The Road to Emmaus - Sunday 11th April
Sunday worship will be led by Mike Furborough, the service he prepared is reproduced here for those who are unable to attend.
We will be looking at some of the encounters with the risen Jesus this week but of course the joy and celebrations of Easter and the resurrection this week have been dampened by the news of the passing of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh on Friday - a very sad day for our Queen and nation.
Our prayers and thoughts will be with the Queen and her family this week.
Call to Worship
Jesus Christ, we greet you!
Your hands still have holes in them.
Your feet are wet from the dew;
And with the memory of our names
Undimmed by three days of death
You meet us,
Risen from the grave.
We fail to understand how;
We puzzle at the reason why.
But you have come:
Not to answer our questions,
But to show us your face,
You are alive,
And the world can rejoice again.
Hallelujah!
Glory be to you.
God, our strength and our redeemer.
Hymn: MPC 30 Alleluia ,alleluia , give thanks to the risen lord
Prayer
Dear God, who sent your son Jesus to us,
We praise you for the power of your forgiving, life-giving love.
We thank you for raising Jesus from the dead.
We thank you for the wonderful gifts of forgiveness and salvation
that we can enjoy because of Jesus.
We thank you for the Bible, which has helped us see how God’s love transformed the lives of Jesus’ first followers.
We thank you for the way your love transforms
our own lives and communities.
We love you and want to follow Jesus.
We see your love at work all sound us
Thank you for continuing to live in and around us.
Thank you that your love leads through suffering to joy.
Thank you that your love is stronger than death. Amen.
— from Called and Shaped by Jesus: Lent-at-Home 2011 written by Elsie Rempel,
The Lord’s Prayer
Here’s an introduction, where the story of Jesus’ encounter with the disciples on the road to Emmaus is explored (Luke 24:13-35). It appears on Craig Mitchell’s Mountain Masala website.
Easter is not an event that has occurred
it's an adventure that has begun
not a place that we have visited
but a path on which we stand
a story not complete, but unfolding
characters still breathing
stations still teeming
with the promise of new life
not just for you and me
but for all people, in all places
a cosmic crux a turning point of time
Easter is the season
of wild hope
of dangerous intent
of potent promise
where the future flaps unfurled. in the spirit’s breeze
where hopes bubble. with uncorked effervescence
where toes tap. to free-form rhythms
where rainbow hues splash empty canvas
Today
we continue the journey
we re-enter the story
to explore our questions
to uncover our doubts
to face our nagging need
We walk the path
of two who traveled a dusty road
wrapped in confusion and despair
two who shared the company of a stranger
voicing their pain
airing their fears
and in the listening
heard words of hope and promise
and in the eating
received true bread of life
Today we re-enter the story
with expectation that Christ
will also reveal himself to us
in sights and sounds
in words and symbols
in bread and wine
Let us pray
Risen Christ walk with us this night. be our companion and guide. be our teacher and friend. be our host and servant. bringing your gifts of faith, peace and hope. and deep joy
as always. Amen
Hymn: MPC. 1350. Speak O Lord….
Reading. Luke 24:13-35 On the Road to Emmaus
Hymn: MPC 295. I serve a risen saviour ..He lives
Food for thought :
The walk to Emmaus started out in disbelief and sadness. It ended in joy, excitement, love, and true devotion. The same can happen to each one of us.
The intriguing part of "The Road to Emmaus" is that only one of the two men is named. His name was Cleopas. Who was the other? One theory is that it was Luke himself.
There is different way to see it……… The other one is you ! Why do I say that ?
1.You don't have all the answers.
The two men were followers of Jesus and believers in Him. And yet they had questions about His death and now possible resurrection. As a Christian, you still have questions, often about the more difficult things in life.
2.You don't walk alone.
The two men had each other to walk with. You have other Christians and your congregation. And Jesus. He came and walked with those two men. He comes and walks with us.
3. You don’t fully understand.
"They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?'" (32). He simplifies the Bible by showing us that it's all about Him, and especially His death and resurrection for our salvation. Let, therefore, your heart burn with love for His Word! And amid life's questions, we have the most important Answer: God's love in Jesus!
4.You see Him in the Sacrament of Holy Communion)
The two men "recognize Him in the breaking of the bread" (31 and 35). This is a wonderfully mysterious part of the story. And I would say that it points to the faith, given to you by the Holy Spirit, to see (and receive!) the crucified-risen Jesus in the Sacrament.
5. You say, "Christ is risen!"
The two men return and say to the others, "The Lord has risen indeed!" (34). "Indeed" means really, actually, and truly. Christians believe that Jesus has really risen, and that our lives are different now because of it! "Christ is risen!" is a great confession, but learning to live the words is the important next step. But the resurrection is the very power to live differently than we did before, and differently than the world around us.
Take time to re read Luke 24:13-35, believing that you are indeed the unnamed disciple!
Music for Reflection:
See…What a Morning ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0aKC3KxTb0
Intercessory prayers
( Respond with words in dark Type )
Let us set out on the road to Emmaus.
Lord we pray that you will meet us on the way and keep us company as we journey through our world today.
Walk with us and help us see that your death was not a defeat but a victory over sin and death.Help us see that we don’t have all the answers to our problems or those of the world, but enable us to recognise you and your love available in every situation.
Lord walk with us on the road: And open our eyes to see you.
Walk with us and let us know that we never walk alone : In our doubts and despairs help us to see you carrying us along. Help us to see you in our fellowship as we support one another in these difficult times.
Enable us to take your presence into the homes of the sick and infirm assuring them and their carers of you presence ,healing power and peace.
Lord walk with us on the road: And open our eyes to see you.
Walk with us as we seek to understand God’s word to us. The development of man’s relationship. The ups and downs of life through the centuries. The successes and failings.Help us see that the answer to our world’s spiritual and emotional needs can be found in you, our lord and saviour . Enable us to walk alongside others and share that knowledge and assurance with those we meet.
Lord walk with us on the road: And open our eyes to see you.
Lord walk with us and fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may recognise you in every situation, good or bad. Help us to look for you when our faith is challenged .Enable us to stand strong and share that strength with those who suffer the evil that men do in the world.
Lord walk with us on the road: And open our eyes to see you.
Lord walk with us though this challenging world. Help us to see that our faith in your risen presence can make a difference to us as we face the complex and confusing situations that we find ourselves in today. Enable us to show that assurance to the confused and searching people with whom we share our everyday lives .
Lord walk with us on the road: And open our eyes to see you.
Lord walk with us on the road, open our eyes to see …..as we declare
“Christ is risen !…He is risen indeed !
Hymn: MPC 599 When you walk with the Lord.
Blessing
We say together :
We Know that we do not wait alone.
God has given us one another for this journey of faith, to help one another.
We Know that we do not wait alone;
Christ is with us.
Be encouraged, and encourage one another.
Go and share the Good News. Amen.
We SIng
MPC 460. May God’s blessing surround you each day
댓글