Printable services for those unable to attend St C

MC900155368[1]

St Clement Church Community Easter Season Service

Good morning to you all as we continue our Easter Season worship.

This Service of the Word is for you to read at home if you’re unable to worship with us in person at St Clement.

Much love and prayers,

Rev Di and family xx

Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Let us pray: Living God, on their Emmaus journey your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread; give us such knowledge of his presence with us, that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life, now and for ever.

Amen.

Hymn: ‘Thine be the glory’

Our prayers of Penitence

Jesus Christ, our triumphant risen Lord, this Easter season we come in sorrow to confess to you our weakness and unbelief.

When we have lived by our own strength, and not by the power of your resurrection. In your mercy, forgive us and help us.

When we have lived by the light of our own eyes, as faithless and not believing. In your mercy, forgive us and help us.

When we have lived for this earthly life alone, and doubted our home in heaven. In your mercy, forgive us and help us.

May Almighty God have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins and failings, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray our Collect for the third Sunday of Easter

Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Acts 2. 14a, 36-41

New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 1. 17-23

Hymn: ‘Glorious things of Thee are spoken’

Gospel: Luke 24. 13-35

(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)

Now on that same day two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’

They stood still, looking sad. Then 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?’

He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’

Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But 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. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Reflection

Our Gospel today is a familiar story; two travellers. Friends? Brothers? Husband and wife? We’ve no idea. Just Cleopas and whoever. Perhaps the reason one remains unidentified is to allow us to insert our own name into the story. Cleopas and Terry, or Cleopas and Daphne, out on the road to Emmaus. Putting our own name into the story makes sense, because they were just like us.

They had the same concerns that have been common in every age – like keeping body and soul together, and now they’re trying keeping a stiff upper lip in the face of dashed hopes and shattered dreams.

Just like us they were religious folk, having walked to Jerusalem a few days before, full of excitement for the Passover, but also to be near Jesus, the one whom they’d come to look on as Israel's deliverer, the Messiah. And now, unlike us, without the benefit of hindsight they were going home...dejected, depressed and defeated.

As they walked, they talked, perhaps about mundane things - taxes too high, wages too low, - but more probably about Jesus; his teaching, his healing, the way he seemed to love everyone he met.

And the events of the past week? Was it really wise for him to go to Jerusalem, knowing the authorities were out to get him? If only he’d kept a lower profile. If only he’d not done this, if only he’d done that instead. If only... If only... Suddenly, the 2 disciples aren’t alone, someone is walking alongside them. "What's up?" He says, or whatever the Aramaic equivalent would be.

They stop dead in their tracks. "What's up? Are you kidding us? As the text has it, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"

"What things?" the stranger asks.

They begin to tell him, with a sadness tinged by anger, they describe the events that have made them so heavy of heart - their disappointment with the religious leaders, their distress at the manipulated political system, their despair at the loss of someone who had personified their hope for the future. It sounds very much like something we might read the newspaper, those events happen in any age.

But there was something different here, along with all the rage they were venting, they had the strange story they’d heard about an empty tomb, a vision of angels, and a risen Lord. Oh, if only.....

And that makes me wonder why they left Jerusalem in the first place, I’d have thought the news about the empty tomb might have prompted a change of plan.

Was it because they didn’t believe the story of resurrection? Did they believe it was just wishful thinking perhaps, otherwise why didn’t they stay in the city to see what would happen next?

But in any case, why they didn’t know Jesus? We’re told; "they were kept from recognising him." What kept them? Hold onto that question…….

Jesus explains what was said in the scriptures concerning himself, and as he talks, a glimmer of hope begins to warm their hearts.

But by now they’d arrived in Emmaus and they didn’t want the conversation to end, so they invited him to stay with them, and it’s only when he breaks the bread, that their eyes are opened and they recognise him.

Then, as quickly as they realise who it is, Jesus vanishes.

At every turn, the two disciples miss the point, they think they know where Jesus is; dead and buried, and they’re not prepared for the risen Lord, who walks with them along a common road and speaks to them of common things.

Finally, it’s in the most commonplace action of all - the breaking of bread at an ordinary meal - that it dawns on them.

But the question comes again; what is it that keeps them from recognising Jesus, the one they yearn to see more than anyone else in the world?

They’re followers of Jesus, after all, on the road, he was the subject of their conversation, yet, they still failed to recognise him.

I think the answer is that they simply didn’t expect to see him.

The same thing may have happened to us too at some time or another.

For instance, like being in a strange town or city, and seeing someone who looks familiar, but we’re reluctant to approach and say hello because we aren’t certain it’s him or her? Their appearance is totally unexpected and out of context that we don’t trust our own eyes.

Perhaps it was no different for those disciples? Even if the rumours of the resurrection are true they reason, Jesus will surely return with a company of angels, the last thing they expect to see is a Lord who accompanies them on a dusty country road.

They’re not prepared for the Christ of the commonplace, and I suspect not many of us are, we treat him most of the time like company at a formal dinner party, not like someone whom we’d be comfortable having coffee with at the kitchen table.

True, we summon Jesus out when things begin to get rough, we fall on our knees when life begins to crush us down, we pray for deliverance, in the military it’s called the faith of the foxholes.

But the Emmaus Road message is that Jesus is with us even when we don’t expect him or think we need him.

A few years ago a colleague of mine told me a story about a winter when he was stuck in a snowstorm in Canada, everything was shut down so he went into at a crowded bus station café for shelter. As he entered, somebody scooted over and let him sit down, and a big man wearing a greasy apron came over to the table and asked him what he wanted.

Not knowing what the café served, Stephen asked to see a menu.

"What'd ya want with a menu?" the man asked. "We have soup."

"Then I'll have soup," Stephen said.

The man brought the soup over but it tasted awful, so instead of eating it, he sat and warmed his hands around the bowl.

Then the door opened and a man came in, he was middle-aged and very poorly dressed, but someone scooted over and let him in a seat.

The big man with the greasy apron went over and the whole café heard this conversation:

"What'd ya want?" "Could I have a glass of water please?"

The man brought the water, and repeated the question. "What'd ya want?"

"Just the water please."

"Nope, you gotta order something. I've got paying customers here, order or get out!’

"I haven’t any money, just the water please, can I stay and get warm?"

"No, order or get out."

So, the man got up to leave, then people at the table where he was sat got up, everyone around got up, so Stephen got up too, and they all started moving towards the door.

"OK, Ok," the owner said, "he can stay." And everybody sat down again, the owner even brought the man over a bowl of soup.

My friend asked the people sitting next to him, "Who is that poor man?"

"I don’t think I’ve seen him before," one said, "but I feel I should know him, and if he isn’t welcome here, none of us are welcome."

Then Stephen said, all you could hear was the sound of people eating soup. "Well, if they can eat it, I can eat it," he thought, and he picked up his spoon. And all of a sudden he found it was good soup, he ate the lot, and as he left the café he remembered eating something that tasted like it before. He said the soup that day tasted like bread and wine. Hmm….food for thought.

So I suggest as we walk along the road, talking about all the things that have come to pass – taking part in the business of living as it were – we should keep our eyes open, and we may just glimpse out of the corner of our eye, a stranger.

At first we may not recognise him; but then comes the unexpected, magnificent moment, when we see who it is.

He’ll vanish from our sight, he always does, that’s his way, yet we can know he’ll return, and we’ll see him again...somewhere in the commonplace, perhaps sharing a bowl of soup. Amen.

Hymn: ‘Spirit of the living God’

Affirmation of our faith

Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day and afterwards he appeared to his followers and to all the apostles: this we have received, and this we believe.

This is the faith of the Church. This is our faith. We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our intercessions this week are written by Daphne Hawkins

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray.

Merciful Father, we thank you for the freedom and privilege to gather-together in our church with those not able to be with us in body but join us in spirit on this third Sunday of Easter.

We pray for the Church world-wide with all the challenges it faces in the modern world of diversity. We pray for our Archbishop, our bishops, Philip and Hugh, that they may be blessed with vision and strength to lead our Church forward. We pray for Reverend Diane and her family in her service at St Clement and the community. We pray for Liz and Father David and all who work to enable our church to function, for Helen, Karen, Nigel, Linda, Barrie and Terry whose work is often unseen with little recognition.