United in God’s Love, Empowered to Serve, Welcoming All

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Palm/Passion Sunday

April 13, 2025

Holy EUCHARIST

11:00 A.M.

BISHOP: The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer

INTERIM RECTOR: The Rev. Dr. Julianne Buenting

MUSIC DIRECTOR and ORGANIST: Stephen Kennedy

DEACON: The Rev. Joel Wilbur

Deacon Joel is a transitional deacon, preparing for ordination to the priesthood.

We seek to serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
We strive for justice and peace among all people,
respecting the dignity of every human being.

Welcome

We seek to mirror the love of God and the hospitality of Jesus in our worship and our service to others. We are a community welcoming all races, ethnicities, faiths, genders, orientations, and abilities. Our worship is open to all, and every person is invited to receive communion.

CHRIST CHURCH OFFICE HOURS – TELEPHONE: 585.454.3878

TUESDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

THURSDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

As discussed during the Annual Meeting, the Rector Search Committee is interested in your input! Click here and leave us a message https://songforchristchurch.org/contact and share your thoughts. Members of the Search Committee will be available after church during Coffee Hour, too, to answer any questions, and the boards will be available through the month of February.

LITURGY NOTES FOR LENT

Our worship on the first Sunday of Lent (March 9) began with the Great Litany, found in the Book of Common Prayer(BCP) on pages 148-152 in the traditional Rite I language. It is especially fitting during Lent and many parishes have the same custom as Christ Church to begin worship on the first Sunday of Lent thusly. The BCP allows expansive options for use of the Great Litany-it may be used before the Eucharist, or in Morning or Evening Prayer, or as a separate devotion. There is an additional portion of the Great Litany called “The Supplication” for use “in times of war, or of national anxiety, or of disaster.”

Our Masses for the second through fifth Sundays of Lent will begin with another BCP option that is well-suited to the penitential nature of the Lenten season. A Penitential Order is provided for both Rites I and II as an option to begin the Liturgy. The service begins with the usual music, Introit, hymn and the Opening Acclamation. Then the Presider may read the Summary of the Law from the Gospel of Mark (12:29-31) followed by the Confession and Absolution. For Lent, the chanted Trisagion follows, then the Collect of the Day begins the Liturgy of the Word.

At the conclusion of Mass, a Solemn Prayer over the People replaces the final Blessing during Lent. These change each week of Lent and the texts of these prayers come from the Book of Occasional Services which was most recently revised and approved by General Convention in 2022. -The Rev. Julianne Buenting+

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: RITE TWO

From The Book of Common Prayer

THE LITURGY OF THE PALMS

Presider Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

All Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

Presider Let us pray.

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the

contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Deacon (or other person appointed) reads the following Luke 19:29-40

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?” 34 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. Now as he was 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.” 40 He answered,

“I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Presider God be with you.

People And also with you.

Presider Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Presider

It is right to praise you, Almighty God, for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us

through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem

in triumph, and was proclaimed as King of kings by those who spread their garments and

branches of palm along his way. Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant

that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way

that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit, now and

forever. Amen.

Presider Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

All Hosanna in the highest.

The Procession

Deacon Let us go forth in peace.

People In the name of Christ. Amen.

PROCESSION HYMN 154 All glory, laud, and honor

Station Collect of the Liturgy of the Palms

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered

not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,

may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD

LITURGY OF THE PASSION

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Presider: God be with you.

People: And also with you.

Presider: Let us pray.

Almighty and ever-living God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please be seated.

First Lesson Isaiah 50: 4-9a

The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens-- wakens my ear to listen as those

who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn

backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out

the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that

I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God

who helps me; who will declare me guilty?

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL PSALM 31: 9-16, In te, Domine, speravi

Observing a longer pause at the asterisk. Tone accents are underlined.

Cantors:

9 Have mer-cy on me, O LORD, for I am in / trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and /my belly.

10 For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with / sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction, and / my bones consumed.

All:

11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors, a dismay to those of my ac-/ quaintance; *

when they see me in the street they / avoid me.

12 I am forgotten like a dead man, / out of mind; *
I am as useless as / a broken pot.

13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is / all around; *
they put their heads together against me; they plot / to take my life.

14 But as for me, I have trusted in / you, O LORD. *
I have said, / "You are my God.

15 My times are / in your hand; *

rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those / who persecute.

16 Make your face to shine upon your / servant, *
and in your loving-kind-/ ness save me."

Epistle Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Please stand, as able.

TRACT: Deus, Deus, meus

THE HOLY GOSPEL Luke 3:1-49

Gospeler: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

All: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The assembly of the elders of the people rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king." Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Judeans?" He answered, "You say so." Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man." But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him."

Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!" (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him." But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So, Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Judeans, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Judeans."

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Gospeler: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

THE SERMON The Rev. Dr. Julianne Buenting

Please stand, as able.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Beloved in Christ, are we not wholly reliant on God's tender love and mercy? So let us cry out to our Lord, saying, “look upon us in mercy; and with compassion remember us.”

Have mercy on your Church, Holy One, for the times we have denied you. We have not been humble as you are humble. We are too often quick to speak and slow to love.

Silence

Look upon us in mercy;