david von
As we close in on our third year as a community I
simultaneously am struck by 2 very different emotions. I can honestly say that
I am filled with great awe of how faithful God has been to myself, my family,
and our Emmaus Community. But there is also a nagging frustration that moves to
disappointment at where I have fallen short and places our community lacks
purpose and passion. As I have wrestled through this I am greatly encouraged by
those around me and the Holy Spirit within me to know that God has a plan and He
is faithful to complete it!!
Without sounding
melodramatic I believe we are at a pivotal moment in our community’s
development, we are in a season of God speaking, guiding, and moving us into a
fuller picture of what His plans are for Emmaus. It has become clear that we
need to make some slight course corrections to most fully respond to what God
is calling us into as a community. From the beginning it was our prayer to be a
place where people could simply encounter Jesus, be transformed by Jesus, and
be sent by Jesus. This is still what my heart pounds for!! While we have seen
this in pockets of our body we have also seen a church drifting without clear
purpose and direction. My desire has always been to be as freeing as possible
remaining as hands off as possible, giving room to the spirit. But I have begun
to see more clearly my role in bringing stronger leadership and clarity to our
church. With that in mind we want to dedicate the summer of 2013 to connecting
with each other, listening to God, and acting on his direction. I am well aware
that we will never arrive but we do desire to grow and mature, bringing more
clarity, passion, and purpose so that all of those we connect with can
experience the power of Jesus Christ!!