"Unity Through Word and Table." | By Rev. Jack Miller
 
Beloved, in 2026, we ask a timeless question: how can we, two thousand years after Jesus’ resurrection, truly know him and cultivate a personal relationship with him? The answer remains anchored in the same grace that first called disciples along the road to Emmaus. We come to know Christ through the reading of scripture and in the breaking of bread. Jesus meets us as the Living Word and as the intimate host who welcomes us at the table. As we turn the pages of scripture and gather at the table, the risen Lord reveals himself to our hearts.
 
Luke's Gospel was written toward the end of the first century.  By that time, most of the early church was composed of followers who had not witnessed Christ in the flesh.  That is why the Emmaus story is so important.  It connects those first-century followers with Christ, and with us as well. Even today, after two thousand years, the same Christ is revealed through the reading of scripture and in sharing the sacred meal in his memory.  In this, disciples of any age are not at a disadvantage because they have not seen Jesus in the flesh.  Remember the words he spoke to Thomas in last week's scripture, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
 
It has been said that true friendship begins when people share a memory.  Like the two disciples who recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread, we, too, are bound as a body of believers by the common memory, an experience we share in the reading of scripture and the breaking of the bread.  In this, we are united as God's love is both remembered and relived, giving us hope, direction, and meaning.  We become One Body and One Spirit in Christ Jesus.
 
As the two disciples discovered on the dusty road to Emmaus, Christ is alive, and the journey is not ended.  Christ is present in 2026 and found in the love, charity, and goodness we give and receive, in moments of prayer and grace, but most of all, in the reading of scripture, and in the sacrament of his body and blood we share together.
 
Knowing Jesus in 2026 begins with a posture toward scripture and communion. Like the Emmaus travelers, we invite Jesus to walk with us through the Word, asking him to illuminate the scriptures so that our hearts burn with recognition. Then we invite him to the table, where broken bread and shared is the sign of his steadfast presence. In Word and Table, the risen Christ makes himself known to us anew, transforms our lives, and sends us as witnesses to the world.
 
May the God of all grace, who opened the minds of the disciples on that road, open our hearts again to see Jesus in the scriptures and to meet him at the table. May the Holy Spirit deepen our love for scripture, strengthen our fellowship at the table, and empower us to live as witnesses of the risen Christ. Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, Amen!