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Who should attend the Great Banquet?
This weekend experience is for anyone who:
1. wishes to strengthen his/her own spiritual life;
2. wants to have a better understanding of prayer, the sacraments,
study and Christian action;
3. strives to live a Christian life that bears fruit for God;
4. seeks to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to make Him
known.
You are invited . . .
You are invited to be a guest at the Great Banquet given by God and to
feast on His goodness and love.
History of the Great Banquet
To become familiar with the Great Banquet, let’s look first at the
history of its counterparts, the Cursillo and the Walk to Emmaus. The
Cursillo (3-day course in Christianity) began in Spain in the 1940’s
in the Catholic Church. It spread to the United States and evolved for
Protestants into the Walk to Emmaus under the auspices of the Upper Room
and the United Methodist Church. An Emmaus Movement was started at the
First Presbyterian Church in Madisonville, Kentucky in 1982. After a
10-year history of the Walk to Emmaus in Madisonville, the Great Banquet
was formed. Governed by an ecumenical board of directors and using the
“Cursillo model”, but with a different image, the Great Banquet
continues to emphasize personal Christian discipleship.
Purpose of the Great Banquet
The focus of the Great Banquet is to know Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior and to make Him known. The objective of the Great Banquet is to
continue the 3-day weekend by serving Christ in local churches, homes
and work places. To live a life of grace and to respond to higher levels
of Christian discipleship becomes the purpose of the Great Banquet.
Image of the Great Banquet
The Gospel of Luke presents the parable of the Great Banquet. Jesus
tells of a master who prepared a great banquet and invited many guests,
saying, “Come, for everything is now ready.” After so many excuses
for not attending by his invited guests, the master became angry and
ordered his servants: “Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the
town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”
After this had been done and room still remained, the master told his
servants: “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come
in, so that my house will be full.” Then, as additional invitations
were given, the banquet was presented to his guests. The results of the
master’s invitation was to feast and fellowship at a banquet given by
God. (Luke 14:15-24)
The parable above provides the picture for the Great Banquet. Like its
counterparts, Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Via-De-Cristo and Tres Dias,
this movement examines Christianity as a lifestyle. The Great Banquet is
an orderly, structured weekend designed to strengthen and renew the
faith of Christians. Through a combined effort of laity and clergy, the
Great Banquet focuses on the renewal of the church.
What Happens at the Great Banquet?
The Great Banquet is a 72-hour experience, beginning on Thursday evening
and ending on Sunday evening. For three days, guests live and study
together in a worshipful time of singing, prayer and discussion. During
each of fifteen talks given by laity and clergy, the theme of God’s
grace is presented. Guests participate in the daily celebration of Holy
Communion and examine more fully the presence of Christ in His body of
believers. They personally experience His grace through the prayers and
acts of a loving, Christian support community.
What Happens After the Great Banquet?
One of the most important parts of the Great Banquet is the follow-up.
Although the weekend lasts only three days, guests are invited to use
its lessons for the rest of their lives. After attending the Great
Banquet, they are challenged to:
1. Strengthen their own spiritual life through study and active
congregational participation.
2. Strive to become active disciples of Jesus Christ in the world
through their church.
To assist in this discipleship, the Great Banquet offers specific
opportunities. First, reunion groups of three to five people meet weekly
to examine their goals of spiritual growth and to encourage one another
to a life of discipleship. Second, there will be opportunities to assist
in future Great Banquet weekends through prayer, support and team
involvement. Third, guests are made aware of community needs through a
newsletter of other Great Banquet activities, both locally and
regionally.
If you are interested in learning more about the Great Banquet, please
contact:
Terry & Teresa Crockett
Zionsville Great Banquet
4775 West 116th Street
Zionsville, Indiana 46077
(317) 844-1052
or
Contact us online for more
information. |
