THE MESSENGER
May 2009 Lynchburg/Central Virginia Emmaus
Donna Martin 540-977-1594 Jeff Davenport |
Hello Emmaus Family! Hey, do you remember “Runts”? They are a kind of candy and my sister Lisa loves them. Runts Candies are little bite size sweet and sour candies that kind of look like fruits – bananas – cherries – lemons & limes… when I think about the Fruits of the Spirit I always think of Runts (and my sister Lisa). Eat a banana and have a little joy, eat a cherry piece and have some love, long suffering is the lemon because it’s a little sour…. I never thought much of the verses before the Fruits of the Spirit, you know, the works of the flesh … hatred, contentious, out bursts of wrath, dissensions, heresies … man, those are some ugly words and of course they didn’t describe me or the Christians I knew. Come on, heresy and out bursts of wrath, those are things that happened back in the 1500 – 1600 hundreds, not in today’s world. Then I would eat another banana runt and add a little more joy to my spirit. Such a simple mind I have sometimes! I want to share with you Galatians 5: 19-23 (this translation is Eugene H. Peterson’s “The Message”) “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time, repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cut throat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s Kingdom. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” How humbling it was for me to read this scripture from this translation. I could no longer allow myself to sugar coat my walk with God by popping another banana flavored candy into my mouth. This scripture opened my eyes to what a flesh lived life I had lived and at times still live. I think we are all capable of falling back into this way of living if we take our eyes off of God’s purpose for our lives and put our eyes on our purpose or the things going on around us. It is so easy for us (me) to want our (my) own way. We need to be consistently walking out our 4 th day on that path with Christ, making sure that we are remembering that stool from our walks – Piety – Study – Action. Are you spending time with God every day? Are you in a reunion group so that you have another Christian person to be accountable to? Let’s make sure that we are living for God and His purpose and not for us and our purpose. I still love a “runt” every now and then, but instead of just thinking “oh look a banana, I have some joy” I stop and ask myself “Am I living for myself or for God?” Then I smile and thank God for my sister Lisa! God’s Peace be with you, Donna Martin L/CVA Emmaus #10 CLD |
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And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? |
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Upcoming areas to serve with your prayer: Women’s Weekend May 14 – 17, 2009 Thursday night send off and sponsor’s hour; 6:30 fellowship, services will start at 7:00pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Pray in the team prayer chapel….prayer is the most important thing during any weekend.
Priority: Prevenient Grace: Priesthood of All Believers: Friday 1:45 pm Friday 3:00 pm Bill Burleigh |
Life of Piety: Grow Through Study: Saturday 8:45 am Means of Grace: Christian Action: Obstacles of Grace: Discipleship: Changing Our World: Sanctifying Grace: Body of Christ: Perseverance: Sunday 2:30 pm Deb Arndt |
CHAPELS TO PRAY FOR: Thursday night chapel: 8:15 pm Friday Morning Chapel: 7:00 am Friday Emmaus Road Prayer Experience 7:10 pm Friday Closing Worship and Examination of Conscience: 10:00 pm Saturday Morning Chapel 7:30 am Saturday Dying Moments Chapel 11:15 am Saturday Candle light and Chapel 9:30 am Sunday Morning Chapel 7:30 am Sunday Closing 4:30 pm Please come to team prayer chapel to pray if you are available or pray where you are. |
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Women’s Weekend May 14–17, 2009
Four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody met to accomplish an important task. Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
(Somebody wrote that, but Nobody knows who. We don’t either)
Everybody, are you listening? Somebody, Anybody and Nobody are busy the weekend of May 14-17, 2009. So please, please make sure that you show up at Eagle Eyrie to help the Women’s inside team and the Lynchburg Emmaus Community with Walk 62!
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And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? |
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GATHERING, MAY 9, 2009 - WOMEN’S TEAM DEDICATION
Our very own Walk #62 Women’s Team will be sponsoring the gathering!
This will be a potluck fellowship…bring your favorite dish to share. Childcare will be provided.
God’s Peace, Donna Martin
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Walk #62 is full! What an answer to prayer!
Team:
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Pilgrims: Anne Archambeault Robbie Arthur April Bailey Ann Banton Leslie Burgess Maureen Burris Jace Burton Joyce Cheatham Lecie Clatterbuck Gayle Fannon Dianne Foster Teresa Glascock Melany Keith Ellen Kennedy Sandy Kenney Carla Lentz-Bales Daryl Leonard Sherri Maddox Robin Maddox Patty Narbis Lois Owen Jill Rayman Debbie Robbins Mary Lee Robinson Lynnie Sager Edna Skillman Kathie Sprinkle Betty Vanhoozier Anita Wilson Barbara Wood |
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And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? |
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REMEMBER THE FALL WALKS COMING UP !
WOMEN’S WALK #64 OCTOBER 22 – 25, 2009 JUDY TABOR; LAY DIRECTOR
Once your pilgrim has completed their part of the application and you have completed your part of the application mail to: L/CVA Emmaus – ATTN: Registrar P.O. Box 11942 Lynchburg, VA 24506 – 1942 Do you feel lead to team on either of these weekends? Please go to our website and fill out a “Teaming Interest Form”. These forms are also in PDF and Word versions. You can fill out a Word Version right online and email to Jan Guthrie at: L/CVA Emmaus – Attn: Jan Guthrie P.O. Box 11942 Lynchburg, VA 24506 – 1942 IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND NEED COPIES OF EITHER OF THESES APPLICATIONS PLEASE CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER AND WE WILL SEND TO YOU
Canceling a walk demoralizes the team, hurts the community at our core, and deprives us of new community members. The team selection committee will do their part of the job by putting the teams together. The members of team 63 and 64 will do their part of the job by building a strong team for God. Community, let’s do our part of the job by sponsoring pilgrims. Let’s not let another set of Fall Walks be canceled. |
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? |