What is a Walk to Emmaus?

The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. 

The "Emmaus Community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk usually begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations.   

The Upper Room of The United Methodist Church sponsors the Walk to Emmaus and offers it through local Emmaus groups around the world.   The program invites and involves the participation of Christians of many denominations.  The three-day Emmaus experience and the follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world.

Who should go to Emmaus?

Emmaus is open to members of any Christian denomination. Emmaus is for the development of Christian leaders who:

• Are members of a local church
• Have a desire to strengthen their spiritual lives
• May have unanswered questions about their faith
• Understand that being a Christian involves responsibility
• Are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to God in an ongoing manner

Excerpt from What Is Emmaus?, by Stephen Bryant Published by the Upper Room. 

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  And he said to them,  "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" 

They stood still, looking sad.  Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him,  "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place in these days?" 

He asked them, "What things?" 

They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  Moreover, some women of our group astounded us.  They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.  Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him. 

Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!  Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"  Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.  But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over."  So he went in to stay with them.  When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 

They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us, while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"  That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 

They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"  Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.