Smiles, songs, and hugs fill the room. Women, men, young and old, mindless of racial differences, join hands and sing about their unity in the Spirit, while a line of exhausted men enter.
Most of them need a shave and a clean shirt, but what you notice is their beaming faces and quiet eyes. This is the scene at the closing moments of an Emmaus weekend, where the stories of lives touched and changed by grace are exchanged, and the glory and power of the Lord are made evident to all.
The Walk to Emmaus is a 72-hour experience, an Upper Room program attended mostly by United Methodists, but open to Christians of other denominations also.
Those participating are called Pilgrims. The Pilgrims spend 72 hours living together. As a gender group of men or women, they study, sing, worship, talk, pray, and experience something like a New Testament community. They are guided through the weekend by an Emmaus team composed of laity and a few clergy who have already experienced an Emmaus Walk.
The most recent estimate indicates that around the world more than 250,000 United Methodists have attended a Walk to Emmaus. It is an international movement with Emmaus communities in South Africa, Australia, and Zimbabwe.
Local churches are discovering that individuals who return from these weekends talk about it in life-changing terms. The program is designed to ignite spiritual passion and shape leaders for the local church, and that's exactly what's happening.
On the Walk, Christians experience the presence of Christ in their lives in a new and exciting way. Emmaus is needed in the United Methodist Church not just because it has potential to revive congregations and excite new workers, but because it works.
In the last year, about 40 men, women, and teens from Trinity United Methodist Church in Lapeer, Michigan have attended a walk.
If you look over the roster of new Sunday school teachers and other workers, you'll find that these people have returned to work in their church, and teach others about the life-changing grace of Jesus Christ.
In addition to encouraging Christians to serve others in the local parish, Emmaus reunion groups meet regularly. These small groups talk about their own spiritual journeys, their action for Christ and their study plans. They lovingly hold one another accountable for spiritual growth, and walk through difficult times together.
There is nothing mysterious about what happens on a Walk to Emmaus. It is a highly structured weekend, including 15 talks about discipleship with an emphasis placed on the presence of Jesus Christ in daily living. Participants receive communion often. Fun, music, and good food also contribute to the formation of community.
The focus of Emmaus is God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and how Christianity is lived out in the local church. It's expressed purpose is "to inspire, challenge, and equip local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, and places of work. Emmaus lifts up a way for our grace-filled life to be lived and shared with others."
As United Method churches, along with other mainline churches, face the rapid emptying of the pews, Emmaus stands out as one possible way to slow down the exodus.
Moving beyond the emotional experience, Emmaus is also a plan. By following the plan and forming small groups to nurture and care for one another, follow up is guaranteed. Besides these small reunion groups, Emmaus members are given opportunity to become part of a team that puts together a walk. Regular gatherings of a larger Emmaus community happen often.
Another benefit of the Walk to Emmaus is the unity it can bring to a church. One woman from Trinity remembers hearing about the small group reunion prior to going on her Walk.
"Here's a list of people I will not be in a small group with. I will not have any part of these particular persons," she told her husband, referring to others that had attended. "I meant it too. Now, some of those people are my closest friends, I love them like family. It's something only God could do."
The emphasis is never on the joys of being a member of the Emmaus community, but on the larger picture. What are you doing about spiritual growth, and how are you activating your discipleship in the local church and your own sphere of influence? Christianity involves a call to discipleship and responsibility. This is a key focus in Emmaus.
The program, along with its sister programs in other denominations, traces its roots to the Roman Catholic Cursillo movement developed in Spain in the 1940s. The full name is Cursillo de Cristiandad, which means "short course in Christianity," and describes very well the theme of an Emmaus weekend.
Of course, the program will only work if new Emmaus communities are welcomed and encouraged in a local church. It is not designed to exist without thee support of a local congregation. Generally, Emmaus walks are held in United Methodist churches that volunteer their facility.
Returning pilgrims need opportunities to become involved in the life of the local church, and putting them to work while the fire is still blazing is vital. Pastors who have experienced an Emmaus weekend understand this.
But pastors who have not attended will soon be won over if they see the commitment and enthusiasm which become the most noticeable traits of those who go on a weekend. Many UM clergy have found a new place of ministry within Emmaus and deeply enjoy their involvement, but pilgrims are encouraged to remember that the program is designed for laity, and they should not badger their pastor about attending a walk.
Trinity UM Church's pastor, James Timmons, has not attended a Walk. Nevertheless, he has mentioned several times from the pulpit that those who experience an Emmaus weekend seem to return with new fervor "to serve others and our Lord." He encourages his congregation to be part of an Emmaus Walk, if possible.
Your local conference can put you in touch with the Walk to Emmaus program in your area. Most Emmaus communities sponsor several walks for men and women every year. There is also a program for older teens, called Crysalis.
The stories of lives changed are heard in every closing ceremony of Emmaus. Recently, one man summed up his weekend saying, "All my life, I've been a Christian and faithful church member. But something was always missing. I've found it here in the love that's been showered on us. Now, I'll go back to my church and go to work. I'll never be able to forget that God loves me and so do all of you."
For more information about an Emmaus community in your area, call Ms. Jean Johnson, Program Coordinator, 615-340-7227 or write, The Rev. K. Cherie Jones, Director, Walk to Emmaus, 1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.
Lonni Collins Pratt is a United Methodist free-lance writer and speaker. Her articles on church renewal and United Methodism are frequently found in Good News magazine.
This article was published in Good News (January/February 1994).