Welcome to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church 

Where the love of Christ builds a harbor of acceptance, inspiration, 

Fellowship, service and joy. 

You enrich our worship with your presence. 

"When we say welcome we mean it!"

Sound Recording only - Podcast

It is not possible to pass the collection plate at our live home church.

  We do need your contributions.  Please sent your check, made out to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church to:

Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church

c/o Monty Rice

1298 Warren Rd.

Cambria, CA 93428

 If this is your first time here, WELCOME. 

If you have a prayer request, please send to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church-PCUSA 

2700 Eton Rd. • Cambria, CA 93428 

Call or text 805.395.1521 

Info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. website: www.safeharborcambria.org 

The Gathering
At the tolling of the bell, please quietly prepare your heart for worship.

Meditation Music Deborah Farrand

Welcome and Announcements

† Call to Worship (In unison)
Hosanna in the Highest. Our Redeemer comes before us.
All glory in His being, He rides in lonely state. The Prince of Peace, the humble servant, comes to win our souls. The Lord comes now for sacrifice, His majesty we proclaim. Blessed is he. Blessed is the Christ. God of all power, we turn our hearts and minds to you. Blessed is this day.

Prayer of the Day (In unison)
Light of the world, you reveal yourself to us with each step toward the Cross. Savior Lord, you love us beyond human bounds. Son of God, you will give your all so we may live. Holy Jesus, come into our hearts, we greet you with shouts of praise. Hosanna! You are our Sovereign, our Salvation, Hosanna! You are the Christ. Hosanna! Amen.
Blessing of the Palms

†Hymn of Praise # 197 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

Prayer of Confession (In unison)
Beneficent God, we are with the ecstatic crowd who greeted Jesus with palms and shouts of praise. But we worry our hearts will shutter when the trouble comes. Could we betray Him? Might we deny Him? Do we extend ourselves to bear witness? Do we leave our comfort zone to forgive, to reach out, to bend down to help? Please hear our additional confessions now...
(In unison) Lord, please give us the courage to follow and walk with Jesus wherever and whenever His ministry and purpose bids to us. Amen

Assurance of Pardon New Creations in Christ

†The Sharing of the Peace

The Word

Hymn of Preparation #452 Open the Eyes of My Heart

Leader: Listen for the Word of God.
People: Our ears are open and our hearts are ready to receive.

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon: Everybody Loves a Sinner Rev. Eugenia Gamble

Hymn of Response #200 A Cheering, Chanting, Dizzy Crowd

The Prayers

Call to Prayer: Hymn #466 Come and Fill Our Hearts

Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer

Response to Prayer Hymn # 710 We Are An Offering

Prayer of Dedication

The Parting

† Hymn of Parting #196 All Glory, Laud and Honor

† Charge and Benediction

Musical Response Go With Us Lord 

Go with us, Lord, and guide the way, through this and every coming day;

That in your Spirit strong and true, our lives may be our gift to you.

Please Join Us for Our 4 PM Maundy Thursday Service (with Communion).
And May Your Holy Week Be a Spirit-Filled Journey in Faith

CURRENT PRAYER LIST 

Members of our community that are lonely, hungry and sick.

If you would like to support the work of Safe Harbor Church financially: 

Tax deductible checks may be made to Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church. 

During our period of isolation, please mail checks to: 

Monty Rice 1298 Warren Road Cambria CA 93428 

WHEN WE SAY “ WELCOME! ”, WE MEAN IT! 

 The Triumphal Entry of Jesus … Mark 11:1-11…Palm Sunday 2021

Mark 11:1) When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2) and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3) If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4) They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5) some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6) They told them what Jesus had said; and they were allowed to take it. 7) Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8) Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9) Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10) Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11) Then 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.

Background: This story, traditionally read on Palm Sunday, begins what is called the Passion Narrative. The word passion is used by Christians to refer to the suffering and death of Jesus. The Passion narrative generally refers to the events of Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem beginning with the triumphal entry.
       The Triumphal Entry is recorded in all four Gospels although each differs from the others in a number of details. In John, people wave palm branches. In Matthew, Jesus rides a donkey and a colt! In Luke, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. None of those elements is found in Mark.
       A primary issue for Mark is the breaking of Jesus’ silence and the inevitable clash between the kingdom of God and the Empire of Rome. Up until this time Jesus has been very cautious about what was said about him. He often urged that people tell no one when they witnessed his miraculous power. Now, at last, he is ready for the clash of kingdoms, the clash of empires. The details of the passage are Messianic through and through. They are also public through and through. The size of the crowd and the extent to which they understood the Messianic overtones of this event are not known for certain. If the crowd was large and they knew what was going on, why wasn’t Jesus arrested right then and there? If the crowd was small or if they somehow missed the magnitude of the event, that might explain why they were not immediately crushed but it doesn’t explain the many details that a pious Jew could not have missed. Regardless of who was present and who knew what when, for those who read of these events after the fact, the irony is inescapable. The ones who have longed for Messiah and who shout Hosanna with all their might will, in the blink of an eye, abandon Jesus and cry “Crucify!”

Word Study
Vs. 1 – Jerusalem – The central city in Palestine and the spiritual home of Israel.
       Bethany and Bethphage – small villages in what we would call suburban Jerusalem.
       Mount of Olives – a place long associated with the coming of Messiah. According to Zechariah 14:4-5, this is the place where God will commence the final judgment of Israel’s enemies.
Vs. 2 – colt – Zechariah 9:9 says the King will come riding a colt (literally – young horse). Popular belief, however, was that Messiah would come as a warrior King riding a warhorse.
       Tied there – Genesis 49:8-12 speaks of a tethered colt. Many understood this to be a Messianic prophecy.
       Never been ridden – this animal had not been used for ordinary purposes so was pure for sacred purposes
Vs. 8 – spread their cloaks – this was a gesture of great respect given to kings.
       Leafy branches – literally in Greek – leaves, grass or straw.
Vs. 9-10 – Hosanna – literally in Greek “Save us now!” It was common for pilgrims entering Jerusalem for a feast such as Passover to enter town with shouts of joy. The psalm from which this quotation is taken, 118, was understood by the rabbis to be a Messianic psalm referring to King David and the final redemption of Israel. The fact that the word Hosanna is not translated may suggest that it, like for example Hallelujah, had commonly come to be used as a praise word.
Vs. 11 – temple – This was the third Temple built on Mount Zion. It was built by Herod the Great in 20 BCE and covered some 30 acres. It took decades to complete. In this verse, all Jesus does is go to the Temple, inspect it, then return to Bethany for the night. Perhaps this was simply to underscore that the significant action of that day was the public proclamation of the triumphal entry.

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Consider the two great parades, Jesus’ and Pilate’s. What do you think the central characteristics are of the Kingdom of God and the Empires of the world?
2. What do you think that the manner in which Jesus entered Jerusalem said about his character?
3. When you think about your relationship with Jesus, how did he ride into your life? Like a conquering hero rescuing you? Like a loving sovereign bringing peace? Like an understanding friend offering comfort? In an unexpected way changing the way you think? What do you think now?
4. Have you ever misunderstood Jesus’ purposes, praising him one day and despairing the next? What did you learn from that experience?