Holst, Gustav Theodore / Rossetti, Christina G.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heav’n cannot hold Him, nor the earth sustain;

Heav’n and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stableplace sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only in her maiden bliss,

Worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man, I would do my part;

Yet what can I give Him: give my heart.

© Public Domain CCLI License No. 2855178

15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—

he who lives forever, whose name is holy:

“I live in a high and holy place,

but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 I will not accuse forever,

nor will I always be angry,

for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—

the breath of man that I have created.

17 I was enraged by his sinful greed;

I punished him, and hid my face in anger,

yet he kept on in his willful ways.

18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;

I will guide him and restore comfort to him,

19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.

Dramatized Reading: Matthew 20:20-28, 27:33-38 NIV

Worship Leader:  Sometimes we seek the glory of leadership without knowing the cost of it.  Listen to Matthew 20:20-28.

Narrator:  Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

Jesus:  “What is it you want?”

Mother:  “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

Jesus:  “You don’t know what you are asking!  Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

James & John:  “We can!”

Jesus:  “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

Narrator:  When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.  Jesus called them together to talk.

Jesus:  “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Worship Leader:  What are the positions at the right and left of Jesus?  Listen to Matthew 27:27-38.

Narrator:  Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.  They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).  There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.  When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.  Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.  Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Background Song:  How Beautiful

Paris, Twila

How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross.

How beautiful, how beautiful,
How beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled,
That took all my sin and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes,
That chose to forgive and never despise.

And as he laid down his life we offer this sacrifice,
That we will live just as he died,
Willing to pay the price, willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom with his light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives, so that others may live.

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.

© 1990 Ariose Music / Mountain Spring Music (Admin. by EMI CMP)
CCLI License No. 2855178

Hopkins, Mary Rice

Create in me a clean heart, O God, that I might serve You.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, that I might be renewed.
So fill me and heal me and bring me back to You.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, that I might serve You.

© 1989 Big Steps 4 U (Ad. Music Services) / Maranatha! Music (Ad. Copyright Company) 

CCLI License No. 2855178

Be Thou My Vision

Hull, Eleanor / Byrne, Mary E. / Traditional Ancient Irish Hymn

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word,
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou and Thou only first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High king of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, bright heav'n's sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

© Public Domain CCLI License No. 2855178