11/14 Nashville Emmaus Newsletter

Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community

November 2014

Together We Walk Side By Side How important are you? More important than you might think! Kellogg minus a farmer equals no cornflakes. Just as Rodgers needed Hammerstein, you need someone and someone needs you.

How important are you to our Nashville Emmaus community? More important than you think. Without you we don’t have spiritual formation weekends. Without you weekends would have no pilgrims you pray for and sponsor. Without you being on teams (conference room and background) means no weekends.

Emmaus without you means (fill in the blank).

Amos 3:3 says “Do two people start traveling together without arranging to meet?” The Message We, the Nashville Emmaus Community, met and began walking together 30 years ago. It is wonderful to celebrate this journey together! We met and decided we were going to be an Emmaus Community. Our traveling together has enabled us to meet the risen Christ as did two other travelers several hundred years ago. (Luke 24:13-34) Each Emmaus weekend allows us to continue walking together as a community with new companions who will meet Jesus Christ where they are. They will begin their walk with all of us and bring others on the journey.

How important are you? You have become the hands and feet of Christ, you have studied, become disciples, you live out your Christian action. You are Emmaus! How important are you?

More important than you think – to the Emmaus community and to the family of God. We have just successfully completed our Fall Walks and it would not have been possible without you walking together, side by side.

May we continue our walk together and understand how important we are - working together, side by side, in the ministry of Emmaus.

Philippians 1:3 DeColores, Edna Vaughan

In This Issue

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them...

Luke 24:15

Accountability/Reuinion Groups .........................................2 Who Do You Say I Am? ...........................................................3 Welcome New Pilgrims .............................................................3 Up Coming Events.......................................................................4 Chrysalis ............................................................................................4 4th Day..............................................................................................4 Gathering #2 ..................................................................................5 Nashville Emmaus Board .........................................................5 Face to Face.....................................................................................5 Elections ............................................................................................6

Accountability/Reunion Groups Emmaus Walks and Face To Face Encounters are about our 4th days and Next days. We urge you to be involved with an accountability group (also called reunion groups) to encourage and support you during your 4th day journey. As a community we want to assist in your search for an existing group to join, find new members for your existing group or start a new group. Therefore, your Emmaus Board is asking for your assistance in this effort by completing the following survey. This information will be used to match requests for groups by location, gender, etc. You can download and mail this form or complete it online at www.nashvilleemmaus.org/Reunion_Groups/ Your participation is truly appreciated as we endeavor to support our community members not only on the Emmaus Weekends but every day of our lives as followers of Jesus.

DeColores.

Who do you say that I am?

In Matthew (16:15b-16) Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter answered this question without much thought or (as a good friend says) the words sort of fell out of his mouth, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Did Peter truly understand what these words meant for his own personal life or what Jesus was actually questioning? Unfortunately not until Jesus was crucified and resurrected did Peter truly being to understand. We all follow in Peter’s footsteps at times but God is mercifully in the business of changing lives. How blessed we are that God uses Emmaus as one of the ways to reveal who Jesus is and how He loves and transforms us.

During our 4th day experience we are faced with Jesus’ question … “Who do you say I am?” We could answer this question with words, but more importantly we could be answering it with our actions. In other words what does your life and my life say about WHO Jesus is? Who do our relationships say that He is? Who does our bank account say that He is? Who does our time say that He is? Who do our commitments say that He is? I believe that when you and I start answering Jesus’ question by looking into our actions, then we get to

the heart and intent of the question that Jesus is asking. And as we live out our 4th day experience in response to this question, it has the potential to lead us into a deeper walk with Christ and into a deeper service to the people we encounter. If we follow this implication to its full extent, we see that every single circumstance in life is really an opportunity to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” with our lives.

When I think about the resources God has blessed me with – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

When I think about the needs of others – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

When I encounter people on the fringe, folks that are written off and pushed to the outside of life – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

In the way that I relate to my spouse and children – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

In the choices that I make in my personal life – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

In the way that I spend my time – Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

We cannot escape this question.

Every circumstance in life is an opportunity through our actions to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. May our 4th day be a loving and joyous exclamation of who God is!

De Colores, John Arnold, Community Spiritual Director

Welcome To Emmaus Community Please welcome the Pilgrims of Men’s Walk #187 and Women’s Walk #188 to the Nashville Emmaus Community.

Walk #187 Lee Alexander Alan Bain Greg Brandon Brian Brown Mark Cummings Bobby Finney Tony Jackson Kirk Jones Fred Kimbrell Clemmie Long Steve Phillips Alan Rogers Erik Sapre Lance Schade Roddy Strattman Keith Thomason Dave Willover Tom Wiseman

Walk #188 Megan Alexander Amy Brown Valerie Bumpus Teresa Cheek Ashley Craig Suzanne DuVall Brandy Eddings Toni Fisher Tania Jones Joy Kimbrell Taryn King Pam Moudy Cindy Phiffer Chrystal Phillips Sheila Rogers Laura Shyblosky Opal Wedgewood Kim White Grace Williams Christy Willover Vivian Wiseman

Gatherings December 6 – Andrew Price UMC, Nashville February, 2015 – Christ UMC, McMinnville

Emmaus Walks Men’s April 2-9, 2015 Women’s April 23-26, 2015 Men’s October 1-4, 2015 Women’s October 15-18, 2015

Chrysalis Flights Girl’s Flight January 17-19, 2015, Fellowship UMC, Murfreesboro Boy’s Flight February 14-16, 1015, Fellowship UMC, Murfreesboro

Face To Face Encounter May 6, 7, 13, 14 2014 • Hilldale UMC Clarksville Check the Community website for the latest schedule

Chrysalis What’s Happening in Your 4th Day? We all remember our own Emmaus experience and what it meant to us personally. We held that cross at Closing and answered the questions about what the Walk meant to us and what we are going to do about it.

Others can benefit from our stories of what happened next.

They are witness to God’s work in our lives and an inspiration to others as they persevere in life’s challenges. If you would like to submit your story for consideration, please email it to the Candlelight Editor at News@NashvilleEmmaus.org

The dates are set for the winter flights. The Girl’s Flight will be January 17-19, 2015 and the Boy’s Flight a month later on February 14-16, 2015. Both will be held at Fellowship UMC in Murfreesboro.

Our Board continues to look for a few more lay and clergy members. Let us know if you would like more information.

Fly with Christ, Patrice Rullo Nashville Chrysalis Community Director

Attention!!! Gathering #2 More Opportunities to Renew Emmaus Friendships and Make New Friends!

Our second community gathering is scheduled for December 6th at 6:00 pm at Andrew Price UMC. The church address is 2846 Lebanon Pike, Nashville. The meal will be potluck with the drinks, plates, napkins and utensils provided.

Mark your calendar for Dec. 6th. Bring your favorite dish and join us for a joyous Christmas gathering.

NOTE: Our 3rd Community Gathering will be at Christ UMC, McMinnville, February, 2015 If your Emmaus Group is interested in hosting a gathering, please contact: Jeanne Bell jonbell0213@gmail.com

Face To Face The dates for the 2015 Encounter are May 6, 7, 13, 14 at Hilldale UMC in Clarksville. We appreciate the Community support in encouraging pilgrims to attend.

Face to Face is looking for some kind people to make banners for us. It would be so great to have our very own, some we could fold because as we move around we have to pack everything in boxes. If you can do this, please contact Pat Mishler at pmish5@comcast.net or 615-406-1367.

2014 Nashville Emmaus Board of Directors Executive Leadership Edna Vaughan - Community Lay Director Charlene Eubank - Secretary Jon Bell - Treasurer Lay Board Members Greg Engroff - Registrar • Immediate Past Community Lay Director Jeannie Bell Sandie Glover Steve Grayson Carla Hunt Nancy LeSuer Hugh Mason Jane Melrose Pat Mishler John Nance Bill Nelson Sam Trott Clergy John Arnold - Community Spiritual Director Allen Weller - Assistant Community Spiritual Director Jon Bell Loyd Mabry Ex-Officio Patrice Rullo - Chrysalis For More Info on Board Members and their areas of service, or to email a Board Member NashvilleEmmaus.org/About_Us/

It’s time to elect new member to the Nashville Emmaus Community Board of Directors. Their terms will start January 1, 2015.

We need to elect 5 lay persons and 2 clergy. Members of the Nashville Emmaus Community are eligible to vote.

Ballots must be received by November 30, 2014 to be counted.

You can vote online at www.nashvilleemmaus.org/custpage.cfm/frm/12849/form/12849/ or by printing this ballot and mailing it to Nashville Emmaus Community, P.O. Box 292643, Nashville, TN 37229.