St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada

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Attendance today ->8 – last year ->19

Worship Guide

Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026

Prayer of the Day
O God, your Son makes himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
13 Now on that same day two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then 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?” 19 He 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, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But 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. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and 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. 24 Some 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.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then 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. 29 But 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. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 32 They 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?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

SERMON
When monks at a monastery I visited a couple of times would see a guest or a stranger approaching, someone would kick off an inside joke muttering, “Oh, Jesus…it’s you.” Sometimes a little humour names the risk of opening yourself to the unknown. Sometimes a little humour reminds us to anticipate the surprising ways Jesus makes himself known to us now.

Faith communities inherit a tradition of welcoming the stranger that goes back at least to Abram and Sarai when they welcomed two messengers. Sometimes hospitality is risky because it can upend your life. Just ask Abraham and Sarah who become parents years after they started collecting their pensions. Just ask Cleopas and another Jesus-follower, not named in Luke’s Gospel.

Cleopas and his companion walk home, unsure how they’ll put their lives together now that their teacher is gone. A stranger engages them asking, “what’s happening”? The disciples’ automatically assume this fellow traveller is the only stranger in these parts. Evidently he hasn’t heard about the collusion between the empire and some religious leaders that brought about the public execution of Jesus. Has this person from another place heard that any hopes for God’s redeeming died with Jesus?

The stranger doesn’t argue— he does provide perspective by outlining the continuity recent events have with this Jesus person—going back to the liberation from Egypt, the giving of the law and the witness of the prophets. One just hopes that along the long walk, Roman sympathizers or officials aren’t overhearing what Jesus is telling them.

Seven miles of subversive talk later, the trio arrives at Emmaus. At first it looks like the trio will part company there. However it’s getting dark, making travel much riskier with predators both two and four legged emerging with nightfall. Cleopas and the other disciple take the risk of persuading this stranger, to stay with them and share a meal. Their master, Jesus would have done as much.

They recline at table, which is partly why hospitality is so remarkable; it’s intimate as people eat together in close quarters. Then things get weird. The stranger who becomes the host—he takes bread, blesses it and breaks it.

This was no stranger—maybe they recognized how Jesus often shared bread with all sorts of people. You might know that the word companion comes from the latin and literally means to share bread with another. Luke’s Gospel presents sharing of meals as central to Jesus’ ministry and identity. A professor of ours liked to say that the reason it takes Jesus and the disciples so long to get to Jerusalem was because they were always stopping to eat! Those stops were not pauses. Those stops were the living out of Jesus’ radical hospitality. Those embody God’s love to all in the here and now—or as Luke puts it often, “today”.

Did Cleopas and the other Jesus follower even eat the bread Jesus broke and blessed before dashing out at night to leg it another seven back to Jerusalem?

Some would say that Cleopas and the unnamed disciple are a microcosm of the church—We struggle when hope is dashed…we ask hard questions….we seek perspective and continuity to our tradition and the witness of the faithful who have gone before us. We welcome the stranger. We share bread. And in rare moments of clarity we might say, “Jesus, was that you just now?”

Attendance today – >13 – last year ->14

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Transcript of Gospel and Sermon

Worship Guide

Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2026

Prayer of the Day
Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the authorities, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus and Thomas 24
But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue[b] to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

SERMON
Doors locked…excellent idea. Will the locks hold? What if the authorities just kick down the door? If the door holds tonight, what about tomorrow? We might be talking about the disciples or we might be talking about ourselves. How soon before we can just take a breath and let our guard down for a minute?

We are forever changed since COVID and in ways we’re only starting to understand. Some researchers believe that we are still living in alarm mode even though the nature of the threat of COVID has changed. They conclude that living in permanent vigilance wears us down psychologically as well as physically.

You know the saying if you see the world as a nail the only tool you’ll learn to use is a hammer? I think the writers of wisdom literature like Ecclesiastes warn that we always reach for bigger and bigger hammers—we do what’s necessary to live life and that’s good. But we accumulate and strive and think our lives will be vouch safe…it’s security we’re after. Not a bad thing. Just not the only thing.

Every bump and squeak must have set off the inner alarms of the those gathered in that room long ago and far away. Having Jesus walk right through the door..not the doorway but the door itself couldn’t have been instantly reassuring. Jesus doesn’t rail against their fear. Instead he breathes peace upon them…he offers them himself—not an easy answer—his presence among them and God’s Spirit upon them.

The first hearers of John’s Gospel we need this story. John’s people lived with the prospect of being ousted by their faith community and they lived with the absurd cruelty of an occupying empire. Their lives were anything but secure. What a powerful thing if they could somehow trust in the Risen One though they hadn’t seen him.

John’s Gospel declares itself as being for us too. Despite savings accounts, insurance policies, door cams, and soft ware updates—we still feel jittery about the next visit to the doctor, or about whether our retirement savings will get gobbled up by inflated food prices. We wonder whether we’ve damaged the planet to the extent it won’t be able to support human life before too long. Trillions are spent on bombs and missiles while people starve. Is there a locked door strong enough to keep all that out? Maybe not. John’s Gospel itself says stories like this one we read today are so that we can trust in the One who walks right through our defences into our fear—and then breathes the Spirit of God among us and offers us his very self; wounds and all. We need these stories for when we realize the bolted door isn’t secure enough; not really, God’s steadfast love is. Having life in his name is about experiencing that steadfast love as it finds its way to us. Amen.

Attendance today 36 – last Easter Sunday 25

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Easter Sunday April 5, 2026

Pastor Bart wishes you and your families a blessed Easter

Prayer of the Day:
God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

John 20:1-18
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Good Friday-April 3, 2026

Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, look with loving mercy on your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, to be given over to the hands of sinners, and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Homily
Jesus’ accusers hope that labelling him a king would justify a charge of treason against him and seal his fate. In the short run, it works. Even some in the crowds declare they have no king but Caesar. God alone knows what would motivate some to pledge such allegiance out loud and in public.

Jesus reframes the accusations against him by saying his ‘kingdom’ if there is such a thing isn’t the sort this world could establish. Jesus might use the words ‘king’ and ‘kingdom’ but not in the way his accusers do—nor in the way some in the crowds do.

If Jesus is a king, he’s the sort who befriends those who are considered outcasts and losers. Sometimes he heals people. This king socializes with the so called riff-raff This king confronts injustice, and critiques unjust systems. This king washes feet. This king feeds even those who he knows will turn him over to be arrested and those who flee out of fear—for good reason. This king prays for his people and weeps on their behalf. This king loves the people—to the very end.

Where does it all end? Those who study John’s Gospel closely would say that as brutal as Good Friday is, that’s not the end. Even the resurrection isn’t quite the end. The ascension isn’t even the end; not entirely. Near the beginning of John’s Gospel we get a hint at the end….that God’s passionate love for the world would bring about saving it—

Admittedly we could use some saving and the saving seems far off. Newly declared wars, human rights violations, innocent deaths carry all the marks of Good Friday. Protests across Canada and the US demonstrate we’ve about had it with kings and tyrants. As people who know all about Good Friday we live in the hope of Easter. We hold fast to John’s testimony that this king Jesus loves us and the whole world right to the very end. Amen.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God, in the sharing of a meal your Son established a new covenant for all people, and in the washing of feet he showed us the dignity of service. Grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit these signs of our life in faith may speak again to our hearts, feed our spirits, and refresh our bodies, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

31b “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Sermon
Some lessons might be too difficult and may be beyond our capacity to perform them ourselves. Fresh in the disciples’ mind was the scandal of Mary breaking open a container of priceless ointment and slathering it onto Jesus’ feet. Then she dries his feet with her hair. Nothing in Mary’s devotion is innocuous. It’s all scandalous for its extravagance and even its intimacy. Now Jesus all but imitates Mary’s ritual of serving… might he have been inspired by her? I choose to think so.

Foot washing is the job of servants; female servants at that. Servants are supposed to be practically invisible while doing their work. Religious leaders are meant to be seen, heard, and served. Simon Peter says what the others were probably thinking—Messiahs don’t serve and they don’t debase themselves. Jesus does. What’s more he continues to insist that he is from God and is soon to return to God. In a way, Jesus says his ways reflect what God is like.

We might not always appreciate the scandal of John’s description of Jesus as the pre-existing essence of God…the Word…who becomes flesh and lives among us.

Now this incarnate Word among us kneels and washes feet—presides at the meal of liberation and then calls on us to love in the same manner that Jesus loves. Even when he’s betrayed, Jesus feeds everyone and serves everyone…scandal on top of scandal each act more egregious than the one before it. As John says, Jesus loves his followers; ecen now…to the end? Where does it end? At the cross? Not for John. It ends with Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven. Why? So that we may learn to love and to trust and to live life in a way Jesus calls abundant—a life lived for the sake of others and the world God so loves.