As I write this, I am sitting in my comfy chair where I devote, pray and read scripture almost daily. A few weeks ago, the scene out my window was stark, cold, barren. Only a quarter inch of freezing rain, sleet and snow covered the lawn, sidewalk and street. And as I listened to the news, especially the reports coming from Ukraine, I wonder if the whole world’s heart is as frozen as the ground at times. It seems like it has become a wintry landscape of aggression, greed, judgement, and exclusion. It is no longer just my experience – it has become OUR experience together.
Perhaps this is a model for how we approach the season of Lent. These forty days leading up to Easter are an incredibly personal time, and this year I will use them as a season to let aggression, greed, judgement, and exclusion freeze and die in my own life. I know this will take some hard work on my part and will often be as uncomfortable as temperatures ebb and flow on a daily basis. I’ll be tempted to retreat to my comfy chair and hibernate until it’s all over. However, I know that this is not only an individual journey. As a community of faith, we also undertake this road to the cross corporately. Though our individual landscapes may not all look alike, we are in the same season. As we travel together toward Easter, we will lift each other up, steady each other’s steps, wrap each other in the warmth of God’s grace and forgiveness and realize just how much we need each other, especially during the barren times.
When I remember to look back at the story of how God has been at work in my life and in the world, hope stirs in my heart because I know that the Day of Resurrection will assuredly come again. I pray that my work, and our work together, kills what needs to die in our lives so that the glory of Easter blooms abundantly and visibly in our world.
DeColores,
Keith Payne Boone
DEC Assistant Spiritual Director
Dallas Walk #5, Table of John, April 1989
Message from the Board Rep
So, What's Next?
So. Things are not going well in this world. So. Things are not going well in your life. So. Things are not going well in your home, with your adult kids, with your spouse, with your friends, with our Emmaus Community.
So. What's next? What do we do about it? Can we do anything about it?
Yes. We can do something. Yes. We can do something about the things in this world, our lives, and with our Emmaus Community. What? We can pray. We can put all our concerns and worries in the hands of Our Lord and Father!!! We can remember Philippians 4:6 which says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation (EVERY SITUATION), by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
In today's world, there is anxiousness all around us. There are rightful things to be fearful about. But if we can just remember who holds our future, then we will be alright and ready for "what's next". When I look around at some of the things happening that are out of my control, it can make me fearful about what's next, as any of us might also be. However, let's not forget that God is in control! God holds my future, your future, and our Emmaus community's future in His hands. Help me to pray for God's guidance and loving hands to lead us all to what's next. And then, let us act and move toward service on God's directions for what's next for us all!
Prayers and Thanksgiving for our Emmaus Community!
Carlene Knebel
Dallas Emmaus Walk #86
Table of Sarah
Next Women's Walk
The Next Women's Walk to Emmaus:
April 21-24, 2022
Sabine Creek Ranch, Texas
The Follow-up for this walk will be Tuesday, April 26th, 2022,
6:00 pm at FUMC Richardson
We look forward to seeing you there!
Save the Date! 4/25/2022
2nd Annual DEC Golf Fundraising Event
The Dallas Emmaus Community will be hosting our 2nd Annual Golf Fundraising Event this coming Spring! The golf tournament will be at the Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Rockwall, TX. We’ll enjoy an afternoon of golf followed by an awards dinner in the golf club’s open-air pavilion. Additional exciting events will be a raffle and a silent online auction. All of this will provide great fun, fellowship and raise funds to reduce costs for pilgrims to attend the Walk to Emmaus in DEC.
Everyone will have an opportunity to participate in this wonderful cause!
Play golf
Purchase a $20 raffle ticket for a chance to win a $500 gift card to the store of your choice
Bid on awesome online silent auction items
Donate items for the auction
Participate in the awards dinner
Volunteer!!! Serve on the event team to insure a successful event.
Sponsor a hole
Be on the lookout for more information coming soon.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
DeColores!
Request for Prayers
Our beloved brother Ed Dayton, Men’s Walk #269 Lay Director, has recently been diagnosed with Cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. We ask for your prayers of comfort, healing and peace during this very difficult time for Ed and his family and friends.
Our beloved brother Kenna Davidson, Lay Director for Men’s Walk #281 scheduled for Spring 2023, has been diagnosed with Bladder Cancer and is also currently undergoing treatment. We ask for your prayers of healing, peace and comfort during this difficult time for Kenna and his family and friends.
Help Us Update our Database
As we begin to come out of the recent pandemic, we are working to invigorate the Dallas Emmaus Community and jump start the next several Walks to Emmaus. With that in mind, we would like to collect some information to help us understand the community we serve and all of its members.
Dallas Emmaus Community T-shirts available on the DEC website. Shirts come in black and blue. Click here to purchase yours today!
You can easily donate money to the Dallas Emmaus Community at any time by clicking here. PayPal is a secured donations system which directly deposits all funds into the Dallas Emmaus Community account. This is a great way to make payment for a pilgrim you are sponsoring or to keep the cost affordable for others who may not otherwise have means to sponsor a friend or loved one.
Next time you are on Facebook, search for the Dallas Emmaus Community, then select the "Like" button to be updated on the latest news and events including Candlelights, Gatherings, prayer requests and more. "Share" or "Suggest" the page to your Emmaus friends so they can stay easily connected to the Dallas Emmaus Community too.
The Dallas Emmaus Community has fully converted to Ministry Manager as our database for all community members' information. If you have not already done so please take a moment to log in to verify or possibly update your information. This database is used for team selection so it's important your information is up to date!
4th Day Help Needed! Working on a Fourth Day Team is a rewarding way to participate in the Emmaus weekend as the hands and feet of Christ, and the easiest way to stay connected with the Community. To sign up, view the Walk Schedule to get in touch with the 4th Day Director for the walk on which you want to serve.
Looking for a Reunion Group?
Did you know that you can attend any Tuesday Follow-up and find a Reunion Group?
Walk Follow-ups happen on the Tuesday following every walk and include both sharing time for the recent pilgrims and a time for them to try to form Reunion Groups. If you are in need of a Reunion group, this would be a great place to start. If you're interested in attending a Follow-up meeting, send an email to the Lay Director or Head TA of the walk for the meeting location. Contact information can be found on the Dallas Emmaus website atDallasEmmaus.org
Looking for an opportunity to serve in a powerful ministry? Visit Kairos of Texas online to find out about the units and areas of ministries near you.
Kairos is a prison ministry whose success is dependent on the community of faith support in providing agape such as prayer chain signatures, cookies, and financial donations. If you are interested in knowing more about how you can participate, or to find out how to attend a Kairos closing, email the editors for information.
"... whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me."
~ Matthew 24:40
