The Road to Emmaus
Lent 5
I invite you to share in a few moments with God sharing this act of worship with you.
Revd Martin Slocombe
Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19
1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Hymn – See what a morning
1 See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
with the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
folded the graveclothes, tomb filled with light,
as the angels announce Christ is risen!
See God’s salvation plan,
wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
for he lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
2 See Mary weeping, ‘Where is he laid?’
as in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
it’s the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
will sound till he appears,
for he lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
3 One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty;
honour and blessing, glory and praise
to the King crowned with power and authority!
And we are raised with him,
death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
and we shall reign with him,
for he lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
Stuart Townend (b. 1963) and Keith Getty (b. 1974)
Prayer
Father, we thank you that you meet us where we are, you are not distant or unapproachable, but you walk the road with us, even when we fail to recognise you alongside us. You always love us and care for us, you are in all the places to which we travel, and wish to share our lives with us. We thank you, loving God, that you are not a stranger, but a friend who walks the mile and shares the load.
Risen Lord, we confess our weaknesses and doubts, our failure to recognise you when we are so bogged down by our preoccupations with ourselves and our own needs. We are sorry when we fail to welcome the stranger, or to see the needs of others, when we fail to share hospitably, and are not equally generous with the love that you share with us.
By your mercy, you forgive our faults, and enable us to continue to travel on the journey of life and faith that you set before us.
We seek your forgiveness and recognise your grace. We seek your presence and recognise your strength. We seek your mercy and recognise your love.
We worship and adore you, loving and ever-present God. Amen
Readings
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them
36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’
The First Converts
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ 38Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Luke 24: 13-18, 28-31
The Walk to Emmaus
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Hymn – Be known to us in breaking bread
1 Be known to us in breaking bread,
but do not then depart;
Saviour, abide with us, and spread
your table in our heart.
2 There share with us in love divine,
your body and your blood,
that living bread, that heavenly wine,
be our immortal food.
James Montgomery (1771–1854)
Reflection
As Methodists, we generally hold to an importance of the spoken word over the sacrament of Holy Communion, which is practically reflected in the traditional design of our chapels, where a large pulpit often towers over a relatively small communion table. This is not so in the more eucharistic Catholic and Anglican traditions, for whom regularly sharing bread and wine is a central part of their tradition, and therefore an altar stands prominently at the front of the church, with a small pulpit to one side. As such, our understanding of what communion means is also varied, ranging from being purely symbolic to transubstantiation, where we believe that the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. As a congregation you will only receive Communion once a month, but as a minister, however, I preside over Holy Communion most weeks, and have found this sacrament to be increasingly more meaningful for me, in particular being able to share in that meeting with Christ alongside the congregation.
One of the problems of not being able to meet together at the moment is that we also are deprived of sharing in bread and wine. In light of the above, I recognise that that may be more significant to some of you than to others.
Our gospel reading for today tells of two disciples, leaving Jerusalem with a sense of excited bewilderment, having witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus, but also having heard the stories of the women who found the empty tomb. They spoke freely with their travelling companion, who revealed scripture to them. And as the day drew to its end, they entered a house, inviting the stranger to rest and share their meal. And in the breaking of the bread, they recognised Jesus in their midst.
Being denied access to our churches, and to the traditions that we have grown up with and with which we associate as part of our pattern of life each week, do you feel that your weekly encounter with God has been denied you, or has it changed into something different? An experience you can find as you walk rather than in a destination.
The reality for the travellers was that they had travelled many miles in Jesus’ presence, but had failed to recognise him. It was only in the breaking of the bread, in the actions of which they were transported back to the supper they had shared with Jesus just four days earlier, were their eyes opened.
Ironically, I think that in the midst of the most devastating and fundamentally life-changing consequences of this pandemic to our daily habits and routines, the presence of God in the world around us, rather then becoming obscure, is actually highlighted and is more obvious than at any other time recently.
This passage, at this particular time, challenges us to reflect upon when and where we meet with God, and even if we are able to recognise him when we encounter him face-to-face. The pandemic has forced us to move outside of our buildings, and the trappings of tradition that we associate with our faith. The coincidence of the beautiful weather we are enjoying, highlights the beauty of creation. And we are presented with the reality of God in our communities and in the actions of others. The disciples initially failed to recognise Jesus, and travelled many miles in blissful ignorance, perhaps so wrapped up in their own concerns and questions, that they failed to see the reality that was before them.
As we travel through these difficult times, when all around us seems dark, dangerous and frightening, may our eyes be opened to the reality of the God who walks alongside us, and may the daily bread of his Spirit, feed and sustain us as we travel together.
Collect for today
God of life and love, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread. Open our eyes that we may see him in his redeeming work: who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
Living Lord, we bring our prayers this morning for those who consider themselves outcasts and strangers…….
We pray for those travelling through life and seeking a new revelation of your presence ………
We pray for those whose minds are closed to the reality of your presence and the peace which only you can bring to their lives ……
We pray for those who are lonely, and have no one to share a meal with ……..
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time.
May we open our doors to our neighbours, so that love and friendship can flourish, and all can enjoy the feast you offer to us. We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Let us pray together with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Hymn – Come, let us sing of a wonderful love
1 Come, let us sing of a wonderful love,
tender and true;
out of the heart of the Father above,
streaming to me and to you:
wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.
2 Jesus, the Saviour, this gospel to tell,
joyfully came;
came with the helpless and hopeless to dwell,
sharing their sorrow and shame;
seeking the lost,
saving, redeeming at measureless cost.
3 Jesus is seeking the wanderers yet;
why do they roam?
Love only waits to forgive and forget;
home, weary wanderer, home!
Wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.
4 Come to my heart, O thou wonderful love,
come and abide,
lifting my life, till it rises above
envy and falsehood and pride;
seeking to be
lowly and humble, a learner of thee.
Robert Walmsley (1831–1905)
Blessing
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 enable us to be your presence to others. And, at the end of the day, may we all enjoy your feast.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, and remain with you for evermore. Amen
