Sunday, April 13th -  We will celebrate Palm Sunday with a procession of Palms.  The children and youth will be “the crowd” in a Palm Sunday play looking at recognizing Jesus. Pastor Teresa will bring a homily on “Hosanna and Hesed” from Psalm 118.  After the worship we will enjoy a fellowship time.  

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FRIDAY APRIL 11th – FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT  All are welcome!!!

The high school youth group of West Tokyo Union Church is excited to invite you and any friends you would like to bring to movie night this Friday the 11th from 6:00pm at Ann & Peter, Emin & Sopheen`s house. Please contact wtucrev@gmail.com for a map if needed. We will be watching the movie Air Bud, a heartwarming story about a boy and his dog. We will provide movie snacks and seating but would like to ask you to bring pillows and a 500 yen donation per person. The proceeds will go to sponsor animals through Heifer International, an organization dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty.http://www.heifer.org/about-heifer/index.html

Thanks, WTUC HS Youth Group.

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LENT – HOW TO MAKE PALM BRANCH CROSSES

http://www.kingofpeace.org/palmcrosses/

 

The Donkey

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) captures Palm Sunday from the perspective of the donkey that Jesus rode.

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MINI BAZAAR to be held on Easter Sunday after the worship service. Donations are therefore requested of small, clean and almost new Items, in particular accessories. There will be three price-ranges, Y300, Y500 and Y1000 and Donors are invited to place their items in the appropriate tray/box.  Unsold items may be retrieved or if not after the Bazaar.  Questions:  Jill Ito or wtucrev@gmail.com

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Chenusa Yomoah (Esther`s daughter) is doing her graduation (from Temple University Japan) Art Exhibition April 7th-13th (with a reception on April 11th at 6pm) at Gallery Conceal in Shibuya.  Please contact Esther or wtucrev@gmail.com for more information and a map.

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HERE! MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HERE !! 

Upcoming Schedule for Sundays – April 6th, April 20th (Easter Egg Hunt after the worship service join in the fun!), May 11th, May 25th, June 8th and June 22nd.   Twice a month we will have multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria.  Who is welcome?  All ages.  We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more.  If parents want their kids to join in on the fun at the multigenerational Sunday School while they attend the Adult Sunday School that will be at the Sacks – that`s great too.  This will be in addition to the regular Wednesday evening offerings for ES, MS and HS.  The Sacks will host the Adult Sunday school, also at 9:30 am in their living room Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy!  All are welcome.  Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = )   on these same dates.  Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary.  Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy!  All are welcome.  Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = )   

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Ruth Ingulsrud is looking for puppeters for our Easter service Puppet Presentation. Please let Ruth or Pastor Teresa know if you would like to be involved behind the big black curtain! Otanoshimi!!!                                                                                                                      

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Contact Carrie Bennett for ES, Julie Rogers for M

S, Amy Harbaugh for HS or Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com with any questions.

Little Kids (1-5) Sunday School during church: Topic: A Lame Man is Healed  Teacher: Sammie

NEXT ES Youth Grades 2-5: Wed. April 23rd at the Bennett`s home from 5-6:30 pm  Topic:  Parable of the Feast

NEXT MS Youth: Wed. April 16th – 5-6:30 pm at the Rogers, Bible stud

y, service project & pizza

NEXT HS Youth: Meeting with the Sacks on Sunday, April 13th (early evening)

NEXT MULTI GENERATIONAL Sunday School – April 20th after service Easter Egg Hunt

NEXT ADULT Sunday School – May 11th at the Sacks from 9:30-1

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STEERING COMMITTEE after the fellowship time on April 13th

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry

April 13th Pastor Teresa, Palm Sunday Play

April 18th Pastor Teresa, Good Friday service, 6:30pm in the sanctuary

April 20th Pastor Teresa, EASTER worship, Communion, Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Meal following the worship (bring finger foods and yummies to share), Mini Bazaar

April 27th Rev. Claudia

May 4th ARI Community Life Coordinator Jonathan McCurley, Communion, Magic Ed, Communion

May 11th Rev. Hikari Kokai Chang

May 18th Rev. Tim, Communion

May 25th Rev. Jim

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SNACK SIGNUP Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board.  We greatly appreciate your contributions to our community life!

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WTUC  Announcements

*Any questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.

*Please enjoy and refer our website and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.  https://wtuc.net/  

*If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp

*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.

*We are doing a Lay Eucharistic Minister training during Lent.  If interested in joining talk to Pastor Teresa.

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Psalm 118

¹O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

²Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁵Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

⁶With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?

⁷The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

¹¹They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

¹²They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

¹³I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

¹⁵There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;

¹⁶the right hand of the Lord is exalted;

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”

¹⁷I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

¹⁸The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

²¹I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

²²The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

²³This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵Save us (HOSANNA!), we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.

²⁷The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.

²⁹O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

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The Royal Welcome

Matthew 21: 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Ma

4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:ster needs them!’ He will send them with you.”

Tell Zion’s daughter,
“Look, your king’s on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,    foal of a pack animal.”

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was sha

ken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”

11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

He Kicked Over the Tables

12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.

15-16 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these c

Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”hildren are saying?”