West Tennessee Emmaus Community
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P. O. Box 10741
Jackson, Tennessee
38308
A JOURNEY WITH CHRIST
A JOURNEY WITH CHRIST
The Gospel of St. Luke relates the story of the risen Christ
appearing to two who were going along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Two
friends were walking together, sharing their hearts’ deepest concerns. The
risen Christ joined them and explained the scriptures as they walked, how it was
ordained that Christ should suffer and so enter his glory. This experience on
the road was a heart-warming experience as the risen Christ walked and talked
with them. The illuminating climax of the experience was when Christ took bread
and said the blessing, then broke it and gave it to them. The two had their eyes
opened and they recognized him as the risen Christ and they rushed back to
Jerusalem to tell the others. (Luke 24:13-35)
WHAT IS THE WALK TO EMMAUS?
The above story provides the image for Emmaus, an Upper Room
program that calls forth and renews Christian discipleship. Like its
predecessor, Cursillo de Cristianidad (Spanish for "short course in
Christianity"), the Walk to Emmaus is a three-day experience which takes a
New Testament look at Christianity as a lifestyle. It is a highly structured
weekend designed to strengthen and renew the faith of Christian people, and
through them their families, congregations and the world in which they live.
Emmaus is a combined effort of laity and clergy toward the renewal of the
church.
WHAT HAPPENS AT EMMAUS?
The "Walk to Emmaus" is a 72-hour experience. The
weekend begins on Thursday evening and ends Sunday evening. At Emmaus you will
spend three busy but very enjoyable days, usually at a retreat center. You will
live and study together in singing, prayer, worship, and discussion. Discussions
center around fifteen talks given by laity and clergy. These talks present the
theme of God’s grace, and how that grace comes alive in the Christian
community and expresses itself in the world. You’ll also discover how grace is
real in your life, and how you can live in the life of grace, bringing grace to
others. You will have the opportunity to participate in the daily celebration of
Holy Communion, and to begin to understand more fully the presence of Christ in
his body of believers. You will experience God’s grace personally through the
prayers and acts of service of a living support community.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EMMAUS?
One of the primary strengths of Emmaus is the follow-up. Your
weekend lasts only three days, but you are invited to build on it for the rest
of your life. Those who attend a "Walk to Emmaus" are encouraged to do
two things following their weekend:
1. Expand their own spiritual lives through study and
congregational participation;
2. Become more active disciples of Christ in the world
through their churches.
To nurture this process of discipleship, the Emmaus movement
offers specific opportunities. First, reunion groups of four to six people meet
weekly to reflect on their quest for spiritual growth and encourage one another
in their discipleship. Second, there will be monthly meetings called
"Community Gatherings." All people in a particular Emmaus community or
area are invited for fellowship, worship, and informal instruction. Third,
through a newsletter, members become aware of support needs for upcoming Walks
to Emmaus and there are opportunities to work during future weekends in a
variety of ways.
HISTORY OF EMMAUS
Originating in Spain in the late 1940s, Cursillo moved to
America in the late 1950s. It was primarily a Roman Catholic movement until the
1970s. As Catholic centers started accepting applications from Protestants,
efforts began among some groups to make the Cursillo experience available to all
Protestants. In the late 1970s, The Upper Room (a unit of the Board of
Discipleship of the United Methodist Church) formed The Upper Room Cursillo
Community in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1981, by mutual agreement between the
National Secretariat of the Roman Catholic Cursillo movement and The Upper Room,
the name of the Nashville Protestant community was changed to Emmaus. The Emmaus
movement is ecumenical.
PURPOSE OF
EMMAUS
The focus of Emmaus is God as known in Jesus Christ and how
that finds expression in the local church. The objective of Emmaus is to
inspire, challenge, and equip local church members for Christian action in their
homes, churches, and places of work. Emmaus lifts up a way for our grace-filled
life to be lived and shared with others.
WHO SHOULD GO TO EMMAUS?
Emmaus is for the development of Christian leaders who:
+ wish to strengthen their spiritual lives;
+ may have unanswered questions about prayer, study,
and sharing their faith;
+ understand that being a Christian involves
responsibility;
+ are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to God
in an ongoing manner;
+ have positions of responsibility in the church and
the world.
ARE YOU INTERESTED?
We invite you to join in a refreshing weekend
spent meeting Jesus as he comes to you through other Christians.
For more
information on Emmaus, contact the Registrar
Questions or corrections concerning the website should be
directed to the WebServant
Copyright ©
2014 West Tennessee Emmaus
and The Upper Room. All rights reserved.
