Walk to Emmaus - Men's #1327

Today I attended the first Team training meeting for a Walk to Emmaus for men. This is my second Walk as a Team member; I've also been on the Team for two Kairos Prison Ministry weekend retreats.

For those for whom what I've said so far is Greek, "Emmaus" and "Kairos" are variations of Cursillo de Cristiandad, a Catholic personal and congregational (or "parish" as Catholics would say) renewal program. Cursillo began around WWII in Spain, spread to this country and became popular among non-Catholics as well as Catholics. The concept is to present a short course in Christian teachings thru a three-day retreat built around fifteen talks and other activities, including the Lord's Supper. Then there are "Fourth-Day" or follow-up activities, such as small-group accountability weekly meetings and monthly large-group meetings. Emmaus is a basically ecumenical version sponsored or overseen by the United Methodist Church. Kairos is the same concept, tailored for the prison environment and ministering to inmates.

Each Walk to Emmaus has 36 "Pilgrims" or candidates, who are all men or all women. These are ministered to by an "inside" Team of speakers, clergy, table leaders and musicians and an "outside" Team that works behind the scenes to serve and also to distribute "agape" or small gifts of love. I will be one of the clergy speakers on Men's Walk #1327, giving the fifth Clergy Talk, which is the Twelfth Talk, on "Sanctifying Grace".

Now, my "Pilgrim Walk" was #327 - 1000 Walks ago! And it also "happens" that the centering song is the same for both Walks! A "centering song" is a prayerlike song designed to center participants' minds and spirits on God, to prepare for one of the 15 Talks or another significant event during the retreat. I'm not aware of a specific name for this particular centering song, but the first line is "Jesus, let us come to know You".

The first meeting for us on the Team was at a very large Methodist church to which the Lay Director belongs. He is Bruce Bray, whom I knew well from our mutual participation in Kairos Weekend #9 at the Ruben Torres Prison near Hondo, Texas. From what I saw Saturday, Bruce will be a fine LD! And I'm looking forward to being used by our Lord on this Walk to Emmaus, as an individual vessel for God's grace and as part of the greater vessel for grace which is the Team!

And in case you don't know, the name "Walk to Emmaus" comes from the account in the Gospel According to Luke, of the two disciples who met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus but didn't recognize Him as their Lord who had been crucified three days earlier - until the three got to the village of Emmaus (near Jerusalem) and Jesus sat at supper with them and blessed and broke the bread! Then the pair's "eyes were opened" and they rushed back to the city to tell that Christ had risen indeed, and about their encounter with the risen Savior and their recognition of Him at the "breaking of the bread".

De colores.