A Walk to Emmaus?

If you never have been on an Walk to Emmaus, you should take it to consideration as part of your renewal process in your faith. Mine was taken in 1999 and was truly an amazing and remarkable journey. The Walk to Emmaus is told in the Bible in Luke 24:13-34 and entails a journey of two people who end up walking with Jesus, unbeknownst to them at the time.

An Emmaus Walk is further defined in an article as:

"The Emmaus Walk is an exercise in which prayer and scripture run together in a walking meditation. The specific goal of this exercise is for two believers to walk together in fellowship and in silence, allowing the risen Christ to minister within and between them. It begins in a group meeting, providing the context of silence, scripture and prayer, then breaks up into couples for the actual Emmaus Walk, and returns about an hour later to share the experiences of the walk, and to offer it to God in gratitude and praise."

For further descriptions of the Emmaus Walk process, please see the article, An Emmaus Walk.

Perhaps, the crux of the Emmaus Walk can be summed up in the following two passages from the Bible:

Luke 24:31 (After Jesus explained the passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself and broke bread with the travellers:) "Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!"

Luke 24:32 "They said to each other, 'Didn't our hearts feel strangely warm as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?' "

When speaking to a friend of mine today about the Walk to Emmaus, she reminded me of this song...from the Casting Crowns website:

If We Are The Body
Song based on James 2:1-9

Lyrics by Mark Hall
Music by Casting Crowns

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

Chorus:
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

I will never ever forget the journey I took in 1999 nor the people I met on that journey. Their faces are forever engrained in my mind. Everyone experiences the Walk to Emmaus in a different way; and, when you begin participating in the putting toIf you have strayed away from your beliefs or want to make your faith even stronger, such a walk is certainly recommended (please note: this walk isn't only for adults, there are Chrysallis walks for the youth, and Genesis walks for pre-teens; their missions are all the same!), for example:

What is Emmaus?
Emmaus, Cursillo, Chrysalis, TresDias, Ect
Mt. Wesley's Emmaus Page
Emmaus of the Rockie's Emmaus Page
Purchase Area Fourth Day Community's PageGood News re Emmaus Walks
Alabama Emmaus Community
etc, etc

My Emmaus Walk in 1999 has, though, lead to a greater meaning and experience to my trip to Guatemala during the summer of 2003, four years later. Without my Emmaus Walk in 1999, my Guatemala trip may not have been enhanced so greatly. I am looking forward to sharing with you more about my Guatemala trip. Stay posted.

DECOLORES!!

Monday Minute for Missions - Guatemala

This time last year I was unwinding from a mission trip I took to Guatemala which forever affected the way I think I think about the world outside of the comfort zone.

Guatemala is a beautiful country -- beautiful mountains, beautiful Mayan temples/pyramids, beautiful culture, and so much more. I loved meeting the people there and I missed not going again this year due to my own financial situation this year; however, I have many photos that were just amazing and memorable that I reflect on often.

I have many tapes that I recorded sounds and voices of meetings and discussions that we had during our mission trip. I hope to be able to get them slowly translated through the Monday Mission Minute series I will do on this blog site. I really am looking forward to sharing reflections and transcriptions with you. If I can figure out the photo inserts on these blogs, I shall be sharing those with you as well.

The trip involved meetings with other preachers and Church programs, CEDEPCA, CESSMAQ, a women's coop making Guatemalan fabrics, a Mayan Priest, and many noteable villages. The trip was sponsored by the Presbytery Mission. It was a trip that I will certainly never forget the faces of the people I spoke too and saw.

I am looking forward to sharing with you my memories of the Guatemala trip. I wish I had known about these blogs back then; I would have certainly created my Guatemala diary log back then... :)

Hasta la vista!

ps I have decided to make this series its own blog from the original blog Bluebonnet Blooms!