We are still witnessing encounters with the risen Christ—this one, on the road, a long walk with two disciples who don’t yet recognize who is walking with them.
Join us as we continue in our celebration of the Easter season. We would love to see you in our beautiful sanctuary, or to have you join us right here online. You are invited!
Easter 3: “A Long Walk”
1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35
April 23, 2023
Union Presbyterian Church
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Barbara Lustgarten Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Announcements Barbara Lustgarten
Prelude Chris Bartlette
“Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” Lloyd Larson
©2007, Lorenz Publishing Co., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Welcome Rev. Pat Raube
*Call to Worship Barbara Lustgarten
The world belongs to God,
The earth and all its people.
How good and how lovely it is
to live together in unity.
Love and peace come together,
Justice and peace join hands.
Open our lips, O Lord,
and our mouths shall proclaim your praise!
* Hymn #119 PH “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Won” (Public Domain)
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The strife is o’er, the battle done,
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun. Alleluia!
The powers of death have done their worst,
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst. Alleluia!
The three sad days are quickly sped.
Christ rises glorious from the dead:
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!
Lord, by Your wounds on Calvary
From death’s dread sting Your servants free,
That we may live eternally. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
* Call to New Life
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (unison)
O Lord our God, we give you thanks for the new life you raise up in us through the mystery of our baptism—the sorrow of the heavy cross, the surprise of the empty tomb, the love that death could not destroy. By the power of your Holy Spirit, poured out upon us at baptism, full us with the joy of resurrection, so that we may be a living sign of your new heaven and new earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
* Words of Assurance
With the whole church:
We affirm that we are made in God’s image,
befriended by Christ, and empowered by the Spirit.
With people everywhere:
We affirm God’s goodness at the heart of humanity,
planted more deeply than all that is wrong.
With all creation:
We celebrate the miracle and wonder of life and the unfolding purposes of God, forever at work in ourselves and the world. Thanks be to God. Amen!
*Sharing of the Peace
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Scripture Reading 1 Peter 1:17-23
If you invoke as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s work, live in fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile conduct inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your trust and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, 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.
Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube
Music: “Lord of the Dance,” Sydney Carter
©1963, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Scripture Reading Luke 24:13-35
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.
This is the Good News we have received, in which we stand,
and by which we are saved.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon ”A Long Walk” Rev. Pat Raube
Reception of New Members by Affirmation of Faith
Barbara Gannon Tom Gannon Hildegarde Mica James Mica
Words of Scripture
As many of you as were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek,
there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male and female,
for all are one in Christ Jesus. ~Galatians 3:27-28
Presentation
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism
one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all. ~Ephesians 4:4-6
Profession of Faith
As members of the body of Christ, let us reaffirm the faith into which we were baptized.
From “A Brief Statement of Faith, Presbyterian Church (USA)”
We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good
and makes everyone equally in God’s image,
male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community.
But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God’s commandments,
we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people
to bless all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage.
Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still.
Clerk of Session (to the Congregation):
Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to uphold Barb, Tom, Hildy, and Jim in the promises they make this day, by word and deed, with love and prayer?
Congregation: We do.
Welcome
Pastor: Welcome to this ministry that we share in Jesus Christ.
The peace of Christ be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Anthem Choir
“The Journey of Faith,” Joseph M. Martin
©2014, Hal Leonard – Milwin Music Corp., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
With every step we take, we trust in God alone.
We hold to Christ. He leads us on.
He is our Shepherd, ever faithful, ever strong.
And when we lose our way or when our footsteps roam,
His heart will find us; His grace will lead us home.
Across the mountains high or through the valleys deep,
He leads us onward. His love is all we need.
Till we reach the promised land,
We will trust His guiding hand.
We’ll live in hope and walk by faith.
The road is rising up before us.
We all are part of God’s glorious plan.
His grace has given us a future.
Now we are bound for the promised land.
And though the road ahead is long and winding,
The cross goes on before us as our guide.
We know the journey is not over,
For there are mountains left to climb.
For there are mountains left to climb.
We walk by faith. We live in hope.
With every step we take, we trust in God alone.
We hold to Christ. He leads us on.
He leads us onward. His love is all we need.
Till we reach the promised land,
We will trust His guiding hand.
We’ll live in hope and walk by faith.
We live in hope! We walk by faith!
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer (Traditional Version)
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.
Prayer Response #489 W & R
“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying,” Ken Medema
©1973, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace.
Call for Offering
* Doxology
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” Brian Wren
©1989, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low.
Praise God, in Jesus fully known:
Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
* Prayer of Dedication
* Hymn #121 PH “That Easter Day With Joy Was Bright” (Public Domain)
That Easter day with joy was bright,
The sun shone out with fairer light,
When, to their longing eyes restored,
The apostles saw their risen Lord.
O Jesus, King of gentleness,
Do all our inmost hearts possess
And we to You will ever raise
The tribute of our grateful praise.
From every weapon death can wield,
Your own redeemed forever shield.
O Lord of all, with us abide
In this our joyful Eastertide.
* Benediction
Postlude Chris Bartlette
“All Creatures of Our God and King,” Mark Hayes
©2010, Lorenz Publishing Co., All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.
“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.
“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal
Call to Worship and Words of Assurance taken and adapted from the Iona Community Worship Book. Prayer for Wholeness and Peace taken from the PCUSA Book of Common Worship Daily Prayer. Other prayers adapted from Carol Holbrook Prickett, by way of Presbyterian Outlook Online.