On April 7, 2011, the Keystone Emmaus Community board made these decisions:

• The spring Men’s Walk has been cancelled due to low registration, the team and the pilgrims will transfer, as they are able, to the fall Men’s Walk.
• Walks must have 10 registered pilgrims to take place.
• Beginning with the Fall Walk, we will close registration 30 days prior to the beginning Thursday of each walk
• Beginning with the 2012 walks, the fees for pilgrims will be $150 to cover our costs.
• Beginning with the 2012 walks, the men’s walk will take place once per year, in the spring, until the average attendance of a men’s walk is 15-20 pilgrims.

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The time is getting close to prepare for the falls walks, and I am not just talking about Agape food and drinks for the walks or even the love gifts that we put on the beds and at the tables.

These things are very important and we do need the Agape gifts, but more important is to get pilgrims on the walks.

It would be great to have a full men’s and women’s walks this fall.

This past spring we had to cancel the men’s walk do to lack of pilgrims.

The registrations form must be submitted one month before the walks; deadline for the men’s walk is Sept 22 and the women’s is Sept 29.

We as a community, with our many members, we should be able to fill these walks.

Do you all remember how beautiful it was for you to receive God’s Love when you took your Emmaus Walk?

If you know someone who would benefit by receiving this kind of love from God through this Emmaus Walk, be bold: do not be afraid to ask that person to come on this fall walk.

May God Bless You All.

YBIC

Tony Cummings
Agape Chairperson

DeColores!

The start of the New Year is a good time to set GOALS.

What will you achieve spiritually during 2011?

How do you organize your finances?

What projects will you finish? Or begin?

It’s important to take stock of last year and make plans for a new one, but there’s one vital thing that almost never shows up on people’s list of goals–WAITING!!!!

Result-oriented people, who measures success in terms of what they produce, can easily overlook the accomplishment of WAITING ON THE LORD.

In our fast paced society, WAITING is often seen as a passive acceptance of circumstances. Or worse, something we do as a last resort, after we’ve failed to achieve what we set out to do.

But God’s Word tells us clearly to WAIT ON THE LORD (Psalms 27:14) and teaches us that He will bless us greatly when we do (Isaiah 64:4). My favorite scripture is Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will sour on wings as Eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” this kind of WAITING does not imply idleness or apathy, but rather a determined stillness. It is a quiet, expectant, steadfast, courageous, and diligent activity that takes place until we receive further instruction.

TIMING IS IMPORTANT IN EVERYTHING–in battle, in the operating room, in sports, in negotiating, and in our daily walk with the Lord. One of the primary reasons we get out of God’s will is because we don’t know this TIMING. As we actively wait, we place complete trust in Him whether we see the results or not. We are not anxious, because we know God has
a Divine Reason for telling us to WAIT.

When we become impatient and take matters into our own hands, WE STEP OUT OF GOD’S WILL.

Failing to WAIT on the Lord delays His blessings for us and can bring pain and suffering. The cost of this mistake shows up in finances, relationships, and lost opportunities.

On the other hand, WHEN WE WAIT FOR GOD’S CLEAR DIRECTION, WE KEEP STEP WITH HIM. He uses this time to prepare us for His will, strengthen our faith, and sift our motives.

WAITING IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, WALKING IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD, AND RECEIVING HIS BLESSING!!!!

CHRIST BE BORN IN YOU!!!

Bishop Jim Sunderland,Jr.
Spiritual Director of Emmaus
Pastor of Unityville United Methodist Parish
January 2011

Most of us have a mental image of Jesus Christ.

Some see Him as a Mighty God who has come to save us from our sin and death. Others worship Him as their Prince of Peace and Eternal Hope. Many see Him as their Healer–spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Jesus is each of these and much more.

However, especially at this Christmas Season, our thoughts turn to a tiny baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. It is here we are reminded of a profound truth: JESUS IS OUR IMMANUEL–OUR SAVIOR AND OUR LIVING LORD.

Mere words are not adequate when it comes to expressing the depth of Love that was demonstrated by God on the night of His Son’s birth. Had Jesus not come to earth, we would have never experienced the eternal gift of God’s love. But He did come, and with Him came the real JOY of Christmas and a wondrous opportunity to know God in a personal and intimate way. No matter who you are or what turns your life has taken, God is aware of you, and He loves you with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3)
It was LOVE that prompted God to send His Son as an atonement for our sins. And it is this same love that motivates Him to draw us closer to Himself everyday.

LOVE as true as this reaches out to be shared over and over again.

The Apostle John wrote, In this is LOVE , not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins (I John 4:10). His words remind us that JESUS is the Father’s eternal gift of HOPE to a lost and dying world.

This Christmas as you give gifts to those you love, think of the love that was given to you that first Christmas.

Though none of us deserves His love, God gives it freely and without any regrets. Life’s great gift is not contained in a package, but in humble clothes of a baby who came to earth more than 2000 years ago.

MAY CHRIST BE BORN IN YOU!!!

Bishop Jim Sunderland
Keystone Emmaus Spiritual Director
Pastor of the Unityville United Methodist Paris

Every morning and evening, the Levites sacrificed a thank offering to the Lord.

This was to keep the people’s focus on their true provider–GOD.

Psalms 92:1-2 tells us,
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness at night.”

We would do well to imitate the Levites in this way, giving thanks in the morning and evening. When I think what I am grateful for each day, two things come to mind:
For the grace extended to me by our Lord Jesus Christ and for my friends in the Emmaus Community and my five churches in Unityville. Just being able to retire after forty years of ministry and being able to preach for a few more years is worth it all. I thank God for a nice home and for friends who are there for me to pray for me.

Especially I thank God for three meals a day and a few snacks in between. But thanking God goes beyond appreciating what He gives us and does for us. When we thank Him, we honor Him. A humble attitude of gratefulness refocuses our attention on the things that really matter in this life. When we have this mind set, our gaze moves away from anxiety to genuine contentment. The Apostle Paul knew it well.

He writes, “BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL COMPREHENSION, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS” (Phil 4:6-7). Thanking the Lord each day refreshes our relationship with Him and reinforces our faith.

So how do we express our thankfulness to God? By simply saying THANK YOU!!! Prayers of appreciation are the blessings to the Father. “He who offers the sacrifice of Thanksgiving honors me, and to him who orders His way aright, I shall show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23). We can demonstrate gratitude by worshipping, singing, praising Him in public, giving generously, and living a Godly life.

Even if you never get anything in return, you can honor God through actions in your everyday life that demonstrate thankfulness for His incredible generosity to you. In doing so, you will experience close intimacy with Him. It’s my prayer that you emulate the Levites in this way and receive the blessings that come from a grateful heart.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Bishop Jim Sunderland
Spiritual Director of Keystone Emmaus
Pastor of Unityville United Methodist Parish

Dear Friend of Emmaus

If we’re honest, we will admit that each of us has dealt with feelings of ANGER and FRUSTRATION. Most of us know what it feels like to waiting a long line for something we really don’t want to do. Or what it feels like to miss an important opportunity to do something we have looked forward to for a long time.

We can empathize with those who were not given a promotion, whose ideas were rejected at the homeowners meeting, who were cut off in traffic or ignored, bumped, scared, and treated with contempt along the road of life.

We all have to face the flush of ANGER and HURT when it rises from deep within.

ANGER has many faces. Some are subtle and barely noticeable while others are open for all to view. If left unattended, ANGER can quickly grow into a dangerous force that affects our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well-being.

People who either explode in ANGER or seethe in resentment and self-pity usually find it difficult to maintain close personal ties with others. Nothing derails a loving relationship faster than animosity or buried aggression.

These hamper our fellowship with the Lord and keep us from experiencing the fullness of His blessings.   

ANGER, while it is something that God has given us, must be dealt with according to His standards. If it is held inside and not released in the proper way, it becomes a gateway for many of life’s problems.

But thankfully, God has given us a way to overcome ANGRY feelings–we can let go of them and forgive. This does not mean denying frustrations and hurts when they come our way. The Bible records many instances where the Lord is ANGRY with those who violate His law. Jesus became ANGRY at the money changers in the Temple (Mark 11:15). He cursed the fig tree for failing to bear fruit (Matt 21:19). But unlike so many of us, God expresses ANGER in love and righteousness. He doesn’t hold grudges but instead forgives and continues to love.

In fact, we can experience a wondrous freedom when we give God our hurt and ANGER.He is the only One who really knows how to deal with the powerful emotion and turn it into something good.

Yours in Christ
Bishop Jim Sunderland
Spiritual Director
Keystone Emmaus
 

Calling all Prayer persons and that can be YOU….

Calling all communities to pray for the Algara Stroll which is on October 7 – 10…..

There is still lots and lots of time slots left to fill.   Please join with me in praying for the Pilgrims on the Stroll… You can pray at home, at work, in the car, on the plane.  If you are in Sydney and would like to pop into the Prayer Chapel I am sure the ladies there would love to see you!

Log onto the website….. www.sydneyemmaus.org.au   choose you slot.

Don’t forgot also to check out details of Candlighting and Closing Services.

Thanking you in advance for your support.  If you know of persons who would like to pray but don’t have access to the internet please feel free to give them my mobile – 0419 473132

De Colores
Cindy Kingdom
Sydney Community Prayer Director”