Moments of revelation
SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | EASTER | THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
YEAR A
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36–41
Psalm Psalm 116:1–4, 12–19
New Testament 1 Peter 1:17–23
Gospel Luke 24:13–35
Luke 24.13-35
Two disciples walk back from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus. They are in despair about the death of Jesus. Jesus appears and walks beside them, but they do not recognise him. He teaches them from the Scriptures, and they see who he is when he breaks bread with them.
This week’s resources explore: how Jesus takes time to explain his own story.
Pre-Service
Greeting
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all
and also with us
We Gather
Come, walk with him.
Come, talk with him.
Come, feast with him.
Come, worship Jesus, our risen Lord.
Let us pray
God, we gather as your people.
We come to walk a journey together,
to talk and to share along the way,
[to feast on bread and wine],
to meet and to know Jesus.
Help us to marvel at all that Jesus has done for us.
Amen.
Hymn/song
Welcome
Hi, and welcome to today’s service.
When I was a young lad,
during summer evenings we would often make a campfire on the beach
at Sisters Creek in Tasmania
when such things were still possible.
We would share our stories, our dreams our hopes and our plans.
For the past 5 weeks we have lived in a different world.
Certainly, one of Social Distancing and isolation,
but also of exploring exciting new ways of doing things.
When I began doing these services,
it was an attempt to try and do something
for a limited number of people that might access it.
To my astonishment,
today we are sharing worship
around our campfire church
with between 150 and 200 others.
That is not isolation,
but a collection of souls around the world
sharing and loving together.
Let us pray
Risen Saviour, risen Lord,
we come to you today.
We come to share in your story.
We come to feast with you.
We approach your throne with the knowledge
that you died for us and rose again.
Hallelujah, risen Lord Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Amen.
Readings
Luke 24:13-35 (NIV) Lumo Project Gospel Of Luke
respond
For the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
We say Sorry
Risen Lord, we are sorry
that we fail to recognise you in our midst,
that we are too preoccupied with ourselves.
We are sorry
that we let you down,
that we feast and don’t invite others to share with us.
We are sorry
that we welcome friends but not always the stranger,
or anyone who makes us feel uncomfortable.
Forgive us, Lord.
Help us to be generous people,
our church, our homes – and our hearts –
always places of welcome.
Amen.
Hymn/Song
Response
Hymn/song
Prayers for all people
Imagine you are present at the meal at the end of the journey to Emmaus. Then say together:
Risen Christ, friend, companion, healer:
as I walk the road in front of me
be by my side and never leave.
Lord,
we bring to you the needs of the world.
We pray for those who consider themselves to be strangers and outcasts.
Help us always to welcome the stranger, whatever the cost,
not sitting comfortably and ignoring people we think don’t fit in,
not taking the easy way.
May our homes and churches be places of welcome,
hospitality and love,
that all may have the chance to recognise and see you
In the warmth of those around them.
We pray for countries where food is in short supply.
May we farm sustainably and eat sensibly,
so there is enough to feed the whole planet.
May we not look only after ourselves but seek to offer
the same opportunities to all.
Help us not to be selfish, but always to consider others.
Lord, we long for the day when all in society will be equal.
May we be a part of making that happen.
We pray for those who are lonely and have no one
to eat with them.
May we open our doors to our neighbours, so that love
and friendship can flourish, and all can enjoy the feast.
We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
CELEBRATING HOLY COMMUNION
Today we will celebrate Holy Communion,
not as we have always done
but in the same spirit as we have always done.
There will be those who choose not to celebrate Holy Communion in this way,
but instead choose to wait until they are able to physically meet.
We respect your decision,
but for those who wish to celebrate,
I ask you to have your own bread and wine
(maybe a glass of juice or even water if you choose)
and continue to share with us.
The Invitation
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin
and seek to live in peace with one another.
Let us pray
Be present, risen Lord Jesus,
as you were with your disciples,
and make yourself known to us
in the breaking of the bread;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you!
And also with you!
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise!
We give thanks with joyful hearts.
Dispeller of doubts, source of our faith,
we praise you with wonder for caring for us so deeply.
We praise you, O God, for raising Jesus from the dead,
and for this great assurance of your love for us which we experience in Jesus and through the power of your Spirit.
With joy over prophecies fulfilled, and promises carried out,
we join with faithful people of every time and place to give glory to you:
Holy, holy, holy,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed are those who come in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
We waved our palms and cried “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday,
we held our breath and fear clutched our hearts once more
with the words “Crucify him” on Good Friday;
so our relief on Easter Day was evident
in our eagerness to join in the acclamation
that “Christ is risen.”
Today, we remember those travellers on the road to Emmaus,
who recognised Jesus in the blessing and breaking of the bread.
Like them,
we receive Jesus’ blessing on us
as we share in this meal together.
Jesus on the night when he was betrayed
took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and said,
This is my body that is broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
This cup is my very life
poured out for you and for all people.
Do this in remembrance of me.
And now, O God, breathe your Holy Spirit on us
and on these gifts of bread and wine,
that through them,
we may receive and be nourished by the life of Christ.
Bless us all, O God,
as we offer our praise and our worship
in the name of Jesus Christ,
our risen Lord and Saviour.
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. AMEN
The breaking of the bread
You lifts the bread and breaks it in full view of the people
The minister lifts the Bread and cup in full view of the people
We break this bread and take this cup
so that we can all share in the life of Christ.
God’s gifts for God’s people.
Lamb of God
Lamb of God, you find us in our blindness
Lift us up.
Lamb of God, you lead us to your fold.
Hold us close.
Lamb of God, you conquer all injustice.
We cry for peace.
Distribution
Receive this holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ,
and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
Words such as the following are said before or during the distribution.
The body of Christ, given for you.
Amen.
The blood of Christ, given for you.
Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Prayer after Communion
We have been reminded of Jesus’ sacrificial love for us
as we have shared this meal together
and through the power of the Holy Spirit,
we have received his life in us.
Gracious God,
we make our thanks visible by serving you and one another
all those for whom Christ died.
Send us in the power of your Spirit
to reveal your love in all we do and say.
We pray in the name of our risen Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
Amen
Hymn/song
We are sent out
Lord Jesus,
as you walked on the road to Emmaus,
walk with us on the roads we travel.
Help us to know your presence with us,
and to be your presence to others.
And, at the end of the day,
may we all enjoy your feast.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us and keep us
May His face shine upon us
and be gracious to us
May he lift up His countenance upon us
and give us peace
Response
Coming Alive To Christ
Luke 24:13-35
Helen Keller could neither see nor hear.
Without hearing or sight, she never knew what it was she was feeling.
One day she was taken to a well where someone was pumping water.
Helen was prompted to let the water run over her hands
and in sign language the teacher spelled into the word, WATER.
Suddenly something happened within Helen.
Something dramatic.
Something life changing.
It was only a five-letter word,
but for Helen it was a gigantic breakthrough.
She now had a name for a familiar experience, water.
If this experience had a name,
other familiar objects and sensations must have names as well.
Now she could be a whole person,
experiencing the world as a real human being in spite of her handicaps.
A breakthrough is always exciting, and it was such a breakthrough
That came to two of the disciples of Jesus,
making their way to a village called Emmaus,
about 11 kilometres out of Jerusalem.
They were in mourning.
Their Master had been crucified.
They, along with the other disciples, were stunned beyond words.
They thought he was the one who had come to redeem Israel
but now he was dead; crucified like a common criminal.
as they slowly walked toward Emmaus, they discussed their grief.
They had heard some disturbing news earlier in the day.
Some of the women had been to the tomb early in the morning
And his body was not there.
Instead they encountered an angel who said
that Jesus was not dead but alive.
What could all this mean?
Who could have stolen his body from his grave?
What should they do now?
As they walked and talked between themselves,
a stranger joined them and walked along side them.
Breaking in on the conversation, he asked,
“What is it you are talking about?”
“Could you be the only visitor to Jerusalem,” they asked,
“Who doesn’t know the events that have occurred there the last few days?”
Then one of them shared with this stranger
The news of what had happened,
who Jesus was,
what had happened to him,
as well as their present grief and confusion.
Then the stranger said,
“You foolish men, how slow you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
And beginning with Moses and the Prophets,
he interpreted for them
everything in the scriptures relevant to the ministry of the Messiah.
As they neared Emmaus
it became evident that the stranger intended to journey on, past the little village.
They begged him to stay with them for the evening
to share some more of his wonderful insights into God’s plan and purpose.
He did stay.
That evening,
when they were gathered around the table,
he took the bread and blessed it, and broke it,
and gave it to them.
It was for them
like the Helen Keller’s experience,
When she was given a name for the sensation
of the water as it trickled over her hand.
Suddenly, they knew who this stranger was.
It was Jesus.
The story of the women was true.
He is alive!
Coming alive to Christ is a term we sometimes hear in church.
But how does it happen? Can it happen to us? Well, Yes, it can.
There are at least two ways we modern day followers can have an Emmaus experience.
The first way is through the bread of life which is the word..
“Did not our hearts burn within us,” asked those two disciples,
“as he broke to us the bread of life.”
For most of us,
that is where we will begin in our encounter with the risen Christ.
It is a shame that many of us have let our daily reading of the Word slide.
Those who discipline themselves
to make daily reading of the Word a part of their lives
invariably find themselves drawn closer to the Master.
John Calvin was fond of comparing the Scriptures to a pair of “spectacles.”
He often said that even though we could know something about God
from the wonders of creation,
such knowledge was fuzzy and incomplete without the aid of the Bible.
Calvin insisted that just as people with failing vision need glasses to read
we need to look through the Scripture to “read” the beauty of God.
The other place we are most likely to encounter the risen Christ,
is in the breaking of the bread which is his body.
It is significant that it was when Jesus took the bread, blessed it and broke it
that the disciples knew who he was!
Hearts have been touched for 2,000 years
when people have taken the bread and the cup and heard those timeless words,
“This is my body which was broken for you. This is my blood which was shed for you.”
Part of the power of that sacrament is that we experience it together.
We are Christ’s family and we feel that in a most beautiful way
when symbolically we are gathered around his table.
Fellowship is at the heart of the body of Christ.
We are not lone Christians.
The communion table forever is our reminder of that.
That is why, this crazy mixed up world of social isolation,
Many can’t bring themselves to share in communion.
But for many, Holy Communion,
is about more than standing next to one another at the communion rail.
It is about a communion of souls
All around the world
Sharing in this beautiful act.
That is what the table of Christ is all about.
That is what the word of Christ is all about.
Having an Emmaus experience is the dawning
that we should it treat one another as we would Christ.
That we should reverencing ourselves as we would Christ.
We are here for two primary reasons:
To break the bread of life which is the Word
and to break the bread which is his body.
Word and sacrament.
Revelation and relationship.
These are where humanity and divinity meet.
That is who we are and what we are about.
So today we long for an Emmaus kind of experience
as we proclaim the Word
and we share together in Christian fellowship and worship.
We know that the risen Christ is among us
and we pray that he will make himself known to us
in the breaking of the bread of life.
Amen
[1] David Redding, THE GOLDEN STRING, (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1988).