1. 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.

2. 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. 29 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. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.

3. 32 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?’ 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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.