March 24, 2024
Palm Sunday
Christ Among Us, the Way of a Servant
First Mennonite Church
Sugarcreek, Ohio
March 24, 2024
Worship: 9:30-10:30
Fellowship Time: 10:30-11:00
Sunday School: 11:00-12:0
We believe in Jesus and take his life, teachings, death and resurrection
as the model for how we live and the message we proclaim.
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We seek to be a caring and discerning community,
the gathered body of Christ.
that welcomes all to join in worship, study, and service.
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We embody God’s transforming and redeeming Spirit in the world
through our prophetic witness and action.
THE CHURCH WORSHIPS TOGETHER
~Gathering~
Prelude “Rejoice, the Lord is King” -arr. Lloyd Larson
Welcome & Announcements
Focus Statement:
The crowds gathered, waving palm branches and throwing down their cloaks. The people were expecting a mighty king to defeat the Romans. Instead, Jesus came humbly riding on a donkey and showing us the way of a servant, the Lamb who was slain.
Gathering Litany
Left: We are a covenant people, called to God by God.
Right: We are a covenant people, called to Jesus by Jesus, losing one
life to gain our life.
Left: Renamed.
Right: Reborn.
All: Renewed. We gather ourselves in the community of
believers. We gather ourselves unto you.
Time of Meditation “The Palms” -Jean Baptiste Faure
Call To Worship:
All: Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the
name of the Lord!
Leader: Christ among us, humble and riding on a donkey.
People: Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the
name of the Lord!
Leader: Christ among us, God’s light shining on us!
People: Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the
name of the Lord!
All: Christ among us, showing us the way of a servant.
Invocation
Hymn of Gathering VT 315 All Glory, Laud and Honor
~Praising & Praying~
Psalm Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 9:9
Hymn of Praise VT 313 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
Prayers of the People
~Hearing God’s Word~
Message “Lessons from a Donkey”
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in
each of the four Gospels:
Matthew 21:1-11, read by Nancy Yoder
Mark 11:1-11, read by Reno Stevanus
Luke 19:28-44, ready by Mike Keim
John 12:12-19, read by Bertie Showers
Poem: “The Donkey” by G.K. Chesterton, read by Jean Flinner
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Time of Introspection (to be read silently)
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown!
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place.
Look on me with thy favor, and grant to me thy grace.
Piano Interlude: “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
-arr. Lloyd Larson
~Responding~
Prayer of Confession:
Leader: When we get caught up in embracing the world’s power,
People: forgive us.
Leader: When we lose sight of the humble donkey and put
our trust in horses of war,
People: remind us of this Palm Sunday.
Leader: When we begin to get sucked into the darkness of the
“now,”
People: bring us once again the peace of looking toward the
“not yet.”
ALL: Heal our hearts and give us courage for the days
ahead; for we ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Hymn of Response VT 316 Ride On, Ride On in Majesty
(the offering will be brought forward)
Offering Prayer
~Sending~
Sending Hymn ”My Presence Will Go with You”
(printed in bulletin) – Joungmin Kim
Sending Words (from Philippians 2:5-11)
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who,
being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal
with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of
a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the
cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given
Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those
on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Time of Silence
Postlude “Ah, Holy Jesus” -arr. Larry Shackley
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WORSHIP 9:30-10:30
Worship Leader: April Shupe
Song Leader: April Shupe
Organist: Margaret Cheslock
Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer
Head Usher: Leadership Team
Visuals: Our journey toward God leads us on a path. We may stray
from time to time, but God is always with us, gently guiding us back.
The symbols on the altar represent our journey. The brown cloth
represents our path, and the side-by-side footprints represent those we walk along side. Along with the empty bowl which reminds us of God’s never-ending love for us and how God wants to fill us, the cross reminds us that to follow Jesus, we must take up our cross daily. The scrolls represent the Ten Commandments and serve as a guide and reminder of God’s justice and great love for us; the candle, a reminder that God is always shining God’s light toward us, covering us with mercy and grace. The buds on the forsythia remind us that we must die to self so that God can bring forth the beauty inside of us; whenever God lets something fade away, it’s because he has something better to replace it. The palm branches are a reminder that Jesus came as a different kind of King, not to be served, but to serve, and he calls us to follow him.
THE CHURH GIVES THANKS
Mennonite Mission Network: Praise God for the 75 years of healing
ministry by dedicated personnel at Mennonite Christian Hospital in
Hualien, Taiwan, the largest Mennonite hospital in the world. Join
Mennonite Mission Network in praying for Dr. Jacob Chang and the
hospital staff as the services they offer grow to meet the needs of the
populations they serve; the elderly, mothers and children and those
with special needs.
THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR
Kristy Keim: Lizzie will need prayers as she has a procedure done.
Prayers for the Miller family as Charlie Miller has passed away.
Mike Gehman: Haiti is currently in chaos; Mike Dewine had to close
the school he started there.
FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER
Next Week’s Text: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Isaiah 25:6-9, John 20:1-18;
Acts 10:34-43
Harbor of Hope for March: Paper Products
Mission Project for March: MCC Hygiene Kits
Reading enthusiasts, check this out---In the foyer on the bookcases
by the refreshment table are a number of books from Bob Gerber's
book collection that are on loan to the church library. If you would
wish to look at them or take any of them out, you are invited to sign
your name and put the date beside the name of the book on the
sheet provided. We thank Bob for sharing with us.
Easter Flower Orders: Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths are $8. each
and Easter Lilies are $9.00 each. Make checks payable to First
Mennonite and earmark for flowers. Check the list by the mailboxes
to see what you ordered.
Holy Week Services and Activities:
Wednesday March 27th, 1pm: Mennonite Action Comforter Knotting
Mennonite Action is a movement of Mennonites bonded by a
common belief that we must be public about our peace values. They
believe that Mennonites have a responsibility to use our voices as
powerfully as possible for the cause of peace and justice. They are
taking public action as Mennonites, and it is in this vein that we will
gather together as a church to knot comforters in the Fellowship Hall
and send them to MCC, supporting the theme, Send Aid, Not Bombs.
Thursday March 28th, 6pm: Maundy Thursday Supper and Service
Bring a quart of vegetable soup and add it to the common pot as we
join together for a simple meal of soup, bread, cheese and fruit. This
will be followed by a communion service, remembering the Last
Supper.
Sunday March 31st: Easter Services
Sonrise Service begins at 8am in the Fellowship Hall, followed by a
breakfast provided by the kitchen committee.
Easter Service will begin at 10am in the sanctuary. There will be no
Sunday School following the service.
THIS WEEK
March 27th Mennonite Action Week Comforter Knotting 1pm
March 28th Maundy Thursday Supper and Service 6pm
March 30th Community Easter Egg Hunt at Garaway Football Stadium
March 31st Easter Sonrise Service 8 am
Breakfast 8:30
Easter Service 10 am
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 5th Chicken BBQ at Sugarcreek fire department at 4pm
May 10-11th Sugarcreek Community Garage Sales

NEXT WEEK
Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer
Head Usher: Leadership Team
LAST WEEK
ATTENDANCE: 27
OFFERING: $400
Change for a Dollar: $49
Easter Flowers: $8
2024 Lenten Theme: Christ Among Us
Lent begins with mourning on Ash Wednesday, when
we remember who we are as humans and who God is,
reminding us of our brokenness and God’s grace. This is
followed by passages recalling Christ’s venture into the
wilderness and the 40-day journey that we are on as well. The
journey starts with this moment of God speaking to God’s Son,
announcing to the world who Jesus is, reminding Jesus of his
belovedness, and reminding the people of God of the prophecies
and promises of the coming Messiah.
This year’s Lenten texts focus on covenants. They point
to God’s history of reaching out to continue in relationship with
God’s people. Covenants begin with God. God forms an
agreement with God’s people. Time and time again, humanity
fails to follow these covenants, yet God’s mercy and grace
remain. Christ is among us, reminding us of who we are, and
even when we fail, reminding us of grace and calling us
beloved.
Christ remains among us, and that is where we stand
united in our Mennonite denomination. So each week, we
consider a key theme among these passages: What might Christ
be teaching? What is God expecting of us? How does this
enable us to live our Christian—and Mennonite—identity more
fully, bringing glimpses of the new heaven and new earth into
our communities? What is the journey showing us as we
answer God’s call?
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Pastor: Mike Gehman:
Email: pastor@firstmennonitesugarcreek.com
Pastor’s Hours: Wednesday 9:30 am-2:30 pm
Church Secretary: Tabatha Murphy
Church Phone: 1-330-852-2822
Email: office@firstmennonitesugarcreek.com
Website: http//fmcsugarcreekoh.org
Address: 113 W. Main St. P.O. Box 250 Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681
CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM:
Chairperson: Mike Keim
Office Contact: Linda Yoder
Mission Contact: Reno Stevanus
Trustees Contact: Dan Hostetler
Secretary Contact: Amy Stauffer-McNutt
