Emmaus Celebration, at Mt. Wesley

Most of this past weekend, I was in Kerrville, Texas, at Mt. Wesley, church camp (or "Conference Center" as they now call it) of the UMC. All of us in attendance were celebrating 25 years of Walks to Emmaus and Chrysalis in Southwest Texas (SWTX of the UMC, that is.)

Before I left for the Celebration on Friday, I had a substitute teaching assignment at Alamo Heights HS. We had a pep rally for the Spring sports early in the morning; the theme for it was Fiesta, as in "wear Fiesta clothes". So I took advantage of this theme to wear my Fiesta necktie and my rainbow suspenders. I planned to wear them to the Emmaus Celebration later in the day, and also on Sunday.

As soon as I turned in my substitutes folder at the end of classes I boarded a VÍA bus and rode out to University UMC. From there I rode with Jay and Chrissie Smith of UUMC; Ann Rossi of Los Angeles Heights UMC also rode with us. We had a nice drive out to Kerrville; even the Friday home-bound rush hour wasn't all that bad, for San Antonio. Despite the lack of rain -- can you say, "another drought"? -- there were some wildflowers in the median and on the shoulders of IH Ten. Even a few bluebonnets. And lots of the little pink teacups of the primrose!

When we four drove up Methodist Encampment Road in Kerrville and arrived at Mt. Wesley camp, the first person I saw that I recognized was none other than Arlie Lammers! He had agreed to have me as houseguest for the weekend (wife Kitty was away on the West Coast). Arlie and I were roommates during service on the Teams for Kairos Torres #9 and #11. He's a former UMC clergy who switched to Disciples of Christ, and is a non-pastoring member of First Christian Church (Disciples) in Kerrville. He (and wife Kitty) live out in the country, in fact across the road from the site of the annual Kerrville Folk Festival. I greeted him and gave him a hug -- not an easy thing to do since he's several inches taller than yours truly. I also introduced him to my fellow travelers.

After registering I went up to the fairly new dining hall, built sometime between my two team services on Walks #1005 (August '02) and #1327 (Nov. '06). While in the hall for supper I encountered George Bradley, a Methodist clergyman and fellow volunteer in Kairos Prison Ministry. Remember, Kairos is the version of Emmaus (or any Cursillo renewal) designed for inmates. We had a great time talking while eating! After dinner he headed home (he had been here for a clergy licensing meeting of the UMC). I went to Worship in the Emmaus style in the former Moore Auditorium (remodeled, air-conditioned and renamed sometime also between the two Walks).

Saturday included four workshop sessions, with over a dozen topics from which to choose. Between breakfast and commencement of the workshops I chose to ascend the hill, actually called "Mt. Wesley", behind the camp's buildings to its summit. I chose to use the less steep paved drive going up the side of this hill, rather than going straight up on the trail. Nevertheless, I could tell that the climb was more taxing on my aging body than earlier climbs had been. (I ascend Mt. Wesley Hill every time I come to the camp for an Emmaus event, except for Candlelight.) But it's worth the physical exertion, for the view over the Guadalupe River and the wonderful Texas Hill Country. AND worth it to stand below the large wooden cross surmounting a pile of rocks at the summit. The wood came from Bolivia, sent years ago by Bolivian Methodists. For me there isn't a better graphic example of the worldwide unity and love of the Christian people!

In the morning I chose to participate in a music workshop facilitated by Yohann Anderson in the conference room where the 15 talks are done on a Walk; it actually took up both sessions. Yohann is compiler-editor of a songbook that contains songs written by him and lots of camp-style Christian songs, traditional hymn lyrics and lyrics for popular hit numbers. It's called simply "Songs". The earliest issue of "Songs" was a brown-cover book; I had a firm-spine version during high school and college and beyond. Since moving to San Antonio I'd acquired the newer green-cover, spiral-bound edition. And NOW at Yohann's seminar I bought the newest edition of "Songs": blue and containing about 1100 songs (up from over 300 in the first edition). This workshop (or seminar) was not just group singing of songs from the book. Most of it was actually Yohann teaching us techniques for making song-leading more effective. He also provided us with a handout.

In the afternoon I first attended a workshop on clergy requirements (for being a spiritual director on a Walk, and also for a Fourth Day Group), in the beautiful little Chapel of Mt. Wesley. Then I went to a small building behind former Moore Auditorium, to "Studio B" for a session called "Why Cain't We Do It That Way?" (spelled that way). By the title and brief description this was to be a discussion of sticking to the manual for presenting a Walk to Emmaus. But the presenter (facilitator), a lady who was one of four people representing the International Office of Emmaus in Nashville, had us focus first, on suggesting reasons for celebrating Emmaus, and second, challenges we face as we continue to strive to keep the spiritual renewal movement effective and viable. Chrissie Smith was one of the other participants, as her husband Jay had been another at the morning "double-length" Yohann workshop, and Arlie had been one at the clergy seminar.

Also during the afternoon I used breaks in the schedule to peruse various vendors who were set up in the former dining hall of the camp. Most of these were locals, and arlie knew all of them. The one out-of-town vendor was a fellow from Cokesbury (the Methodist bookstore chain). Noticing that he had a few music CDs I asked if he had the CD version of an audiocassette I had purchased years ago after my piligrim Walk, called "Palanca Songs". He did indeed, so I purchased it. On a later pass by the Cokesbury table my eyes happened to fall on a "De Colores" necktie! I didn't ahve a clue that anyone made Cursillo/Emmaus ties! You guessed it, dear reader; it's now mine!

Saturday ended as Friday had, with dinner and then Worship (same locales). The music group ("praise team" if you wish) which led the singing at this evening Worship was very good! And Victor Pérez, full-time clergy from Emmaus in Nashville, gave a pretty good talk ("sermon" if you wish). I was a little disappointed that my pre-conception that THIS service would be open to the general Emmaus community (like a Walk's candlelight) was wrong; only registered Celebration participants were in attendance.

Sunday morning I packed my suitcase at Arlie's house, and we drove into Kerrville as the eastern sky began to lighten. Yesterday he had actually driven me by the new First Christian Church (Disciples) building. A few years ago I had gotten a ride to a Candlelight for a Walk, stayed the night with Arlie and Kitty, attended Sunday Worship with them at the old FCC (closer to Methodist Encampment Rd.), and then attended closing for the same Walk.

The concluding Worship for the Emmaus Celebration was in the Chapel. Music was the little pipe organ in it -- this was the first time I had heard it played! Shelton Johnson, current Spiritual Director for the Southwest Texas Emmaus Community, gave the sermon, a very brief message to "go out celebrating Emmaus and being fishers of men!" Then we shared the Lord's Supper one final time, and it was time for farewells and hitting the road back to home.

Because the Emmaus Celebration concluded so early Sunday morning we returned to San Antonio in time for me to ask the Smiths to drop me off at San Antonio Christian Church, not far from their church (UUMC). Pastor here is Ed Palow; he was my roommate on Kairos Briscoe #1, and the music for Sunday Worship here is often provided, as it was this day, by Rich and Joy Drady and their group, "Just Us" (called so because it's anybody who wants to bring their instrument and play it with the Dradys). I got acquainted with Rich and Joy when I first began attending Alamo Heights Christian Church (Disciples). Worshiping at San Antonio Christian served as a great transition back into the "everyday" living in the city after the weekend of Emmaus spiritual "high"!

But. . . I didn't quite get back to "normal" right away! From San Antonio Christian I got a ride to St. Mary's University on the city's west side. Lambda Chi Alpha was celebrating its Founder's Day barbecue there this year, a month later than the past two years. But the weather was fabulous for the fraternity's event. After chatting with alumni and undergrads of the three local Zetas (chapters) and enjoying hot dogs, etc., I got a ride home with an active (an undergrad member) of Pi-Epsilon Zeta (Incarnate Word). He "happened" to live nearby, on Vandiver!

However, when I walked up to my door I discovered that my keys were not in any of my pockets. Nor in my suitcase or bag! I'd left them at Arlie's! So I had to borrow a phone to call the La Fiesta management and get let in to my efficiency. Not a good ending to a great weekend! But it didn't quench my joy in the celebrations!