From the Community Lay Director

Hoping you had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year!

I just completed another season of ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. One of the things you notice as you stand outside a store for a couple of hours is that hope and joy are not conditions evenly distributed among the population. I understand that having a wife that loves me nearly all of the time, being in good health, and having a stable financial situation make hope and joy a lot easier to come by. But that hope and joy were birthed from a place of deep sadness and lostness and nurtured towards blooming in my Walk to Emmaus. Wishing everyone that walks by a Merry Christmas while you are ringing a bell, you can sometimes see someone that sees that hope and joy might still be possible, but maybe they do not know how to get there.

I have written many of these messages in the past several years, so I have probably mentioned before that my favorite Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy. Why? Because the song is about me. Like the little drummer boy, I do not stand before a king. I do not stand before my king. I stand before The King. Like the little drummer boy, I wonder - what gift could I possibly give that would be worthy of The King. Like the little drummer boy, I give all that I am and all that I have, I play my drum. The little drummer boy played his best. I intend to play my best. But sometimes I do wonder if I am settling for what I think is good enough. As Christians, are we doing our best for The King? Based on what I see in this world, I would have to wonder. As an Emmaus Community, are we doing our best for The King, our Lord and Savior? Or are we settling for what we think (hope) is good enough?

As I started thinking about what I wanted to say in this article, I was beginning from a point of - not quite discouragement, but something near to it. Our pilgrim numbers for the 2025 Walks were pretty low. Barely two dozen over four Walks. None of the Walks would have happened if the Board of Directors had stayed with a minimum of 12 pilgrims to hold a Walk. The Upper Room, owner of the Walk to Emmaus copyright, recommends that no more than one Board of Directors member be part of a Walk team. And that one member is to have basically an audit role, not an active role in the Walk. The team for Walk 155 had seven Board members in active roles. We didn't even have the audit role filled. Lexington Emmaus Community, where have you been?

As we go into a new year, let's remember the first talk of our Emmaus Walk about priorities. Let us remember our acknowledgment during the cross ceremony that Christ is counting on us. Let us do our best in the coming year for The King. Count on Christ to help us with that effort. Whatever that means in our lives. Reading the Newsletter every month. Coming to Gatherings. Sponsoring pilgrims and caterpillars. Coming to the Sendoff, Candlelight and Closing events even if you are not sponsoring a pilgrim or caterpillar. Participating in Emmaus Walk and Chrysalis Flight teams.

Maybe it is just the endorphin rush from wishing well over a thousand people a Merry Christmas during the Salvation Army bell ringing season, but that state of not quite discouragement has receded. Not disappeared, but it has receded. I have renewed hope that The King with the Holy Spirit will inspire sponsors, will inspire pilgrims, will encourage realignment of priorities and that the Lexington Emmaus Community will be a shining light on the hill.

DeColores!

Michael Watts
Community Lay Director
Lexington Emmaus Community

Mission Statement
Renewing Christian Disciples
Strengthening Local ChurchesMichael Watts

Welcome to the Lexington Emmaus Community!

Next Gathering

Date: Friday, January 2

We will meet at 6:00 for fellowship, Potluck dinner at 6:30 and worship at 7:15.

place: Trinity Hill Methodist Church; 3600 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY, 40502

NOTE: During the Winter months Emmaus Gatherings will follow Fayette County Schools policy on closings in the event of inclement weather conditions.

Your Lexington Emmaus Community Board of Directors want to make sure we are representing all of our community as we move into the future. We have three people who have told us they are willing to come onto the Board for the coming year, 2026. They are Cindi McKay, Lauren Myre, and Paul Purcell. If you will affirm these three persons to represent you on our Board, or if you would be willing to serve in some capacity, please send an email to lexemmaus@gmail.com to let us know.