Liturgical Color: Purple/Red

Gospel: Matthew 26:14--27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54

Theme: The passion of Jesus, with particular emphasis on prayer.

Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
One pastor did this: After welcoming the people to worship, she described the meaning of the passion as the last earthly events in the life of Jesus. Perhaps you will want to give a brief summary of those events without additional explanation.

Follow with this printed call to worship with pastor/ministers:
Pastor: Come, let us worship with our whole being.
Ministers: Praise be to God for our minds that we may know the mind of Christ, for our emotions that we may love in God's name, for our wills that we may choose to serve God in the common life.
Pastor: Don't you know already that you are God's temple and …