A New Worship

Prayer of the Day

Glory to you, O Heavenly Father: You have won victory over death, raising Jesus from the grave and given us eternal life.

Glory to you, O Christ: for us and for our salvation you overcame death and opened the gate to everlasting life.

Glory to you, O Holy Spirit: you lead us into the truth.

Glory to you, O Blessed Trinity, now and forever. Amen.

Call to Confession

Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sin, we might live for righteousness. Trusting in God’s grace let us confess our sin.

Assurance of Pardon

All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, but now we have returned to the shepherd and guardian of our sous.

Context

Last week was Holy Week. Jesus betrayed on Thursday. Put to death by the authorities on Friday. In the tomb on Saturday.

On Sunday we read in the gospel of Luke about the beginning of the first Easter day. The women went to the tomb and found it empty. Angels told them Jesus had risen from the dead. The apostles were in a state of confusion, disbelief, and amazement.

[Peter investigated and may have had an encounter with the risen Lord (that we don’t know about). ]

We pick up the story in Luke 24. It is later in the day on that first Easter Sunday.

Two disciples are walking on a road, leaving Jerusalem and heading west toward a town called Emmaus.

Luke 24:13–35 NRSV

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. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over 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 these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 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. 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.” Then he said to them, “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?” 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, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 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. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Introduction

Why do we Christians worship the way we do?

If long time member. If familiar. Granted.

If new. Questions.

Healthy to ask: why do we worship as we do.

The story of risen Jesus appearing to and interacting with the disciples on the way to Emmaus invited into an answer to this question.

Exegesis

I want us to look at this story from a pretty high elevation. Long story, but a definite structure and flow to it. In four parts.

First part.

The disciples are traveling along a road from Jersualem to Emmaus. Leaving town. And all the chaos and sorrow and confusion of the week before, which culminated in the death of Jesus.

They are experiencing cognitive dissonance. What they believe does not match what they have experienced. Had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but he was killed. Had believed he was great in word and deed, but he had been humiliated. None of it makes sense. Cognitive, emotional, Religious and spiritual disorganization.

Jesus comes alongside them. They can’t recognize him. But it is Jesus. He engages with them. Tell me all about it. They can see him, but not recognize him. (later they will no longer see him, but they will have recognized him).

First movement: Gathering. He is establishing a relationship with them. Connection. Gathering them to himself. Engages, questions, calls forth, …gathers them toward him.

Second Movement.

Jesus teaches them from the Scriptures.

He shows them how it was necessary that the Christ should suffer and then into into his glory. He walks them through Moses, the prophets, the psalms.

Their hearts begin to blaze again. Dissonance is being replaced by clarity. They are believing again. The suffering one was the Christ.

Second Movement: Word. The Scriptures are brought to bear on experience.

Third Movement:

The disciples want to continue learning from Jesus. So when they arrive at Emmaus they prevail upon him to stay with them.

The teaching takes a new direction. Rather than more instruction from Scripture, Jesus takes bread, blesses it and breaks it.

What does this remind us of? The Last Supper. Jesus has used this symbol to talk about his death as the atonement for sin. Now Jesus, repeats the action, and reveals that the slain Lord is the Risen Lord.

Their eyes are opened and they recognize him.

He disappears. He has directed their attention to the sacrament that he has given them. He will no longer be visible to them, but the bread and the wine will always symbolize his death and resurrection and they will connect with him through the reenactment. Remember, Reenact, Reconnect with Christ.

Third Movement: Sacrament.

Fourth Movement:

In that hour the disciples rose and went and shared the news: The lord has risen indeed!

They share the good news with those who need it. They evangelize.

Fourth Movement: Sending.

So in summary

Gather

Word

Sacrament

Sending

Interpretation

When we come to church what do we see?

Movement 1. Gathering.

we are on our discipleship journey.

Cognitive, emotional, spiritual dissonance, disorganization.

Christ encounters. Call to worship. Confessions. Assurance. Prayer.

Christ Gathers us as his people.

Movement 2: Word.

We hear the Scripture read and interpreted. A sermon.

Our hearts are set ablaze. Faith returns.

Connects what we are going through with the Word and plan of God.

Christ teaches us the Word.

Movement 3: Sacrament

Lord’s Table. We enact what Christ did. He is made present to us and his death and resurrection are applied to us.

Baptism. Giving of our offerings. Prayers. Are similar enactments.

We show through our actions, our bodies, what we believe with our spirits.

Christ helps us enact, make visible what we believe.

Movement 4: Sending.

we are charged and blessed to go back to the world and proclaim, Christ is indeed risen. He has appeared to us!

After leaving church it is more visible that we have been with the Lord!

This way of worshipping is not an accident. Not based on commercialism or preferences. Not just because we’ve did this way before. Not just empty tradition. Not because it seemed best to us. Not the product of our creativity.

It is our way of worship because this is how Christ taught us to worship. In other words, what we do every Sunday we can trace back to Jesus himself.

We are disorganized. We are gathered.

We need the truth. We hear the word.

We need to enact what God has don. We respond in Sacrament.

We need to share in Christ’s mission. We are sent into the world bearing the gospel.

This is Jesus’ pattern for us.

When we look at the Christian church through history and all around the world we see this basic pattern. Different music? Different prayers and ways of expression and using space. Yes. But the basic pattern is consistent. Because it comes from Jesus, not from us.

This structure is the bones of Christian worship. We are the flesh and blood. Jesus through the Spirit is the soul.

Application

So shift of mindset about worship. Here or when visiting…

Not do I like it? (not as the leading question) but rather, is it faithful? Is this the pattern that Jesus gave us.

Worship shows us who God in Christ is.

gathers, teaches, sacramental, sending. That is what he is like, so that is why we worship like that.

Worship must be faithful to the god we worship. A faithful worship pattern is a presentation of God’s character.

If it is faithful but not our preference…maybe our preference needs to be shaped.

Worship is supposed to be formative.

Repetitive action is formative.

MJ and singing. Feel when you are on tone by practicing in pitch. Same way worship gives us a feel for worshipping God faithfully.

repetitive sports. Becomes muscle memory. Worship: trains us to respond correctly.

Come when Christ calls us to gather. To listen when he speaks. To know he is present. To share in his mission.

Repetitive worship pattern shapes us as Christs disciples.

Faithful worship is unitive

Growing together: gather us, speak to us, we enact, we are sent.

Faithful worship is evangelistic..

visitor: What is your church like? Why do you do it that way:

Because that is what Jesus himself gave us when he rose from the dead.

We are just trying to be faithful to him and become more like him.

What a program to be a part of!

Conclusion

Easter season new beginning. New appreciation for worship.

Why do we worship the way we do?

Because Risen Lord himself has given us this.

Prayer of Intercession

Satisfy us with your love in the morning, Ps. 90:14 and we will live this day in joy and praise.

Thanksgiving is offered for: the mission and ministry of the church . . . every service that proclaims your love . . . the people and relationships that sustain us . . . our calling to daily discipleship . . . signs of new life and hope . . . Individual prayers of thanksgiving may be invited, asking: “People of God, for what else do we give thanks?”

Intercessions are offered for: the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . . the stewardship and healing of creation . . . friends and family members . . . neighbors in special need . . . the wisdom of the Spirit for this day . . . Individual prayers of intercession may be invited, asking: “People of God, for what else do we pray?”

God of grace, you cause the sun to rise and chase away the shadows of death. Each day you promise resurrection, that we may be born again to new life and overcome all that would hurt or destroy. Fill us with the Holy Spirit, that we may be alive again with the power and the peace of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.