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The Walk to Emmaus

"Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them...their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.  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?' "

The Gospel of Luke 24:13, 15, 31-32

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.  But woe unto him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone.  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-14
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts so as to form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we are all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

Dear Houston North Emmaus Community,

De Colores and welcome to the new year.  By all measures the HNEC had an outstanding year in 2018.  As Thom mentioned in the December letter, we made it possible for 161 pilgrims to go on a Walk last year.  How did that happen?  It started with focus.

To recap the focus in 2018:

1. Boldly extend personal invite to loved ones, fill the Walks
2. Pray regularly for the Emmaus ministry, leadership, and pilgrims
3. Participate and/or serve on an Emmaus Walk

You Sponsored people; you prayed for the Community, its leadership and the pilgrims; and you supported the Emmaus community by working a Walk, working within your own church to support its Fourth Day Community, and you served your churches and many other missions of God – like Kairos.  Our focus will remain the same for 2019, but with two additional focus items.

Additional Focus items for 2019:

1. Build the Community through intentional inclusion.
2. Strengthen our community through collaboration.

Let’s take a moment to think about how these focus items can be incorporated into what we are already doing.

Build the community through intentional inclusion

• Members of the Board will be reaching out to help build committees around their service areas to allow for inclusion of the community in board activities.  Consider responding to those calls from team selection, agape, community outreach, training, etc.  The names on the webpage need more help in the community.
• Think outside your church when thinking about who to Sponsor on a Walk.  Last year there were multiple denominations on every Walk.  Many in the 4th Day are surprised by that.  Think of neighbors, co-workers, friends, who you may who may already walk closely with God have the chance to be trained and strengthened by being a pilgrim.  Maybe they need to start a 4th Day Community at their church.
• One of the questions asked by The Upper Room when they visited us last was, “does your 4th Day community reflect the demographics of the area it covers?”  Don’t just think about your peers, think about those you serve in your personal mission work?  How could their lives be changed forever by going on a Walk?

Strengthen the community through collaboration
 

• Think outside your church if your church has regular gatherings.  Many churches are not large enough to have true communities in their churches, or multiple reunion group opportunities.  Reach out to churches around you and invites them to join in with your church’s 4th Day activities.  It is easier to invite a potential Pilgrim to a gathering 2 miles away than asking them to drive from Jersey Village to Conroe.  Help to start a new reunion group.  You may have your group that’s been together for 20 years, and folks starting new groups forming may have never been in one.  Attend the group for a year.  Help to form it.
• If you see something being done by the Board that can be done better, or something at a gathering that could be changed – don’t be shy.  Reach out to the member on the board responsible for that service area.  There are always newer and better ways, and there is no way the people on the Board know all of them.

I read the Emmaus story in a different version of the bible recently.  It gave color and detail that I had never thought of.  It was seven miles the men walked to get to Emmaus.  Seven miles they walked.  But when they were reminded of the power of Christ, they RAN seven miles (baring their legs, which people just did do in those times) to tell the good news.  Serve with joy – brothers and sisters in Christ. Run to share the good news.

De Colores my friends!
Rick Bruce Community Lay Director