Festivals (Baptism, Lorelei Elmieke Bosch)

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus.May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Good morning…

It is wonderful to welcome all to Palm Sunday. A special welcome to friends and family who are joining us for a special service where we will baptish Lorelei. We are pausing our reflection on Leviticus as we will read the passage where Christ rides into Jerusalem. It is the story that starts the events of Holy Week leading to the death of God. It is a time of morning, uncertainty and hopelessess. In the current moment in the narritive, we do not know if God will be able to concer death.

It will be Holy Week from tomorrow, where we will prepare our selves for Easter Sunday.

We will share Maunday Thursday service on th 17th with Longnidry Church hosted by Rev Robin Hill starting at 19:00.

The Good Friday Service will be in the Church on the 18th at 19:00.

Easter Sunday we will have a Early Morning Service at 08:00 with Roles and Coffee.

The Easter Sunday Service will be normal time at 11:00. There will be special Easter Hunt. All children are welcome.

Let us prepare our hearts and minds in our call to Worship.

Call to worship (Psalm 24)

Minister: Who may climb the hill of the Lord?

All: Those with a pure heart!

Minister: Who may climb the hill of the Lord?

All: Those with who lifts their souls to the truth.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH 364 All glory, laud and honour (Verses 1, 3, 4, 5)

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (The Lords Prayer will be said during the Baptism)

Thankfulness well up within us and our prayers fill this place, for you our Lord. May our hearts overflow with joy and our worship be a sign of our devotion. As the pilgrims who waved palm branches as they sang, we join them to declare your glory. We confess that we do not always grasp the significance of you riding into the city of Jerusalem. Help us Lord to come to a deeper understanding of that significant event leading to your death and resigregtion. We become uncertain and hopeless, because you our Lord is being led to Your death.

We are uncertain if you will even be able to face the trauma and defeat darkness. It is due to this reason that we become close to you.

As we approach Holy Week, we ask that you give understanding to what it ment for those seeing You riding into Jerusalem.

Warm our hearts by the knowledge of your glory. Make our words, reflections and worship worthy of you. On this Palm Sunday we come ready to open our hearts to your power and to allow You to ride into our lives. Like the pilgrims and the disciples, we lift our voices to celebrate your presence. We lay our lives at your feet as a sign of our love for you. We make way for you as a sign that you are ruler over us. We praise you for the way that the Holy Spirit sets us free to worship. Spirit of God renew us and transform us into liveing example of your grace.

Stir our spirit so that we can experience your goodness. We ask this esspessially as we will be baptising a child/your child in the name of the Tri-une God. We baptise to furfilling your instruction according to your word. You are worthy of our worship. So we come joining with many past and pressent to declare your majesty. Ride on. Ride into our Heart. Amen.

Hymn: King of kings, majesty

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: Make way! Sign of belonging! (baptismal gown)

Hymn: He’s got the whole world in his hands

(Children exit.)

Reading: Luke 19: 28-44

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

Praise was directed to God for the Messiah arrived. The signs and miracles they saw convinced the followers that Jesus is the One. The whole crowd of disciples began to joyfully praise God. For them it was obvious that Jesus is the one they were hoping and praying for. Yet, it was not that simple. In the crowd Pharisees told Jesus that He should rebuke his disciples for their blasphemy.

On the one hand you have disciples enjoying the festivities of the new redeemer, on the other hand there were complaints due to the so called blasphemy of the disciples. In the middle Jesus was on a colt riding into Jerusalem. He was in the middle of those who where convinced about him and others who dispised him. I am convinced that even today people will be devided as the growd was on the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Even today people will be devide between believers and non-believers. Those who say “yes” and others who say “no”.

Jesus knew he was the point of contensioun therefore he address’ the Pharisee for there stuburness. He told them:

“I tell you if they keep quiet (the disciples) the stones will cry out”

In other words, Jesus were saying to them that by this stage it is so obvious that he is the saviour. The fact that the Pharisees can’t see makes even rocks more insightful and smarter then them.

It was statements like these that got Jesus into trouble. With such statements he also acknowleded that his followers were correct in there assesment, whereas the Pharisee were blind. The assesment of the disciples were correct that Jesus is truly God incarnet. Everything that Christ were doing was a fullment of the old prophecies, but still the Pharisees can not understand.

But it did not stop there, even the eyes of the city Jerusalem could’nt see who were in there mits. It is for this reason that I find this reading to be heart breaking. As Jesus approached the city he wept and said: “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

The city and the Pharisees can not see and did not have insight. It is obvious to the disciples that Christ is the Messiah, therefore, they proclaim joining in with the rocks saying”:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

It was the same Pharisee and city that convicted and murderd Chirt. The reading is not just about the blindness of the Pharisees and the City. The story is also about Christ entering a place where the forces of the day dispised him to such a point that even Pontius Pilite, the Roman Governer, could’nt stop them mudering God. Even though their were people witnessing the truth of God in there mits, still it did not stop the murder of God. Nothing could have prevented the forces of the day of destroy God. We confess with the followers of that day that Christ was God and still is God. Yet, this did not stop the sturing of darkness underneath the surve. Christ was riding on a Colt into the city facing tremendus hostilities, accompanied with the sound of rejosing clearly to be heard. When Christ rode into the city people were clearing the way and the disciple enounced:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

Christ found himself in the middle of those who was confessing his identity and on the other hand those despising Him to their cor.

As we are approaching Holy Week, the reading today asks the question: On what side are we standing on today? Or are we just looking on not sure what to make of God riding on a colt into Jerusalem?

Some could say: Jesus was just a opportunist, others could not even be bothered and there might be those quitely declaring with the disciples:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

The Christian faith teaches that we are part of those disciples proclaiming the Lordship of Christ. The proclomation can be quite or it could be loud. However, we decide to proclam we will be joining in with the dissiples on that day when God road into Jerusalem. Many today could even despise us as the Pharisees did on that unique day. Even so, we will find ourselves standing next to the road making the way for the King of Kings - proclaiming:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

It is in the name of this king that we approach the fond to administer the Baptism. The Baptism is a instruction from our Lord, we do it in his name. Amen.

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Baptism: You can just have a “Baptism slide” with the Words in blue also as slides.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 18-20)

Statement:

When Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, the Spirit of God came upon him. His baptism was completed through his dying and rising again. Our baptism is the sign of dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ. It is Christ himself who baptizes us. By the Spirit of Pentecost, he makes us members of his body, the Church, and calls us to share his ministry in the world. By water and the Holy Spirit, God claims us as his own, washes us from sin, and sets us free from the power of death. In this sacrament, the love of God is offered to each one of us. Though we cannot understand or explain it, we are called to accept that love with the openness and trust of a child. In baptism, Lorelei Elmieke Bosch is assured of the love that God has for her, and the sign and seal of the Holy Spirit is placed upon her.

-Roz en Lorelei kom voor in toe-

!Statement:

!Parents: Presenting this child for baptism, desiring that she may be grafted into Christ as a member of His body, the church, we receive the teaching of the Christain faith which we confess in the Apostles Creed.

Congregation: Will the congregation please stand. Let us affirm the faith.

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

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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.

Prayer:

We thank you, gracious God, for your gifts of water and the Holy Spirit.

(Pour the Water in font)

Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this water, so that Lorelei Elmieke Bosch, being buried with Christ in baptism, may rise with him to newness of life; and being born anew of water and the Holy Spirit may remain for ever in the number of your faithful children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Declaration and Baptism:

Lorelei, God ken jou by die naam en Hy is onsaglik lief vir jou. I baptise you in the name of God the F, S and H. Amen.

Blessing:

Mag die seëning van ons Almagtige God met jou wees van die dag to in ewigheid. Amen.

Sing Hymn 796: (Whilst showing the baby to the congregation.)

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

!Promise: !Parents: We promise leaning on the grace of God, to teach our child the truths and duties of the Christian faith; and by prayer and example to bring her up in the life and worship of the Church.

Congregation: Do you welcome Lorelei; and do you renew your commitment, with God’s help, to live before all God’s children in a kindly and Christian way, and to share with them the knowledge and love of Christ? We do.

(Place this on slides:)

Say together: We will nurture one another in faith, uphold one another in prayer, encourage one another in service.

Prayer:

God of love, we rejoice again to receive your grace in Word and Sacrament. We have heard your call and are made new by your Spirit. Guide and guard Lorelei all her days. God of grace, in whose church there is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, help us to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to profess with our whole lives the one true faith, and to live in love and unity with all who are baptized in his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns, and is worshipped and glorified,with you, Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever.

Let us pray together:

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

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Hymn: CH549 - How deep the Father’s love

Prayer for Others (Get someone to lead):

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH 367 Hosanna, loud hosanna

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, may the peace of God,  which is beyond all understanding, guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)