Sunday Liturgy April 19, 2026: The Road to Emmaus Presiders: Dave DeBonis & Suzanne O’Connor

 

(Dave) Welcome:  We warmly welcome each of you today, both in the room and on zoom on this Third Sunday of Easter.  Today’s theme is walking each other home.

 

(Suzanne) Opening Prayer:  Great Mystery, we are inspired by today’s story of the Road to Emmaus.  Let us invite Jesus into our hearts, as the two disciples invited him into their home. Just as Jesus listened to their pain, empower us to listen to strangers and friends with compassion and love.

 

Opening Song:  He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell; performed by The Hollies

https://youtu.be/T_xzD8Pn4nM?si=pn3kTFDBuJMch_kj

 

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

First Reading:  A reading from the book, Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fugelsang

Authentic Christianity puts the well-being of others first; it defends the persecuted and serves rather than rules. When colonizing Christians began their slaughter, Jesus followers like Bartolome de la Casas shamed them with the Bible.

When crusader Christians justified violence, Jesus followers like Saint Francis used nonviolence and scripture to demand peace.

When confederate Christians justified human enslavement, Jesus followers like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and the Quakers called out slavery as a moral abomination and resisted.

When authoritarian Christians enforced segregation, Jesus followers like Martin Luther King, Howard Thurman, Fannie Lou Hamer and James Lawson took to the streets and took down systemic evil without violence.

In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, certain Christian capitalists aligned with industrialists who opposed labor reforms, justifying greed and exploitation. And Jesus followers like Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement championed the Biblical rights of laborers.

When Christian nationalists have pushed anti-LGBT legislation and bigotry, Jesus followers like Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Bishop in the Episcopal Church, and the Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, have embraced LGBT individuals as beloved children of God.

Authentic Christianity doesn’t seek dominance, but transformation. Jesus of the Bible is constantly telling you to go beyond your religion’s rules into a deeper kind of love. This love is not merely a form of affection or some passive permissive state. It’s an action- verb love, with all its challenges, discipline and healing.    

These are the inspired words of John Fugelsang, and the community affirms the by saying “Amen.”

Gospel Acclamation:  Spirit of the Living God  by Michael Crawford-video by MT Streck

https://youtu.be/xoJN0owUoWA

Gospel:  A reading from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:13-35)

 

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"

They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."

And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."

So, he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing,  broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"

So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

These are the inspired words of the Gospel Writer known as Luke, and the community affirms them by saying “Amen”

(pause) 

 

(Dave) Homily Starter

 

According to the gospel story, on the day of the resurrection two disciples are walking on a road leading to Emmaus and eventually to Jerusalem. They were devastated about the crucifixion of Jesus and confused and unsure how to make sense out of reports that the tomb was found empty. The two disciples had so hoped that Jesus would be able to improve life for the people of Israel. One can understand their dreams of an outcome where good prevails over evil.

 

Blinded by their grief, disappointment and fear, they do not recognize Jesus walking with them.  Their sadness reveals that they do not yet realize the victory that Jesus had achieved. They also had no idea that everything they thought they knew about the events of the day was about to be upended. Despite this, the first thing Jesus does is listen to them. He does not preach or lecture them; he listens to their pain, just as he listened to the woman at the well.  Scholars agree that Jesus would not have reprimanded the men or called them foolish. Those words were included by the writers of the story to promote their personal agendas.

 

After a while of walking and with darkness approaching, the men invite Jesus, a stranger, to stay with them, even though Jesus suggested that he was planning to continue on his way.  Note that Jesus did not invite himself in, he waited for them to do so.  During the meal and the breaking of the bread the men recognized Jesus—they truly saw him and their “hearts were burning inside.” Their earthly expectations of victory were now replaced with an understanding that through Jesus’ life and death we are all brought to wholeness.  With their fear gone and Jesus in their hearts these men continue on the road to Emmaus returning to Jerusalem to spread the good news.

 

Scholars readily agree that this is a story, not an actual event. In fact, Rev Sal Sapienza notes that in the Holy Land there are six different roads that have all been identified as the one depicted in the story. This story is one filled with symbolism. Reverand Sapienza notes that the word Emmaus comes from the Hebrew for “warm springs,” a reference to the living water that Jesus offers to the woman at the well. It also appears to be derived from the word Emmanual, which means “God is with us.”

 

The story is also filled with truths. At times our fear and disappointment prevent us from seeing Jesus in ourselves and in others. But Jesus is always waiting to be invited into our hearts. So often, we see Jesus anew in the breaking of the bread. At times, we talk, we advise, we preach when we should be listening. A willingness to be patiently present in the face of suffering has been modelled by Jesus. 

 

Marcus Borg writes that the road to Emmaus is nowhere because it is everywhere. John Dominic Crossan writes that the road to Emmaus never happened; it happens every day. We walk the road to Emmaus when we accept the inner transformation that we are offered, let go of our earthly understandings, and see Jesus in the stranger and in ourselves.

 

Our first reading from John Fugelsang evokes both sadness and inspiration. How sad to be reminded of many times throughout history that the institutional church has followed a path of violence, greed and discrimination.  And how inspiring to think about the brave women and men who remained on the road to Emmaus, seeing Jesus in the vulnerable, the misunderstood, the different. And how awesome it is to know that we can follow in their footsteps as partners in co-creation. This is our call.

 

Before Easter Dennis asked us. “What is your Jerusalem?” So, this morning, I am asking myself some questions: “Where am I on the road to Emmaus?  Disappointed, confused and fearful or filled with living water? Listening with compassion or shielding myself from other’s pain?” Hesitant when approaching the stranger, or seeing in them the Divine?  Inviting Jesus in or sending him on his way?

 

My hope is that Ram Dass is right when he states that perhaps we are all walking each other home.

 

Sources

https://mypastoralponderings.com/2023/04/21/learning-on-the-road-to-emmaus-my-sermon-on-luke-2413-35

https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2023-04-17/luke-2413-35/\

https://www.bartehrman.com/road-to-emmaus/

https://www.emmauschristiancommunity.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSpccOnCAY

(Dave) Please feel free to share your thoughts and insights on what you heard.

(Suzanne):   Let us join in praying our Statement of Faith

 

Statement of Faith

We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery
beyond all definition and rational understanding,
the heart of all that has ever existed,
that exists now, or that ever will exist.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion,
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.

 We believe that We are called to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of divine love,
a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.

We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.

We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
and hands to make it happen.

 

   Prayers for the Community

(Suzanne): As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns for the community.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

 

(Dave): With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer in one voice:

 

O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us as we set our hearts on belonging to you. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all creation.

 

You know our limitations and our essential goodness, and you love us as we are. You beckon us to your compassionate heart and inspire us to see the good in others and forgive their limitations. Acknowledging your presence in each other and in all of creation, we sing:

Holy, Holy, Holy by Peter Mayer shortened

https://youtu.be/A4kiEGVb3E8

 

Guiding Spirit, when opposing forces in us tug and pull and we are caught in the tension of choices, inspire us to make wise decisions toward what is good.

 

We thank you for our brother, Jesus, and for all our sisters and brothers who have modeled for us a way to live and love in challenging times. Inspired by them, we choose life over death, we choose to be light in dark times.

 

Please extend your hands in blessing.

 

We are ever aware of your Spirit in us and among us at this Eucharistic table and we are grateful for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world.

 

On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends.  He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet. 

 

Presider 1 lifts plate as the community prays the following:

 

When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying: 

Take and eat, the bread of compassion for a suffering world.

 

 (pause)

 

 Presider 1 lifts cup as the community prays the following:

 

Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:

Take and drink.

Whenever you remember me like this,

I am among you.

 

(pause) 

 

We share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace. We choose to live justly, love tenderly, and walk with integrity.

 

Please receive communion with the words: “We respond to the Invitation to Love”

Communion Song: The Long & Winding Road written by Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles.

https://youtu.be/jnhYDa3Ebcg?si=F8-9q-cX--T_N6aI

 

Prayer after Communion:

 

(Dave) Holy One, your transforming energy is within us, and we join our hearts with all who are working for a just world.  We pray for wise leaders in our religious communities. We pray for courageous and compassionate leaders in our world communities. 

 

We pray for all of us gathered here and like Jesus, we open ourselves up to your Spirit, for it is through living as he lived that we awaken to your Spirit within,

moving us to glorify you, at this time and all ways.

Amen.

 

(Suzanne): Let us pray the Aramaic Prayer taught to us by Jesus:

 

O Breathing Source of Life, Father/Mother

Your name shines everywhere!

Hollow out a space to plant your presence here.

Come, really come, to that good place where your vision is fulfilled.

May your delight be fulfilled in each life, as it is in the shining realm of your full presence.

 

Illuminate our circle of life with the wisdom & nurturing we need now, for body, mind and spirit.  Empower us to stop crossing the boundaries of others; allow us to let go of the tangled threads of others’ faults we hold in our hands; release the knots of sin in our lives.  Help us to be neither too outer, nor too inner, lest we bear unripe or rotten fruit.

 

For to you belongs the enlightened vision, the empowering energy, and the song that brings all together in harmony, from gathering to gathering.  This is the ground of being from which my actions will come.                                                              A Translation by Neil Douglas Klotz

 

         

BLESSING

 

(Dave): Please extend your hands and pray our blessing:

 

May the Fire of Love ignite our hearts and radiate through us.

May the Spirit truth and justice burn within us.

May we continue to be the face of the Holy One, and

May we be a blessing in our time.

AMEN.

 

Closing Song:  Beautiful City, written by Stephen Schwarz for Godspell, 1973

https://youtu.be/kKLGG1JimAU?si=hAoQnN9zYTCunGka