Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Welcome to your online worship from St. Mark’s for Sunday, April 14, 2024.
In today’s sermon we explore one of Luke’s encounters of the Resurrected Jesus. There, we witness the disciples grappling with doubt and fear in the presence of the resurrected Christ, ultimately transformed into bold witnesses of his resurrection. We delve into the call to authenticity, forgiveness, and the challenge of proclaiming the transformative power of Christ’s love in today’s skeptical world. As we navigate doubt, seek forgiveness, and embrace our role as witnesses, we are empowered to reflect the truth of Christ’s resurrection in our lives.
Today’s Opening Sentence
Lord Jesus, open to us the scriptures; make our hearts burn within us while you speak. – Luke 24.32
Today’s Reading – Luke 24:36-48
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.1
Your Online Message and Prayers
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Reflection questions for the week:
- How do you personally relate to the disciples’ initial doubts and fears upon encountering the risen Christ? Reflect on a time when you may have grappled with doubts about your faith or the reality of Christ’s presence in your life.
- In today’s world, where skepticism towards organized religion is prevalent, how do you navigate the challenge of being an authentic witness to Christ’s love? Consider the ways in which you can demonstrate Christ’s teachings through your actions and interactions with others.
- Jesus’s commissioning of his followers in our reading emphasizes the importance of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation as a powerful testimony of Christ’s transformative love. Are there areas in your life where you need to seek forgiveness or extend reconciliation to others? How can you embody Christ’s grace in these situations?
- Reflect on the call to be witnesses of Christ. What steps can you take to boldly proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness in your own life and community? How can you ensure that your actions reflect the truth of Christ’s love and redemption?
A continued reminder that if you are at all uncomfortable being in-person for worship, or if you are not feeling well, please join us here online.
Thank you again for joining with your parish family in our online worship today.
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God Bless you and have a blessed week. Be well!
Peace,
The Rev’d Canon Rob Park
- Scripture quotation is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.