Luke: Chapter 24

Be Honest (Luke 24:36-49)

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We come before you and we cannot hide our true selves.
We cannot hide our pain, our wounds, or our deepest needs.
Gracious God, you see us truly, and we cannot hide from you.
There is no camouflage that can allow us to keep any part of ourselves secret.
There is nothing about us that you do not know and, more importantly,
there is nothing about us that keeps you from loving us.
We are your children. You have formed us in your image.
And as your children, we are deeply loved and uniquely cherished.

We sometimes hide ourselves from the world.
We smile and tell those around us that everything is great.
We are afraid of allowing others to see us as wanting or in pain.
We want to be seen as strong and in control.
But you see us as we truly are. We cannot hide from you or from your love.
And as you love us completely, open our hearts
so that we can also love ourselves completely.
Heal our wounds and fill our hearts with your peace and your grace.
And as we hear the sacred story of others,
help us to create a space that allows for acceptance and understanding.
Help us to share ourselves with others completely and freely.

Help us to own our past and to recognize the value of our history.
Give us the courage to share our sacred stories with those around us.
Give us the wisdom to understand how our experiences and
how our past has shaped us and made us the people that we are today.
As we have learned from our past, help us to teach others.
Help us to share the story of your love and your teachings with others.
We stand before you, openly and as your children.
As you are with us always, we ask that you especially be with those among us
who need your strength and healing grace. We name ___.

We are your children, Lord.
We lift up your teachings in praise and thanksgiving.
And, as your children, we use the words that you taught us so many years ago,
“Our Father…”

Open Our Eyes to Your Presence (Luke 24:13-35)

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Lord, how many times have you been walking beside us
without us knowing?
When we are in moments of joy with friends and family,
open our eyes so we can see you celebrating with us.
As we do the mundane tasks of the day to day,
open our eyes so we can see you with us in our daily routine.
If we awaken in the night filled with worry and fear,
open our eyes so that we can see that you are here to comfort us with your peace.

Lord, how many times during the day, do we forget to live out your teachings?
As we face the normal irritations of our day to day,
do we practice loving one another when caught in another traffic jam?
As we learn about current events,
do we seek peace and justice or do we practice judgment and condemnation?
As we interact with each other,
do we seek to build up the community or do we put ourselves first?
Open our hearts to your words, Lord, fill us with the fire of your teachings.
Remind us to grant others grace as you have granted grace to us.

Lord, how many times have you spoken in our ear and we have not heard you.
In times of anger, when voices are raised, remind us to pause and to listen for your guidance.
In times of fear and uncertainty, remind us to take a moment to breathe deeply,
to relax our shoulders, and to listen for your words of peace.
In times of success and celebration, remind us to listen to your teachings
and to know that we still need your assurance and grace.
Remind us to be in community with one another and to listen to one another
so that we can truly understand each other’s needs.

Lord, you are with us always. Help us to also be with you.
We use the words that you taught us so many years ago,
“Our Father…”

People of the Resurrection (Luke 24:36b-48)

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Today, we heard the story of your resurrection from Luke.
Huddled behind locked doors, their minds closed to what might be,
the disciples were scared and afraid of you at first.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Take our fears and uncertainties from our hearts.

We can’t understand fully the resurrection.
It defies our belief of the natural world.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our hearts to the truth of your teachings and
remove our doubts.

Our focus on the world around us sometimes causes us to miss the simple joys in life.
A moment with a friend,
the joy of a child taking their first steps,
the spring flowers emerging from the cold snows of the winter,
the laughter shared among family remembering memories of the past.
Remind us, Lord, that we are the people of the resurrection.
Remind us to see you fully and completely in our lives.
Open our eyes to your presence in our daily lives.

We are the people of the resurrection, your children,
brothers and sisters in the community of your church.
As such, and because of your teachings,
we are your witnesses.
Remind us that we are the people of the resurrection
and it is up to us to share the good news.
Give us the courage to tell others how your love has changed our lives.

We admit we don’t have all the answers.
We admit we have questions.
But we gather here today, as a community,
as your children, to say publicly that we believe.
We are the people of the resurrection, your people,
and you have changed our lives.
We know that you are with us always and we ask that you be with ___.

As the people of the resurrection, we are your witnesses.
Your original disciples recovered from their fear and doubts,
we learned your story from them.
Today we accept the cost and joy of your discipleship and know that
we are now to share the good news with others.
As we prepare to share that news, we use the words that you taught us,
“Our Father…”

Imagining the Future (Luke 24:44-53)

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Jesus, you came to us as a baby,
a child of Mary and Joseph,
but also the Son of God.
As parents, we look at our children
and imagine their futures.
Mary and Joseph could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
was once an infant,
full of promise and potential,
full of hopes and dreams for the future.

Jesus, you came to us as a man,
a man who shared the teachings
and the love of his Father.
As your followers, we look to you
and imagine our futures.
Your disciples could not have imagined your future.
A child of man, a child of God.

Our church today has nurtured and taught us for the last __ years.
We celebrate the teachers among us, past and present.
We remember and honor those who saw the promise and the potential,
who faced their fears and set aside their own desires,
to fulfill their dreams of the future.
Could they have imagined the future that came to be?

Jesus, you were crucified and resurrected,
you left your disciples and ascended into the heavens,
changing our view of God forever.
As your followers, we know that it is up to us
to make your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
It is up to us
to share your love with those we meet,
to speak up for the voiceless,
to feed the hungry,
to share your teachings,
and to work for peace and justice in this world.

Father, we are your children.
Each of us uniquely cherished and deeply loved.
We are here in this place and time, by choice.
Our church has helped to shape us into the people we are today.
We celebrate one another and thank each other, and you,
for our history and for our future.

Our church today, formed __ years ago,
is still full of promise and potential.
We have hopes and dreams for the future.
We ask that you be with us to help us follow your plan,
your teachings.
We know that you are with us.
We know that you have shared our world
and that you know our pain and worries.
We ask that you be with ___ and
grant them your healing peace and strengthen them

As your followers, and as members of the body of Christ,
we lift our voices together using the words you taught us,
“Our Father…”