Third Sunday Of Easter
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle A
Hymns
I Want To Be Ready (NCH616)
I Love My God, Who Heard My Cry (NCH511, PH362)
Jesus, Priceless Treasure (NCH480)
O Lamb Of God, Most Holy (PH82)
Abide With Me (NCH99, CBH653, UM700)
Be Known To Us In Breaking Bread (NCH342, PH505)
There Is A Place Of Quiet Rest (CBH5)
Break Thou The Bread Of Life (CBH361)
Anthems
See That You Love One Another, Joseph Roff, H. W. Gray, SATB/Soprano solo
Open Our Eyes, Lord, Bob Cull, Worship And Praise
Lord, Make Me An Instrument Of Thy Peace, Lindh, SATB
In Thee Is Gladness, Cherwien, Unison or SATB
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 116)
Leader: I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
People: Because God inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on God as long as I live.
Leader: What shall I return to God for all gifts to me?
People: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh.
Leader: I will pay my vows to Yahweh in the presence of all people,
All: In the courts of the house of Yahweh, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise God!
Call to Confession
"There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God." Let us take our remorse and fears to God by offering our Prayer of Confession, first together and then individually and silently. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, how often have we not recognized you in the midst of us? When we meet together as a congregation to make decisions about the mission of this church, do we recognize you? Or do we take sides - afraid to listen to others because something around here might change? Are we so afraid that something or someone might be different that we refuse to see you? Or are we so afraid that we might become stagnant that we cannot hear what people love about this place? Come unto us and open our eyes to see you here. Help us to look for you, God. Forgive us for only being concerned about ourselves and for not looking to see how we can most effectively bring others in to your house. This we ask in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness (based on 1 Peter 1:17--23)
Hear the good news! Through Jesus' model we have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Scripture Readings
Acts 2:14a, 36--41: The Acts passage is again a speech by Peter, this time at Pentecost. It would be good if the person playing Peter could memorize this passage. At the end of verse 39, another person might read verses 40--41.
Luke 24:13--35: This is another good story to be dramatized. Ask some of your young adults to dramatize this passage. There are four characters: Narrator, two Followers - Cleopas and Other - and Jesus. Two persons are walking up the center aisle. Have Jesus sit about six rows back, on the center aisle.
Narrator: Now on that same day two of them 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.
Jesus: (Stands and joins Followers) What are you discussing with each other while you walk along? (Cleopas and Other stop and look very sad)
Cleopas: Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?
Jesus: What things?
Other: The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
Cleopas: And how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
Other: But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.
Cleopas: Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
Other: Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning.
Cleopas: 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.
Other: 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.
Jesus: 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? (The three of them begin walking again, but do not go up onto the nave)
Narrator: 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, Jesus walked ahead as if he were going on. (Followers stop, Jesus goes ahead)
Cleopas and Other: Wait. Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is nearly over.
Jesus: All right. (Three walk to altar where there is a loaf of bread. Jesus breaks the loaf, bows head, and then hands bread to the two)
Narrator: 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. (Jesus walks off)
Cleopas: Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he opened the scriptures to us?
Other: It was incredible! (Walks down the steps of chancel with Cleopas)
Narrator: That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
Cleopas: (Says to congregation) The Lord has risen indeed!
Other: He has appeared to Simon!
Narrator: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
All Three: The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Closing Hymn
Open Our Eyes, That I May See
Benediction
Leader: Jesus is with us, even when our eyes are closed to him.
People: God, open our eyes that we might see.
Leader: Jesus talks with us even when we aren't listening
People: Open our ears that we might hear.
Leader: Jesus listens to us and teaches us.
People: Open our mouths that we might tell of the great deeds of our Savior.
Leader: Go into the world making disciples of those who have not heard.
All: Spirit Divine!
I Want To Be Ready (NCH616)
I Love My God, Who Heard My Cry (NCH511, PH362)
Jesus, Priceless Treasure (NCH480)
O Lamb Of God, Most Holy (PH82)
Abide With Me (NCH99, CBH653, UM700)
Be Known To Us In Breaking Bread (NCH342, PH505)
There Is A Place Of Quiet Rest (CBH5)
Break Thou The Bread Of Life (CBH361)
Anthems
See That You Love One Another, Joseph Roff, H. W. Gray, SATB/Soprano solo
Open Our Eyes, Lord, Bob Cull, Worship And Praise
Lord, Make Me An Instrument Of Thy Peace, Lindh, SATB
In Thee Is Gladness, Cherwien, Unison or SATB
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 116)
Leader: I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
People: Because God inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on God as long as I live.
Leader: What shall I return to God for all gifts to me?
People: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh.
Leader: I will pay my vows to Yahweh in the presence of all people,
All: In the courts of the house of Yahweh, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise God!
Call to Confession
"There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God." Let us take our remorse and fears to God by offering our Prayer of Confession, first together and then individually and silently. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, how often have we not recognized you in the midst of us? When we meet together as a congregation to make decisions about the mission of this church, do we recognize you? Or do we take sides - afraid to listen to others because something around here might change? Are we so afraid that something or someone might be different that we refuse to see you? Or are we so afraid that we might become stagnant that we cannot hear what people love about this place? Come unto us and open our eyes to see you here. Help us to look for you, God. Forgive us for only being concerned about ourselves and for not looking to see how we can most effectively bring others in to your house. This we ask in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness (based on 1 Peter 1:17--23)
Hear the good news! Through Jesus' model we have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Scripture Readings
Acts 2:14a, 36--41: The Acts passage is again a speech by Peter, this time at Pentecost. It would be good if the person playing Peter could memorize this passage. At the end of verse 39, another person might read verses 40--41.
Luke 24:13--35: This is another good story to be dramatized. Ask some of your young adults to dramatize this passage. There are four characters: Narrator, two Followers - Cleopas and Other - and Jesus. Two persons are walking up the center aisle. Have Jesus sit about six rows back, on the center aisle.
Narrator: Now on that same day two of them 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.
Jesus: (Stands and joins Followers) What are you discussing with each other while you walk along? (Cleopas and Other stop and look very sad)
Cleopas: Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?
Jesus: What things?
Other: The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
Cleopas: And how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
Other: But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.
Cleopas: Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
Other: Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning.
Cleopas: 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.
Other: 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.
Jesus: 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? (The three of them begin walking again, but do not go up onto the nave)
Narrator: 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, Jesus walked ahead as if he were going on. (Followers stop, Jesus goes ahead)
Cleopas and Other: Wait. Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is nearly over.
Jesus: All right. (Three walk to altar where there is a loaf of bread. Jesus breaks the loaf, bows head, and then hands bread to the two)
Narrator: 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. (Jesus walks off)
Cleopas: Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he opened the scriptures to us?
Other: It was incredible! (Walks down the steps of chancel with Cleopas)
Narrator: That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
Cleopas: (Says to congregation) The Lord has risen indeed!
Other: He has appeared to Simon!
Narrator: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
All Three: The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.
Closing Hymn
Open Our Eyes, That I May See
Benediction
Leader: Jesus is with us, even when our eyes are closed to him.
People: God, open our eyes that we might see.
Leader: Jesus talks with us even when we aren't listening
People: Open our ears that we might hear.
Leader: Jesus listens to us and teaches us.
People: Open our mouths that we might tell of the great deeds of our Savior.
Leader: Go into the world making disciples of those who have not heard.
All: Spirit Divine!
