As we join Jesus “On the Way”, we find ourselves walking alongside two disciples, people who are weighed down and disheartened by the events they have just witnessed. Together we experience their journey; Longing for what was, experiencing the grace and presence of the Crucified and Risen Jesus, and running towards what could be, hope-filled and renewed.
Through a series of four Story Walks, we join the disciples on the walk to Emmaus to uncover where God is present and where the Spirit is guiding us. Join us as we hear stories, discern God’s call, and join Jesus on the way, for the renewal of northwest Ohio and the world.
After witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples are confused, disheartened, and longing for hope. As two of these disciples are walking to Emmaus, a stranger joins them, asking about the events that had just taken place. In this first Story Walk, we join the journey of these disciples, learning that through telling our story, we help each other realize that Jesus walks with us on the way.
Continuing our walk with the disciples, we try to make sense of the story. Explaining recent events to this stranger who is walking with them, the disciples lament all that they had hoped for and all that they were promised. This Jesus of Nazareth who they believed would redeem them was instead crucified, and now his tomb is empty. Why is spending time with our grief an important part of the journey? How is God present in this part of our story? In this second Story Walk we take time to sit at the foot of the cross and dwell in the lament.
As the disciples conclude their story, the stranger walking with them invites them to consider the larger story. The stranger begins telling them the story of Moses, the prophets, and what the scriptures say about Jesus of Nazareth. The disciples, enthralled in what this man is saying, invite him to stay with them. In this third Story Walk we join the disciples in experiencing the Word of God through Jesus’ presence, and we invite Jesus to be with us on our journey.
Accepting the disciples’ invitation to stay, the stranger joins them at the table, breaking bread and blessing it. A sudden realization overcomes the disciples: This man is the Crucified and Risen Jesus of Nazareth, the one they’ve been grieving and the Messiah they’ve been seeking. As Jesus exits, they are filled with hope and wonder, the disciples run back towards the place they were coming from, all thoughts of their previous journey gone. They could not wait to tell the story. As we conclude our walk through the story of the Road to Emmaus, we explore how we have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, and how this renewal might change our lives, our communities, and the world.