"Walk to Emmaus" Frequently Asked Questions for 10-AUG-2011
In an effort to better inform members of Signal Crest on the spiritual renewal program called “Walk to Emmaus,” we will be sending you two or three Frequently Asked Questions about the program each day this week.
Today’s topic: Why are there Separate Events for Men and Women, and What Should I know Before Attending a Walk to Emmaus?
Why Have Separate Events for Men and Women?
Having separate events for men and for women is another feature that distinguishes Emmaus from other church retreat experiences. Although seemingly unusual, this approach proves to be one of the strengths of the program for many participants— both single and married. Emmaus encourages equal commitment to attend a Walk on the part of both persons within a marriage relationship. In this way, their common experience deepens their oneness in Christ. After the three-day experience, men and women participate together in all Emmaus-related activities, though many prefer separate group reunions as well.
Marriage enrichment is not the aim of the Emmaus Walk. Emmaus's structure focuses on the individual's spiritual life, so separate events keep the focus on the person.
Separate events grant married persons individual time apart to explore their relationship with God. Married persons can give themselves to the three days without worrying about how their spouses are faring. Separate events also free some spouses from limiting patterns of behavior in their marriages that would normally inhibit them from speaking openly about some aspects of their lives or about spiritual matters in the presence of each other. For example, in ordinary settings, spouses sometimes have a way of speaking for each other. In The Walk to Emmaus, all persons think and speak for themselves. Persons have the space to revisit their own relationship with God and to express themselves.
Separate men's and women's events also offer single persons and married men and women freedom for expression and sharing that some do not feel in the company of the opposite sex. Separate events relieve single persons of the discomfort of being the "unmarried" ones in the midst of many married couples. This arrangement gives men an opportunity to express natural emotion—something that many are reluctant to do in our culture, especially in the presence of women. Separate events give women the same freedom, especially those whose identities, outlook, or creativity have been defined by the men in their lives.
One noteworthy benefit of separate weekends is the way men make significant spiritual connections with other men, and women with other women. For example, men get beyond the typical male exchange about work, weather, and sports to open to one another about their relationships with God and the quality of their lives. In a day when many men have vanished from churches, Emmaus is reenlisting them effectively into the ranks of congregations. Through Emmaus, they hear anew Christ's call to commitment within their roles as husbands, fathers, workers, church members, and leaders. They make friends who hold them mutually accountable and keep them focused on their priorities.
What Should I Know Before Attending a Walk?
Emmaus is for church persons. Emmaus is designed for active church members and their leaders who want to rekindle their faith or renew their vision. Emmaus also benefits less active church members who are seeking to renew a relationship with God, to grow spiritually, or to discover firmer foundations for their lives. However, Emmaus is not an evangelistic outreach to non-Christians. The content of the Walk assumes a certain familiarity with the basics of the Christian faith and tries to build on each person's positive relationship with the church.
Emmaus is for people who want to grow spiritually, who hunger for the bread of life. Emmaus is for persons who simply want to understand the Christian faith more fully and to mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. Emmaus is for persons who want to build up the church in love and contribute to its ministry.
The Emmaus Walk is mainstream in theological outlook. Emmaus has room for a great variety of Christians who seek to grow, share, and give themselves to a three-day walk with Christ. Emmaus is a common meeting ground for the great diversity of Christians in our churches who celebrate their unity in Christ and feel they can learn from one another, be they traditionalists, evangelicals, liberals, conservatives, activists, or charismatics. Emmaus is for those who seek to follow Christ without regard to labels and camps.
Emmaus is for building faith and discipleship, not for working through grief or psychological problems. Emmaus teams are not trained for counseling or group therapy. If you are preoccupied with working through personal dilemmas, consider waiting to go through Emmaus when you feel freer to focus on the message of the Walk.
Emmaus is for fostering unity in Christ, not for theological debate and arguments about denominations. Emmaus tries to foster appreciation and openness to the different faith-perspectives of the participants. Bring a spirit of Christian tolerance and charity toward others, including members of other denominations. If you cannot affirm your unity with other kinds of Christians, if you tend to define Christianity narrowly and legalistically or are intolerant of those who see things differently, then Emmaus is probably not for you.
Emmaus is a concentrated three-day course in Christianity, not a relaxing retreat. Don't bring work from the office or have hopes of taking an afternoon off to read. Except for break times, Emmaus is a very full experience. Come with empty hands and open hearts, planning to give yourself completely to the experience.
Tomorrow’s Topics: When will upcoming Walks take place? Where are they held? What is Chrysalis and Crossroads? What’s the deal with the "DeColores" bumper stickers?