FRIDAY Breaking of Bread

 Opening

Jesus Calls Us Here to Meet Him CP#59

 Jesus calls us here to meet him, as through

word and song and prayer

We affirm God’s promised presence where his

people live and care.

Praise the God who keeps his promise; praise

the Son who calls us friends;

Praise the Spirit who, among us, to our hopes

and fears attends.

Reading

Luke 24: 28 - 35

28 As they came near the village to which they

were going, he walked ahead as if he were going

on. 29But 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. 30When he was at the table with them, he

took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to

them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they

recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.

32They 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?’ 33That same hour they got

up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found

the eleven and their companions gathered

together. 34They were saying, ‘The Lord has

risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35Then they told what had happened on the

road, and how he had been made known to

them in the breaking of the bread.

Reflection

Imagine walking with a friend, full of

confusion and sorrow. Imagine encountering

a stranger with whom you share these

feelings. Now imagine that stranger opening

your eyes to a new way of looking at what

you have experienced. Your natural reaction

would be to want to continue this experience

– as the stranger walks away, you would be

willing to beg them to stay with you, share a

meal. Break bread together.

And so the story unfolds that they recognize

Christ in the breaking of bread. Imagine how

in awe they were and how anxious they would

be to return to their friends to share this

news.

But the most salient part of this story is not

that they ate together – it is that there was

more than one of them. From the earliest

Jewish traditions, to break bread was to eat

together. At the Last Supper, Jesus broke

bread, not for His disciples, but with them.

There are many faith practices we can do

alone – we can pray alone – we can praise

alone – we can be in communion with God

when we eat alone. We Break Bread with

others. We do it as a community – as one

Body in Christ.

Let us pray with our scriptures to hear the

word of God. They teach us how to be a

community that breaks bread together, united

in love with Christ. And that is something we

cannot do alone.

Prayers

One: And let us consider how to provoke one

another to love and good deeds, not neglecting

to meet together, as is the habit of some, but

encouraging one another, and all the more as

you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:

24- 25

All: Lord, we are your disciples, joined

in community with You and with each

other. May we be the refiner’s fire to each

other and may Your light shine through

us to the world.

One: Bear one another’s burdens, and in this

way you will fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians

6:2

All: Lord, we are Your disciples, joined

in community with You and with each

other. May our sharing of our brother’s

and sister’s burdens be Your light

shining through us to the world.

One: Two are better than one, because they have

a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will

lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and

falls and does not have another to help. Again, if

two lie together, they keep warm; but how can

one keep warm alone? And though one might

prevail against another, two will withstand one. A

threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes

4:9-12  

All: Lord, we are Your disciples, joined in

community with You and with each other.

May we discern our gifts and use them to

bless others. May our gifts be used to

glorify You to the world.

One: And we urge you, beloved, to admonish

the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help

the weak, be patient with all of them. 1

Thessalonians 5:14

All: Lord, we are Your disciples, joined

in community with You and with each

other. May we strengthen the weak and

encourage the discouraged. May we

always look outward with these gifts to

the world.

One: A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk

are born to share adversity. Proverbs 17:17

All: Lord, we are Your disciples,

joined in community with You and

with each other. You have made us

out of love and you laid down Your

life for us out of love. May our love of

You shine through us to the world.

One: Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,

by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of

you should be in agreement and that there

should be no divisions among you, but that you

should be united in the same mind and the

same purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10

All: Lord, we are Your disciples, joined

in community with You and with each

other. May we be reminded of our need

for You and your desire for us to be

One Body

Jesus Calls Us Here to Meet Him CP#59

Jesus calls us to each other; found in him

are no divides.

Race and class and sex and language-

such are barriers he derides.

Join the hand of friend and stranger; join

the hands of age and youth;

Join the faithful and the doubter in their

common search for truth.

Closing Prayer

One: Beloved friends, maintain constant love for one

another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be

hospitable to one another without complaining. Like

good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one

another with whatever gift each of you has received.

Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very

words of God; whoever serves must do so with the

strength that God supplies, so that God may be

glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him

belong the glory and the power for ever and ever.

All: Amen.