Having only been a member of the C of C for 15 years let me just say there is nothing denominational or pushy about this awesome 72 hour renewal. I was also in the middle of a 6 month sabbatical when I went on the walk after several of my friends from church suggested that I go. Let me just say I am not one to slow down very long to smell the roses or to hear God speaking to my heart for direction…but at the Walk to Emmmaus I experienced this last October, it has re-energized my relationship with my friend and savior Jesus Christ. It’s strange going through the spiritual motions every week involved in ministry but forgetting God’s GRACE and just remembering the true relationship He wants with me. IT WAS GREAT…don’t let anyone tell you different.

Your brother in Christ from NE Arkansas.

Here are two of my favorite quotes:

These are both God speaking about Jesus’ humanity…

“Only as he rested in his relationship with me, and in our communion– our co-union– could he express my heart and will into any given circumstance. So, when you look at Jesus and it appears that he’s flying, he really is… flying. But, what you are actually seeing is me; my life in him. That’s how he lives and acts as a true human, how every human is designed to live– out of my life. A bird’s not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image.”

“You don’t play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority. Rather you choose to limit yourself as to facilitate and honor that relationship. You will even lose a competition to accomplish love. It is not about winning and losing, but about love and respect.”

I had to put the book down several times because my eyes didn’t come with windshield wipers and I had to wait for the mist to clear! I thought it was brilliant.

Let me know if you liked it!

And Mike, I’m still recommending that Pat Conroy book I mentioned in comment #1.

I am so thankful you are going to experience the warm embrace that is the Walk to Emmaus! I went on my own walk in 1995 at a time when I was deeply unsettled, burdened by a deep depression, and was questioning everything in my life. I went tired, depleted, and with nothing to offer..only wanting to see if the experience could do for me what it had done for my sweet husband Rob. What I experienced there was the overwhelming embrace of love by the Body of Christ and God’s unending grace…experienced in a whole new way and shown so clearly and abundantly that I was filled with a joy I had never known in my life. I discovered there that the weight that was crushing me was my own sin and unforgiveness of past hurts and pain I felt were unjustly caused by others. I was able to lay all those burdens down, leaving them at the foot of the cross, and walk away filled with the Spirit instead of pain. My life has never been the same since. I am still a devoted member of my native faith heritage (C of C) that I love dearly, but I have embraced a Body of Christ far larger and my life is richer, and more holy because of those Godly people. I thank God everyday that he blessed me with the Walk experience. Now, these many years later and having served as a team member many times, as a lay director, and even as a board member, I can tell anyone who asks that the ONLY aim of the Walk to Emmaus is to draw people close to the heart of God and to propel them back into their church and their world to serve Him. There is no discussion of traditions or beliefs… Catholic, Methodist or otherwise…just the encouragement to love God with all your heart and to represent him in this world! If only we would all just do that and hush up about all the rest we yap about!

I love you and I am praying renewal beyond what you could have asked or imagined. It may come in a bolt or over many days, months or even years, but it will come! We love you brother, keep on walking!!

May I chime in here for a moment with my idea on how far we “stretch” out to other fellowships? Here is my criteria:

Belief in the following, to me, core beliefs and indisputable:

1-God exists in three persons in one: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

2-God is our Creator and is enthroned in Heaven

3-The Bible is God’s inspired Word, infallible and Spirit breathed in original manuscripts.

4-Jesus Christ is both God and Man, only begotten Son of God.

5-Jesus lived a perfect life on this earth, was sacrificed for our sins, died, was buried and rose from the dead, and sits on the Throne of Mercy until He returns for us.

6-Salvation of eternal souls is a free gift of God, given through belief in, and obedience to Jesus as the Savior.

7-Jesus established HIS Church and according to Acts 2, adds to the Church those that are being saved. He does, not us, iow, He will judge who is being saved, not us.

8-The world will know we are His by our love for each other and how we care for the less fortunate, as we answer His commandment to teach everyone, everywhere about Jesus and salvation through Him.

Broad brushed, but there you have it. Simply put, call on the name of Jesus as LORD and Savior and then be obedient to Him and His commandments to us. These are immutable to my way of thinking. Anyone that holds to these “core” beliefs is co-heir with me in Jesus. All else are externals to me.

Sorry to interfere in your conversation, but felt a need to butt in.

In Bronx School, Culture Shock, Then Revival
By ELISSA GOOTMAN

I think I see the beauty you speak of in a broader community but how far does it stretch. I mentioned the Baha’i faith earlier not because I think they are bunch of crazies, but I find their teachings somewhat valuable to the world. It’s just that they equate Jesus to Mohammed and Moses and Krishna. That stuff is too much for me and for all the personal satisfaction it might give me to experience unity with those folks, I think God would be very angry with that. So are there some principles you would apply in determining what teaching you will listen to and adhere to? In our tradition there are some who would say only the non-institutional preachers are worthy, still more that will listen as long as church of Christ is on the building. I think many here are accepting that there are some good teachings in the broader evangelical community. I’m just curious how far that community extends for different people.

I don’t know where you are coming from, but what you described is not what I experienced by any means. I read what you quoted entirely differently than you perceived it, and pray that one day you, too may be able to see the beauty in the broader community where there is not a need to compromise your beliefs.

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14