From the Community Lay Director
It can be interesting to find out what impact your words can have on people. A couple of weeks ago, a fellow church member approached me and said that I had given him an experience that he had never had before in his 72 years. I wondered how in the world I had managed to do that. The previous Sunday I had helped serve Communion. When he came forward, I said -- The blood of Christ poured out for you -- and I called him by name. Nobody had ever called him by name at Communion time before. He told me that pointed out to him very directly that indeed Jesus had died for him.
I finished another project around the house. If you are keeping track, that makes three since I retired. We have a mostly finished basement. When we bought the house, we also bought a carpet remnant and laid carpet in one end of the unfinished area. A couple of racks that house our Christmas decorations and the miscellaneous other stuff that accumulates over time that you don't need every day are set up over the carpet. The other end of the unfinished area is the home for a work bench, miscellaneous yard work tools, and the lawn mower's parking spot. For some reason, we did not use the entire carpet remnant. The remnant of the remnant had been standing rolled up in the corner for over a decade. The remnant of the remnant has now been laid. There was not enough carpet to cover all of the concrete floor that was left in the unfinished area, but I am happy with the area that is now covered. And happy the project is finally done. Laying down that piece of carpet has been planned to be done over Christmas vacation for at least five years.
I have started a project that I am hoping that I will be spending a couple of decades working on. I am of an age that my survivors having to deal with all the stuff I have left behind could happen at any time. Do I need to keep holding on to the 25th anniversary tie tack provided by an organization I was a member of for more than 35 years -- that I have never used?? Nope. Those crayon drawings my kids drew in kindergarten? I think I will transfer custody the next time I see them. My Emmaus Walk Agape items? They will stay with me to the end of my days.
The projects I have completed so far were all solo projects, well me and my two hands. And my brain for the multitude of decisions that needed to be made for each project. The toughest project brain-wise so far has been deciding which empty box to keep and which to recycle. Being able to fit a box inside another box was a significant deciding factor.
There are some projects coming up that will take a village -- the village that is the Lexington Emmaus Community and the Emmaus Community at large. Men's and Women's Walks are planned in October. A Chrysalis Flight is planned for President's Day weekend in February 2026. October may seem a long way off, and February 2026 even further off, but the Walks and Flight will be here before we know it. Team members and pilgrims/caterpillars need to be gathered. The first Emmaus Walk team training date is August 16. Agape items need to be made/purchased. Prayer charts need to be filled. The October Walks and the Chrysalis Flight will take a village
Your Board of Directors has decided that we will not be setting a minimum number of pilgrims to hold a Walk anymore. We have come to understand that the uncertainty over whether a Walk will happen or not undermines the willingness for potential pilgrims and potential team members to commit to the Walk. In fact, we have decided to go in the other direction and set a maximum of 15 pilgrims for each Walk. So get those applications ready soon!
De Colores!
Michael Watts
Mission Statement
Renewing Christian Disciples,
Strengthening Local Churches
Rejoice, Rejoice, and again I say Rejoice!
Welcome to the Lexington Emmaus Community!
Next Gathering
Date: Friday, June 13
NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE!