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What is the Walk to
Emmaus?
[We] were reminded that Emmaus is not an "emotional bubble-bath." It
is essentially a journey with Jesus Christ. The main focus is not how
wonderfully close we have grown with each other, but how much closer we
are to Christ and how much more effective we are as servants in his
church. -Clergyman from Illinois
The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen
the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders.
The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in
Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of
God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be
the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of
worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community,"
made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour
experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other
acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk usually begins Thursday
evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate
weekends.
During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to
meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge
and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to
Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the
ministry of their congregations.
The Upper Room of The United Methodist Church sponsors the Walk to Emmaus
and offers it through local Emmaus groups around the world. The three-day
Emmaus experience and the follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian
people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of
Christ in mission to the world.
Many church leaders acclaim Emmaus as much more than a program. It is a
powerful movement of spiritual renewal that is making a difference for
countless individuals and many congregations. Between 1978 and 1995, nearly
half a million persons participated in Emmaus. During this same period, the
Emmaus movement has taken hold in 300 sites around the world, including the
U.S.A., Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Germany, and
India.
Emmaus is an experience in which growing Christians of all sorts come
together in common affirmation of the essentials of the Christian faith.
Bishop Adriel de Souza Maia of Brazil worked to take Emmaus to his homeland
because, as he put it, "We need a church renewal movement which brings
together the two sides of the Christian life: prayer and action, personal
spiritual growth and social concern. Emmaus holds together these two sides
of the coin."
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What is the aim of Emmaus?
The difference Emmaus makes is seen in the sixty-year-old man who,
after his weekend, decides to give up his antique business and enter
seminary. Or the woman who was inspired to write a song, praising God in
her many local performances. Another example is the doctor who took to
adding Bible verses to his prescription sheets to reinforce Christ as the
"best medicine." -Laywoman from Ohio
The aim of Emmaus is to inspire, challenge, and equip local church
members for Christian action-in their homes, churches, workplaces, and
communities. Several important components of the Emmaus program work
together to accomplish this aim.
The three-day Emmaus course in Christianity moves church members to new
levels of openness and commitment as disciples of Christ. People
reexperience the gift of God's love and emerge from the Emmaus weekend with
a desire to pass that love on to others. The three-day course strengthens
persons' conscious union with Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God's grace,
truth, and compassion.
A layman from Tennessee wrote, "I learned the importance of a life of
piety, study, and service and their interrelationship in providing a life in
grace. I felt the immense power of God's love and grace and new insights
into ways of sustaining and increasing my openness to that grace. I
developed a new longing to share my experience of Christ with others with
hopes that they too can feel what I feel. Although my Christian journey
started a long time ago, the progress and growth due to my Emmaus experience
is invaluable to me."
The Emmaus weekend gives participants an opportunity to reflect on the
meaning of their faith in God, to receive the transforming grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to relate closely with other persons who are seeking a deeper
faith, and to rededicate their lives as members of the body of Christ called
to ministry in the world.
The Emmaus follow-up groups build on what begins during the three-day
experience. These little discipleship groups of two to six persons meet
weekly for an hour. Members review their weekly spiritual practices, their
awareness of Christ's presence and call, and their plans for the week to
come. The accountability group's purpose is to provide ongoing support for
one another's commitment to live wholly in the grace of God and to grow in
the self-giving spirit of Jesus Christ. In addition to undergirding personal
Christian growth, the follow-up groups serve as excellent bases for
Christian action and outreach in the local community.
Teams in servanthood make a difference. Many who participate in Emmaus
also grow in the servant spirit of Jesus Christ through their subsequent
involvement in making Emmaus possible for others. By serving in the kitchen,
setting up the rooms, cleaning the bathrooms, preparing the worship center,
praying for the pilgrims and teams from behind the scenes, or committing to
weeks of team preparation, these persons learn the joy and discipline of
humble servanthood. By serving as team members and committing to several
weeks of team preparation, persons learn to lead faith-sharing in small
groups, to express their faith and speak before groups, and to use their
unique gifts in concert with the gifts of others as members of one body.
Local church involvement is an outgrowth of Emmaus. Though involvement in
Emmaus activities can be fun and satisfying, Emmaus achieves its aim only
when local churches gain strength; and people become active members of the
body of Christ, sharing the love of God in homes, workplaces, and
communities around the world. Participation and service in all aspects of
Emmaus-the three-day short course, follow-up groups, team and background
support-are designed to empower and equip Christians to effectively be
Christ's hands and feet in the world.
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What happens during the Three-Day Emmaus Experience?
My growing did flourish as I listened to several talks given by
laity and clergy on such theologically significant themes as grace,
priesthood of all believers, justifying grace, growth through study,
Christian action, discipleship, body of Christ, changing our world, and
others. I learned from each speaker and concluded that I would be pleased
to have any one of the laity give the Sunday sermon in all of the churches
I have served. -Clergyperson after Walk to Emmaus
In small table groups, we listened, took notes, and discussed each
theme. What an experience it was to listen as my fellow pilgrims-United
Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists, wrestled
with how to apply each topic to life. We demonstrated our insights with
posters, charts, skits, songs, and poems. -Clergyman from Indiana
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What should I know before attending?
Emmaus is for church persons. Emmaus is designed for active church members
and their leaders who want to rekindle their faith or renew their vision. Less
active church members who are seeking to renew a relationship with God, to
grow spiritually, or to discover firmer foundations for their lives may
benefit from Emmaus also. However, Emmaus is not an evangelistic outreach to
non-Christians. The content of the Walk assumes a certain familiarity with the
basics of the Christian faith and tries to build on each person's positive
relationship with the church.
Emmaus is for people who want to grow spiritually and mature as disciples
of Jesus Christ. Emmaus is for persons who want to build up the church in love
and to contribute to its ministry.
The Emmaus Walk is mainstream in theological outlook. Emmaus has room for a
great variety of Christians who seek to grow, share, and give themselves to a
three-day walk with Christ. Emmaus is a common meeting ground for the great
diversity of Christians in our churches who celebrate their unity in Christ
and feel they can learn from one another, be they traditionalists,
evangelicals, liberals, conservatives, activists, charismatics, and especially
all those who seek to follow Christ without regard to labels and camps.
Emmaus is for building faith and discipleship, not for working through
grief or psychological problems. Emmaus teams are not trained for counseling
or group therapy. If you tend toward preoccupation with working through
personal dilemmas, consider waiting to go to Emmaus when you feel freer to
focus on the message of the Walk.
Emmaus is for fostering unity in Christ, not for theological debate and
arguments about denominations. Emmaus tries to foster appreciation and
openness to the different faith-perspectives of the participants. Bring a
spirit of Christian tolerance and charity toward others, including members of
other denominations. If you cannot affirm your unity with other kinds of
Christians, if you tend to define Christianity narrowly and legalistically or
are intolerant of those who see things differently, then Emmaus is probably
not for you.
Emmaus is a concentrated three-day course in Christianity, not a relaxing
retreat. Don't bring work from the office or have hopes of taking an afternoon
off to read. Except for break times, Emmaus is a very full experience. Come
with empty hands and open hearts, planning to give yourself completely to the
Emmaus Walk.
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