Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community May 2014

When our new leader came to GBOD (General Board ofDiscipleship) he presented an image for us to think about within ourwork and ministry. I am sharing that image for us to think of in regardsto our ministry together of Emmaus/Chrysalis/Face to Face.

Circles. We see them all around us: sun, moon, oranges,sunflowers, balloons; rings on fingers, wheels on automobiles,balls that are played with by children and pets. We have circles offriends, quilting circles, ring around the rosie circles, etc.

Have you ever thought of the circle that we are part of?It is a large circle of people who are part of a larger circle of people, all who have participated in the Walk toEmmaus/Chrysalis/Face to Face. We are different communities,in different states and countries – but still all part of that big circle!

Let’s look at our circle, closer to home – the NashvilleEmmaus/Chrysalis/Face to Face community. Let’s look at us as acircle of friends all holding hands. We are a circle that never ends.Feels good to be so connected with others who are part of thefamily of God who have chosen to be part of the spiritual formation family of Emmaus.

Now, let’s picture our circle differently. How can we still be connected as in a circle but in a different way. We are holdinghands, looking at each other, talking together. Now, lets turnaround, still holding each others hands. We are looking out, notin. Now, take a minute and think of still another way to keep ourcircle. Have you figured it out? Think of an atom. Picture all of usstanding in a circle reaching in with our left hands touching in thecenter and with our right hand reaching out……

....reaching out to invite others into the experience of Emmaus or Chrysalis or Face to Face. Our circle grows larger aswe extend an invitation to join our ministry to others.

This summer, we can continue extending our circle bypraying for and inviting someone to attend The Walk to Emmausor Chrysalis Flight or Face to Face Encounter.

Blessings and peace.

DeColores and Fly with Christ,

Edna VaughanCommunity Lay Director

While they were talking and discussing,

Jesus himself came near and

began walking with them...

Luke 24:15

In This Issue“4th Day Adventure ....................................................................2Kairos Corner ..................................................................................3Face to Face .....................................................................................4Chrysalis...It’s almost time!.......................................................4God’s Love .......................................................................................5Up Coming Events.......................................................................5Nashville Emmaus Board .........................................................5Setzer Memorial Scholarship Fund......................................5

C i r c l e s

After experiencing The Walk To Emmaus, we go aboutour lives and our “4th Days” striving to live the way God wantsus to live. We slowly but surely get into our routines andsometimes have a tendency not to appreciate our blessings.Then, sometimes, a challenge or an opportunity presents itselfand WHAM . . . we realize something profound has occurred.

Such was the case for me when I had to acknowledgethat things don’t always go as we plan! I’m not talking aboutthe big stuff like birth, death, and illness, but the day to daystuff that we think we can plan. Last month, I was planning tofly to Monterey Bay, California to visit my grandchildren (and my son and daughter-in-law) who moved there in December. It was to be my first visit and I was really excited.The night before I was to leave, I realized that for some unrealistic, but very real reason, the source of which is yet tobe determined, I was not going to be able to make myself geton that plane. I was in full panic mode at the very thought ofbeing on a plane!

Not to be deterred from visiting my beautiful grand-daughters, I decided to take the bus . . . Yes, I rode aGreyhound Bus all the way from Nashville, Tennessee to LosAngeles, California . . . Total time from start to finish was 53hours. In case you aren’t familiar with bus riding, they don’tstop at the Holiday Inn for the night . . . we traveled 24/7stopping at the many bus stops along the way. Of course I also had to return and, still unable to fly, I drove to Las Vegasand rode the bus back home . . . a mere 43 hours. This tripbecame known in my family as “Nana’s Big Adventure”!

I decided to approach this adventure with great anticipation and to fully immerse myself in the experience.What I didn’t realize about bus travel is that you really get theopportunity to bond with the other riders. Many of us becamea family of sorts enjoying the scenery, sharing the joy of stopping at a Pilot instead of a tiny bus stop with only vending

machines, and commiserating with each other when the plugsdidn’t work for our electronics. Travelers would come and go,but that shared experience continued to connect us as weshared our stories with each other.

I met the most interesting people whose paths I wouldnever have crossed if I had not traveled by bus. There was theretired entrepreneur who didn’t have a driver’s license and had lived all over the country, and the woman who started afood truck business catering specifically to skate parks so shecould stay connected to her kids. There was the nervousyoung gay man who was going across the country to visit his family for the first time in several years and the middle aged black man who had found his faith in God when hefasted while he was incarcerated. He now owns an auto-bodyshop. A young woman from Columbia who was heading to her sister’s house in Kentucky spoke absolutely no English but just trusted the rest of us to direct her to the rightbus . . . Thankfully, I had an App for that . . . so much fun tobe able to communicate using modern technology.

But, the traveler who touched me the mostwas a 33 year old black veteran who had served 2 tours in Afghanistan and now suffers from PTSD. He grew up in a gang in Los Angeles but had kicked drugs and is living in Dallas. He was headed back to LA for his sister’s funeral . . . she had been murdered. He talked to me for hoursabout his sister and his fear of going back home to his oldhaunts. He needed someone to care!

I had lunch with an old friend a couple of weeks agoand I had just told her that I rode the bus instead of flying andbefore I had even begun the details, she asked me, “Why didGod put you on that bus?” Wow . . . I really do believe thatGod put me on that bus . . . I’m just not sure if it was for allof those other people . . . or for me!

De Colores,

Mary Main, Assistant Community Lay Director

“4th Day” Adventure

What’s Happening in Your 4th Day?

We all remember our own Emmaus experience and what it meant to us personally. We all held that cross at Closing and answered the questions about what the Walk meant to us and what were we going to about it. Well, we want to hear about

what happened next!We are looking for “Fourth Day Stories” to share in the Newsletterand on the Website . . . What did you do about it? If you would liketo submit your story for consideration, please send it to Mary Main

at News@NashvilleEmmaus.org.

I started us out with my story . . . Please share one of yours!

After almost eight (8) years, Riverbend MaximumSecurity Institution Kairos #1 was held on Mother’s Dayweekend, May 8 – 11, 2014. We started the weekend onThursday evening with 24 residents and finished with 19men. Five had dropped off for various reasons. However,those that completed the weekend were the ones that Godwanted there for whatever He had in store for them. Maybeit simply wasn’t the right time for the other five, we willnever know.

For a #1 Weekend, I believe that it went assmoothly as it could. A few little hiccups along the way, butnothing that God could not overcome. We were blessedwith 30 men that said yes to God in their participation onthe team. One of the residents of RMSI had built a beautifulcross to hold the neck crosses out of cherry. It is beautifullycrafted and distressed with a wood lathe tool to give theappearance of “The Old Rugged Cross”.

One of the Agape demonstrations of God’s love isthrough a prayer chain, which wrapped completely aroundthe gym and when taken down measured 400 feet. Oneof the residents counted 1,431 links, this was in addition to the chart of those people that signed up to pray for 30 minutes at a particular time. For those that baked cookies, may I say the loaves and fishes were multipliedhere also, approximately 1,000 dozen homemade cookies.Each man gets a dozen for himself and another dozen togive away to one whose forgiveness he seeks. While thismay not seem like a big deal to us, it is to the residents ofa prison. This is a long way of saying that God the Father, Jesus

the Son and the Holy Spirit were very present and very real tothe participants and yes to the team also this weekend.

We will begin planning for #2 almost immediately. Anyone want to join us? We will need more people to join usand our Advisory Council, (similar to the Emmaus Board) asseveral will have to roll off by Kairos rules at the end of this year.It doesn’t mean that we are quitting Kairos Prison Ministry, it simply means that we have to take a break.

To God be the Glory,

Dan PrestonLeader RMSI Kairos #1

Kairos Korner

Chrysalis is getting ready to host our two summer flights!We will be sending the girls on their flight Saturday, May 31st at8:30 a.m. at Fellowship Church in Murfreesboro. We are still accepting applications for the boys’ flight which starts Saturday,June 28 at 8:30 a.m.

Set-up for each flight will occur the Thursday prior to theflight beginning at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will be provided. Pleaseask your churches and reunion groups to come out and help. Wewould love to have you all there to support and pray for the flights.If you would like to help with Saturday night entertainment, pleasecontact me at 931-241-0705 or proverbspatrice@gmail.com. Ifyou are able to provide table agape, we require 65 pieces. If youwould like to sign-up for a prayer time, our chart can be found atwww.3dayol.org/Vigil/GetComm.phtml

Candlelight for each flight will be Sunday at 8:15 p.m.,and closing will be Monday at 4:00 p.m.

We appreciate the support of the Emmaus Communityas these youth grow in their faith and prepare to be leaders intheir home churches

Our Board continues to look for a few more membersboth laity and clergy. If you would like more information, pleaselet me know. The Chrysalis Community is doing amazing thingsin the lives of youth and we look forward to the continuing support of the Nashville Emmaus Community. Christ is counting on YOU!

Fly with Christ,

Patrice RulloNashville Chrysalis Community Lay Director

Please Visit our Website – www.NashvilleChrysalis.com

Face To Face, Encounter #4 has just finished. FellowshipUMC was our gracious host this year and we all want to thankthem for allowing another amazing Emmaus experience for our18 Pilgrims (we had a few cancellations). Each of the 4 Fridayswere attended by all 5 of our clergy, SD – Randy Brown, ASDs – Will Rudolph, Blake Stevens, Victor Perez, and John Greer.Thank you all for your spiritual guidance…and humor! Ann Shaferwas our fantastic LD and she guided her amazing Team and the

Pilgrims through every week with love and care. Paul Gardner wasmy fearless partner, thank you Paul! As Coaches/ALDs we werehonored to spend these 4 Fridays helping the Pilgrims (and theTeam) meet Jesus in a new and special way.

I think I can say for everyone that serving seniors in thisunique venue, Face to Face, is a blessing to us all and we prayfor our Face to Face Next Day Pilgrims as they join the NashvilleCommunity of Emmaus who are praising God for an experience

like no other.Thank you, thank you, thank you, to the

Nashville Emmaus and Chrysalis Community for supporting FTF with your prayers, table agape, and foodagape. It was great to see so many of you at Candlelightand Closing. God is honored by your amazing support!

De Colores to all the FTF Encounter #4 Pilgrims!

Pat MishlerFace to FaceNashville Emmaus Board Representative

NOW – Face to Face wants to know if you would like to sponsor Encounter #5 at your church or facility in 2015. Contact me atpmish5@comcast.net and I can give you all the requirements and details. We need to get this on your calendar A.S.A.P

Face To Face

Chrysalis Flights . . . It’s almost time!

Setzer Memorial Scholarship FundThe Setzer Memorial Scholarship Fund is an ongoing memorial

to Jon and Marian Setzer. Donations will go to help assist those who would like to attend the Walk to Emmaus, Face To Face, or Chrysalis in the

Nashville Community and need financial help. If you would like to make a contribution in memory of Jon and Marian,

please go to our website for more information. You may donate via PayPal or send a check.

nashvilleemmaus.org/Setzer_Memorial_Scholarship_Fund/

Emmaus WalksFall

Men’s Oct 2-5Womens Oct 16-19

Chrysalis FlightsGirl’s May 31 - June 2Boy’s June 28-30

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we werestill sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

How do we know that God loves us? That is a questionthat we as human beings try to answer in many different ways.We may look at our circumstances and if things are going well forus we might think God loves us. We may see all that we have inlife and realize how blessed we are and say God loves us. Whatabout the person going through difficult times or the family thatlives in poverty? Is God’s love less manifest for them? I think mostof us would say no. But what do we point to that demonstratesGod’s love for us?

Paul makes it very clear in Romans 5:8 how God demonstrates His love for us… “When WE were sinners, Christdied for US”! Wow! This is a powerful statement. It was at OURpoint of greatest need that God demonstrated His love for us. It was when WE were lost in our sin that God poured out his extravagant love to us. It was when WE had turned our backs onGod, our neighbor and ourselves, that God chose to demonstrateHis grace in the most profound act of agape love, the giving ofHis Son for OUR sins. We reaffirm this reality every time we takecommunion. After we have made a confession of our sins corporately and individually, the pastor says these words:

“Hear the good news:Christ died for us while we were yet sinners:

That proves God’s love towards us.In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!”

We welcome the 60 new members from Walk #185,Walk # 186, and Face to Face Encounter #4 to the Nashville Emmaus community. My prayer is that all of our fourth day journeys are filled with the continuing realization of God’s lovefor each of us. In fact the whole purpose of our Walk to Emmausor Face to Face experience is to live out a grace empowered fourthday. So remember when that walk gets difficult, when that fourthday seems lonely and challenging, that you have not journeyedbeyond the reach of God’s love. When hard days come and youendure times of poverty, look to the cross and see that God’s loveis always, always toward YOU.

De Colores,

John Arnold, Community Spiritual Director

Nashville Community Clergy Members – If you are moving this Annual Conference please email us your new contact information (email address, mailing address, phone number) to News@NashvilleEmmaus.org.

2014 Nashville Emmaus Board of DirectorsExecutive LeadershipEdna Vaughan - Community Lay DirectorMary Main - Assistant Community Lay DirectorCharlene Eubank - SecretaryJon Bell - Treasurer

Lay Board MembersGreg Engroff - Registrar • Immediate Past Community Lay DirectorJeannie BellSandie GloverSteve GraysonCarla HuntNancy LeSuerHugh MasonJane Melrose Pat MishlerJohn NanceBill NelsonSam Trott

ClergyJohn Arnold - Community Spiritual DirectorAllen Weller - Assistant Community Spiritual DirectorJon BellLoyd Mabry

Ex-OfficioPatrice Rullo - Chrysalis

For More Info on Board Members and their areas of service, orto email a Board MemberNashvilleEmmaus.org/About_Us/

God’s Love