Please
read Luke 24:13-35
THE WALK TO EMMAUS
This
past weekend, I participated in the Ashland Area Emmaus Women’s Walk #46. My
own Walk #35 was in the spring of 2012, and since that time, I have occasionally
participated in subsequent walks as a member of the Emmaus Team—those community
members asked to help direct attendees through their 72-hour retreat. I shall
never forget my own Walk, because it changed my life from someone who just
automatically attended church, to one who acknowledges Christ as my Lord and
Savior, and who has been filled with God’s grace. I have never felt such joy in
my life, nor have I ever felt such a close relationship with God.
The
purpose of The Walk to Emmaus is to “… raise up Christian leaders to renew
their own church as the Body of Christ in action”—all people of God who, under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, seek to continue Christ’s life and ministry
wherever they are. There are two walks for men, and two walks for women, held
in the spring and in the fall every year at South Ashland United Methodist
Church.
Unfortunately,
there are many misconceptions of this wonderful retreat which make people
somewhat hesitant to give it a try. I’ve heard some joke that the Walk is a
cult, or a club, or a secret organization to be avoided. Of course, nothing
could be further from the truth! The Walk can be a time of spiritual renewal;
it can be a time to learn more about being a good Christian; it is a time of
making new Christian friends—some of whom remain friends long after their Walk
has been completed. It’s a time of learning, worshipping, singing, sharing,
joy, laughter, and yes—sometimes tears. But always, it is a time of nurturing
and support.
Each
Walk to Emmaus becomes a Christian Community all its own, similar to that of
the early churches formed after Christ’s resurrection—made up of men and women,
young and “old,” of every denomination, every race, every class and background.
By the end of their Walk, they have become part of the church’s witness at its
best—that in Christ, all natural differences that normally separate us from
others, are overcome. When people who might otherwise be divided become united
in Christian love, working for the common good, the church is truly an
expression of the Body of Christ. One’s commitment doesn’t end when their Walk
ends. It continues in the work of his/her own church, supported by others who
have completed their Walk, as well as all members in the Ashland Area Emmaus
Community who gather monthly for supper, worship and participation.
Between
now and March, or later in the fall of October, please think about taking your
own Walk to Emmaus. If you have questions, seek out other church members who
have already taken their own Walk to Emmaus. I guarantee you will never regret
it. And the experience may change your life, just as it has changed mine!
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