From Community Lay Director
Like many of you, I read and reflect on the messages contained in a daily devotional. For me, it's Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. On April 22nd, Chambers' topic is “The Light That Fails.” He reflects on 2 Corinthians 3:18. “We all, with open face beholding the glory of the Lord.” He opens with: “A servant of God must stand so much alone that he never knows he is alone. In the first phases of Christian life disheartenments come, people who used to be lights flicker out, and those who used to stand with us pass away. We have to get so used to it that we never know we are standing alone. ‘All men forsook me ... notwithstanding the Lord stood with me’(2 Tim. 4:16-17). We must build our faith, not on the fading light, but on the light that never fails. When ‘big’ men go we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, the one thing that remains is looking in the face of God for ourselves.”
For many years I helped teach a junior high Sunday school class. I always thought this message was a wonderful charge and encouragement for those who were moving on to senior high and young adulthood. Of course, I also can't help but think of my own faith journey and the people who have meant so much to me. But the message for me in this year's reading of it is that this is a metaphor for our Emmaus Community.
Of the several thousand people who have walked to Emmaus in Bowling Green, at most several hundred are now actively serving in the Community. I realize that many more are active in reunion groups and that the purpose of Emmaus is to strengthen the Church ~ not the Emmaus Community. Nevertheless, “When 'big' men go we are sad...” When we come to realize “that they are meant to go,” we have to ask for what purpose? I think the answer, the critical insight, is that the most important members of the Bowling Green Emmaus Community are not those who came before us, who left their stamp on the Community and touched us so deeply. Nor are the most important members of the Bowling Green Emmaus Community ourselves, no matter how active and dedicated we are. Rather, the most important members of the Bowling Green Emmaus Community are always the next ones.
As our Emmaus and Chrysalis friends move on, “the one thing that remains is looking in the face of God for ourselves.” We are confronted with the fact that there is no one to do it for us. Indeed, no one can do it for us. But at the same time, although we will be richly blessed, we aren't called to look in the face of God for our own benefit. Rather, as Chambers goes on to say, “A Christian worker is one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people.”
For the last few years we've scheduled Walks and Flights, prepared our Teams, prayed for God to provide Pilgrims and Butterflies and in the end had to postpone Walks and Flights. I have no doubt we have been looking in the face of God. But, have we been talking to people? The Christians that we talk to about Emmaus and Chrysalis may or may not become Pilgrims or Butterflies, but those we don't talk to definitely will not.
For my part, in my time as Community Lay Director, I'd love to meet with your Pastor, Church Board or Sunday School Class to talk about Emmaus and Chrysalis. If you are willing to make the introductions, please call me. Our purpose is to strengthen the Church. The Body of Christ needs to know that. If there are more opportunities than I can handle, we’ll form teams.
Call me.
De Colores,
Tom Zander |