Friends are a special gift from God. Friends encourage, comfort, listen, and point us in the right direction when we have lost our way. The Holy Spirit does all these same things, but our earthly friends are ones we can see, hear, and touch.
In Mark 2:1-12 I was reading about four friends who went out of their way to make sure that their friend got close to Jesus. They actually tore open a roof to lower their friend to Jesus. What they were expecting was a physical healing, but what their friend received was so much more.
In our Emmaus community we need “four friends” who will “hold the ropes.” One of those four is the person who steps out to sponsor someone for a Walk to Emmaus. In my mind, this is the most important of the “four friends.” If a friend does not take this step, there will be a missed opportunity for God to transform a pilgrim and open his/her eyes to see and experience God in a different way.
The Conference Room Team is another “friend” who ministers to the pilgrims once they get to the camp. The Behind-the-Scenes “friends” (Logistics, Kitchen, Snacks, Agape, etc.) also provide for the pilgrim once he/she gets to the camp. The Prayer Vigil “friends” make sure that every minute of the 72 hour experience is covered with prayer.
It takes all four “friends” working as a team to lower their friend to an encounter with our Loving Lord and Savior. We never know what God has planned for each Walk to Emmaus. It may be something totally different than we could ever imagine. Will you be a “friend” to “HOLD THE ROPE”? Which “rope” is God asking you to hold?
De Colores,
Colleen Folger
Community Lay Director
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