Let’s Connect – Week of April 26, 2020

Opening Prayer:

Risen Christ, walk with us this night. Be our companion and guide, be our teacher and friend, be our host and servant bringing your gifts of faith, peace, hope and deep joy as always Amen.

~ words by Craig Mitchell (2005) & Iona Community. In “Emmaus Worship Service,” posted on Mountain Masala: Exploring Spirituality, Culture, Media and Cuisine.” http://craigmitchell.typepad.com/mountain_masala/files/Emmaus%20Worship%20Service.pdf

Scripture: Luke 24: 13-35 (The Message)

That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.

He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?" Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what's happened during the last few days?" He said, "What has happened?" They said, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. 21 And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn't find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn't see Jesus."

Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?" Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.

They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done." So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.

Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?" They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up - Simon saw him!" Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.

Musing:

Cooking is one of the things that a lot of us are turning to in this stay at home time. And baking is surging. There’s something about the smell of fresh baked bread that brings comfort and healing. There is something about a warm loaf of bread and sharing it that is so, well, heavenly.

It isn’t by chance that Jesus used bread. The most common food. Also the food that has helped people survive for thousands of years. It is also the foundation for many of the foods and drinks we enjoy today (pizza, cinnamon rolls, beer, etc.). To keep peace in Rome they gave away bread. During the Depression people stood in bread lines to survive. And it isn’t just the physical, biological need that bread seems to fill. It is also the psychological and social and spiritual need that it feeds.

Here we are at a time when we can’t gather to break bread with others. We literally cannot gather in the same room to share a loaf of bread. And yet, bread is just a symbol, a metaphor (a tasty and nutritious one). A symbol a wellbeing, of life, or community and therefore of the gathering of God’s beloved together for a feast. We can do that together, even when apart. We can break bread together even if we aren’t in the same space. We can be community even though we are apart. Christ can be known in the bread we break when we realize that seated with us at the table are all those we hold dear and all those who have ever shared bread in a community of love and grace and peace.

So, bake a loaf, break some bread and know the Christ is with you as are we.

Closing prayer:

Living Jesus, whose presence on our daily road we often fail to see; warm our hearts with fresh confidence in your Word, so that, in making room for the stranger beside us, we find your hospitality awaiting us, and the reassurance of your presence to inspire us to tread the road again and to share the good news of your resurrection life and some bread. Amen.

~ posted on the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid website. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ slightly altered

The agenda for the gathering is:

• Welcome
• Share prayer requests with chat feature
• Please stay muted until you want to speak
• Stay or leave as you wish
• A brief devotion
• Report about what is happening
• We are moving toward the eventual freedom to gather once again. But it will be small steps. First very limited numbers will be allowed to gather. The size of group will increase. BUT, there will be a lot of restrictions and requirements: safe distancing, no touching, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, masks, sanitizer, signs, on so forth. This will not be one day we can’t gather and the next day we can. The CDC has good guidance for religious groups to gather once we can so check them out. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/guidance-community-faith-organizations.html
• Also, building users will need to be prepared to follow all the same guidelines and procedures you follow. I would suggest that as you figure out what you will do, you begin to draft a building use agreement for covid-19 mitigation.
• Remember why we do this, we do it to protect the most vulnerable and to save lives. The experts think we’ve saved 70,000 of them so far.
• And I remind you once again, the Greater Northwest Area Website has a lot of resources to help you maneuver through these times, make sure and check it out. https://greaternw.org/
• A time for Q and A
• An opportunity for you to share with me and each other, how is it with your soul?
• Closing blessing