Worship Order - MACEDONIA AME CHURCH - Palm Sunday, April 9, 2006

Hymn #25
Ho - ly, Ho - ly, Ho - ly! Lord God Al - migh - ty!
Ear - ly in the morn - ing our song shall rise to Thee;
Ho - ly, Ho - ly, Ho - ly! Mer - ci -ci - ful and - migh - ty!
God in three per - sons bless - ed Trin - i - ty!

Ho - ly, Ho - ly, Ho - ly! All the saints adore Thee,
Cast - ing down their gold- en crowns a - round the glass- y sea;
Cher - u - bim and ser - a - phim fall - ing down be - fore Thee!
Which wert, and art, and ev - er- more shall be, AMEN.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Minister:
I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem!

People:
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Minister:
Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good.

People:
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Minister:
Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, Lord I have loved thy habitation; the place where thy honor dwelleth.

People:
For the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before Him.

Minister:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

People:
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He has done marvelous things. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth and sing praises.

The Invocation - Worship Leader

O Almighty God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift, and who pours out on all who desire it your spirit of grace and supplication: Deliver us when we draw near to you from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, so that with steadfast thoughts and love we may worship you in spirit and truth: Through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
AMEN

The Stewardship Message
When a person becomes a member of the Kingdom of God, and establishes a true relationship with God, they should realize they have been blessed to be a blessing.
We cannot be a blessing to others if we have not been blessed. One of the great principles of God's miraculous plan of economy tells us: "If you give little, you will get little." Your harvest is established when you plsnt your seed.

Isaiah 50:4-9a

4 “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. 5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.
9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me;

Psalm 31:9-16

9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body!
10 For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.
11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

Philippians 2:5-11

5 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.

Mark 14:1-16

1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”
And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’
Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

Preface
From all that dwell below the skies; Let the Creator's praise arise;
Let the Redeemer's name be sung, Through Every land by every tongue.

Introduction of The Presiding Elder - Pastor Paris or Appointee

Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram, Presiding Prelate,10th Episcopal District
Reverend Dr. Jessica Kendal Ingram, WMS Supervisor, 10th Episcopal District
Reverend W. C Ervin III, Presiding Elder, Tyler District
Reverend Betty Bryant Ervin, First Lady, Tyler District
Reverend Alton E. Paris, Senior Pastor Macedonia AME Church
Sister Sara Fields Paris, First Lady, Macedonia AME Church
Brother Ricky Salters, Associate Pastor, Macedonia AME Church