| In the 111 4th Days since our last Gathering, how are you? No, really, how are you? How is your walk with the Lord? Are you praying well, sleeping well, eating well, serving well? How are you? How are you being Christ in the world? During the Emmaus Walk, the Body of Christ talk developed our concept of ministry and the Changing Our World talk helped us see the world as a field for mission work. The last talk, Fourth Day, helped us finalize the resolve and commitment necessary to be Christ in the world for others. How are you being Christ in the lives of those in your circle of influence? As members of God’s Kingdom here on earth we certainly have a relationship because we are His sons and daughters, but membership also comes with responsibility. As His covenant people, Paul often reminds us to not be a stumbling block for others in the way we exercise our freedom in Christ. JD Walt, author of the Seedbed Daily Text, wrote the following as a part of a discussion regarding 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. The Corinthian Christians were caught up in a familiar argument regarding individual rights. Paul’s response asked them to observe how their words and actions portray the Kingdom of God to those living on the outside. Dr. Walt used the Bill of Rights as a modern example: While the Constitution of the United States is a brilliant document, the real genius came in the Bill of Rights. The problem with the Bill of Rights, though, is we forget the overarching purpose. The Bill of Rights were not established to create a national ethos of unfettered individual freedom to justify doing just about everything under the sun under the auspices of one’s individual rights regardless of the offense or injury it may cause to others. The Bill of Rights was established to protect the citizenry from the government. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion and the right to bear arms and to be free from unreasonable search and seizure and so forth are not meant to establish a totalizing individual autonomy. They are meant to foster the common good and a government by the people for the people. What does freedom mean to you in this sense, is it different than freedom in Christ? The passage from 1 Corinthians, has many facets and may seem a little odd for an article on living out your 4th Days in the midst of Covid-19. But the big picture question asked by this text is our challenge. “Does our knowledge lead us to a deeper “knowing” of others or does it lead us to pride in ourselves?” Over the last 111 4th Days, filled with so much anxiety, fear and division, we are called to show the Light of Jesus. How are you doing? De Colores Greetings Community! July – the month that we celebrate Independence Day. The Continental Congress adopted our Declaration of Independence in 1776. This declaration of independence told the world that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states. July 4th marks the birth of the United States of America. A new nation sprang to life and a was celebrated! In 1788, the Constitution was ratified. Between 1776 and 1788, there were horrible fights, many deaths, families were torn apart and businesses destroyed. Our freedoms brought to us by the Constitution were done so at a horrible cost. Many gave their lives so that we could have this freedom, for our nation to be a nation under God, with unalienable rights endowed equally to all – among these, life, liberty and the pursuit of justice. I am so grateful for those who have fought for my freedom. I can’t think of freedom without thinking of the freedom that Jesus has given us. Luke 4:18 says he came to earth to “proclaim freedom”. John 8:36 – “If the Son sets you free you are free indeed”. He came that each of us could be reborn – upon accepting Him, we receive new life! I’m thankful for all that He did, for His amazing July 2020 NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter sacrifice that liberated each of us to walk in relationship with God, becoming the kind of people He created us to be. We can celebrate Freedom for many reasons this month. Will we not able to get together this month, but we are planning on meeting in August we will follow the guidelines set by the United Methodist Church. We will be celebrating NK Emmaues 25th anniversary. Still questioning the uncertainty of the future, whatever the case, please be in prayer. Please contine to pray for the upcoming men’s walk (October15-18), praying for the pilgrims and team. During this time of solitude, I have asked the Lord to reveal those who are being prepared to say yes to the walk. I am praying for all of you to remain well, and to stay close to Jesus. 4th Day – The Rest of Our Lives Subject: Fourth Day Reunion Groups When did the original walk to Emmaus end? Was it with the breaking of bread with Jesus in Emmaus? I don’t think so. Luke tells us Cleopas and his friend rushed back to Jerusalem to report their discovery of the resurrected Lord to the eleven disciples. So then, did the walk to Emmaus end with the return trip to Jerusalem? Again, I think not. The message of God’s love expressed through the resurrection of Jesus eventually spread throughout the world. When did your personal walk to Emmaus end? Was it with the Sunday closing or did it continue with a Fourth Day Reunion Group. The Reunion Group experience is vital to reinforcing the spiritual revelation you felt on your Walk, but some people find forming and maintaining Reunion Groups to be difficult. A natural way to start is with other participants from your own church, or with participants from other churches who live close by. Someone simply needs to take the initiative. The Board is standing by to help. Through participation in our own Reunion Groups we have experience with Fourth Day meetings, and ideas about getting groups started. If you’re not already a part of an active Reunion Group, we should be able to connect you with one. If you want to start a group, we should be able to help you do that also. What we suggest you do is this: Revisit the feeling you had as your Walk ended and commit yourself to renewing and building on that experience by actively participating in a Reunion Group. You might find that simply revisiting your experience is enough to fuel the initiative in yourself to seek out or start a Reunion Group. Please contact Lori Berry email: uniongb@fuse.net Your brother in Christ, Greg Beagle Northern Kentucky Emmaus Community Lay Director De Colores! |
Northern Kentucky Emmaus Ministries
Luke 24:32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”