Emmaus Newsletter - February 2009
NEWS AND EVENTS
Fred Watson Accepts New Position
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Fred Watson has accepted the position of South East Regional Leader for the Walk to Emmaus movement. Fred will be replacing Scoofer Jordan, who announced his retirement in October of 2008.
Fred has served on many Emmaus and Chrysalis teams, has been a Board member and Community Lay Director. His home community is Pathways East in Georgia. Fred not only serves in the Emmaus and Chrysalis communities, but he also is involved in his home church, Crossroads United Methodist Church, serving as Staff Parish Relations Chair, Sunday school teacher and Lay Leader training. He is committed to the Upper Room model and has attended two regional training workshops. Fred is organized, knowledgeable and willing to learn all that he can about the Walk to Emmaus movement.
Please join us in welcoming Fred to his new position of service. He will be speaking with Scoofer and all the Assistant Regional Leaders in the South east very soon. Here is Fred’s information for you:
Fred Watson
770-929-3373 (h)
770-241-5479 (w)
Poem by Alan Muntz
O God Creator O'er Heaven Earth
O Christ Lord Saviour Giveth Second Birth
Harken Saviour Neareth ; Rivers Floweth
Arise Sonrise Heareth ; Spirit Gloweth
Rejoice Angels Singing ; Welkin Ringing
Kingdom Heaven Glistens ; Children Singing
Golden Heaven Gleaming ; Rivers Floweth
Ocean Beaches Dreaming ; Seafire Gloweth Loving Saviour Neareth ; Harken Heareth Delight Gospel Heareth ; Castway Feareth
Leaflets Silent Falleth ; Autumn Gloweth Embrace Bibles Neareth ; Winter Snoweth Arise Sonrise Gloweth ; Mountain Beaming Falleth Autumn Colours ; Fountain Streaming Living Gospel Listen ; Hearken Heareth Eterne Heaven Glistens ; Saviour Neareth Treasure Rainbow Gleaming ; Jesus Beaming Seashore Beaches Beaming ; Thy Heart Dreaming
"O Hark Gold Leaflets"
9 January, 2009
A.W.M.
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A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
God has called some of us to be pastors and teachers (Eph: 4:11)
God’s wisdom always amazes me. In his desire to reach out to every human being with his grace, God shared different gifts with all his people. As scripture says we complement each other. Each one of us is responsible to God for the part that we play in his universal symphony.
In both Emmaus and Chrysalis the role of the Spiritual Directors is very specific and demands people fully qualified to serve in it. During the last four years we have been learning about the needs of those who serve as Spiritual Directors within these movements. As we listen to them we have learned about their needs and have continued to discern how to better empower them for the task.
Over the last several months I have attended several regional Leadership Development sessions for clergy. Some of the people who have come wanted to be certified to serve as Spiritual Directors. Others who are already qualified have come to learn about what we are sharing. I have been most impressed with the way our Clergy Regional Leaders have been coordinating these session as well as the way they have led them. More than once I have heard participants sharing how pleased they were with the content and the dynamics of the sessions. Many questions and concerns have been shared by the participants and all of them have been received and responded to with much respect and honesty. The dialogues in which our Regional Leaders and participants have engaged have been very productive. We praise God for these great opportunities of learning and sharing with each other.
Within the next few weeks we will post on our websites, under the clergy matters section, a list of future leadership development opportunities for clergy who are serving in Emmaus and Chrysalis. We want to encourage all those who are currently serving or who have never served, to participate in one of these sessions. The content of the leadership development sessions is the same across the nation. After having completed the six hours learning session our office will send you a Certificate of Completion. Please contact your Clergy Regional Leader for additional information on these leadership development opportunities. You can visit our websites www.upperroom.org/emmaus or www.upperroom.org/chrysalis for their contact information.
De Colores & Fly with Christ!
Rev. Victor Perez
International Spiritual Director
The Walk to Emmaus
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LETTERS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
I have the privilege of being the National Lay Director of Australia during this milestone of celebrating 25 years of Emmaus in Australia.
In August 1984, the Rev. Robert Wood, at the invitation of The Upper Room (Australia), brought a team of 32 Americans (most of whom paid their own fares and used their annual leave) to run the first Emmaus Walks in Australia.
Team members came from all over the USA from both Emmaus Walk and Cursillo movements and included two Australians who had made their initial walks in the US. The first Emmaus Walks from men and women were held in Oxford, NSW. Twenty men and thirty-three women attended.
During 1985, the Uniting Church Board of Mission (NSW) became the official sponsor of the AUSTRALIAN WALK TO EMMAUS movement. In 1991 responsibility was assumed by the National Mission and Evangelism Committee of the Commission for Mission of the Uniting Church in Australia. The commitment to making the Emmaus movement an ecumenical tool of spiritual renewal for church leadership in Australia has constantly been emphasized.
The Walk to Emmaus has grown rapidly from its beginnings in Sydney. We have 26 communities throughout Australia., New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Australian Capital Territory.
Australia has also been involved in helping New Zealand; they became a community in 1998.
In 2008 Australia lead the first walks in Fiji and are now helping Fiji to form their steering committee, and hoping to have another set of walks in 2009.
Around 12 Chrysalis communities have also been established around Australia, were thousands of young people have had this wonderful experience.
There is also a form of Emmaus for disabled people called Alarga, which was developed in Queensland and is also held in New South Wales and is now moving around Australia.
The first Kairos weekend in Australia was held in Parramatta Prison in 1995. We now have many Kairos weekends that take place around Australia, which includes Kairos outside.
In May 1st – 3rd we are holding a national conference to celebrate this milestone in our history. The main celebration will be on Saturday 2nd May at Elanora Heights Sydney. Representatives from all around Australia will be attending to help us celebrate.
Your servant,
Bill Harper
National Lay Director
Australia.
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LETTERS FROM PARTICIPANTS
Well Hello from Iraq. Thank you for the continued emails about things
that are going on within the community. It is nice to hear from home.
Well I have a fourth day story. When I departed from my Walk I was
filled with the spirit and eager to tell everyone the story of our
Savior. Well I did and people could see it. I left three weeks after
my walk for training and then to Iraq. I was tested and I fell right
back into my same old same old routine. I was being cool with the
guys and not asking for help from God, my family, no one. As time
went on and I found how I was talking to people about things that were
going on (getting personal and mean) I stopped and started praying.
This is the biggest thing that I found on my walk, that even I could
talk to God and he will listen. I started talking to my wife, Hope
Caggiano and praying more to God. I stopped the insults and watched
my tongue. I started to listen more and give more compliments. When
I wanted to interject a rude comment (like I would before) I stopped
and let the moment pass. How in the world I did that I will never
know. I started reading the bible more and studying the word more. I
read more about situations in the bible and place myself in every
situation.
I guess that I can say that God hit me in the head and said, "Listen I
am trying to tell you something." I stopped and listened. I feel the
power of God again and share it with everyone that will listen. Those
that do not know the Lord question me, those that are curious listen
to me, but the one that challenges me blesses me. My wife and I share
our experience from our weekend.
Thanks
Peter Caggiano
More Information about Emmaus including Regional Representatives, Emmaus staff members and more is available at www.upperroom.org/emmaus (http://www.upperroom.org/chrysalis)
The Upper Room
1908 Grand Ave
Nashville, TN 37203