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Fourth Day Journal

June & July 2021

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

I’m Jack Christie. I worship with the NOVA Catholic Community in Arlington. I walked on

E-83 and sat at the table of Symbols of the Cross.

Wow! It’s hard to believe it’s been 22 years since I was a pilgrim on the mountain at New Wind-

sor; a small mountain, to be sure, but a mountain-top experience none the less.

Needless to say, this past year has been one to remember as well, though most of us would like

to forget it. My wife Linda and I went into isolation on March 12, 2020 (marked it on the calendar).

Everything was suddenly cancelled: church services, social gatherings, family gatherings, even

the NHL quit playing!

We quickly learned how to use Zoom to continue to meet with our weekly prayer group of 35+

years. Attendance actually improved, since there was no travelling or other engagements to get

in the way! We quickly realized that free 40-minute session was way too short. Now we go about

two hours.

Message from Past Community Lay Director:

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NCA Emmaus CLD Message 1

NCA Emmaus SD Message 4

Praise NCAE MD 8

Chrysalis CLD 10

Kairos 14

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The family also went into isolation. We agreed to meet quarterly to celebrate birthdays,

anniversaries, graduations. We did, in early June and late August, meeting outside and

kept some distance. If you know me, you know I’m a hugger – very difficult not to be able to

hug the kids and grandkids! Then the second surge hit, so our last gathering was

mid-November to exchange Christmas gifts on my daughter’s front lawn – piles of packages

went from one trunk to the grass to another trunk so we could open on Christmas morning.

No Thanksgiving celebration, and our Christmas week family celebration was by Zoom.

Our church liturgies are held in a public school cafeteria in Arlington. With the schools closed,

we also learned to Zoom here. The choir could not sing together because of the time delays in

Zoom, so music was divvied up to solos, with or without self-accompaniment. As the pandemic

stretched from weeks to months, we began recording some of the liturgical music that was

regularly used. That progressed to recording some of the songs, by one person laying down

a guitar or piano track, and sending that file to a singer for the vocal track. With PowerPoint

files to put the lyrics on-screen, that exercise morphed into creating video tracks with music

and lyrics. We plan to continue Zoom until late September 2021 to give the schools time to re-

organize to the new “normal”. Zoom allowed the community to be joined by former members

who had left the area. We had attendees from Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Vermont,

Chicago, California, and more. Even when the community returns to in-person, we may try to

keep Zoom liturgies available for these folks.

I guess my point with all this is the idea of remaining flexible, allowing the Lord to work through

us to experience new ways to do old things and to appreciate the finer things in life.

Past Community Lay Director Continued:

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As I noted earlier, not being able to hug friends and family was the hardest thing for me to

tolerate through the pandemic. Now with vaccines, the family has renewed our “normal”

get-togethers with hugs all around. The prayer group assembled in person for the first time

in over a year on June 30 to celebrate a 50th Wedding Anniversary (most recent of the six

couples). Zoom may become an easy fallback position for inclement weather and advancing

age!

In a homily a few weeks ago the priest shared the story of Pope Francis meeting with a group

of blind children. They asked, “Can we see your face?” Pope Francis was a little flustered

until he realized that they saw by touch. They wanted to touch his face to paint a mental image

of him in their minds. Pope Francis stressed, “The communication we most need is touch!”

I don’t argue with the Pope.

De Colores

Jack Christie

2013 NCA Emmaus CLD

Past Community Lay Director Continued:

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FROM THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

Pastor Eric, Spiritual Director

Christian Community

I hear a lot these days about what our Christian Community should resemble. We read, “And they

[the church] continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of

bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done

through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold

their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:43-45

NKJV). Now, this would have been a Christian community to behold. The church members

prayed, took communion, and studied the word of God together as one family.

Additionally, the church walked in the power of the Holy Spirit, including miraculous healings, and

the church members shared their material and financial resources with each other so that each

could fulfill their God-given calling.

The narrative continues: “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread

from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and

having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being

saved” (Acts 2:46-47). The early church was truly reflecting God’s light in the world, and people

took notice. The church offered something the world could never provide, and for this reason,

many gave their lives to the Lord. I believe the world is desperately searching for something, and

that something is the love of God.

Yeshua gave the church His model for a Christian community when He

said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). “And this is

His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus

Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

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Spiritual Director Continued:

There is an epistle from the second-century church called The Manner of

Christians. It describes what the Christian community looked like as the

church grew and expanded throughout the Roman empire:

“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country,

nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither

inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead

a life which is marked out by any singularity.”

“The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or delibera-

tion of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely

human doctrines.”

“But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has deter-

mined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their

ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.”

“They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things

with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their na-

tive country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers.”

“They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They

have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the

flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven.”

“They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives.

They love all men, and are persecuted by all.”

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“They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor,

yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored,

and yet in their very dishonor are glorified.”

“They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted,

and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers.”

“When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as

foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign

any reason for their hatred.”

There was something unique about these Christian men and women that set them apart from

the secular world they lived in. First, they were ordinary people, yet they were above reproach

In their conduct and mannerism. Second, their allegiance was clearly to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Still, they did not despise, nor were they persuaded by this earthly realm and its fallen condition.

Persecution was expected.

Are we also ordinary people who seek first the Kingdom of God, or are we comfortable and

complacent, thinking ourselves more highly than our neighbor? Further, the church has been

more attentive to informing people about Christ rather than introducing them to Him.

We know from scripture that God is not looking for people to know about Him. Instead, God is

looking for people to know Him, and knowing Him requires us to encounter His love and then

model His character and imitate His behavior. This characteristic is developed through

discipleship. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves

is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love”

(1 John 4:7-8).

Spiritual Director Continued:

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Spiritual Director Continued:

God’s standard for our Christian community is love, and love is never about the self but always

about serving and giving selflessly. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does

not parade itself, is not puffed up” (1 Corinthians 13:4). From this verse, it is evident that the

greatest obstacle to the church of receiving and displaying the love of God is pride.

Yeshua said, “By this [demonstration of my love] all will know that you are My disciples, if you

have love for one another” (John 15:8). “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peo-

ples to Myself” (John 12:32). And how are we to lift Christ up? By loving each other as He has

loved us.

Even more so, we need the love of God through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to unite

the church. Christianity is all about us becoming a community of God’s people, joining together

in prayer, bible study, communion, evangelism, and just about every facet of daily life, including

the obligation to care for widows, orphans, and the poor amongst us. The love of Christ in us

and demonstrated through a loving Christian community has the power to change the world.

DeColores,

Eric Michael Teitelman

Pastor•Teacher•Worship Leader

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From the NCAE MD

Summertime! Sweet Vibes & Tunes -

Hope the living is easy in your world. But best news

ever - if it's not easy, He has gone before you and it's okay.

You are not alone. May His presence be like a cool breeze

and sweet song in your daily life.

Chrysalis band was spectacular last month.. the future of

music is in good hands! Thank you to all who blessed us,

it was evident you poured your time and hearts into the Ultreya.

June Ultreya music will be lead by the beautiful

Megan Billingsley and the audacious Nicole Parrish.

Songs and musicians from their last weekend in 2020 promise to bring all JOY.

As we come to the Table together, singing all the way, we ask that He guide and bless it all.

We love you, ladies.

Seems it won't be long until we can rock in person. Staying prayerful and grateful.

Contact us if you wish to participate in music.

De Colores!

Mae and Jim Krauss

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Love Offering for Family Worship Center

Drum Enclosure

Please consider making a love offering to Family Worship Center in

appreciation for their continued support to our Emmaus community

hosting recordings of Ultreyas.

If you would like to make an offering please mail check to:

NCA Emmaus Treasurer

C/O Donna Morris

PO Box 807

Mineral VA 23117

Or

PayPal

Friends and Family

Thank you for consideration of your support.

Jim and Mae Krauss

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A few words from your CLD:

I hope everyone is doing well and getting their

vaccinations. Over the last year, I know that Covid

has affected everyone differently, some good and

some bad. I know our community has been hit hard with depression, anxiety, separation, and

plain old fear to say the least. According to the most recent study done in 2019, suicide is the

10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 2nd amongst those who are between the

ages of 15-34 years old. The Board and I want to let you know that you’re NOT alone. You have

a community that loves and cares about you. If you are experiencing any of these negative

feelings, I encourage you to reach out to someone. It could be a friend, table mate, teammate,

or a Spiritual Director, just someone. I want you to know that YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

There are hotlines that you can call. Here are a few that are helpful….

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ youth): 866-488-7386

Veterans Crisis Hotline: 800-273-8255 press 1

Some other online support with trained listeners

and Counselors/Therapists as well….

IMAlive: https://www.imalive.org/

BetterHelp: https://activation.healthline.com/api/member-offers/2168/redirect?lp=328&tc=120226&subid=betterhelp_suicideresources_textlink_1801&subid2=/health/mental-health/suicide-resource-guide&correlationId=cba9e45f-af7d-49fe-8af9-9969779e2c39

7 Cups of Tea: https://www.7cups.com/?correlationId=64e9f18a-0242-445f-beb7-3ff0a03ae822

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A few words from your CLD continued:

There are also online support groups that help those who have loved ones going through difficult

situations…

THRIVE app: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml

Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide: https://www.adolescenthealth.org/About-SAHM/

Healthy-Student-App-Info.aspx

JED Foundation: https://www.jedfoundation.org/events/parents-action-fall-seminar-emotional-

well-begins-home/

National Alliance on Mental Illness Resources: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Family-

Members-and-Caregivers/Preventing-Suicide

It’s time for a check-In. The Board and I encourage everyone in the

community to reach out to their fellow table mates, teammates, or even

someone you haven’t heard from for a while and ask them how they’re

doing. It might be a difference between saving life or letting one go.

Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with

you; and when you pass through rivers, they will not sweep you over. When you walk through the

fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set ablaze.”

Fly With Christ,

Erin Prendergast

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Maintaining Communications While Isolation Continues:

To help people maintain on-going communications during these times of isolation,

many applications and programs developed years before COVID-19 impacted our lives have

experienced an overnight spike in the demand by people and organizations searching for on-line

solutions.

Typically, the three basic requirements include Audio and Video communications along

with screen sharing. More advanced features include the ability to record the session for future

viewing; 24hr helpdesk support; security; ability for user to conduct private communications while

attending the meetings, etc. In general, most of the products are similar in operation and

functionality; but some are more popular with only minor indifferences.

An analysis was conducted and reviewed by the NCAE Board of the top seven products

used across the USA today. The analysis determined the general functionality and ratings of all

the systems averaged 4.5 stars out of a possible 5 stars. Furthermore, within the top seven

products reviewed, four products were designed more for business/commercial application and

three for Non-Business applications. So, our reviewed focused in on the top three as: (1) Zoom,

(2) FreeConferenceCall.com (FCC) and (3) Google Meets (Aka: Google Hang-Out).

Of these three products, the Host arranging/scheduling the meetings is the only one

required to have an account; others don’t need an account but will need the software loaded on

their PC/Phones to access the meeting. The one exception is FreeConferenceCall does not

require loading the software, you can join a meeting by clicking on the URL from the Host and

when the meeting is over it closes just like any other webpage you access. That being said,

the tool functions smoother and loads faster when the app is loaded on your device(s).

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Staying in touch while Isolation Continues:

The cost of Hosting varies; ZOOM is $15/month, Google Meets is $8/month, and

FreeConferenceCall is $0.0/month; however, they take donations to support the tools

development; so, the donation levels are totally up to the host to decide on what they want to pay.

Functionality with all three is basically the same; each are easy to us and provide good HD

quality video and audio. To access and load, visit your AppStore to download the free software,

set-up your account as desired, and start scheduling your meetings and reoccurring meetings.

One other potential conflict is Google Meets/Hang-out requires you to have a Gmail email address

– this too is free but would be required if you don’t already have one.

This analysis is unbiased or influenced by any of the companies providing the products.

Furthermore, the depth of the analysis was based on actual utilization of the products and an

abundant quantity of reviews documented on the Internet. If you already have a product being

used and you like it; then stick with the tool. If, however, you are seeking a tool or an improved

tool; then consider trying one of these three listed. Here are the icons for each of the tools listed,

these icons may vary some between Windows and iOS (Apple) devices.

Decolores,

Jim Morris

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KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY: After July 10th the Kairos team will have had their council

meeting and we’ll have something to share maybe.

Right now the previous message stands. No new news.

Love and Blessings

Mike Gentile

July Ultreya

July 16, 2021

Log in to https://ncaemmaus.online.church

Join the community in music, worship and prayer.

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Chrysalis Community Lay Director

Erin Pendergast elerper143@aol.com Assistant Lay Director

Becca Washburg

Spiritual Directors

Daniel Andersen Rich Saunderws

Other Chrysalis Board Members

Adult Members Youth Members

Doug Radoye Katie Rowe

Dan Hughes Bryson Frankfort

Charley Hays Kayleigh Sullivan

Allison Rock Becca Washburg

Kelly Boden Matt Lehmer

ReAnne Newberry

Chrysalis Support Personnel

Supply Coordinators:

Doug Radoye mroew.art@gmail.com

Prayer Wheel Coordinator

Volunteer Needed - Currently Online Access

Manuals and Talk Folders

Kurt Bubenhofer fkbuben@yahoo.com

Community Music Director

Jerry Wills jerry@hippofamily.com

Chrysalis Registrar

Jerry Wills jerry@hippofamily.com

Chrysalis Secretary

Jerry Wills jerry@hippofamily.com

Chrysalis Treasurer

Bob LeMay rlemay@lemayandcompany.com

Worldwide Agape Coord.

Bryson Frankfort

Facilities Coordinator

Erin Prendergast & Charley Hays

Fourth Day Packet Coordinator

Bob LeMay rlemay@lemayandcompany.com

Historian

Volunteer Needed

Outreach Coordinator

ReAnn Newberry

Clown Communion Coordinator

Jan Niehoff

Chrysalis Cross Coordinator

Janet & Lindsey Matthews jam5016@yahoo.com

Hoot Coordinators

Chrysalis Board

Agape Coordinator - I am Lovable,Team & Butterfly Pins/Placemats/Agape Bags

Nicole Mosher haleycomet125@gmail.com

Website Coordinator

Sarah Kleppinger & Becca Wasburg

Website Administrator

Jerry Wills jerry@hippofamily.com

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Fourth-Day-Journal

National Capital Area Emmaus