Welcome to The City!!!!
Where the spirit of the lord is there is freedom. You are welcome to worship freely in this space however you feel led. Stand up, sit down, kneel - whatever is meaningful to you - you’re free to do it. You’re also welcome to try something new you’ve never done before.

We’re honored and grateful that you are here to worship God and to worship God with us today.

Children at The City
Children are welcome in worship. We value their presence. For all children (big and small) we have metal baskets on the tables with fun stuff in them.

Children can also attend Children’s Worship. If you’re interested in that, a First Impressions Team member will meet you in the back and escort you and your child to the Children’s Worship area.

Stay Connected!
We've established a handful of ways for you to stay connected with The City Worship Movement throughout the week.

First: Head over to www.ComoCreatesHeaven.com and join our email list! You'll receive updates on all news and events happening within The City.

Second: Like us on Facebook to stay plugged into the ongoing conversation. https://www.facebook.com/TheCityMVMT/

Third: Check in, share posts, or tag us (#TheCityMVMT) on Facebook.

Fourth: Add @TheCityMVMT on Instagram for active updates on all City happenings! https://www.instagram.com/thecitymvmt/

Fifth: Complete the connect card on the clipboards. It’s a great way to indicate your next step, your desire to serve, and more

In The City, we see the teaching time as communal. It’s not one person's time to shine but ours together with the Holy Spirit.

So two things you need to know.
The first is that in The City, there are no rhetorical questions. If a question is asked, you will be given time to think about it or answer it either in the teaching itself or later in a reflection time. You can record your thoughts however you'd like - the YouVersion app, your phone memo, a journal, post your thoughts on social media - but don’t let questions go unattended.

The second thing you need to know is YOU matter in this time of worship. When asked what makes The City different from other churches in Columbia,our belief is that we’re not in competition with other churches, we’re all on the same team. But there is one thing that is different and the difference is YOU. When you are here you make this experience richer, more textured. You bring your light and energy and questions and very heart to this space and that creates atmosphere and community for the short hour or so we’re together.

Right now, we’re in a message series called Questions on the Crossroad.

We’re on a road trip with Jesus during this Lenten season, taking advantage of this time of self-reflection, confession, and forgiveness. We’re going through the book of Luke, exploring what this road trip with Jesus looks like.

The first week, we asked the launching question, where are we going? We confronted the fact that we have to make a decision about the direction that our life journey is taking us. Ultimately, we would want our path to point us toward a destination where we can be more like Jesus.

The next week, we asked another important question, who’s coming with us? Because we know that road trips are made by the company we bring along for the ride. We aren’t made to make this journey alone, and so we began to evaluate who the neighbors in our lives, the people who can form community with us with along the way. Charity also commissioned us into a ‘Neighboring Challenge” where we intentionally connect with 8 of our neighbors, or people we see often. How many of you were able to connect with someone new over the last couple weeks? If you haven’t yet, I want to encourage you that it’s never too late to start!

Two weeks ago, we asked what I think many of us might deem the MOST important question, how will we pay for this? We talked about how we aren’t called to hoard our treasures to ourselves, but rather to give generously. When we’re free to give of ourselves and all we have to offer, we’re able to experience transformation in the communities around us, and we can see ourselves being furthered along on this journey towards Christ-likeness.

Last week Madi led the discussion about the party we will have when we get there.

We’re coming up on the great the finale of the season of Lent. The final week kicks off with today the observance of Palm Sunday. Now if you didn’t grow up celebrating this day you might think what do the palms of hands have to do with Jesus. Palms signify the types of tree branches people waved in the scripture we just read, which we will discuss in just a moment. The Palm Sunday is beginning this week which is called Holy, Holy Week. Each day in this week is deemed Holy - Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday etc..On Thursday some churches will celebrate Holy Thursday also called Maundy Thursday. Maundy means command or mandate in Latin. Jesus gives a new commandment to love as he loves. One way he showed his love was by washing the disciples feet and having the final communion or Passover meal with them. There is also Holy Friday is termed Good Friday - being the day we honor the death of Jesus. This week in the sanctuary on Friday at 7:00 p.m. we will have worship. You’re invited to experience both communion and the story of the cross that night. Then on Holy Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. a come and go prayer time with stations, a prayer maze called a labyrinth, and other self guided prayer is available to you here in the gym.

This season of giving up and taking on intensifies today. Let's set the stage: Passover in Jerusalem was the high holy time when Jews remember and celebrate God’s deliverance from Egyptian captivity. It’s a meal that commemorates saving the young who symbolized the next generation, legacy and life of Hebrew people.

Many people participated in a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Pilgrimage means walking on the road and is a holy journey to Jerusalem which, for some, may have taken days to walk. But, to be with your people for the Passover, which lasts 8 days was and remains a pinnacle moment for the Jew. Let’s remember always that Jesus was Jewish. Passover is a communal gathering in streets, in the temple. Where tens of thousands, some scholars say, packed the streets shoulder to shoulder. Imagine the smells of sacrifices/offerings, of sweat by the shear numbers of people, the warmth and heat of gathered crowds of people. Think about the sounds of the this business, the chatter, the swell of conversation. You get the feeling while it was a large gathering it had the feeling in part of a family reunion. A feeling a being home with my people.

The other thing happening among these holy pilgrims at Passover were the processionals.There were two processionals. One we read about in the scripture, which was Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. The other is the processional of Pontius Pilate, Rome’s designated ruler in the area including Jerusalem.

Get a picture in your mind of a modern day parade. We just had Saint Patrick’s Day parades, MU homecoming parade. What are some things you’d see at a parade?

So, there were two processionals this on the day that would later be called Palm Sunday.

First, the procession of Pontius Pilate. We remember there are some intricacies of politics woven into the story - every story has politics in it. Jews are allowed to have Passover. Rome, however, is the ruling government. Rome represented the then kingdom, law, rule. Rome, in all its splendor of chariots, and armory, shows up in full regalia, pomp and circumstance.The Roman economy is founded on building, power, invention. It’s an economy that exudes eminence and wealth. It’s based on ONE to the many; underlying all of this is acquisition and take over.

The second parade is believed to have taken place at the opposite gate to the city, Before entering the city, Jesus sends disciples ahead to find him a donkey, likely a young donkey (as it had never been ridden). The donkey was a symbol of peace and industry. It was common, in plenty. So Jesus makes his BIG entrance on a common ol’ ordinary donkey. Entering on a donkey is like being in a modern day parade sitting on the hood of a hooptie doing the miss america wave.

Maybe you feel like the donkey, not so brave, pretty ordinary, industrial, doing your job,or your life in a perfunctory ways Jesus enters Jerusalem on a borrowed perhaps brave burrow. He rides into Jerusalem sitting upon humility and peace.

Humility:
It’s not a common word today to describe a person’s character. Patrick Lencioni, a best selling business writer, consultant, and Christian, writes that the ideal team player is humble, hungry and smart. You might be able to easily define the two latter hungry and smart. But he defines humble this way: A humble person. They lack excessive ego or concerns about status. Humble people are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self and define success collectively rather than individually.

Jesus exudes humility.

In what ways might you show humility in your everyday life?

Here, the humble Jesus enters Jerusalem. A city for which he will soon weep as it struggles to live up to its name as a city of Peace. Jesus parades down the street.This has never happened before. And the response from the crowds was an impromptu praise party. Using what they have, the clothes off their backs, the branches from trees, the people acknowledge Jesus’ entry into city as the king, as one they would follow, as the messiah. They shout and chant Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Jesus meets us on the crossroad with humility, on a donkey and WE MEET Jesus just as we are, with what we have.

Using ordinary things like branches from trees, the people acknowledge Jesus.The people remove their coats and lay them on the ground creating sort of a red-carpet effect.

Too often we approach Jesus thinking we have to be perfect or have it all figured out. Or we might believe that we need to behave a certain way to worship or praise God. Use what’s in your hand - whether your phone, your child, nothing… use what you’ve got. We don’t need to impress him rather meet him on the road with humility.

Jesus meets us with humility and simplicity on our cross road. The crossroad of carrying traumatic and dysfunctional pasts. The crossroads of the everyday-ness of life, work, play, family, relationships. The crossroads of making decisions today that impact our tomorrow.

In Jesus we learn that God is humble. God will walk with us in our messiness.Through Jesus’ lackluster entrance we learn about God’s Economy It’s an economy where people are valued above all. Where humility is exalted. In God’s economy the currency is love. In God’s economy the ordinary is elevated. Where a Donkey is brave. Bread is life. Wine is Forgiveness. The Table is community.

Passover/Communion
In the scripture today. Jesus sends two disciples ahead to the City to find to prepare the Passover meal. He’d eat with his disciples for the last time before his death.

Around the table - then and now - are Disciples who are anxious, annoyed, agitated, conflicted, confused, compromising The Ordinary, overwhelmed, outlandish, the certain and the unsure, all at different places on the faith journey but all at one table.

Jesus for us the cloak- throwing crowd, and for THIS crowd gathered today he continues on the crossroad.

As we prepare to come to the table, share what does the bread mean to you today?What does the cup mean to you?

Offering & Faith in Action
We believe the offering is holistic and includes our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

Pull out your connect card on the clipboards. This is your way to stay connected if you so choose. Place the cards in the offering as it comes around.

Also note that details about these events can be found at the comocreatesheaven.com website under the watch and listen tab.You can also complete a connect card online there.

Group Benediction

You are blessed in The City.
You are blessed in the fields.
You are blessed when you come and when you go.
Go in love and peace.