Palm Sunday Responsive Prayer
Leader: Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— even on a donkey’s colt.
All: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Leader: You are our God, and we will praise You!
All: You are our God, and we will exalt You!
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
All: His faithful love endures forever!
Leader: On this day, so many years ago, the people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as if he were a triumphant king.
All: Forgive us for the times when we forget how important you are in our lives.
Leader: On that day the people paved his road with palm branches and coats and cheered him through the city.
All: Forgive us for the times when we lack enthusiasm in our worship and witness.
In our lives this week, we turned away from your triumphal entry.
The words in our heads and on our lips have been, “Can’t,” “Won’t,” “Never,” “Impossible."
Believing our problems are too deep for you, we have forgotten your kingdom, and stewed in our own misery.
All: Forgive us for the times we have underestimated your power and love.
God of grace, we long to raise your name high,
to declare your praises,
to live in your power and victory,
to follow in your footsteps,
even if they lead to crosses on a barren hillside before they lead to victory and resurrection.
Leader: And I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number.
They were from every nation, tribe, people and language.
They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
And they cried out with a loud voice:
All: “Victory belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Leader: And the angels fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, saying: All: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen!”
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Responsive Prayer to be used on the fifth Sunday in Lent:
Leader: Loving God, in this Lenten season you call us to service; to be your eyes and ears, hands and voice in this your world.
All: We hear your call to live for you Lord.
Leader: Lord, You call us to open our eyes not only to the beauty and love which you create, but to the injustice, hate and suffering that humankind generates.
All: Open our eyes for you, Lord.
Leader: Lord, you call us to open our ears not only to the chattering of this coming week, but to the searching, fears and questioning of all whom we shall meet.
All: Open our ears for you, Lord.
Leader: Lord, you call us to open our hands not only to those with whom we choose to share our lives, but in welcome, love and fellowship to all who you draw near.
All: Open our hands for you, Lord.
Leader: Lord, you call us to open our mouths not only to speak platitudes and simple words, but the loving truths you lay upon our hearts from your word.
All: Open our mouths for you, Lord.
Leader: Loving God, in this Lenten season, You call us to service, to be your eyes and ears, hands and voice in this your world.
All: We accept your call to live for you, Lord.
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Responsive Prayer to be used on the fourth Sunday in Lent:
Leader: In this season of Lent, we step humbly but boldly into the presence of our God, praying with our Saviour the prayer he taught us to pray:
People: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Leader: Joining with our brothers and sisters around the world in Lent, we seek you our good God,
People: Give us today our daily bread!
Leader: This day, God, people are hungry— Children lie down at night with empty stomachs. People suffer deprivation in war. Families search for enough to put a meal on the table.
People: We seek you, our good God, for our daily bread,
Leader: This day, our good God, we call to you for our for daily needs from the earth: for water that flows pure from a mountain, for air that blows clean across the forests, for foods planted, tended, harvested, and shared, for land and sky filled with life and renewal,
People: We seek you, our good God, for our daily bread:
Leader: This day, God, people everywhere search with broken hearts. We are hungry for justice and mercy, for peace and compassion, for governments that are just, for homes that are places of rest and play, for families, friends, partners and neighbours who walk with us, comfort us, love us . . .
People: We seek your Kingdom, our good God, so that all might taste the living Bread in Jesus.
Leader: Through Jesus, good God, forgive us our sins and we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. And as Christ offers us Himself as the Bread of Heaven, may we feast with Him this day and into eternity,
People: for yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
(Adapted from Roy Berkenbosch and Cheryl Mahaffy, Reformed Worship (reformedworship.org), Service plans based on the Lord's Prayer)
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Responsive Prayer to be used on the third Sunday in Lent:
Jesus, Saviour of the world,
come to us in your mercy:
we look to you to save and help us.
By your cross and your life laid down,
you set your people free:
we look to you to save and help us.
When they were ready to perish,
you saved your disciples:
we look to you to come to our help.
In the greatness of your mercy,
loose us from our chains:
forgive the sins of all your people.
Make yourself known as our saviour
and mighty deliverer:
save and help us that we may praise you.
Come now and dwell with us, Lord Christ Jesus:
hear our prayer and be with us always.
And when you come in your glory:
make us to be one with you
and to share the life of your kingdom. Amen
(source: ‘Saviour of the World’ as appears in Anglican Church of Australia, A Prayer Book for Australia (Mulgrave: Broughton, 1995), 414.)
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Responsive Prayer to be used on the second Sunday in Lent:
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4–5
Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ, our Lord,
came to us as a servant and suffered,
and is compassionate to those who suffer:
Hear us as we pray for those in need.
For the hungry, refugees and the homeless;
For the poor, the diseased and the dying;
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the weak and the vulnerable;
For those who are overthrown by the stresses of life;
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those impeded by their injuries and those deprived of strength;
For the mentally afflicted and the depressed;
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the irresponsible, the imprisoned and the desperate;
For those entrapped by addictions of alcohol, gambling and drugs;
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the aged, the lonely and the unloved;
For the fallen and those without hope;
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who provide relief and service to those in need;
Lord, hear our prayer.
Help us, who offer these prayers, to take the sufferings of others upon ourselves, and so, by your grace, become the agents of your transforming love.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(prayers modified from Holy Week Services, ed. Donald Gray, (1983, London: SPCK), pp. 97-98.)
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Responsive Prayer to be used on the first Sunday in Lent - repeated from Ash Wednesday services:
Eternal God, maker of heaven and earth, have mercy on us.
Incarnate Word, redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
Abiding Spirit, giver of light and life, have mercy on us.
For turning away from your presence, for disobeying your word and commandments,
forgive us, Lord.
For trusting in our own strength instead of yours, for betraying your trust and the trust of others,
forgive us, Lord.
For resisting your grace and refusing your blessings, for holding back from proclaiming our faith in you,
forgive us, Lord.
For failing to forgive as we have been forgiven, for judging others and bearing grudges,
forgive us, Lord.
For skimping on our commitments and relationships, for failing in hospitality,
forgive us, Lord.
For all we have done unkindly, unjustly and dishonestly, for our careless speech and hurtful words,
forgive us, Lord.
