Walk to Emmaus

This weekend I am sponsoring a pilgrim on the Walk to Emmaus, a three day spiritual retreat to help folks experience the wondrous love of God while being invited to go deeper and to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

I went on my walk in April of 2009. It was a critical time for me as I was in discernment about the direction God was leading me in my calling as a pastor. I knew my time at Friedens Church of Washington was growing to a close, but I was unsure where my next call would be. Would I take the safer, more predictable road towards serving an existing congregation? Or would I choose the path of new church ministry, jump off that cliff in faith to start something new?

God had always nagged me in the back of my mind about starting a new church, a seed planted years ago that just wouldn’t go away. I can be sort of restless, daring at times. I often get frustrated with “organized religion,” even though I love the church. Plus, we have forgotten that it’s really all about Jesus. If we just act like Jesus—follow him—we’d do much better.

Anyway, the Walk to Emmaus had a profound impact on me, and I was touched by the unbelievable, wondrous love of our Lord. It’s really quite an experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone. And boy do you get fired up for Jesus! It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works through the walk. And I’ve worked walks. It’s humbling, and it is so great to see all this focus on showing God’s love and grace, on living it, like our own piece of heaven, living and breathing the Kingdom in the here and now.

At the Walk to Emmaus, pilgrims go through a series of 15 talks, each one building on the other, leading one to a fuller understanding of discipleship. Along the walk, there are a series of worship experiences designed to augment the journey. Communion and prayer are shared along the way, and there is lots of singing. The music is wonderful!

But the secret is in the fellowship as you become closer to those at your table, so much so that you feel comfortable with one another, even willing to share your deepest thoughts, be yourself, the real you. It’s amazing, and it creates the space in our hearts that is needed for God to work a transformation.

Here I was, with a bunch of guys, who are pretty tight-lipped and guarded to begin with, who by the middle and end of their walk are crying and leaning on one another and praising God in sacred communion like you’ve never seen before. Click here to watch a short video about Walk to Emmaus.

This safe space is something I have woven into the creation of Hope United. We make a huge deal about being welcoming, meeting folks wherever they are at on their journey, inviting them to go deeper. For when the walls come down, real change can happen. God’s grace is always available, but the truth is sometimes we have to be in the right Spirit before we are able to hear God’s voice.

I’ve seen much on my journey, and I give thanks to God for all of my journey, both the mountain top experiences and those times I’ve been in the valley. And as I continue on the path of life, I look forward to the ways God reveals God’s self along the way.
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he [Jesus] was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” -Luke 24:32
 
I am part of the Brazos Valley Emmaus Community. Click here to visit their website. Click here to watch a short video about Walk to Emmaus.

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.