Moravian Church in North America
In Essentials, Unity; In Nonessentials, Liberty; In All Things, Love.
In Essentials, Unity; In Nonessentials, Liberty; In All Things, Love.
For generations of Moravians, the weeks spent at a Moravian summer camp represent pivotal events in their spiritual growth. While having fun, making friends and communing with nature, campers build a closer connection to their faith and to God.
As I’m sure it is for many of you, finding inspiration and strengthening of faith comes in many forms and events. Sunday morning worship, reading the Daily Texts, working in our communities or on a mission trip, helping others, studying the Bible or simply contemplating the beauty and splendor of nature all help to refresh the spirit. On a Sunday afternoon in February, I experienced an event that I need to add to that list.
Only three months remain before the 24th Moravian Music Festival in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, July 14-20! A lively volunteer committee chaired by Rebecca Kleintop Owens is working hard to ensure that the Festival experience for attendees will be even better than hoped for.
Moravian Bishop Kay Ward will share her faith and wisdom with sisters from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as she hosts a nine-month Bible study event on the pages of Gather magazine.
Gather is the magazine of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the Rt. Rev. Ward is author of the Bible study, "In Good Company: Stories of Biblical Women," which will run in the magazine from September 2013 through May 2014.
The brothers and sisters of the Palmyra Moravian Church rejoice as we celebrate our 150th Anniversary on May 17, 2013. Our mission statement: "Grow in Faith, Live in Love, Share the Hope, as we Journey with Jesus" will guide us as we continue to serve the Lord through the ministry of our congregation.
The full communion between the Moravian Church (Northern and Southern Provinces) and the Episcopal Church in America has been strengthened with the establishment of the Moravian Episcopal Coordinating Committee (MECC), which first met in January.
In the back of each year’s November issue of The Moravian Magazine, the Interprovincial Board of Communication shares the annual listing of the “Statistics of the Moravian Church in the U.S. and Canada.” We are drawn to review the list in some detail each year, knowing the churches pretty well after 30 years of ministry in Districts and Provinces. Some of what we see in these numbers is, well, troubling, and thus this commentary.
For nearly 50 years, the Lay Seminary program has brought knowledge of church, theology, the Bible and more to interested Moravians in the Southern Province. The Fall Lay Seminary, “The Big Picture: A View of Modern Moravian Theology,” continued that tradition with an overview of modern Moravian theology from the Rt. Rev. Wayne Burkette.
Moravians in many parts of the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean all have an opportunity to share in the same powerful message of faith every week. Through the Moravian Sunday bulletin subscription offered by the Interprovincial Board of Communication, the words of Moravian pastors and writers enhance the teaching of the weekly scripture readings.
In this day of instant access to images, music, words and ideas, it’s become almost too easy to lift a phrase from here or a picture from there and put them together for your church’s worship, web site or materials. But to paraphrase Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, with that ease comes great responsibility—responsibility to ensure copyrights are being respected.
The Northern and Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conferences recently approved a new document, “Guidelines for Congregations and Agencies of the Moravian Church in America For the Use of Copyrighted Materials.” Assembled by Moravian Music Foundation Executive Director Nola Knouse, this document offers an overview of what copyright is, what copyright applies to and how to remain within the law when using copyrighted materials.
The Larger Life Foundation is an important financial support ministry of the Moravian Church, Northern Province. The Foundation was founded in 1920 by a small group of Moravians with the goal of establishing an endowment fund, the income of which would be allocated to give “larger life” to the ministries of the church now and into the future. Following approval by the Provincial Synod, a firm foundation was laid through gifts and bequests that spanned decades. The assets of the Larger Life Foundation have grown through the years and now total $10,000,000.
Thursday, May 23 – Psalm 68:7-18
Proverbs 16; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:6,8
Christ says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33
Almighty God, when we are bogged down by the petty matters of life, give us perspective. Remind us that our real home is with you and we will worship and enjoy you in the heavenly kingdom forever! Amen.
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May 2013
Zinzendorf's Pennsylvania JourneyCount Zinzendorf speaks once again in this collection of sermons preached during his sojourn in Pennsylvania in the 1740s. These sermons, translated by Craig Atwood and Julie Tomberlin Weber, will touch your heart as they did those who heard them more than 250 years ago.