What a wonderful Men’s Walk! I’ve had a few days to reflect and look back. And, I’ve been amazed at how God is so much in this thing called the Walk to Emmaus.
Ben Owens did such a wonderful job of planning and coordinating the weekend. His assistant lay directors (Jon Barnes, Alan Carpenter, Tem Barrett, and Tim Smith) were involved at every point in keeping up on time and on Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon blessed us with some score agape from the Friday night’s high school football games and Saturday afternoon college games. We were so blessed with the gifts, talents, spirituality, and singing of our music team.
Pilgrims responded to the meals and snack times with eagerness. They responded to the table agape with warm smiles. They responded to the worship with abandon. They responded to the talks with tears and cheers. They responded to Dying Moments with readiness. (In fact, they unloaded a railroad box car full of baggage.) They responded to Candlelight with tears and amazement. They responded to the letters with excitement. You could tell that this group of pilgrims had been prayed for, because they responded with both unabashed enthusiasm and ready tears. And, I realized all over again how much everyone I know would benefit and be blessed by going on an Emmaus Walk.
I’m just getting ready to send my wife Cheryl off on her Walk to Emmaus. She’ll be giving the Discipleship talk. She’s genuinely excited about it. And, I’m going to slip in to the prayer room on Saturday night when she gets prayed up and pray for her. I know God’s going to use her and the other men and women of Women’s Walk #76. I’ve been praying and I’ve been writing letters of agape. And, I look forward to attending Candlelight and Closing. We’ll be announcing the lay directors and spiritual directors for the spring Walks at the Sunday Women’s Closing. And, we’ll be commissioning the lay directors for next spring.
We have a tradition associated with Closings. Cheryl and I stop by Hobo Joe’s in Madill, eat an evening meal, talk about the Emmaus weekend and the testimonies at Closing, and then venture on home. On occasion we’ve been joined by other Emmaus couples. What fun!
As I talked with the pilgrims and team members of Men’s Walk #75, several mentioned that they were going to invite their mothers and dads, their brothers and sisters, their sons and daughters to go on the spring Walks to Emmaus. Several had good friends at work or in their church or from high school that they wanted to invite. Several others mentioned that they wanted to come back to Emmaus again and serve.
I encourage you NOW to download the sponsor forms and the volunteer sign-up sheets from www.crosspointemmaus.org. Or, pilgrims will find those items in their manila envelope they received on the Walks. I encourage you to sponsor an individual or a couple. And I encourage you to get your sponsor forms in early. I also want to encourage you to work on the Walks. We always need everyone who possibly can to work the Walks. It takes a lot of people to put one on. Whatever or however you choose to be involved, I hope you will continue to be a part of the ministry in the Cross Point Emmaus community.
De Colores,
Dan Patman
Cross Point Walk to Emmaus #1
Table of Mark
