lay down the palm branches.
And with them we lay down our belief
that there is another way for you to be God.
As the last echo of the final alleluia fades,
so does our hope that this journey can end
in any other way.
The week stretches ahead glory-less and pain-full
Whether we walk with all faith or none
we look towards the cross,
knowing it is both the most human
and most divine of all journeys
travel the road with courage, with love,
and with the uneasy peace that is the gift of faith
into this holiest of weeks.
Amen.
RESPONSE
Go to Dark Gethsemane
290 vs.1
Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter's power;
your Redeemer's conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour.
Turn not from his griefs away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

z
Birthdays & Anniversary

Mar 20 - Judy Hatin, Mitch Hay

Mar 21 - Stephen Chesser
Mar 24 - Vickie Casazza
Mar 26 - Judy Wright, Nick Duff
March 21 - Bill & Jo-Ann Bowman Anniversary

Essex Eats Out Schedule

Mar 25 - EUMC
Apr 8 - Holy Family
Apr 22 - EUMC

Apr 1 - 1st Congregational

Apr 15 - St James
Apr 29 - St Pius

Announcements

Easter Flowers: You are invited to purchase Easter flowers of your

choice in honor or in memory of someone. The flowers will decorate
the altar on Easter Sunday. Please bring them to church by Saturday,
March 26, around 10:00.
Usher & Greeter Schedule: There is a new schedule for March &
April in the Narthex.

We take prayer seriously at Essex United Methodist Church.

We dont pray because we think God is absent and needs cajoling.

We dont pray because we think God is a celestial Santa Claus.
We pray because that is how humans begin to discern Gods will.
We pray because prayer changes us; prayer opens us up
more and more to Gods grace and the movement
of Gods Spirit in our hearts, our community, our world.

Below are people, places, & concerns that folk have lifted up.
Please keep them in your prayers at home.
Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.

Perfume Politeness: In the winter, with the windows shut, peoples

sensitivity/allergies to colognes, perfumes, and heavy scents can be
heightened. Please keep scented products to a minimum until we can
open our windows to the great outdoors again! Thanks!
Health Kit Party at Shelburne UMC on Sat., April 2 at 9 a.m. Our
church is providing the soap for the kits. We will need 300 bars (no
Ivory or Jergens please as they are too soft; all other kinds fine) See
Marilyn Almeida or Ellie Uckele if you would like to participate on
April 2. Leave soap in box on the table at foot of stairs.

All Week:

Calendar

Ecumenical Prayer & Breakfast 6:45 a.m.

at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Mon-Fri

Mon, 21 Mar: Monday Companion at Eves. 7:00 pm

Starting Gilead by Marilyn Robinson
Tue, 22 Mar: Office Hours 9:30 am
Phoenix Books 10:40 am
Mansfield Bible Study 1:45 pm
Choir Practice 6:30 pm


Ongoing Prayers
Brooks Family
Michael Parker
Jill & Doug Griffin
Stan Komecki
Jenna Roy
Paul
Dick Shepard
Robin
Jaylene
Jake Greg
D.J.
Chris
Gloria
Anne
John Young IV
Brenda

Ongoing Prayers, cont.

Lenore
T.J.
Maureen Evans
Judy & Diezela
Zachary Roy
John Bartlett
Lifted Up Last Sunday
Jody - for Tyler, in some difficulty
for Noah, surgery
Angela - for Alex
Emily - lots of tests for Wally
Barb - for John with trials at work
Fred - prayers for a culture of drug
addiction


Thur, 24 Mar: Maundy Thursday Service 7:00 pm

Fri, 25 Mar:

Essex Eats Out at EUMC 5:30-7:00 pm

Good Friday Tenebrae Service 7:00 pm

Sat, 26 Mar: Saturday Prayer Vigil, all day

Sun, 27 Mar: Easter Sunrise Service 6:45 pm Bixby Hill
Easter Worship Service 10:00 am
Easter Egg Hunt to follow Service
Tues, 29 Mar: Pastor-Parish Relations Team 7:00 pm
Fri, 1 Apr:

Cron Lecture at SUNY Plattsburgh: Robin

Meyers Quantum Physics and the Future of God

Wed, 6 Apr:

Green Mountain Nursing Home 2:30 pm

Essex Center United Methodist Church

essex_umc@comcast.net
tel. 878-8304
www.essexumc.com
Ministers: the entire congregation
Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call)
mitchellhay@comcast.net
Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Organist: Kathryn Parker Pianists: June Packard, Ellie Uckele
Djembe: Barbara Lemmel Guitar: Richard Randazzo & Mia Burnett
Song Leader: Dana Thomas Projection: Sam Evans
Greeters -Don & Norma Strickland
Ushers - Fred & Marlene Hodgdon, Vickie Casazza

cover: Entry into Jerusalem, Wilhelm Morgner, 1912