Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community November 2015

Recently I came across a short writing by Max Lucado onReaching Out. I would like to share parts of it with you. (I have adapted it slightly.)

“Our biblical act of worship is not what we do on Sunday mornings incoats and ties or blue jeans and t-shirts, but our act of worship as a life-long, seven days a week process of placing ourselves upon an altarof sacrifice. Worship is living the principles of Christ in everything we do.You’re worshipping God by what you do all week long.”

When you take food to the poor, when you give a word ofkindness to someone who needs it, when you write to someone a letterof encouragement or admiration you are in the act of worshipping.

In the fast moving pace we live in, we need to reach out topeople, build bridges between our hearts.

We have that opportunity to provide worship in our lives byoffering Emmaus to others. Our Walks brought us to into a deeper andcloser understanding of what our faith means and they also showed ushow to worship 24/7. We are to reach out to people, share our love ofChrist and let them know how they can experience the love and graceof Christ in a deeper way; their continued walk in faith and love can growand bloom! We can make a friend and bring that friend to a deeper relationship with God through Emmaus. We can share with them an experience that can lead them to worshipping 24/7 in a more profound way.

Your handshake, your warmth, your walk with Christ, yourfriendliness, your offering of Emmaus could make a big difference insomeone’s life. Did it Emmaus make a difference in your life? How didyou feel when someone reached out to you and brought the word ofEmmaus into your life? After you went on the Walk, how did it changeyou? Did it give you a renewed feeling of deeper love and understandingof your faith walk? Of your love of God? Do you want to share that experience with new and old friends?

Our Walks are coming in the spring – newopportunities for us to Worship 24/7!

Blessings and peace,

Edna Vaughan

While they were talking and discussing,

Jesus himself came near and

began walking with them...

Luke 24:15

In This Issue

How Your Walk Helps You Survive.....................................2

Update on Cots .............................................................................3

Christmas Gathering ...................................................................3

Nashville Emmaus Board Ballot ...........................................4

Events .................................................................................................5

Board Members & Assignments...........................................5

Worshipping – 24/7

Psalm 93 is not the only scripture in God’s Word that reminds us clearly that not all of life will be smooth sailing! Therewill be times when the waves surge and pound our souls with a strong force. David the Psalmist wrote, (v. 3) “The floods havelifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice,” and they are deafening!

But David also reminds us in the next verse (vs. 4) that inthe face of the tempest we need to remember, “The Lord on high ismightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves ofthe sea.”

“The Lord reigns”! God is clothed with majesty andstrength. God sits as King, exalted higher than the waves that riseabove us, deeper than their immeasurable depth, greater than thewaves’ strongest surge.

The trials and storms will not last forever! Yet while thereare these trials and storms we can cling to the Lord’s promises oflove and faithfulness, for God’s “testimonies are very sure.”(Psalm 93:5)

These are truths that we need to remember in our individual lives and in the Nashville Emmaus Community. These arethe truths that we were all reminded of when we spent our 72 hourson our Emmaus Walks sometime in the past. These are the truthsthat I know every one of us wants Pilgrims to hear about when theyhave the opportunity like we had to experience having their “eyesopened” to these truths on their Emmaus Walk.

As I was preparing to serve as the Spiritual Director for theFall Men’s Walk, I was disappointed that the walk was cancelled dueto not having enough pilgrims registered to hold the walk. The team,led by Steve Zuercher, was hard at work with both laity and clergypreparing their talks, previewing their talks, and blending togetheras the team. They were completing all of the other details to servethe pilgrims when we realized that there would not be enough pilgrims to make the Fall Men’s Walk a reality. Even with all of thepreparation seeming futile with the cancellation of the walk, we wereand are reminded that God is still in control in all of our lives. Justas our team was struggling with the lack of participation, the FallWomen’s Walk was experiencing the same issues and was also cancelled due to the lack of registrants.

As we reflect on own Emmaus Walks, whether 20+ yearsor just a year ago, we all remember just what an impact it had onour lives; and, still does today. We remember how we have gonethrough times of trial and testing over the years and how the Emmaus Walk firmly planted in our hearts and souls reminders thatGod’s Grace is always there to get us through. We were taught onour Emmaus Walk what the hymn writer Jarvis meant when hewrote in a verse:

“When overwhelmed with problems,When weak or tired or ill,When storms are fierce and ragingJust hear His “Peace, be still.”

I know that you will join with me to pray that God will workto prepare the Nashville Emmaus Community for a new day of ministry and pray that God will work through each of us to see that we help other men and women to have the opportunity on future Emmaus Walks and particularly the Spring 2016 Walks; to experience the laughter, tears, Agape, Holy Communion, silence,food, and the joy of all the ways that God’s Grace is made knownon an Emmaus Walk. Your help is needed to join hands with theEmmaus Board and help remind all of us that the Emmaus Walk isnot about us, it is about God and about a God that still reigns! Godstill sits on God’s throne and is still clothed with majesty andstrength! As you read this message my prayer for you and for me isa variation of a familiar one: “Come Holy Spirit and kindle in us thefire of Your love! Send forth Your Spirit and we will all be recreatedand renew the face of your earth.”

De Colores!

Allen Weller Nashville Emmaus Community Spiritual Director

“How Has Your Emmaus Walk Helped You ToSurvive In This Life?”

Dear Nashville Emmaus Community,

To those of you who have made contributions tothe cot campaign, I’m speaking on behalf of the NashvilleEmmaus Board, thank you very much. Just in the few shortweeks since this began we have already received around$1,700. That is wonderful!

After lots of research, we agreed to purchase thecots from Bass Pro Shops.They have a very goodcot and are willing tosell it to us at a signif-icant discount. We arepaying $72 eachwhich is well belowregular price. They havealso agreed to sell us any additional cots at thesame discounted price.

At the Octobermeeting, the Board voted to purchase 25 more cots bringing us toa total of 39. Our hope is that we willreceive enough additional donations to purchase at least 50 cots.

You may mail your donation to Jon Bell at 854 Goodwin,Hillsboro, TN 37342; or, you may donate by using the linkentitled “Donate to Nashville Emmaus Community”.

Thank you very much!

God Bless You All!

Sam Trott

p.s. Let us all continue to pray for theNashville Emmaus Community.

It’s going to come backstrong!

Update on Cots:

Our December gathering is scheduled for December 5th at 6:00 pm

Andrew Price United Methodist Church, 2846Lebanon Pike, Nashville

The meal will be potluck.

Drinks, plates, napkins and utensils will beprovided. SO bring your favorite dish and join us

For a joyous Christmas gathering!

Reminder: Emmaus Christmas Holiday Gathering

It is time again to elect new board members for the Nashville Emmaus Board. We have 5 lay nominees and 3 clergy nominees. The five laity have agreed to be on the next Board and we need your affirmation through your votefor them. We called several people and even though they were active and willing, this was not the good time for themdue to work, aging parents, health, etc. We appreciate them for praying about the invitation extended and making theirdecisions prayerfully.

We have three clergy and ask you to vote for two. All three are and have been active in Emmaus and would begood leaders on our Board.

We thank you for taking the time to vote and for being in ministry with us, the Nashville Board.

To vote, print off this ballot and mail to Upper Room Emmaus Nashville Community, PO Box 292643, Nashville, TN 37229.

2015 Nashville Emmaus Board Ballot:

Dec 5 Gathering Andrew Price United Methodist Church 6 pm

Mar 31-Apr 3 Men’s Walk #193 Hermitage UMC

Apr 14-17 Women’s Walk #194 Hermitage UMC

Apr 20-21, 27 Face to Face

Emmaus Board Members & Job Assignments:Name Email Job Description

Ball, Doug Dabball42@gmail.com Set up/take down

Bell, Jeanne jonbell0213@gmail.com Prayer/Gathering

Bell, Jon jonbell0213@gmail.com Treasurer/ASD

Bill Owen, Rev. revwowen@gmail.com ASD

Chavis, John David Johnchavis7@gmail.com Team Selection

Glover, Sandie sandie.glover@comcast.net Co Chair/Prayer

Grayson, Steve sdgrayson@vbhcs.org Secretary

Griggs, Sandra, Rev sandragriggs@comcast.net ASD

Hunt, Carla CF.Hunt@comast.net Kitchen

Mabry, Loyd, Rev loyd.mabry@gmail.com ASD

Mason, Hugh masonhugh@tds.net Sat. Entertainment

Melrose, Jane jane.melrose@suntrust.com Agape

Perez, Victor, Rev visaperez@bellsouth.net ASD

Snodgrass, Carla carla@preventchildabuse.org Registrar

Street, Wilda wjstreet@att.net Kitchen

Trott, Sam Jtrott0409@gmail.com Set Up/take down

Vaughan, Edna evaughn@upperoom.org CLD

Wedekind, Cathy cathy.wedekind@comcast.net Newsletter/Com.

Weller, Allen, Rev wellerrev@comcast.net CSD

Williams, Randy rwilliams@covenantservicesTN.com CLD ChrysalisEx-officio