March 29, 2026

Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday

First Mennonite Church

Sugarcreek, Ohio

March 29, 2026

Worship: 9:30 am

Coffee & Fellowship Time: 10:30 am

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

“Patient Trust”

by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

We are quite naturally impatient in everything

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way

to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress

that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—

and that it may take a very long time.

~Gathering~

Prelude: "Triumphal Entry" - arr. Joel Raney

Welcome& Announcements

Introductory Poem:

As we step into Lent, we say “welcome” to the dissonance.

Come now, O God, when our love is forsaken;

come when our bedrock of faith has been shaken;

come when our deepest of hopes are mistaken:

come, Emmanual. Come, Emmanuel.

Come when we squander the freedom you gave us;

come break the systems of sin that enslave us;

come, though we wonder if you can still save us:

come, Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.

Come, lead us out of our self-serving madness;

come, while the world is still shrouded in sadness;

come, turn the tears of our mourning to gladness:

come, Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.

(words from VT 143)

As we step into Lent, we say, “welcome” to the dissonance,

trusting that God is here, now, in the mystery, before it is resolved.

Focus Statement:

Most years, the season of Lent is meant to prepare us for Holy

Week. This year, the entire season of Lent has been framed by

the experience of Holy Week, inviting us to linger in the

intensity of the final week of Jesus’ life, to dwell in the

dissonance. Today’s worship service provides a unique

challenge based on the readings. John 12 tells of Jesus’ entry

into Jerusalem, traditional for Palm Sunday. But in the weeks

leading up to this one, we are already past that narrative. John

19, on the other hand, continues the story we have been

following and details the crucifixion. So today, we will look at

both stories, side by side, and examine the dissonance of Jesus’

triumph and death, and our recognition of Jesus’ finishing work

which is not yet completed.

Hymn of Dissonance: VT 48 Come, My Way, My Truth,

My Life

(This hymn was chosen for its dissonant harmonies as well as for

the words. Today we will sing all verses.)

Call to Worship:

All: We gather to worship God and to look back on where

we’ve been;

Leader: we see old hopes, plans, and dreams, remembered

“Hosannas!” and all these weeks of Lent.

All: We gather to worship God and to look at where we are

now,

Leader: at Jesus re-defining triumph; and the king on the cross

instead of a throne.

All: We gather to worship God and to wonder at this

mystery,

Leader: of salvation that comes so strangely; of life that comes

through death; of brokenness meeting grace.

Invocation

Hymn of Gathering: HWB 238 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

~Praising & Praying~

Prayers of the People

Confession Poem:

Leader: Jesus, this story is not the one we expected.

Mike: We feel for your disciples, so happy to proclaim you king as

you rode into Jerusalem.

People: We too have been eager to follow sure about what

that will mean, confident things will turn out well.

Kristy: We feel for your disciples devastated at your crucifixion.

People: When we are no longer sure about anything. When

everything we thought we had and knew falls apart.

All: “Hosanna!” we sang back then, “Save us!”

“Hosanna!” we cry now, “God, please!”

Leader: And though the story has shifted, you do save.

Mike: You have.

Kristy: You will.

All: You are.

Ending Prayer

Hymn of Praise: HWB 237 All Glory, Laud, and Honor

~Hearing God’s Word~

Dramatic Sketch: A Disciple’s Story--Then and Now

-based on John 19:16b—22; 12:12-27

A lone disciple stands by the cross, remembering….

Disciple – Mike Keim

Palm Wavers - Kristy Keim, Helene Torgler, Amy Hostetler

Message: “From Passion to Pain”

~Responding~

Time of Silence and Reflection:

You are invited to write your thoughts on the paper provided.

After three minutes of quiet reflection, the piano will play a

hymn during which the offering plates will be passed into

which you will place your papers.

Hymn of Response: HWB 250 Beneath the Cross of Jesus

(the offering will be collected and brought forth at this time)

Offering Prayer

~Sending~

Benediction

Sending Hymn: HWB 252 O Sacred Head Now Wounded v3, 4

Postlude: "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" – arr. Eugene Butler

Sending Words

WORSHIP 9:30-10:30

Guest Minister: Darcy Miller

Worship Leader: April Shupe

Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer

Song Leader: April Shupe

Usher: Leadership Team

Lent 2026 – “Dwelling in Dissonance”

This Lenten season we are choosing to stay in the uncomfortable, the unsettled or unfinished, the times that grate or jar or disturb and to try not to force those times to come to completion. Just as Jesus endured the trials of Holy Week, we too are committed to wait and to fully experience the dissonance in our lives. The worship services during this season will attempt to help us be more comfortable with the dissonances—as reflected in the altar, the music, in the book of John on which our services will focus,

and in those disturbing times in our lives.

After the sermon during Lent, there will be a three-minute period where we will be writing our thoughts about one of the questions printed on the bulletin insert. When the three minutes are over, the offering plates will be passed for you to put your paper in the plate to be taken to the altar. Please put your pen on the seat beside you so that we can continue to use them each Sunday in Lent.

FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER

Mission Project for March: MCC Hygiene Kits

Keeping clean is an important part of staying healthy. Families who have fled their homes because of disaster or war often struggle to afford the necessary supplies. Kits also go to schools or orphanages to encourage healthy habits for children. A list of items needed is on the table in the coffee and fellowship area.

Maundy Thursday Communion and Supper: Bring a quart of vegetable soup to add to the community pot and join us in this holy service of fellowship and communion. Dinner starts at 6pm with the service to follow in the fellowship hall downstairs.

Easter Sonrise Service and Breakfast: All are invited to bring guests and attend our annual Sonrise service in the fellowship hall. The short service will begin at 8am and be followed by a hot breakfast complete with Easter eggs and horseradish!

Easter Sunday Service will begin a half hour later than usual, at 10 AM. There will be no fellowship time following the service.

THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS FOR

Sue Stauffer: We are very grateful that no one was harmed in the fire that devastated Amy’s house.

Bob Gerber: Chris came home on Friday and will be coming over for a visit.

THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR

April Shupe: Keep mom in your prayers, she is having dizzy spells in the mornings.

Sue Stauffer: Nate Miller has passed away.

Melanie Blauch Archer: Keep Dave in your prayers, his blood is not going through the arteries right and he has developed a cough.

THIS WEEK

April 2nd Maundy Thursday Supper and Communion Service, 6pm

April 4th Happy Birthday, April Shupe

April 5th Easter Sonrise Service, 8 am