Road to Emmaus, The

Description

Here are some worship suggestions for Luke 24:13-32, where two disciples encounter the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus.

Scripture

Luke 24:13-32
Mark 16:12-13

Prayers

Opening prayer: Meet us, Lord

Meet us, Lord, on the road to Emmaus,
Guide us on the path toward our destination,
and renew our strength as we continue to walk and commune with you.
Open our eyes, so we see the signs of your presence around us;
open our hearts, so we may receive your peace and love;
and empower us to pass on to others
the grace you have shared with us so freely.

Amen.

~ written by Rev. Frank Schaefer, and posted on the Desperate Preacher website.
http://www.desperatepreacher.com/

Pastoral Prayer: Emmaus Road

Risen One, like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, we struggle to recognize you in the everyday journey of our lives. We seek your wisdom in the midst of the questions we have about the circumstances we find ourselves in—circumstances sometimes beyond our control, but often of our own making.

Open our eyes, Light of the World, to your work of transformation in and around us. As we walk with you day by day, may your new life be made manifest in what we say to others. Help us to understand the power of our words to hurt or to heal; give us the graciousness to make all our conversations holy.

Just as we desire that our speaking be holy, may our seeing be holy as well. We are bombarded with images everyday O Christ, that shape our attitudes and behaviors. As you opened the scriptures to the disciples and taught them everything, open our eyes to behold you in your Word, in the beauty of nature, the beauty of another human being and the beauty of sacred art.

And in our seeing, help us to recognize and welcome the stranger in our midst. May our welcome be a celebration of the gifts and graces of persons who are different from us and not merely some token tolerance of an outsider.

You were known to the disciples in the breaking of the bread. May your resurrection presence guide us in the decisions we make about what we take into our bodies—especially what we eat and what we drink. Help us to understand our eating and drinking as sacred events, not to be abused or approached mindlessly.

So often we forget, Holy One, that you invite us to abide with you; to have our lives hidden in you. We thank you that you travel with us in our joys and our concerns.

Amen.

~ posted on the Church of Ireland website.
http://www.churchnewsireland.org/wp-content/uploads/Easter-3-.pdf

Prayer of Confession: Recognizing Jesus

One: Risen Lord Jesus, what is it that keeps us from recognizing you?

Two: When we are so full of ourselves, it is all too easy to block you right out of our lives.

One: Maybe it’s the way we interpret Scripture that obscures the signs pointing to you.

Two: Perhaps we are guilty of being slow of heart when we don’t recognize you in our neighbour, or in the guise of the poor or the dispossessed.

One: Our eyes and ears have become so crammed with the sights and sounds of living that we simply fail to see you or to recognize your voice.

All: Risen Lord Jesus, help us to empty ourselves of all that hinders our awareness of your presence with us. Fill us with the joy of knowing your continuing presence, so that, like those travelers on the road to Emmaus, we too, hasten to share this great good news with others.

Amen.

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, at the Liturgies Online website.
http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Spoken Resources

Benediction

Go now as witnesses of God’s eternal presence.
The risen Christ has made himself known to you
in the breaking of bread,
so set your faith and hope on God,
fulfilling your vows and living in genuine mutual love.
And may God hear and respond whenever you call;
may Christ Jesus make himself known to you in all things;
and may the Holy Spirit open your eyes and set your hearts on fire with love.

~ Copyright © 2002 Nathan Nettleton. Posted on Laughing Bird Liturgical Resources.
http://laughingbird.net/LaughingBird/Welcome.html

Songs

Traditional Hymn: Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread

Be known to us in breaking bread,
but do not then depart;
Saviour, abide with us, and spread
Thy table in our heart.

There sup with us in love divine;
Thy body and Thy blood,
that living bread, that heavenly wine,
be our immortal food.

We would not live by bread alone,
but by Thy word of grace,
in strength of which we travel on
to our abiding place.

~ James Montgomery, 1806.

Tune suggestions:
ST. AGNES
Listen at http://www.hymnary.org/tune/st_agnes_dykes

AMAZING GRACE
Listen at http://www.hymnary.org/text/amazing_grace_how_sweet_the_sound

Contemporary Hymn: Emmaus Road

On that dry Emmaus road
heavy hearts still keening.
Once the answers seemed so close,
on the brink of meaning.
Meet us here, Jesus, Lord!
Walk with us, we urge you
Oh, how slow we are to see,
open up your Scriptures.

Jesus, speak to us your truth,
how our hearts are burning!
Keep us on Emmaus' road,
keep us ever learning.
Meet us here, Jesus, Lord!
Walk with us, we urge you.
Oh, how slow we are to see,
open up your Scriptures.
Feed us with your Word, O Lord,
our hearts need it daily.

Feed us with the Bread of Life,
feed us, precious Saviour.
Stay with us, Jesus, Lord!
stay with us, we urge you.
Oh, how slow we are to see,
open up your Scriptures

Now we go to tell the world,
we must share the good news:
It is true! The Saviour lives!
Have you heard the good news?
Go with us, Jesus, Lord!
Strengthen us, we pray you.
Oh, how slow we are to go,
send us with your Gospel.

~ Copyright © Brenton Prigge, 2005. CCLI license holders may freely use and reproduce these lyrics, provided that CCLI copyright protocol is followed. CCLI # 4494803. Posted on the New Hymn website.
http://www.newhymn.com/.

Tune suggestion:
Near the Cross (“Jesus, keep me near the cross”)
Listen at http://www.hymnary.org/tune/near_the_cross_doane

Contemporary Song: Seeing You (Matt Redman)

This is a time for seeing and singing
This is a time for breathing You in
And breathing out Your praise
Our hearts respond to Your revelation
All You are showing all we have seen
Commands a life of praise

No one can sing of things
They have not seen
God open our eyes
Towards a greater glimpse
The glory of You the glory of You
God open our eyes
Towards a greater glimpse

Worship starts with seeing You
Worship starts with seeing You
Our hearts respond to Your revelation
Worship starts with seeing You
Worship starts with seeing You
Our hearts respond to Your revelation

Worship starts with seeing You
Worship starts with seeing You
Our hearts respond to Your revelation

Contemporary song: Show Us Christ

Prepare our hearts O God
Help us to receive
Break the hard and stony ground
Help our unbelief
Plant Your Word down deep in us
'Cause it to bear fruit
Open up our ears to hear
Lead us in Your truth

Show us Christ show us Christ
O God reveal Your glory
Through the preaching of Your Word
Until every heart confesses Christ is Lord

Your Word is living light
Upon our darkened eyes
Guards us through temptations
Makes the simple wise
Your Word is food for famished ones
Freedom for the slave
Riches for the needy soul
Come speak to us today

Where else can we go Lord
Where else can we go
You have the words of eternal life

Download free chord chart, lead sheet, piano score on the Sovereign Grace website here:
http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/Songs/Show_Us_Christ/2

Images

~ from the Hermano Leon Clipart website.
http://www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/sem/a/pasq/3/index.htm

Additional Resources

Dramatic reading of Luke 24:13-32
http://re-worship.blogspot.ca/2011/04/scripture-reading-road-to-emmaus.html

Notes

This worship resource was created/compiled by Christine Longhurst. You are welcome to use it free of charge, and where appropriate, please note the source. If you are printing any of the resources for distribution, please print the source as well. The content of the worship resource does not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, which oversees the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies. For more worship resources by Christine Longhurst, see http://www.re-worship.blogspot.ca or http://www.faithmatters.ca.

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