As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

Call to Worship:  

 Lord Jesus,
open to us the scriptures;
make our hearts burn within us
while you speak.    

Luke 24. 32 

O Come, Let Us Worship. 

The opening hymn from this Sunday-

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
his the scepter, his the throne;
alleluia! his the triumph,
his the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus, out of every nation,
hath redeemed us by his blood. 

Gathering

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Collect for Today
O God,
Your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread.
Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.    Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Luke 24.13-35 

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord.  Amen.

       “Trudging toward the Unknown"

Each year, as we begin the Season of Easter, it is like as if we have trouble getting a good foothold. We are already into the 3rd week, and yet, it is 'still Monday', according to our scripture selection.            

Phil Wickham, the  gospel singer, has given the praise music world a great gospel selection, ‘Sunday Is Coming’. The words are based on the Great Triduum, taking us from Holy Thursday to Easter.

The refrain goes like this:

Friday's good 'cause Sunday is comin'
Don't lose hope 'cause Sunday is comin'
Devil, you're done, you better start runnin'
Friday's good 'cause Sunday is comin'            

There are some Mondays, when I think of the refrain in these words:

'Sunday was good,
but it’s Monday
and Sunday is comin.'           

In the West, we all begin the new week on Monday.

With this time and place, this week, I started to think about this idea of 'on Monday, tomorrow, will we wake up, head out for the day still thinking about what Easter meant for us'.

'What did I experience at Easter?'           

Or, we could take a closer look at the lesson from 1st Peter.

The reading from 1st Peter moves us very quickly from Easter Monday to the 2nd coming.  

'He was destined before the foundations of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages.'             

How did we get there so quickly?  

Then, we read:

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.  

Here we have it: two astonishing incidents in Scripture.

• The resurrection of Jesus

• The second coming  

Like the song: The resurrection is good, cause the Ascension is coming, and then!!!!          

Don’t worry, I am not going to jump ahead that fast.  

We need to return to the task at hand today.  

It is Monday of the first week. The disciples are trudging along toward Emmaus.          

Any day could be a 'Monday' in our lives, and we could remain trudging along on our “Emmaus” road.  

Sometimes, when we are ‘trudging’ we find our heads down, not really concentrating on our surroundings.          

I am sure they were not expecting Jesus to come alongside.

I am sure we do not always expect Jesus to be walking along with us.          

What we have before us, in the Gospel today, is one exciting moment in the lives of these disciples.   They are so excited by their discovery at the table with Christ, they get up and return to Jerusalem. 

The Gospel narrative does not say it--or even suggest it. In fact, it reads quite subdued: “They got up and returned to Jerusalem…”          

I might have thought the writer of the narrative would have been more expressive.   I would think they did not simply get up.   I think, more likely, they would have ‘JUMPED” up and RUNNING, RETURNED TO JERUSALEM.

I am sure they did not simply saunter back to Jerusalem!        

Think about it for a moment.

They have just received (what we would understand as) the Holy Eucharist today. They have just been fed, not only spiritually by our Lord, but from the physical hands of Jesus.          

They have a powerful and life-giving message to share with the world.          

We have a powerful and life-giving message to share with the world.          

Yet, let us back up for a moment.          

There is a part in the incident being played out today in the Gospel in which Jesus is having a bit of fun with these two people on the road.          

Certainly, they are not expecting Jesus to come along side of them.          

I see Jesus playing with them a little. Jesus plays with us a little.          

Our challenge with this story is, for us, is in gathering each week around this altar, is to be as affected, or infected as those two on the road were.   So affected we just want the world to know the story.  

If we do not tell the story, the rest of the world can not tell the story.         
We live to tell the story.          

We all have a story to tell.          

Martin Luther King Jr. called it, “I have a dream.”  

In our hymnody, we have some great hymns. These hymns have been composed by people like the disciples on the road to Emmaus.          

And, what we must understand: there is a world out there singing us an invitation to ‘Tell Me the Stories of Jesus’.

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth,
"Glory to God in the highest!"           

The story, we must tell, is a passionate love story.

A love story, first introduced to us in Genesis Chapter One.          

It is like a three or four scene drama, being acted out on the stage in front of us—acted out in the people we encounter each and every day of our lives.          

All those characters we encounter in the scriptures meet with us each and every day.          

So, it is we end our service today with these words:

Author of life divine,
In the breaking of bread we know the risen Lord.
Feed us always in the mysteries,
That we may show your glory to all the world.  

Then, this great truth:

‘… whose power, working in us can do more than we can ask or imagine’.  

No ‘trudging’ along! There is excitement in the air!

Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Let Us Pray

United in the hope of joy and resurrection, let us pray for the Church, the world, and all in need.

Ever-present God,
you make yourself known in the breaking of the bread
and in the bonds of community.
Reveal yourself to us in the faces of all we meet.
Strengthened by your body and blood, let us boldly live out your good news 

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

As we know you in the breaking of the bread,
we know you in the grains of the field and the flowing waters.
Care for the earth you lovingly create.
Strengthen those who safeguard threatened land and water.

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

You are the authority to whom we dedicate our lives.
Help us keep the needs of those most vulnerable
at the fore- front of our community.
Move us to care for any who are disregarded or oppressed. 

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Mothering God,
you feed and comfort those who hunger.
Open the hearts of those who horde resources,
and lead them to share your abundance.
We pray for anyone who is hungering for your comforting presence this day.
We continue to pray for those in need, particularly in our parish:
Roy & Gail; Daryl & Sue; Roy; Jay;  Sheila; Elaina ; and those on our hearts. 

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

You pour out your love on those who are oppressed.
Support and comfort anyone who is marginalized,
by gender or sexuality,
and those whose stories are not believed.
Form this community to listen faithfully and
speak honestly in our ministry, together. 

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

We remember, with thanksgiving, all your beloved saints.
As you have raised them to eternal life,
abide with us in your promise of resurrection. 

Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Rejoicing in the victory of Christ’s resurrection,
we lift our prayers and praise to you,
almighty and eternal God;
through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. 

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation, but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Author of life divine,
in the breaking of bread we know the risen Lord.
Feed us always in these mysteries,
that we may show your glory to all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  

Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.  
Glory to God, from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Blessing
The Peace of God, that passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge
and love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord:
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
be with you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Let us go in Peace to love and serve the Risen Lord.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia!