“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” Acts 13:52
I am certain that this could be the testimony of most everyone that has experienced an Emmaus weekend; that we were so immersed in the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ that a divine JOY filled us.
I am excited and humbled to serve the Llano Estacado Emmaus community as lay director for the next year, and I am honored to do so because of what Emmaus has meant for my journey towards Christ. If you will for a moment think back to your pilgrim walk, and more specifically, about the joy and other emotions you felt as you spent 72 hours in Mercy Center waist deep in the Holy Spirit. Think of the path God set you on over that weekend, and where He has led you since. Isn’t it exhilarating to remember how the Lord worked and is working in you? Praise God!
I took on this position as community LD just on the heels of the April Men’s walk being canceled because of a lack of sponsored pilgrims. I must admit, it is heartbreaking to me every time a Walk is cancelled, not just because of the preparation that has gone into it, but because I know firsthand (you too know firsthand) of the blessings that God had in store for all the people who would have attended it. Every candlelight service you attend, the eyes of the pilgrims and caterpillers tell the story of how God sets his children free through Emmaus! Every closing ceremony you attend, and each testimony given on them heralds that God is still doing mighty things in the hearts of his people through Emmaus! God is faithful and sovereign and Emmaus is one of his instruments that He continues to use to build His church, glorify His name, and set His children free!
I’d like to share another verse out of Romans-
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? Romans 10: 13-14
Now clearly, this verse is God showing us the need for us, His people, to herald the Good News. But I’d like to put it into the context of what God is laying on my heart here. Hopefully, you recalled all of the blessings of your Emmaus weekend a moment ago, and with that I would like to ask the questions in Romans like this-
Those that attend a Walk to Emmaus are blessed with joy and the Holy Spirit. But how can God bless them this way if they are not in attendance? And how will they attend if they are never invited? And how are they to be invited without boldness in the hearts of the community?
The June Women’s walk is weeks away and there is plenty of room to sign up pilgrims. I am excited to see all that God will do in the hearts of the women on that walk, and for all that he has in store for this community in the year ahead! This is YOUR community, and God has given YOU the call to invite people into it – be bold in Christ Jesus!
Blessings,
B.J. Schilling