Friday Prayers

Third Sunday of Easter Lectionary:

    Acts 2:14a, 36-41
    Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
    1 Peter 1:17-23
    Luke 24:13-35

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

14aBut Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

1I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.

2Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.

4Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I pray, save my life!"

12What shall I return to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?

13I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,

14I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

15Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.

16O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.

17I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the LORD.

18I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,

19in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!

1 Peter 1:17-23

17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

Luke 24:13-35

13Now 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. 28As 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.

O Lord Jesus, we love you.  And we thank you for all the risks that you took for God’s sake, and ours’ as well.  Thank you for coming through the Virgin Mary’s womb.  Thank you for every step you took, from the first to the last, and all the big ones in between.  We marvel to think of a child’s first step by the God of creation’s first moves, and a Savior’s first step from an empty tomb.  We wonder if the one wasn’t like the other.  Thank you for one miracle after another, and the humility to look to heaven as the source of them all.  Thank you for believing in Easter morning light while it was still dark on Friday night.

We praise you for Peter’s first words on the church’s first day.  We thank you that Peter spoke this word with the eleven by his side.  We ask you, O Lord Christ, unite us around the amazing message of possibilities unlimited, of a God never to be beaten, a Lord who will not stay dead, and a Savior you can’t hang on to but who will never let you go!  Humble the messengers and exalt the church!  Open our eyes and give us a glimpse of your glory for a glimpse is all we need.  Then vanish from our sight so that we can be seen as people of faith.

We pray for the Muslim orphans of Hebron who are being forced to abandon safe refuge, and also for Jewish soldiers who are being forced to abandon ancient codes of honor.  Do not abandon us.

We pray for those who will die today alone in battle, because we do not know how to live together in peace.  Forgive us.

We pray for those who lead and for we who follow.  Grant that we might listen to one another and in so listening, hear your words of wisdom.

We do not ask you to meet us on the road, but simply to point the road on which we are to travel.  Then give us companions to join us on the journey.

Finally, Lord God of Resurrection, raise our hopes for life abundant that begins today and goes on forever.

Amen.