Monthly Archives: March 2021

Call to Worship - Zechariah 9:9

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Sermon - Mark 11:1-11

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus[a] sent two of his disciples 

2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 

3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 

4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 

5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 

6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 

7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 

8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 

9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Call to Worship - Isaiah 53:12b

(...)because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Sermon - Mark 6:30-44

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 

31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 

33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 

34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 

35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 

36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii[a] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 

38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 

39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 

40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 

41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 

42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 

44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Call to Worship - Hebrews 12:2-3

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Sermon - Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 

15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 

16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 

17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 

18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 

19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 

20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 

22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 

23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 

24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 

25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 

26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 

28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Call to Worship - Isaiah 53:3-5

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces[e]

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

Sermon - Mark 6:6b-13

6b And he went about among the villages teaching.

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—

9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.

11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.