Vicar's Letter

"In St Paul’s Church we are reminded every time we look at the High Altar Reredos of the wonderful Easter Story of “The Road to Emmaus”. The disciples fell into conversation with a man they took to be a complete stranger. They could not hide the fact they were downcast and they were not slow in explaining to the stranger the reason for their gloom. Jesus, in whom they believed, had been crucified. “… we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel”. This had been their hope and their disappointment. They felt that the death of Jesus had left them high and dry, stranded, confused and at a loss as to what they should do. Their great hope had become their loss.
Jesus’ response is interesting. First, he takes the initiative, prompting them to tell of their disappointment. Listening to their story, he responds by opening up the word of God to them, showing how it was foretold that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory. The disciples invite him to stay with them and he agrees. It is in the breaking of the bread that they recognise him, and from that table where they broke bread with him they went out to proclaim the good news that he has risen from the dead.
The pattern is clear. The disciples, prompted by the Lord, opened their hearts to him. They listened to the word of God and, in sharing a Eucharistic meal with him, came to know who he was. That he was alive, risen from the dead and, knowing this, they could only share their joy with the others.

The Emmaus story gives us a model of how we can relate to Christ. We bring our everyday experience, our hopes and our disappointments, before God in prayer. We pour out our hearts, holding nothing back, telling God exactly how we feel. Then we ponder God’s word, proclaimed in the liturgy, spoken to us through scripture. Something stirs within us as we sense the presence of Christ, knowing he is near. We invite Christ to stay with us as we gather together for the Eucharist. In this sacred event, in the people gathered around the table of the Lord, in the fellowship and the worship, we recognise Christ in our midst. We become witnesses to his risen life, not simply in that we see, but witnesses in that we proclaim what we have seen. We then walk with people as they journey, listening to them, explaining the scriptures to them. Nurturing them in a hunger for the body of Christ. And in meeting the risen Lord, they too become witnesses.
There are some wonderful words in the 1662 Prayer Book Holy Communion Service:
Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye that mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true and penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; (for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with Christ, and Christ with us;) so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily ….”. The priest then goes on to say: “Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: …” A little later come the words of the Prayer of Humble Access which we sometimes use in our services today, “We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord…” From time to time we need to be reminded  how important the Eucharist is in the life of the Christian for this is where Jesus is revealed to us – in the breaking of the bread and in the sharing of the cup. In the footsteps of the disciples, we recognise him and proclaim his resurrection, bringing others to the joy we have found.”

Bob Griffiths