April 26, 2020 3rd Sunday of Easter

PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship via Blog            3rd Sunday of Easter                      April 26, 2020

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Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to Pioneer’s blog worship service. Though we are accessing this remotely and unable to look each other in the eye, we are still the Pioneer faith community, gathered as children of God to worship, to be spiritually fed, and to be equipped to go out to serve in Christ’s name—though we do it differently during this crisis.

Announcements: The blog continues to be our resource for worship and communications. If you are having difficulty using the blog or setting up a shortcut to it, please call Jean or Jon and we will walk you through it or Jean will stop by and put a shortcut on your computer—keeping appropriate distance, of course. (Unless you have an Apple.)

We will soon be testing two different ways to access the service “live”. One will be through Zoom and the other through Facebook Live. Zoom will be literally live and will be by invitation, so let pastor Jean know if you want to receive the service that way. It would be on a Sunday morning at 10:00. The Facebook Live will be a recorded service that you can tap into as it fits your schedule. I am still learning this technology (kicking and screaming) so watch for more info about it.

The construction work continues. I can see new a new sidewalk out my window. Hurray!! Also, another project is completed. The cracked window at sidewalk level at the entrance of the church has been filled in with stone to match as closely as possible the rest of the stone. There’s still some cosmetic touch up to come. Thank you Laurie! 

Now allow yourself a brief time of silence as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are.

BAPTISM:         Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful.

CALL TO WORSHIP

As a community of God, we gather to claim the power of God’s love in our lives. We come to witness to the healing reality of that love that knows no bounds, that is not contained within walls but within hearts. Let us worship our God of love.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Holy God, amazing God, you brought joy out of the darkest hour for the followers of Jesus when you raised him from the dead. You created in them a hope that could not be broken by the struggles and adversity they faced after that. All this time later, you give us that same hope. No matter what we face, we do it with the knowledge of the resurrection, with that promise that despite what happens in life, we too have the promise of new life in Jesus. We claim that promise now as we pause in worship and praise. Amen.

OPENING PRAISE SONG:         

CALL TO CONFESSION

The proof of God’s amazing love is this: While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in him, we dare to approach God with confidence. In faith and penitence, Let us confess our sin before God.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Because you made the world, intended it to be a good place, and called its people your children; because when things seemed at their worst you came in Christ to bring out the best in us; so, gracious God, we gladly say:

Goodness is stronger than evil,

Love is stronger than hate,

Light is stronger than darkness,

Truth is stronger than lies.

Because confusion can reign inside us, despite our faith; because anger, tension, bitterness, and envy distort our vision; because our minds sometimes worry small things all out of proportion; because we do not always get it right, we want to believe:

Goodness is stronger than evil,

Love is stronger than hate,

Light is stronger than darkness,

Truth is stronger than lies.

Because you have promised to hear us, and are able to change us, and are willing to make our hearts your home, we ask you to confront, control, forgive, and encourage us, as you know best.

(personal confessions … )

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

          The old life has gone; the new life has begun.

Friends, believe the Good News!

          In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and restored to new life!

PASSING THE PEACE

          May the peace of Christ be with you.

                   And also with you.

Let us extend the peace of Christ in heart and prayer to God’s children everywhere.

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

TIME WITH CHILDREN

          Good morning Fiona and Zoey. Or good afternoon if you’re worshiping later in the day. I miss you both and will be glad when we can be together at church again. I’ll be glad when I can get together with my friends and play games, too. I bet you have friends that you miss.

          That reminds me of what Jesus told his disciples. He told them he would not call them servants. Instead he would call them friends. Jesus says a servant doesn’t know the boss’ plans but that they, the followers of Jesus, know what God wants because Jesus told them. We are followers of Jesus so we are Jesus’ friends, too.

          Do we know what God wants? Can you name some things that God would want? ……. God wants us to love other people, to help those who need help, to love our families, to be kind. God wants us to talk to him. When we pray we are talking to God. And God wants us to remember that Jesus is always with us even though we can’t see him. We can talk to Jesus anytime we want—just like we would talk to a friend. When we’re scared or lonely or hurt, we can remember that Jesus is right there beside us. Let’s thank Jesus for that.

Dear Jesus, thank you for being our friend and letting us be your friend. Thank you that you are always with us and that you help us when we need you. Would you help us do the things that God, our heavenly Father wants us to do? We love you. Amen.

HYMN:     “Jesus Loves Me”

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

Who does Jesus love? Yes, Jesus loves Zoey and Fiona. And Jesus loves each one of us. Jesus remembers when we were little like they are now. Jesus watched us grow up and he loves us still.

SCRIPTURE 1:  Psalm 116:1-5, 12-19

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: "O Lord, save me!" The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. … How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

SCRIPTURE 2:  Luke 24:13-35

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

SERMON:           “Who Walks with You?                          Rev. Jean Hurst

          Who do you follow when the one you were following isn’t there?  I suspect what you do initially is stumble along alone. Or, in the case of two sad individuals on the road to Emmaus, you stumble along with a friend who is equally lost.

          Today’s text from the Gospel of Luke relates the post-resurrection story of two of Jesus’ followers traveling from Jerusalem to a small village about seven miles away. It’s likely they live there given the way the story unfolds.

          It’s a long walk home with slow, trudging steps and heavy hearts. They rehash the events of the past several days, grief stricken, confused, trying to make sense of what they’ve heard and probably feeling quite lost.

          Another traveler overtakes them. It is the risen Jesus, but they don’t know that. They don’t recognize him. If they were followers, if they loved Jesus, if they are grieving his death, why in the world wouldn’t they recognize him?

          After my mother died, I started seeing her in every white haired, stoop shouldered woman I passed. Once, in a grocery store, I glimpsed her down the frozen food aisle and had to backtrack to convince myself it wasn’t her. Of course my head knew she was gone and it was foolish to expect to encounter her in a grocery store in a town far from her home, but still I doubled back. And of course, it wasn’t her. Yet my heart had yearned to see her.

          Wouldn’t the yearning of their hearts lead these two to see Jesus beside them? But it was the same with Mary when she encountered Jesus in the garden near the tomb that morning. She wasn’t expecting to see him so she didn’t. It wasn’t until Jesus spoke her name that she knew him. Then it was her heart that told her it was the Jesus she loved and thought she’d lost.

          Perhaps that was the case with the two travelers. Though they were followers, though they loved Jesus, they didn’t expect to see him so they didn’t. They hadn’t yet had the trigger that for them, revealed their risen Lord and made their hearts know him.

          Apparently Jesus isn’t yet ready to be revealed. Instead, he teaches them. First he asks what is troubling them. Jesus plays dumb. What? What things have happened in Jerusalem? So they tell the stranger about Jesus, describing him as a prophet and telling how the religious rulers had him condemned and crucified. They told the stranger how they had pinned their hopes on this prophet to redeem and restore Israel. He was the one who would make the world of their people better.

          These two knew the stories of the empty tomb. They told of the women who had visited the tomb and found it empty, of how they encountered angels there who had said Jesus was alive, even of how some of the disciples had gone to check, saw the empty tomb, were puzzled, but wouldn’t believe the tales of women.

          And then the teaching begins. Jesus takes them through scripture, from Moses through the prophets and, interpreting those scriptures, explained that all had happened as it was meant in order to fulfill scriptures. By this time they’d arrived at Emmaus. As they were turning off, Jesus continued on his way. They called him back, inviting him to stay with them since night was coming on. So he joined them.

          It was in the center of their own hospitality that they had their revelation about who walked with them. This stranger is a guest in their midst, yet he presumes to take on the role of host. He picks up the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. That was a familiar act. It was an act of community. They’d seen it before, shared in it before. It was the trigger. Their eyes were open. They knew this companion. It was their Lord Jesus. It was true. He was alive! And then he vanished.

          It was late enough that they’d urged the stranger to stay the night with them. Yet this news couldn’t wait. They immediately headed back, making that seven mile hike in the dark in order to tell the eleven in Jerusalem what they’d experienced and to confirm that Jesus had, indeed, risen.

          Can it be that the risen Lord has walked with you through times of distress or need and you did not recognize him? Might there have been someone, familiar or stranger, who came into your life and touched you in unexplained ways that, upon reflection, you could also have acknowledged, “My heart burned within me.”

          What it meant for them was there was a stirring in their hearts, a connection with what this stranger was saying. Their hearts may have beat a little faster. Have you had that experience? Or perhaps, through the words of this companion you encounter on your own journey you find words of peace or hope or direction. It makes a difference who walks with you.

          There are too many of the wrong kind of companions who would sidle in beside us and fill our heads and hearts with the wrong messages. These tend to speak negative things, point blame, encourage divisiveness, carry gossip, foment hatred, build fear. Some of these negative companions come from within us, whispering the things that tear us down rather than drawing us into the highest, noblest aspects of ourselves. These companions whisper how hopeless we are, how unworthy, how we’ll never be good enough. These are not friends, they are insidious intruders who diminish our spirit. They come and go.

          Jesus promises that he will never leave us. Though he is not with us in the same recognizable form the disciples knew, he showed those he encountered that he was still with them. His words and actions were healing and drew out the best in them. What does it look like in your life when Jesus walks with you?

          I guess each of us will have a different aspect that is important to us. One may well be that during this time of isolation, we can know that we don’t walk this path alone.  Knowing that our Lord walks by our side helps when we feel lonely and cut off from others. It means there is someone there who understands what we’re going through. When we’re faced with decisions, he guides us. When we are afraid, he whispers in our hearts to calm our fears and fill us with the peace that passes understanding. When we need a friend and no one else is around, he is there for us. He’s not just a casual friend, but one who sticks by us no matter what, the one who sits with us in our misery, the one who cries with us in our pain.

With Jesus at our side, it goes far beyond company. He can help us in our relationship with others when we’re impatient, short tempered, angry, hurt, or resentful. When our heart aches, when we’re in a dark space, when the future feels bleak, he knows that and reassures us that all will be well. He knows our deepest wounds and is able to heal them. He knows our greatest shame and covers it with his grace. He knows our deep longing to be loved and accepted for who we are and he loves us with no strings attached.

We don’t always get the mystery of what it is to have Jesus walking with us. So often we want concrete evidence of his nearness. And we’re not satisfied simply having his company, we want him to make a difference in our lives. If we will trust him, Jesus will make that difference.

We, of course, have already decided what it is that will be the fix for us. If you consider, it’s usually the easy way out. But Jesus wouldn’t take the easy way out for himself, nor will he hand it to us. The way ‘out’ is usually the way ‘through’. When we have to face and deal with the hard realities of life, it shapes us. We learn. We grow. We become. The ultimate outcome of that may be far beyond anything we could imagine. God has a way of bringing good out of the bad things that happen in our lives.

When we know the risen Lord is walking by our side, we can face whatever comes. We do not face it alone. We have one walking with us who has faced the very worst that life could offer. But love is stronger than hate and not even death could hold him. Jesus is risen! Because he is risen we know that we can face anything with him walking with us. Thanks be to God.

           

HYMN:     “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

          Still your hearts and minds as you feel God’s presence surrounding you and God’s love holding you. (silence …)

          Eternal companion, Father of us all, you invite us to come to you in prayer, bringing all the joys and burdens of our hearts. You assure us that even when we don’t have the right words and don’t know how to give voice to our yearnings that your Spirit intercedes for us. We thank you and we praise you for such tender care. We come before you now as a distanced community of believers, trusting your compassion and guidance, knowing that you hear and are present with us.

          God of Healing, we pray for healing of the spirit, for healing of fragile minds and bodies, for healing of relationships. We ask for freedom from those things that weigh so heavily on our hearts that we are physically and emotionally captive to them. We lift up to you those of our church family who are confined to homes and care facilities, whose health is fragile and who in isolation may be lonely. We pray for those who struggle with illness and medical conditions, for those who carry the burden of grief or anxiety for loved ones.

          We place in your tender care Sandy … Sandi …Trisha … Dave … Jacob … Linda … Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel … Helen.

          Lord of our lives, as a nation we struggle with the impact of the coronavirus. Once again, our nation is divided. This time it is over the economic impacts of this pandemic. We want to contain and end this virus. We want to protect those who are especially vulnerable and to avoid the grief of loss. At the same time, Lord, people are damaged economically. They are hurting in different ways. Individuals and businesses need to return to productive work. They fear the loss of their businesses, their homes, their livelihoods. Lord, help us. Help our nation as we try to balance the issues of economics and human life.

          We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

OFFERING

Our gifts speak where we cannot go. They witness to people we will never meet. They praise God who has provided for us every day of our lives. Let us give thanks through our offerings. (The financial gifts you can mail to the church.) The gifts of our hearts, of our time, our energy, our talents is something we commit to God, then live out each day in our interactions with one another. Take a moment to make those heart offerings to the Lord.

DOXOLOGY

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Holy and Faithful God, we bring before you the gifts of our hearts and labor. We offer these out of gratitude for your many blessings, out of the resources you have entrusted to our stewardship, out of our desire to be part of your kingdom work that others might know the joy and hope we have found in your grace. Thank you. Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:    

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

Pay particular attention this week to who walks beside you. Who touches your life in meaningful ways? Who extends to you the encouragement and faith in you that you need? Who says what you need to hear just when you need to hear it. Jesus walks beside you through many companions. Trust his presence.

As you do, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

CHORAL RESPONSE

May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever. Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see his face and his grace forever. May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Worship and church activities are suspended until the coronavirus is contained and it is once again safe to come together and worship. Use the church blog to access worship and spiritual support articles and to keep up with what’s going on. If you have trouble accessing or using the site, call Jean or Jon.

PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN YOUR PRAYERS:

Sandy Cargill (aortic valve replacement), Sandi Posz (lymphoma), Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Jacob Cunningham, Linda Kaesemeyer (knee surgery), Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).

LECTIONARY FOR 5/3/20

Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10