Ministries and People who have influenced me over the years
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Cursillo and Walk to Emmaus
Cursillo and the Walk to Emmaus are more than just three-day retreats; they are transformative experiences designed to strengthen and renew Christian discipleship. While Cursillo (Spanish for "short course") has its roots in the Catholic tradition and the Walk to Emmaus was developed by the Upper Room for the UMC, both share a common goal: to inspire, challenge, and equip leaders for Christian action in their homes, churches, and communities. They provide a beautiful rhythm of prayer, study, and fellowship that stays with you long after the weekend ends.
My original weekend was an Episcopal Cursillo Weekend in Romney, WV. It was a co-ed weekend that my wife and I attended. They number the weekends by state or area, and we attended WV #6. I know they had a WV#7 and maybe WV#8, but the Episcopal Bishop decreed that only Episcopalians could attend future weekends. We weren't Episcopalians and it seemed like the Holy Spirit decided He wasn't either, and the weekends ended. Many of the participants wanted to continue, so The Upper Room was contacted. They had started The Walk to Emmaus, but they didn't have a formal outline of how the retreat would be practiced. Our local team members put together a format that was quasi-Cursillo and quasi-Emmaus. The weekends flourished! They started with 2 men's and 2 womans weekends a year. Soon, they had waiting lists for women's weekends and added an additional one. Then extra men's, so now we were doing 6 weekends a year. A teen version call Chrysalis was started. Then a prison ministry called Kairos. A 12 step program called Credo was added. Guess what happened next? The Upper Room stepped in and declared that we only use their model to run our weekends. Do you see a pattern here? The mainline denominations are much more concerned about CONTROL than growth in spirituality or numbers. The results speak for themselves. No more waiting lists, loss of enthusiasm, back down to 4 weekends a year, several years only had 3, Chrysalis gone, and the other sister organizations reduced. The WV Emmaus is still going on, begging for pilgrims. It's a "nice" weekend, but no where near the power of the early years.
On my original "pilgrim" weekend, I was loved and served in ways that showed Christ's love. But, the real power of the weekends is serving on teams, developing practical ministry skills. That's where you learn to be Christ's Hands in Action, learning public speaking, leading a small group and leading praise and worship. I learned more about leading worship the first team where I was music director than five years of leading on Sunday mornings! There are many examples of pastors in the pulpit today who heard the call and developed the skills necessary on weekends. Similarly, there are many musicians who had a hidden dusty guitar under their beds, never to be played again, but went on a weekend, developed the skills through teaming and then took that back to their church. While the weekends aren't as powerful as they once were, I'd still recommend anyone to go on a weekend. It's a once in a lifetime experience.
The Story of De Colores
If you’ve been on a weekend, you’ve heard it. If you’ve served on a team, you’ve likely sung it until it was stuck in your head for a month!
De Colores (meaning "In Colors") is a traditional Spanish folk song that became the unofficial anthem of the Cursillo movement in the 1940s. While the lyrics celebrate the beauty of springtime, the many colors of the birds, and—yes—the "great big rooster," the spiritual meaning runs much deeper.
For those of us in the movement, "living in color" represents:
The Vibe of Grace: Moving from the "black and white" of a routine life into the vibrant, multi-colored reality of God’s grace.
Unity in Diversity: Just as a rainbow needs many colors to be complete, the church needs all of us—with our different backgrounds and gifts—to show the full beauty of Christ.
A Joyful Witness: It’s a reminder that being a Christian isn’t a somber or dull existence; it is a life of celebration and light.
Fun Fact: The rooster mentioned in the song isn't just a farm animal; he’s a symbol of the dawn. Just as the rooster announces the coming of the sun, we are called to announce the coming of the Son!