Cross 

 Point

MONTHLY GATHERINGS (7:00 p.m.)				WALKS
(Board meetings at 5:00)				Men’s Walk #75		Sep 24th - Sep 27th
May 9th		Calera UMC		Women’s Walk #76		Oct 1st - Oct 4th

As I write this article, we’re just about to embark upon Emmaus Walks #73 and #74. There is much excitement in the air. The Walks are virtually FULL. We’re going to add about 70 new pilgrims to the Cross Point Emmaus Community. And, I’m grateful for each one. So, what’s available for a new pilgrim (and an old one, too)?

Gatherings— Our monthly Emmaus Gatherings take place on the 2nd Saturday (except Walk months) at 7:00 p.m. at a different church throughout the Cross Point Emmaus Community. The local church pastor usually serves as the preacher. A full one-hour worship service is conducted with Holy Communion (Emmaus-style). It is followed by one hour of fellowship and snacks. It’s an opportunity to see and fellowship with Emmaus people from all over southern Oklahoma. The next Emmaus Gathering will be at the Calera United Methodist Church on Saturday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Reunion Groups— Fourth Day meetings are currently being scheduled around southern Oklahoma on the Tuesday after the Women’s Walk (April 28) at 7:00 p.m. This is an opportunity to find or form an Emmaus Reunion Group. This small accountability group is the engine that drives the Walk to Emmaus. These Reunion Groups meet one day a week for one hour (at your group’s convenience). If you are a pilgrim and want to further your experience on the weekend, then you will want to get into a Reunion Group. I recently found a new Reunion Group and it has been a boon to my spiritual journey.

Sponsorship— If the Walk to Emmaus has supercharged your spiritual life! If you know of other persons in your life that it might benefit from it! Then you can sponsor pilgrims on the next set of Walks. Your sponsor will help you figure out how best to sponsor someone. One of the best ways is to sit down with a prospective pilgrim or pilgrims and spend an hour sharing everything you know about the weekend. And then sign them up. Sponsor forms are included in the manila envelop you received on the weekend. Or, you may download a sponsor form at www.crosspointemmaus.org. Sponsorship is the responsibility of everyone who has gone on the Walk to Emmaus. Take yours seriously. And, the time to sign up is now! Men’s Walk #75 is September 24-27, 2009; Women’s Walk #76 is October 1-4, 2009.

Team Volunteer— And, lastly, you may feel the urge to work on the next set of Walks. Usually pilgrims start working behind the scenes in the kitchen or the prayer room or with table or snack agape or as a cabin host/hostess. On later Walks they are able to work on the music team or some other place in the conference room. But everyone is needed! You should have also received in your manila envelop a Team Volunteer form. Again, you can download the form at www.crosspointemmaus.org.

Each of these wonderful opportunities is not only a great way to get plugged in to the Cross Point Emmaus Community, but also a serious boost to your spiritual life.

De Colores,
Dan Patman
Cross Point Walk to Emmaus #1
Table of Mark

The next Gathering is scheduled for May 9th in Calera, OK at the Calera United Methodist Church (111 South McKinley). The worship service will begin at 7:00 P.M. and will be followed by fellowship and, of course, food.

Go south on US 75/US69 from Durant towards Denison and Calera. Once in Calera, turn right on Main, left on South McKinley.

Invite a friend or neighbor and we will see you there!

Jesus said “let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

We are empty nesters but have a three year old grandson who comes to stay every Friday night. I had forgotten how easy it is to see God through a child’s world. He cries, he laughs, he sings, he shares, and he loves with his entire essence. If something hurts, he cries until the pain begins to subside, then he forgets it and goes on about his business. Sometimes we don’t understand his sense of humor, but let me tell you that there is no greater pleasure than the sound of a child’s laughter. It’s no surprise that we sometimes (maybe frequently) do silly things just to hear him laugh. There is a song in his heart, he sings loudly and often. Even though he sometimes doesn’t know the words or forgets the tune, his music is all about making a joyful noise. He shares anything and everything. Well, honestly, there is an exception because he has not learned to share food. If you don’t want to experience a melt-down then don’t let him see you take those grapes or fries off his plate and pop them into your mouth. Otherwise, he truly enjoys digging through my desk and ‘sharing’ from my bag of chocolate kisses. We probably shouldn’t let him do this before breakfast but how can a grandparent say no to kisses for everyone in the house! On a positive note, he is learning to count. Finally, he loves with his whole heart. The bond is obvious, and there are no conditions or reservations.

So let me ask: Can you see God in a child’s willingness to forgive and forget? Or their ability to laugh? Can you see Him in the joy of music? Does He reveal Himself when young people share and love their neighbor? If you want to see God, then just spend some time with a child.

Freedom is not free, and no one understands that better than the men and women who serve in the military. Whether you believe in war or not, we all know someone through family, friends, or church who serves to ensure our freedom. So remember to include our nation’s soldiers and leaders in your prayers. Plus, there’s an opportunity for you to put a smile on someone’s face… it only costs 42 cents and a little time to send a letter. Better hurry though, because the postal rates increase on May 11th when a first class stamp will cost you 44 cents. Your reunion group might even decide to go ‘all out’ and ship a package of goodies to someone in Iraq or Afghanistan. Every little bit helps, nothing is wasted, and you can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants. ... Instead, I have called you friends." John 15:15 (NIV)

In my home while growing up, I was exposed to the Bible early and often. I memorized the names of the books of the Bible, learned to locate scripture references quickly, and memorized many scripture passages. In my 30s, I attended church regularly and taught Sunday school, using the knowledge I had gained as a child.

But as I entered the fifth decade of my life, my faith was nonexistent. Though I knew a lot about Christ and the Bible, I did not have a personal relationship with the living God.

God was gracious. A personal crisis brought me to a state of brokenness. In desperation and through the loving counsel of a pastor and other friends, I committed myself to a deeper relationship with Christ.

I will spend the remainder of my life learning what it means for me to let Christ be Lord. Now the Bible holds great value for me. I study it as a hungering pupil who wants to know more about the One I love and serve.

K. Jackson Peevy (Alabama, USA)

Thank you, God, for your patience with us as we come to know you better. Amen.

This material is reprinted from The Upper Room® Magazine, copyright (3/24/2009) by The Upper Room®, Inc., P.O. Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37203-0004, and is used by permission of the publisher.

If you have a 4th day testimony, a news article, or an announcement that you would like to share for publication in the Cross Point Emmaus newsletter then please send it by mail to Joe Sherbert, 16214 CR 3590, Ada, OK 74820 or by email to: joe.sherbert@gmail.com. Thank You!

Rev. Dan Patman		Community Spiritual Director
Vicki Swigert		Community Lay Director
Paula Pfau		Assist. Community Lay Director
Rev. Kay Buchanan		Gatherings
Rev. Les Bussell		Fourth Day
Rev. Roger Wood		Candlelight | Sponsors Hour
Barbara Wood		Secretary
Toni Hignight		Literature
Mike Carnahan		Letter Agape
Dewayne Gipson		Treasurer
Karin Nuner		Table Agape
Jeff Hiller		Music
Ben Owens		Setup | Tear Down
Julie Altom		Registrar
Joe Sherbert		Newsletter
Kelly Shannon		Kitchen | Snack Agape