Gathering Music

“Sacred the Body” – Words: Ruth Duck, Music: Mark Miller, Tune: DR TRACI WEST

Call to Worship

(adapted from DMin student Heather Williams, drawing on Abi Daré’s The Girl with the Louding Voice)

HaYoung Kang

Leader: Ancient stories echo in these walls,
All: Told and retold in our waking moments and memories.
Leader: And still more stories, in hope, seek sacred space
All: Longing for a path to enter in as flesh and bone.
Are we ready to walk and share together? Are we ready to take the time to listen well to the stories stolen, to the words violently silenced, and to the voices distrusted and ignored?

Leader: May we take the time to listen well
All: To the stories holy and the stories unheard
Leader: Breaking hearts and bodies we’d rather not recognize

Leader: May we take the time to listen well
All: To the words hushed and the words spoken
Leader: Breaking open the seed of hope

Leader: May we take the time to listen well
All: To those voices silenced and the voices louding
Leader: Breaking into powerful space and places to call out life

All: As we take time to listen well, there we will find the story, the word, the voice of our life breaking open God.

Opening Song

“When There’s Trust in the Room”

Opening Prayer

(adapted from enfleshed)

HaYoung Kang

Living God, the tomb is empty; the women told us. Women and gender oppressed people guide us in the ways of New Life. They rise, even in death’s wake. They keep telling their stories, persisting on sharing those that open and expand possibilities. May we partner with those who lead us to the Way of Life and cultivate heaven on Earth. Amen.

Scripture Reading – Luke 24:13-35

Pam Faatz

13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. 18Then 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?’ 19He 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, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But 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. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and 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. 24Some 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.’ 25Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

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.

Sermon

“Telling the story of how God trusts the women”

Rev. Dr. Traci West

Musical Response

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Rev. Dr. Traci West

Servers: Madison Tatum, Pyeong Hwa Lim

Leader: In the holy name of ‘I am what I am’
In the gentle name of Jesus
In the mysterious name of the Spirit
All: We gather.
Leader: At the table,
All: We gather.
Leader: Listen for the sounds of mystery,
All: And the sounds of celebration.
Leader: Here we break bread,
All: And pour the wine.
Leader: Here we feel the pain of sorrow, the longing for justice,
All: and the pulse of hope;
Leader: The echo of our name, the affirmation of our inherent dignity,
All: And the bread in our teeth.
Leader: A cup on our lips,
All: And breathing at our side.
Leader: A voice in our face,
All: “The Bread of Life.”
Leader: A power in our ear,
All: “The Cup of Salvation.”
Leader: The sounds of mystery and just political transformation,
All: The sounds of celebration,
Leader: The breaking of bread,
All: And the pouring of the wine.
Leader: The beginning of an end,
All: And the word that has healing.
Leader: The taste of a mystery,
All: And a God who is feeling
Leader: In the breaking of bread
All: And the pouring of wine.

Leader: Holy One, God with us,
May this bread and cup be your Holy Rebellious Life.
May we be your grace-formed, justice-seeking people.
All: Amen.

Anthem

“Within Us Flows a River” – Words: Lindy Thompson, Music: Mark Miller

Dohee Woo, soloist, Seminary Choir

Blessing

Rev. Dr. Traci West

Sending Song

“The Trees of the Field” – Music: Stuart Dauermann, Words: Steffi Geiser Ruben

You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There’ll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands

And all the trees of the field will clap their hands
The trees of the field will clap their hands
The trees of the field will clap their hands
While you go out with joy