South West Norfolk Pastoral Charge

     Come to  Coffee & Conversation:)  

Join Pastor:   Rev. Ted Smith   WEDNESDAY'S at 10:00am , bring your coffee for great conversations on ZOOM

Click on the ZOOM MEETING Link Above

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A WELCOME INVITATION TO ALL WOMEN OF THE CHURCH to U.C.W. Meetings

Meeting Dates for 2026:   Meeting the 1st Wednesday at 1:00pm at Courtland United Church 

MAY 6, 2026

June 3, 2026      Lorraine's Cottage / Potluck Lunch

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                                                                                           Finding Love on the Broken Road

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still; their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.              (Luke 14: 13 – 24)

God meets us in unexpected ways: in the stranger on the road, in the relief at finding healing, healing of any kind.... in a flash of recognition and in the slow deepening of understanding...and in the story revealed on the road to Emmaus. This wonderful story from Luke’s Gospel invites us to reflect on and about recognizing Jesus in our midst.

Following Jesus crucifixion two travelers find themselves on the road to Emmaus, a town nearby Jerusalem. They are heartbroken over the death of Jesus, confused, wondering, how and why did everything suddenly go sideways and Jesus was dead. The ministry finished. How could it be?

As they are shuffling down the road a stranger joins them and asks; “Hey, what’s happening?, why so sad?” And they respond; “Haven’t you heard? He’s dead... Jesus is dead.... everything we had hoped for, a new way of justice we had dreamed of... it’s not going to happen now.  It’s finished, just when we were getting started.....”

The stranger walking with them wondered out loud saying did you not hear and understand the words of the prophets saying this would happen?...... that the world would reject such love but that God’s love would exceed and defeat death and fear even in its cruelest form?... They didn’t quite get it, nonetheless they welcomed the stranger into their home and shared a meal...and as he broke the bread and shared it they recognized something, remembered something...only after he had left their presence

It was him! Yes, it was the Risen Christ who was with them. They said, “Were our hearts not burning within us when he walked on the road with us and opened the scriptures up to us?”  

A sudden awareness of Jesus with them, still guiding, teaching, healing even in the midst of the darkest dread filled night. God’s love is still alive and loose in the world. The story reveals a message of how the Risen Christ might appear to any one of us even in our wondering and wandering. He is there ready to break bread and see that we are fed and strengthened for the journey that is always unfolding. He is indeed among us.

It is in welcoming and recognizing the Risen Christ among us and within us that we take the first steps toward healing the world. Cleopas and his companion experienced this on their road to Emmaus even when they thought all hope was lost.

From the story here are some questions for us to ponder:

What helps you to recognize Jesus alongside you when you are down? If Jesus were to walk a few miles with you today, what would you talk about?

What does the Resurrected Christ need to make you aware of in your life? When we do recognize him among us? How shall we share it with the world?

As our journey unfolds my prayer is that we will all be more aware of Jesus journeying with us in our daily experience of life. 

I bid you peace in the midst of pandemic and pain............ PT