LIVING WATER
OPEN DOOR EMMAUS 4th DAY GROUP
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LIVING WATER |
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OPEN DOOR EMMAUS 4th DAY GROUP |
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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR |
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Luelda Robichaux |
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Greetings in the name
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! |
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It was one of those days…a day when nothing seemed to be going right. Everyone I encountered seemed to have a negative attitude. Every phone call I answered seemed to have someone on the other end who was upset about something. I kept reminding myself not to take any of it personally, but after awhile, it got harder and harder not to. And then there were those people who
said things that I had to take personally, since they were directly
criticizing me or something I had done. As the day wore on, I tried to keep
a positive attitude, but I was wearing down. By afternoon, I felt like I
had no strength left…I was done! |
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And then I answered the phone, and I heard the voice of a
young man, full of warmth and enthusiasm. He needed some information about
Cleburne, and I was glad to answer his questions. He asked me for my email
address to send me some information about his company. Later on, I was
surprised when I got his email. He not only sent me the information he had
promised, he also went on to thank me for taking such good care of him
earlier. He was highly complimentary and extremely kind…just exactly what I
needed to hear! It was amazing how those affirming, encouraging words just
kind of turned my whole day around! |
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| I thank God for that young man, and I pray that He can use me to help someone else who’s feeling as overwhelmed as I was that day! | |||||
| De Colores Luelda |
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CLERGY CORNER |
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Rev. Jack Hunnicutt |
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... but you shall be
called priests of the Lord, |
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EASTER-TIDE |
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Now that Easter is over, we can only await Easter until next
year... correct? Well, not exactly. We know that Jesus ascended as he
promised but he did not leave the Apostles and Disciples alone just as he
does not leave us alone. Our Saviour promised to always be with them and
with us. And we know that is true. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
to fill those assembled in the Upper Room in Jerusalem! Thereafter, they
were surrounded with the Grace and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ! And the Good News is, so are we! Our Lord's gift of love and power are here during all this Easter-tide for our taking. |
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Remember the song, “They will know we are Christians by our love?” John Wesley wrote in a similar vein when he said, "Give me your hand. I do not say, `Come over to my side' nor `Draw me over to your side.' But if your heart be as my heart and is filled with the love of Christ Jesus, then give me your hand." This is Wesley’s reminder that we have an Easter-tide gift... the power of love and the presence of Holy Spirit always with us. |
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My friends, each time we assemble in
our “upper room” of the Emmaus Walks or Gatherings, we come to the Table
to receive the elements of bread and wine... symbols of the Spirit filling
our hearts with grace and love. We are invited to join Wesley and the
“Great Cloud of Witnesses” in taking each other’s hands and being
“...filled with the love of Christ Jesus....” |
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So remember in this long year of Easter-tide, as we surround
the Table and receive the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper: bread and
wine, the body and blood of our Lord, and we join hands, we are joining
hands with our Lord. Hear our Lord’s voice, “...take each others hand in
love and believe. In faith you will find forgiveness and hope” ...and the
strength to carry on until next Easter. Fellow Pilgrims, we journey not to Emmaus, but from Emmaus, hand in hand, to share the Good News of Easter’s Resurrection... all year long. So, let us walk hand in hand in faith through Easter-tide. |
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| De Colores. Jack | |||||
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FROM THE LAY DIRECTOR |
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Roy Williams |
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... for you will be
his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. |
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God’s Wings |
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An article in National Geographic several years ago painted an incredible picture of God’s wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked the bird over with a stick. Upon doing so, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live. When Christ spread out
His arms on the cross He was not pushing us away but calling us to draw
close and be protected. |
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…. he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4 NRSV (If you ever feel that all the world is against you, try reading Psalm 91 in its entirety.) DeColores, Roy |
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HIS WONDERFUL WORKS |
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Assembled from various sources by the newsletter staff |
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"O give thanks to
the Lord, call on His name, make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of His wonderful works." |
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