Moravian Magazine, April 2011

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Celebrating Full Communion Mississippi Mission In Our Congregations …and more!

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On the cover: Bishops from the Northern and Southern Provinces lay on hands and pray with bishops from The Episcopal Church, acknowledging the ministry of each other. Photo: Mike Riess

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Celebrating Full Communion Mississippi Mission In Our Congregations

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…and more!

Christ and him crucified remain our confession of faith In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love

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Moravian-Episcopal Full Communion 6 8

Celebrating Full Communion An historic occasion that looks to the future

Moravian Mission 15 15 17 20

Five years later, mission work continues on Gulf Coast Mission helps participants, too Experience educates idea of “mission” Mission trip renews faith and life of displaced couple

Moravian History & Music 12 26

Unity archivists gather to chart “future of our history” A Moravian Music Weekend at Laurel Ridge

Stewardship Member, Associated Church Press

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Learning about God and money

Reflections 22

Multitude of Sins: an essay from “Hoping for Spring”

In Our Congregations 24 28

Effort brings comfort to frightened children Students’ Sunday School projects crafted to last a lifetime

Visit our website at Ministry of Camping <http://www.moravian.org>.

Letters to the editor, address 30 Trail Trek for Laurel Ridge corrections, and other correspondence may be In Every Issue e-mailed to the magazine at 4 Ponderings: Of style, substance and relevance <pubs@mcnp.org>.

April 2011

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An Invitation from the Moravian Magazine Obituaries/Official Provincial Elders’ News

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PONDERINGS

Of style, substance and relevance

(ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600) April 2011, Vol. 42, No. 3 Publications Agreement No. 40036408 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Express Messenger International, PO Box 25058, London, Ontario N6C6A8, email: <emi@exmessenger.com> Official Journal, The Moravian Church in North America, Northern and Southern Provinces Published monthly, except bimonthly January-February and July-August issues, by the Interprovincial Board of Communication, 1021 Center St., Bethlehem, PA 18018.

After

cleaning out some old files, a co-worker at the Moravian Church Center left a tattered pamphlet on my desk. It was a copy of The Style Book for The North American Moravian, an editorial guide for an earlier incarnation of the magazine you are reading right now.

On its yellowing pages, in blue ink, are the style rules that guided my editorial ancestors. The date? 1938.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to take her gift; was she trying to tell me something? She assured me that she offered it solely for the historical interest and not as a commentary on my editing style. But it got me thinking: could an editorial guide prepared more than 70 years ago still be relevant today?

In my communications work, guidelines from seven decades ago are usually hopelessly antiquated. The ways we share information today were unheard of 25 years ago, let alone 70 years ago. Gone are the typewriters, telegrams, typesetting machines and black & white photos. Today, communication is instant; e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, smartphones and iPads have made much of what existed back then — or even ten years ago — obsolete. Even the printed word has changed in how it’s produced and delivered.

Reading the first line — “1. Use typewriter, if possible, always double-spacing; white paper of standard typewriter size…” — caused my optimism about the usefulness of this old Style Book to fade. The optimism returned, however, when I took the time to read the book’s foreword written by Dale H. Gramley, director, Courses in Journalism, Lehigh University: ‘Write it Right is the title of one of the books Ambrose Bierce penned ...and “write it right” is what this statement of style for THE MORAVIAN urges you to do. the journalistic viewpoint, strict adherence to the rules and direct From ions herein contained is just as important as correctness in anything in life that’s worth the effort.

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Make checks payable in U.S. funds to The Moravian.

Subscription rates: $15.00 per year, U.S.A. & Canada; $18.00 per year, all other countries.

Individual copies available for $3.00 each.

The Moravian is sent to the families of the Moravian Church as a privilege of membership. Periodicals postage paid at Bethlehem, PA. Circulation: 17,800 Postmaster please send address changes to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245.

Continuing The North American Moravian, The Moravian and The Wachovia Moravian.

Michael Riess, Editor Deb Swanson, Advertising Coordinator Interprovincial Board of Communication Paul Knouse, Paul Peucker Chair Adam Pristas Jane Burcaw Richard Sides Jane Carmichael Valerie Wagner Lance Fox Jill Westbrook Gary Kniskern Address all correspondence regarding articles, subscriptions, or advertising to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245 FAX: 610.866.9223 Phone: 610.867.0594 800.732.0591 e-mail: <pubs@mcnp.org> <www.moravian.org>

The Moravian

“I commend this statement of style for your use, not only in preparing copy for THE MORAVIAN but in submitting news of church activities to the daily press... as well.”

These were direct words from one who knew what he was talking about. Gramley was a journalism teacher; an editor of the Bethlehem Globe-Times; served as assistant to the president of Moravian College and Theological Seminary; and was president of Salem Academy and College for more than 20 years.

After reading this endorsement, I pressed on, delving deeper into the guidelines that followed. The more I read, the more I discovered how many of the points in the guide reflect the style and grammar we use in The Moravian today.

The Style Book spells out standard grammar rules, like how to use commas or semicolons, when to capitalize and where quotation marks go. Others highlight specific styles like how to use the Moravian custom of referring to a fellow Moravian as “Brother,” the elimination of superfluous words, the avoidance of trite or hackneyed phrases, even thoughts on what makes news and how to present it.

This old guide illustrates that good writing is good writing, no matter in what decade or medium one shares it. The central idea remains the same: content is king. Creating clear, concise communication that follows simple guidelines remains the most effective way to convey information and inspiration.

Yes, the Style Book is 73 years old. But with some updating and revision, it will join my Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Associated Press Style Guide and Elements of Style as my “go-to” guides for editing.

Discovering this guide and putting it to use brought another thought into sharp focus.

Much in today’s fast-paced society seems old and outdated. Many aspects of our technology, culture, politics, and yes, even our church grow increasingly irrelevant to modern day life.

Just because something is old doesn’t necessarily mean it is no longer relevant. Yes, there are rules that no longer apply or make sense. But to keep irrelevance at bay, we need to recognize and celebrate those things that guide our church that still ring true today.

Like any organization, religious or otherwise, we need to constantly address the balance of holding to our traditions and beliefs while becoming vital and relevant to a changing world.

At the end of the Style Book is a ten-question checklist of things that interest readers.

Again, some of these questions are outdated.

But the final question highlights what I hope all of our congregations have in mind when considering writing for The Moravian: “Have any innovations in technique or method, which might be adopted for other congregations, been introduced for making the work of the church more effective? What were they and what as been their success?”

Answering this and other questions helps buoy our relevance. And that’s where The Moravian comes in. Our hope is that in these pages, we can demonstrate and highlight how our denomination — and Christ’s Church Universal — can be relevant, vibrant and growing.

As always, I welcome your ideas and comments.

Mike Riess, editor

FULL COMMUNION

Moravian Church Northern & Southern Provinces and The Episcopal Church celebrate Full Communion at landmark service

Moravian PEC Presidents Elizabeth Miller and David Guthrie, and Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, record the MoravianEpiscopal service in Central Moravian Church’s registry.

The Moravian Church, Northern and Southern Provinces celebrated their full communion relationship with The Episcopal Church in a landmark service held in Bethlehem Feb. 10.

Hosted at the historic Central Moravian Church, bishops and leaders from both denominations commemorated and celebrated a relationship that brings a greater unity to the Christian community. The inaugural service, attended by more than 400 people, blended elements of both Moravian and Episcopal liturgies, music and worship traditions and included a choir with members from Bethlehem’s Central Moravian Church, Cathedral Church of the Nativity and Trinity Episcopal Church.

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Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Moravian Provincial Elders Conference Presidents the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Miller (North) and the Rev. David Guthrie (South) presided over the service. The Rt. Rev. Steven Miller, Bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, preached the sermon, while Dr. Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal House of Deputies and the Rev. Dr. William McElveen from the Moravian Church Southern Province, said the Prayers for Christian Unity from the Moravian Book of Worship.

“This liturgical observance and celebration of full communion with the Moravian Church is an event that comes along once in a lifetime, if one is long-lived and fortunate,” said Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. “Instances

Bishops from the Episcopal Church lay hands on Moravian bishops during the Reconciliation of Episcopal Ministries. Photos by Mike Riess

of reconciliation between different Christian communions since the Reformation have been rare — and the fact that we are marking this reconciliation with the Moravians is remarkable.”

“This full communion relationship continues a long tradition of both denominations working together to further the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Miller of the Moravian Church Northern Province. “This new relationship offers a powerful witness to the world that what binds us together is always stronger than any divisions that may have existed from the past.”

During the service, bishops from both churches laid hands upon their counterparts and prayed, acknowledging the ministry of each other and bestowing the grace and authority for the exercise of the ministry of

a bishop. The bishops from both denominations also served Holy Communion to the gathered celebrants.

A video of the event is available on <www. moravian.org/news>. ■

Church leaders celebrate Holy Communion during the special service.

April 2011

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FULL COMMUNION

Moravian-Episcopal Full Communion Celebration:

An historic occasion that looks to the future The inaugural service in celebration of the “full communion” relationship between the Moravian Churches, Northern and Southern Provinces and the The Episcopal Church was much more than an important 21st Century event for our two churches. Rather, it marks an important event in Church history which is now in its 21st century.

The service in Central Moravian Church was conducted by representatives of the two Communions, a fine choir of Moravians and Episcopalians from the vicinity and a sermon

by the Rt. Rev. Steven Miller, the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Milwaukee. During the service the Episcopal bishops present knelt before the Moravian bishops who laid hands on them and prayed, “Eternal God, with thanksgiving we acknowledge the ministry these servants have received and exercised, and we ask you through your Holy Spirit to bestow upon them the grace and authority as understood and required by this [Moravian] church for the exercise of the ministry of a bishop, for the sake of the unity of the church,

(l-to-r) Dr. Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies, Episcopal Church; The Rt. Rev. Steven A. Miller, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee; The Rev. David Guthrie, President, Provincial Elders’ Conference, Moravian Church Southern Province; The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church; The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Miller, President, Provincial Elders’ Conference, Moravian Church Northern Province; The Rt. Rev. Paul Marshall, Bishop, Diocese of Bethlehem; The Rt. Rev. Graham Rights, Bishop of the Moravian Unity; The Rev. Dr. William McElveen, Moravian Church Southern Province

through Jesus Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.”

This was followed by the Aaronic blessing and by Moravian bishops kneeling for the same words and blessing from the Episcopal bishops. Through these prayers, blessings, and the exchange of right hands of fellowship and passing of the peace, the reconciling of the clergy of our two Communions took place.

He is our peace Prior to the Holy Communion, Bishop Miller preached on a text from Ephesians 2:13 : “‘Now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ Jesus. For He is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.’ These words are a challenge to us…We were reminded in the Moravian Liturgy for Christian Unity that a part of our brokenness and sin is our tendency to make ‘idols of our achievements’.”

In discussing the Full Communion relationship, Miller cited the words of his first spiritual director. “Steven, Jesus is Lord… what are you going to do about it?’ To take it the next step, I ask, ‘We are in full communion; what are we going to do about it? Or better yet…what does God want to do in and through us?’”

Collaboration and cooperation The real “fruit” of our agreement will be in the future collaboration and cooperation in the mission and ministries of our two churches. That was the stated purpose of the dialogue from its first meeting through the adoption of the agreement. Of this assumed future, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefforts Schori said, “We give April 2011

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and PEC Presidents Guthrie and Miller discuss Full Communion following the service.

abundant thanks for the gifts that Moravians offer us, and hope that the gifts we offer are helpful.” Then she spoke of the places in the world, in addition to our country where Moravian and Anglicans/ Episcopalians have (continued on next page) The Rev. Dr. William H. McElveen is a retired Moravian pastor living in King, North Carolina. He played a leading role in the development of the Episcopal/ Moravian Full Communion relationship.

The Rev. Dr. Bill McElveen and the Rt. Rev. Gary Gloster, an Episcopal bishop, helped lay the groundwork for the Moravian-Episcopal dialog. They reunited at the Southern Province Synod in September.

Moravian and Episcopal bishops listen the Bishop Steven Miller’s sermon.

(continued from previous page) worked together and will have opportunity to work together in significant ways.

“We can be grateful that we will come to know Moravians for their distinctive gifts in music, liturgy and ethos of reconciliation. I would urge Episopalians to go looking for Moravian neighbors and begin to explore together how we can more deeply serve God’s people and God’s creation in the world.”

Our own bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Rights, of the Southern Province, said, “In our Ground of the Unity, Moravians declare that ‘since we together with all Christendom are pilgrims on the way to our Coming Lord, we welcome every step that brings us and other Christians nearer the goal of uniting in Him,’ this full communion with The Episcopal Church is one more step toward that goal.

This new relationship enables us to make a stronger witness in the world to the unity found in Jesus Christ, and it offers opportunity for greater collaboration and for strengthening the mission and ministry we are called to carry out in the world today.”

Starting with a conversation The process which culminated in the February service began with a conversation between the Rev. Tom Rightmyer, an Episcopal priest, and me at a meeting of the Christian Unity 10

Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches in 1993 in which we spoke of how our two churches were pursuing full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We said we should be seeking such an agreement between our churches. So, we called clergy from our two churches together and met from 1994 through 1999 when we requested that it become a national dialogue seeking full communion between our churches. Those meetings began in 1999 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The resulting proposed agreement was called “Finding our Delight in the Lord”(a phrase from our hymn, “What brought us together” MBW, 675). The proposed agreement was adopted by the Episcopal General Convention in 2009 and by the Northern and Southern Provincial Synods of the Moravian Church in 2010.

Significance to the Church Universal As for the significance of this service as a matter of the history of the Church Universal, our Lord Jesus had prayed that his followers would be one “so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”(John 17:21). His followers were basically one through the early centuries, living into a fuller understanding of the Christian faith and hammering out the great creeds of the Church, including the Nicene and Apostle’s Creeds.

The Moravian

Political and doctrinal issues led to what is called the Great Schism in 1054 A.D., resulting in the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

When the need came for reformation, one of the leaders was our own John Hus, whose martyrdom and teachings led to the formation of our Unitas Fratrum in 1457. This is now being referred to as “the first Reformation,” or the “15th Century Reformation.”

Following sixty years later came the Lutheran Reformation with the action of Martin Luther, then the Reformed(Presbyterian) Reformation with the teachings of Calvin and Zwingli in the 1520’s, the Anabaptist(re-baptizer) Movement, also in the 1520’s, and the English Reformation of the 1530s, of which The Episcopal Church is an expression.

With this service on February 10, 2011, sealing our full communion with the Episcopal Church, and with our full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and our Covenant Partnership with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. our provinces are in full reconciliation with three other of the five first Protestant Church movements—counting us, that is four out of five of these movements.

This is historic! ■ The Rev. Dr. Lynette Delbridge (left), pastor of Castleton Hill Moravian Church, and her sister the Rev. Catherine Delbridge Hicks, rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

LIVING IN FULL COMMUNION The Full Communion celebration proved especially meaningful for the Rev. Lynette Delbridge and the Rev. Catherine Delbridge Hicks.

The sisters, who were raised Baptist and became Moravians during college, said before the service that full communion means they can each be, in Lynette’s words, “fully and completely who we are.” That sense, she says, stands in contrast to the years in the mid-1990s when she was attending Union Theological Seminary in New York as an ordained Moravian and worshipping at the nearby Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine. She could only serve as an acolyte and later a chalice bearer, which she noted was “a big deal.” Delbridge said she felt there was always a wall between who she was and who she could be in the Episcopal congregation.

Still, Delbridge said, her time at St. John the Divine cemented her love of Episcopal liturgy.

Today, Lynette is the pastor at Castleton Hill Moravian Church in Staten Island, N.Y. with her husband, the Rev. Andy Meckstroth.

Delbridge Hicks became an Episcopalian after moving to Virginia with her husband. They could not find a Moravian congregation and so began worshipping in an Episcopal church. Her love of liturgy began in the Moravian church, she said, and she found that love continued and deepened as she became an Episcopalian.

Today Delbridge Hicks is rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Port Royal, Virginia. She said she tells the th people of St. Peter’s that the full-communion relationship forged full-comm between betw be twee eenn the the two denominations shows that congregations can be united despite congrega differences in theology and practices.

“It to see this coming to“I helps hellps them t gether in the midst mid of our diversity,” she said.

Thanks to the Episcopal News T Service for this story.

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MORAVIAN HISTORY

Unity archivists gather to chart “future of our history” Late

last year, Moravian archivists from around the world met in Bethlehem to discuss current projects, policies and plans for the future of discovering and preserving Moravian history.

The meeting was hosted by the Moravian Archives Northern Province in Bethlehem and included Daniel Crews, archivist, Moravian Archives Southern Province, WinstonSalem, North Carolina; Olaf Nippe, assistant archivist for the Unity Archives in Herrnhut, Germany; Lorraine Parsons, archivist for the British Province in London, England; Nola Reed Knouse and Gwyn Michel of the Moravian Music Foundation; Paul Peucker, archivist, and Lanie Graf, assistant archivist of the Moravian Archives Northern Province, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Craig Atwood, Director of the Center for Moravian Studies, Moravian Theological Seminary.

During the meeting, each archivist introduced themselves and described the work and scope of their respective institutions. All Moravian archives institutions are open to the 12

public, and seek to preserve and promote our common Moravian history.

We realized we are all at various stages of “organization” and cataloging and each province has different priorities for its work. For example, in an effort to register its properties in a national database, Lorraine reported the British Province is actively researching its property deeds.

As funding is a universal concern, we rejoiced in each other’s successful attempts at securing much-needed, supplemental money in the form of specific project grants. Daniel (continued on page 34) Lanie Graf is assistant archivist at the Northern Province Moravian Archives in Bethlehem. Photo above: Unity archivists and music foundation staff meeting in Bethlehem include (l-to-r) Olaf Nippe, Lanie Graf, Paul Peucker, Lorraine Parsons, Craig Atwood, C. Daniel Crews, Nola Knouse and Gwyn Michel.

The Moravian

STEWARDSHIP

Learning about God and money: Thoughts from Ecumenical Stewardship Center Conference In December, a team of leaders from the Moravian Church Northern Province attended the Ecumenical Stewardship Center Leadership Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Rev. Rosieta Burton, pastor of Battle Hill Moravian Church in Union, N.J., and the Rev. Mike Eder of Chaska Moravian Church in Chaska, Minn. share some of the key topics they brought home from that important weekend.

During our time at the Ecumenical Stewardship Center Leadership Conference, the Moravian group attending met to discuss the ideas and concepts which could be taken away and shared with congregations. “To see the gospel through the eyes of stewardship” resonated with all of us, providing an encouraging word to preach and teach with renewed excellence.

Throughout the event, specific attention was given to the concept of “God and Money.” Money! Is that not the taboo word? We know that stewardship is more than money, but preaching and teaching a biblical view of money is critical for the church.

In many ways, stewardship is at the very heart of the church. It is an understanding of how we use what God has provided so that lives may be blessed and the church may be better able to fulfill its mission and calling.

Church is corporate in nature, a shared experience where all provide a portion of what is needed for ministry success.

Yet we often find that talk of money in the church is problematic. Many clergy admit to a lack of financial management training offered in seminary that makes it difficult for (continued on next page)

Northern Province clergy and lay members attended the Ecumenical Stewardship Center Leadership Conference in Florida.

(continued from previous page) clergy to fully engage in financial discussions.

“Such training should be compulsory,” said one speaker at the conference. “Too many ordained leaders are reluctant stewards due to this lack of knowledge and skill. Such training is vital.”

Another presenter encouraged an annual audit for every church of every size as a way of ensuring that the mission of the church is being fulfilled. An annual audit enables donors to reflect on their church, its mission and how that mission is funded. It is also a sign of trust and care, transparency of the books for all to see and review.

We understand the necessity of giving money to the church. As an act of worship, the offering is a tangible expression of faith, a way to thank God who gives all that we have.

One presenter remarked that our offertory prayer should be, “No matter what we say or do Lord, this is what we think of you. Amen.”

The giving of money to the church is an acknowledgement that we belong to God and God deserves a generous portion of all we have, of all God has provided.

A final point of discussion was that money has the ability to take over our lives. This is especially possible when we are unsure of its proper use according to biblical principles.

Financial stewardship, therefore, is more than what we give. It is also about how we use money in general. During the sessions, each speaker encouraged clergy in the room to be bold, to lead, to help young and old take control of money in their personal lives.

In many ways, talk of money is a pastoral conversation, an extension of both care and encouragement. Such will lead to an understanding and practice of stewardship much needed in our church today. ■

PERCENTAGE LIVING OFFERS MORAVIAN GUIDE TO STEWARDSHIP Every few years I create a tool for teaching biblical stewardship within the context of a Sunday service of worship. There are many such pieces produced eachh year within h the h ecumenical community, but folk also like something uniquely of our tradition, something they do not have to “Moravianize.”

Such is Percentage Living, an Annual Stewardship Process to Grow and Foster Discipleship, Health and Vitality in the Local Church.

As one of the curriculum resources presented in regional “Stewardship Summits” being held across the Northern Province, Percentage Living begins with the biblical thought that we, as people

of faith, are to fully “commit our work to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:3) and “commit our way to the Lord” (Psalm 37:5).

Indeed, God deserves it all, but as we know, life happens. Each of us lives in a world of complex demands of our time, energy, focus and attention.

So, rather than feel guilty that God does not get more of “me”, we can find security and experience growth in our walk with the Lord through the practice of Percentage Living: giving to God a specific and intentional portion of my day, week and life.

Percentage Living invites each person of faith to grow in discipleship formation. For information on stewardship or obtaining Percentage Living, contact Gary Marsh at <gary.marsh@mcnp.org> or visit <www.mcnp.org/stewardship>.

MORAVIAN MISSION

Five years later, mission work continues on Gulf Coast In January, more than 35 Moravians (and non-Moravians) joined the Northeast Moravians Disaster Response (NMDR) team on a mission trip to Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. While hard to believe, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts are still underway along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana more than five years after the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina.

Three of those who joined the mission trip share what they learned and experienced during this trip.

Mission helps participants, too This was my third trip with North East Moravian Disaster Response, and I experienced a completely different side of mission work while we were there. I made new friends, strengthened old relationships and met some wonderful people. Throughout the week I learned that numerous members of our group were there building houses for others while quietly working through problems in their own lives, whether it was at home, work or something else entirely. I watched as we bonded together not only to help the families whose lives we were rebuilding, but to minister to each other as well.

Towards the end of the week, a group of us went on a walk down by the water and we came across five-year old wreckage left in the tall grasses on the shoreline when Katrina’s flood waters receded. We found children’s toys, a stereo, a stroller, and what used to be a carpet; mostly broken and buried in the

dirt. But among all of the damage, we also found reminders of lives spared by the storm — through sets of ceramics, including salt and pepper shakers, swept from homes and (continued on next page)

Kate Matheson is a member of Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. All photos by C. Hopeton Clennon.

Kate Matheson

April 2011

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Doug Richards and Joe Bednarik work to replace siding.

(continued from previous page) buried in the dirt but still completely intact.

The idea of something so delicate making it through a storm which swept entire towns into the ocean was so surreal that we decided to bring a few pieces back with us to share and give a new life.

The week after we came home, I was cleaning the Mississippi mud off of my Katrina “treasures” when I realized what a testament they were to our time there. Throughout the week of hard work, getting up early and struggling through the unusually cold weather, we

not only helped to rebuild the homes of hurricane victims, but we let the mission work that we were doing for others also begin in ourselves. We bonded with the other workers on our site and shared pieces of our lives with people we had just met. We became so close by the end of the week that I feel confident in having a new family who will stand together for one another whenever someone needs help or guidance.

We, like the salt and pepper shakers I brought home, allowed our lives to be washed clean and our hearts lightened with new knowledge that when we returned home, we would be better because of the people we met and week we experienced. I never expected to be ministered to in this way when I was packing for Mississippi. I planned on building some houses, maybe painting or spackling a few rooms… definitely helping others, but not being the one affected from this trip.

If you haven’t given mission work a try yet, whether its rebuilding homes in another state or helping someone who needs it in your own town, I invite you to join us and see not only the difference you can make in the lives of others but how the experience of missions also affects you. ■

John Egerton of Bethlehem repairs a roof.

MORAVIAN MISSION

Experience educates idea of “mission” Life is full of firsts, and in 2011 I have already accomplished more firsts than I could’ve imagined. In the first week of January I left for a trip without any biological family with me. That was a big one for me. We traveled farther away from home than I’ve ever been before, a total of about 1,100 miles. I used saws, nail guns, chalk lines and squares for the first time.

I made some strong relationships in a shorter amount of time than I ever thought possible, and today I stand for the first time in front of a group of people, some of you whom I know, some of you I don’t, to open up, and tell you about a very personal, very inspiring experience, that truly affected me deeply.

On Jan. 7, about 35 of us left from Advent Moravian in Bethlehem, and began a journey into, for some of us, was “the vast unknown.”

Mike Rampulla, one of the trip’s leaders, told me not to expect anything, but the truth was, I had no idea what to expect anyway. The only things I knew were that the people I knew, April 2011

I could count on one hand; the van seats weren’t particularly comfortable; and I was nervous. Before long, we all started to get to know each other, and for those of us who already knew each other, we got closer.

After driving for two days, we finally got to Ocean Springs, Miss. At dinner, I sat with John Egerton, another of the guys heading the trip, and a couple who had sat in our van who I didn’t really know. Before I knew it, we were all talking about work, school, sports, food, past mission trips, Moravian Open Door, and what exactly the Northeast Moravian Disaster Response team is. (continued on next page) Emily Toyberg, a member of the youth group at Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, shared these insights with her church. Photo above: Emily moves a joist during her mission work in Mississippi.

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(continued from previous page) Until I came to Schoeneck Moravian Church, mission had always been the board by the fellowship hall of the Reformed church I grew up in, with pictures of African orphans and the missionaries we supported.

The first church event at Schoeneck we went to was a social put on by the youth group. That same night, a group arrived home from a mission trip to Mississippi, and that helped me to put a new meaning to the word “mission.” Instead of a board to look at, I had people I could talk to personally about the experience.

When I turned 16 last September and Mike announced another trip coming up, I got a warm, flippy feeling in my stomach. I knew it was something I wanted to do and that feeling was a shove I couldn’t ignore. It nagged me until I finally asked my dad, explaining this was something I was serious about, and really wanted to do.

Even though I had to miss about a week of school, right before midterms, and had to work hard after I got home to try and catch up, I regard that decision as one of the best I ever made. I didn’t realize just how much I would take back with me, or how much of me I would leave behind.

Allison Fritts repairs a window.

Mission team members (l to r) Tyler Langkamer, Mike Rampulla, Becky Harney, Kate Math

The woman whose house my group of eight worked on was a very sweet, older woman.

To me at a first glance, her house didn’t look too bad. Once we finally were able to start though, we saw just how bad things were. The kitchen floor started out high in the middle, but sloped down in all directions as you went out; support beams were rotted all the way through; and the roof had been improperly repaired by the contractor originally assigned to the site. John, who is a contractor by trade, ended up spending most of the week working to fix the roof.

By midweek, our crew had bonded like magnets. We huddled together as we worked outside in 30 degree weather. The homeowner, Frances, told us stories full of laughter and sorrow and love, about why the house meant so much to her.

On Thursday I realized just how much I cared about these people. We ate, slept, The Moravian

heson, Jim Reuber, Emily Toyberg, Lou Dishong, Linda Reuber

worked and played together. It was hard to think about what would happen Saturday, when we piled back into the vans to come back home.

By Friday, we finished up as much as we possibly could. Miraculously, the roof was done, except for some remaining shingles.

We had restructured the front porch area so it wouldn’t fall on Miss Frances again, put up hardy board siding and primed and painted everything. We were dubbed the “Prime Time Paint Crew,” which is what we put on our mural, along with a scripture verse next to the chapel at the end of the night. We said goodbye to Miss Frances, and some of the camp staff at our site, and visited two other sites, worked on by other crews from our Moravian group.

In a field near one of the worksites, we saw remains from two disasters. We found remnants of people’s lives sitting in the dirt. A steApril 2011

reo, a welding mask, a stroller, kids’ toys, and ceramic pieces were among these. We were all struck by these normal pieces of someone’s day-to-day life strewn across the ground.

As we neared the water’s edge, we saw black-brown sludge coating the edges and long-dead plant life: remains from the oil spill. As we walked back to the van, we were all very quiet. During a walk on the beach, one of the members of the team told us about some of the huge differences he saw over the span of time since Katrina. We sat on the beach awhile, all of us trying to connect thoughts and sights and feelings.

One of the things I learned is that we all needed that trip for one reason or another.

For me, I’ve been struggling. With the recent passing of my grandma and the loss of my best friend over a guy, it helped me to get away from the things I see and think every day.

When I got home on Sunday the 16th, we all took forever saying goodbye. I tried to explain everything to my dad. He and I have always been pretty close, and he picked me up from the church. In reality, nobody really understands what I went through, except the few people who were with me and felt those emotions.

I realized that mission isn’t just traveling to Africa to preach about God, or setting up schools and hospitals. That’s all great stuff to do, but there’s so much that needs to be done right here. Closer to home, NEMDR helps out all throughout the area. The senior youth group’s efforts with Moravian Open Door, the Nazareth Food Bank and Safe Harbor is all mission work. In today’s scripture it says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” And let me tell you, He doesn’t let you come out empty-handed either. ■ 19

MORAVIAN MISSION

Mission trips renews faith and life of displaced couple The recent mission trip to Mississippi gave Moravians the opportunity to repair and rebuild lives disrupted by a hurricane. But for one couple on this trip, the trip and the work gave them an opportunity to begin repairing their own lives disrupted by depression and homelessness.

Jim Reuber and his wife Linda were overnight guests at Advent Moravian Church as part of an effort by Bethlehem, Pennsylvaniaarea churches to provide shelter for homeless people during the winter. While there, Jim struck up a conversation with John Egerton, one of the leaders of Northeast Moravian Disaster Response.

“We were talking about the upcoming mission trip to Mississippi,” explains John. “Over the course of the conversation, the idea came up for Jim to join us on the trip. While there were many obstacles to that idea becoming a reality, with God’s help it happened.”

Financial and personal obligations as well as time commitments are some of the many considerations facing those who go on NEMDR mission trips. Being homeless, Jim had no money and could not leave his wife behind as she suffers from depression and couldn’t bear to be apart for the length of the trip. But through generous donations from members of Advent Moravian Church and other assistance,

Jim Reuber, far right, celebrates with mission team members on the last day of the January trip to Ocean Springs, Miss.

it became possible for both of them to join the team on the trip to Mississippi.

“This was an awesome opportunity,” says Jim. “We never thought we deserved to be on a trip like this, as we were homeless and couldn’t afford to go. We all know that if our Creator wants us to do something, we’d better do it. In this case, He moved in a way that even most pastors and church members would never comprehend.”

On the way to Mississippi and again on the return trip, the NEMDR team members stopped at Rural Hall Moravian Church, near Winston-Salem, N.C. where they were fed and sheltered. “Keep in mind, I have no concept of what Moravians are all about,” says Jim. “Linda and I had been getting used to the treatment most homeless people receive — in short, not very nice. But when we were invited into people’s homes there, the hospitality was almost more than I could stand.”

We never thought we deserved to be on a trip like this, as we were homeless and couldn’t afford to go.

Once in Mississippi, Jim and Linda worked as part of a crew on the home of a woman named Frances. “As we pulled up, I knew why I was along,” says Jim. “Even though the work wasn’t for pay, it was work, and as the hours went by, I began to see how awesome it was to be a part of it, no matter what the reason.

“I found out I was a good teacher of power tools and equipment. Others took my directions, overcame fears and learned that they could do more than even they or others thought. We met new people, made improvements in the peoples’ homes and lives and in April 2011

Jim shows Kate Matheson how to use a circular saw.

ourselves. God moved in ways we could all see and feel, and we were awed.”

As the week drew to a close, Jim and John had an opportunity to spend some time talking. “As we sat on the roof and talked, John felt that maybe God needed to bring us 1,200 miles to work on Linda and me,” says Jim. “Fact is, he was right. We had so much against us yet God was so for us. Linda became a new person as if a butterfly emerging out of its cocoon. I learned I was a good teacher and had been so on fire to teach and never knew it before.”

Since returning to Bethlehem, Jim and Linda have found housing and are working on getting their lives back together. “I have been truly blessed to have been taken as part of this new family, where I worked for God, not man,” says Jim. “This trip has renewed us in many ways and strengthened our relationship with our creator.” ■ 21

REFLECTIONS

Multitude of Sins an essay for Lent by Bishop Kay Ward It’s halfway through Lent and I have come to worship. I am sitting at the foot of the cross.

That’s not a metaphor. I am literally sitting in a pew just a few feet from the large old weathered, wooden cross that gets hauled into the sanctuary for the Lenten season. What should I be thinking about in Lent? What should I do?

We’re only halfway through so there is still opportunity to do something to set this time apart. The scripture text from Peter’s epistle breaks into my dreaming and demands my attention: “The end of all things is near: therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:7,8) It is the last phrase that catches my attention. “Love covers a multitude of sins.” I will confess that I would not have been able to tell

Bishop Kay Ward

you where you could find that phrase in the scriptures. I wouldn’t have been sure that it even came from scripture. But there it was, being read on a Sunday halfway through Lent.

This text is about human relationships. A story comes into my mind. Joan Chittister tells about her childhood in Living Well.

Joan grew up in a poor family and as a little girl remembers worrying because her father had lost his job. As she was being tucked in bed for the night, she asked her father if they were going to starve to death. Without saying a word, her father picked her up, carried her to the window and pointed across the street to a smaIl grocery store. “What do you see in front of the store?” he asked. “Windows” she said. The father replied, “As long as there are windows in grocery stores, my family will not starve.” Horrified, the little girl said, “But stealing would be a sin, wouldn’t it Daddy?”

“When people have nothing to eat, it is not a sin to steal food,” he replied.

Love covers a multitude of sins. And those sins may not be what we think they are. It is so easy for us to equate sin with not breaking the rules. Sin may be more about failing to be the person we are called to be, and love has a lot to do with that. But the text for today seems bigger than the human relationships we have.

What kind of love could really cover a multitude of sins?

I am curious that Jesus spent so much time with sinners. Jesus could see through those The Moravian

sinners. He could find in them some need of mercy, some opening for change. They readily offered up their failures so that Jesus could make them whole again. I wonder if I could have been so transparent had I lived then. I think I would have been too busy trying to cover up my failures for Jesus to see any need in me. Jesus had the kind of love that could cover a multitude of sins, the kind of love that did cover our sins. That is good news for those of us who sit at the foot of the cross, halfway through Lent.

Thank you, Holy God, for the six weeks of Lent, mercy and the forgiveness of sin, willingness to confess, and for your love that covers a multitude of sins. Amen. â&#x2013;

Reprinted from Hoping for Spring by Bishop Kay Ward. In Hoping for Spring Bishop Ward offers her third collection of delightful essays that speak to discovery, a love of writing, reliving of memories and weaving God through everyday life. Each chapter includes a story from the Bible and several short essays related to the months of the year.

Hoping for Spring, along with her first two books, Of Seasons and Sparrows and Heading Home, are available at special limited-time pricing from the IBOC. Visit <www.moravian. org/publications> to learn more.

April 2011

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IN OUR CONGREGATIONS

Clemmons Moravian Church effort brings comfort to frightened children A chance encounter of a music director and a Forsyth County Sheriff after choir rehearsal on a cold November evening resulted in a new ministry outreach. Jerry V. Jones, music director/organist at Clemmons Moravian Church in Clemmons, N.C., conversed with a local deputy in the parking lot, and the result was a collection of huggable teddy bears to be placed in the arms of frightened and distraught children in a North Carolina county.

Jerry leads the Church Choir and The Spangenberg Ringers at our church and coordinates other musical groups within the Music Ministry. At the beginning of Advent, he presented the idea of collecting new and slightly used bears to the choirs. The bears were to be placed in the trunks of patrol cars to be available when the deputies responded to domestic disputes, car accidents, and other tragedies involving small children.

The sheriff’s department had made a policy 24

of placing the bears in the arms of frightened children for many years. Clinging to a bear would calm and reduce anxiety in the terrified and unresponsive “tots” until the authorities could place them in better hands.

The choir and handbell groups responded enthusiastically to the idea, and in the ensuing weeks multiple bears began appearing from the musicians and eventually the entire congregation! It was amazing to see the bear population grow! The number of bears grew to the membership size of some congregations.

John McKeown is a member of Clemmons Moravian Church, Clemmons, N.C. Photo above: (L to R) Renee Boussard, Cpl. Charles Sayers, Jerry Jones and Sheriff William Schatzman with just a few of the teddy bears donated for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department.

The Moravian

By Christmas Eve, there were so many bears on their perches, that it was difficult to count them all. Other ministries were ongoing during the same period of time including food collections for the local pantry and cash for organizations working with those caughtup in the dreadful economy.

Ultimately, the release of the bears was arranged through the sheriff’s department, and local media came onboard. The day had come for the bears to move into the deputies’ cars and wait for their mission to arrive. Forsyth County Sheriff William Schatzman, Cpl. Charles Sayers (County Public Relations Officer), and Rene Boussard (Citizen’s Patrol) met with Jerry Jones and found a warm, fuzzy, loving display of bears much different from the usual business of police work.

Among comments shared, Sheriff Shatzman

April 2011

was heard to say, “I believe this is the first time that a church has become a part of this project.” Photographer Chris Mackie and writer Jim Buice of the local community newspaper, the Clemmons Courier, were on hand to capture the clan of bears adorned in their furry delight.

“It was just too much benefit, support and loving devotion not to do again!,” said Jerry.

“We appreciate these officers and all they do for our community and I would like have this project on an annual basis!”

Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:14 KJV) Christ also proclaimed, “…inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me…”

(Matthew 25:40 KJV) ■

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MORAVIAN MUSIC

Moravian Music on the Mountain — a Moravian Music Weekend at Laurel Ridge It’s hard to imagine a more fun way to spend a weekend, than with 50 or so enthusiastic Moravian musicians on a mountaintop! Cosponsored by Laurel Ridge Camp, Conference and Retreat Center and the Moravian Music Foundation, “Moravian Music on the Mountain” (February 11-13) was a music-lover’s delight. The 50 or so participants represented at least 13 congregations and came from four states, to spend time rehearsing music, enjoying good food and fellowship, and renewing friendships.

Glenn Siebert, voice instructor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and music director at Calvary Moravian Church in Winston-Salem; and Hubert Fort, band director from Raleigh Moravian Church led the weekend. Wanda Duncan accompanied the choir on the piano.

The weekend began with a Singstunde celebrating Christ as the Light of the world, followed by opening rehearsals. Saturday featured a seminar/worship service celebrating newly-written Moravian hymns led by Rev. Nola Knouse and accompanied by John Webb, along with more rehearsal time. During some free time in the afternoon, a group of indefatigable band players kept on playing chorales just for fun. Late in the afternoon Nola led 26

another exploration of newly-written Moravian music, featuring a live performance of a lovely interpretation of Psalm 74 by Moravian trombonist Erik Salzwedel. After yet more rehearsal time in the evening, closing devotions featured an excerpt from “St. Paul’s letter to the Band at Corinth” (see sidebar).

On Sunday morning the weekend’s participants traveled to worship with the Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship. This fellowship worships at Transou United Methodist Church, with services led by the Rev. Ted Burcaw. The band played a prelude — during which I heard an excited exclamation through the open door of the sanctuary, “What a wonderful surprise!” — and the choir presented three anthems as part of the worship service.

Ted’s reflection on music as God’s gift to the Moravian Church, and our gift to one another as we express our faith, was a rich acknowledgement of the joy of the whole weekend.

Future Moravian Music Weekends are planned for various locations. Contact the Moravian Music Foundation for help organizing one in your area!

The Rev. Nola Reed Knouse is director of the Moravian Music Foundation.

The Moravian

Mark your calendar for July 20-24, 2011, when the Lake Mills (Wisconsin) Moravian Church is sponsoring a Midwest/Communities Music Festival featuring Moravian music. Dr. John Sinclair, Continuing Conductor of Moravian Music Festivals,

will be the director of music for the event.

For more information, contact Kathy Wendt at <katwendt1@charter.net> or call 920.209.0729, or contact the Lake Mills Moravian Church at <lmmc3@frontier.com> or call Teresa at 920.648.5412. ■

As part of the Moravian Mini Music Festival at Laurel Ridge, the Rev. Nola Reed Knouse, director of the Moravian Music Foundation, shared her “adaptation” of 1 Corinthians 12.

FROM ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE BAND AT CORINTH, BEGINNING AT CHAPTER 12: Now concerning musical gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed…Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the reading of treble clef, and to another the reading of bass clef according to the same Spirit, to another playing tenor or alto by the same Spirit, to another gifts of pedal tones by the one Spirit, to another the miracle of accurate counting, to another playing in tune, to another the discernment of key signatures, to another various kinds of instruments, to another the interpretation of dynamics and slurs. All of these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the band is one and has many members, and all the members of the band, though many, are one band, so it is with Christ…. Indeed, the band does not consist of one member but of many. If the alto would say, “Because I am not a soprano, I do not belong to the band,” that would not make it any less a part of the band. And if the tenor would say, “Because I am not a bass, I do not belong to the band,” that would not make it any less a part of the band. If the whole band were a bass, where would the melody be? If the whole body were melody, where would the sense of harmony be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the band, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the band be? As it is, there are many members, yet one band. The soprano cannot say to the alto, “I have no need of you, “ nor again the bass to the tenor, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the band that seem to be weaker are indispensable… God has so arranged the band, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the band, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the band of Christ and individually members of it…

IN OUR CONGREGATIONS

Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sunday School projects crafted to last a lifetime While the faces have changed as members move on to college, the military or careers, the Junior/Senior High Sunday School class of the First Moravian Church of Uhrichsville, Ohio, has been using their creative talents over the past several years to create items to be used in worship by the entire congregation.

The items they have created and continue to create are remind both the students and the congregation of the value of working together as a team to plan, design, learn new skills (and maybe make a few mistakes along the way) all to share their love of God with the rest of the church family.

Working with a wide spectrum of ages 1218 can be challenging with a variety of skill levels and art experiences. The class schedules one Sunday a month to work on their ongoing project. We teach pride of good craftsmanship in these projects, which help the students be very precise with cutting and placing, thinking backwards to reverse a pattern, and creating items that will last.

The first project the group made were 28

paraments for the four Sundays in Advent, but it was their second project that proved most challenging. A stained glass quilt of the nativity for the pulpit took two and a half years to create, but was well worth the time. It accentuates the blues of the sanctuary as it proclaims the birth of our Lord and Savior. It was presented to the church on the First Sunday of Advent 2009.

In creating a new Moravian seal for the front of the sanctuary, the students were challenged to create a perfect circle that would not be too heavy to hang. The group made all the decisions on the fabric colors, style of the lamb, lettering, etc. to create the seal, which was presented to the church on its 136th anniversary last October.

Penny Surber is the junior/senior high Sunday School teacher at First Moravian Church of Uhrichsville in Uhrichsville, Ohio. Items created by her class include a tree skirt (above), a Moravian seal (top right) and a nativity stained glass quilt.

The Moravian

Over our years together, the idea to make a tree skirt for the 12 foot tree in the sanctuary was discussed many times. Once the seal was completed, one of our senior girls wanted to make a tree skirt, and have it completed for the first Sunday in Advent. She had wanted this project since she came to the class in 6th grade. So, in a fast st four Sundays during Sunday school,l, a stunning 72 inch skirt was createdd and adorned the tree this year.

As the group works on their projects rojects or during a regular Sunday class, they have h an ongoing project that they hope will continue for many more generations of Sunday School.

The idea of having a candle lit each week (the type that drips down over a bottle) while the group is together and learning God’s words and doing His work, was inspired by a Tuscarawas County Moravian family who has lit candles and added to it as they melt dur-

ing the Advent/Christmas season for over 50 years. Their candle weighs over 40 pounds.

The class hopes that as faces change and people move on from school into life, layer upon layer of the candle shows the community of God’s love in our church family is never ending and we learn from each other, our past and present and future. ■

MINISTRY OF CAMPING

Trail Trek for Laurel Ridge The warm breeze, the sounds of birds singing, the chorus of children laughing, and the smell of cooking from the kitchen….all these things say “Laurel Ridge” to me. Over the past few years the emergence of new codes by the North Carolina State Health Department for resident camps has forced Laurel Ridge to renovate the summer camp kitchen before summer 2012. In the summer of 2008 I decided that I would attempt a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail to raise money to replace the summer camp kitchen as well as raise the awareness of how important summer camp ministries are!

The Appalachian Trail is 2,178 miles long.

Robert Boyles from Bethabara Moravian and I, Roman Brady of Trinity Moravian, are leaving March 7, 2011 and plan to complete the trail by August 2011. Each of the 5,000,000 Roman Brady, center and Robert Boyle, right, gear up for their Appalachian Trail trek for Laurel Ridge

steps I take will be in prayer for Laurel Ridge, the Moravian Church, the entire Moravian Unity, and for a worldwide unity.

I will pray that we, as His people, be open to the new things He is doing within us and through us (Rev.21). I will also pray each day for a different congregation. In turn I hope that you all will pray for me as well.

You can find my blog at www.RomanBrady. blogspot.com which will have all the experiences, stories, pictures and videos from the trail. You can follow me on Facebook, TrailJournals.com and also through email. If you would like email updates from the trail, then email ThruHike2011@gmail.com and we will add you to the list. These emails will be sent via GPS: Spot tracker/Messenger which will allow you to track my progress with updates every 5-10 minutes on some days. Others may be just an update or a simple message to let you know I am OK. I wish that my trek in the wild will challenge you to experience the outdoors this year in a way you’ve not dared before. Maybe you can start a hiking/camping group for your church, enjoy Mother Nature by stopping to notice the sunrise or sunset, or even try being a summer camp counselor at your local summer camp. Please feel free to Contact Laurel Ridge if you feel moved to help in any way. <www.LaurelRidge.org>. ■ Roman Brady is a member of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. He contributed a story about the Moravian Monthly Ministries (M3) in last month’s issue of the Moravian.

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The Moravian

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An invitation A Here at The Moravian magazine, we’re dedicated to bringing you stories about the life, ministry, heritage, doctrine, mission and most importantly, the people of the Moravian Church. We work to help Moravians across North America understand what’s going on with their denomination as a whole. We share the great work that’s occurring in congregations and through mission efforts around the globe. We cover topics of ecumenism, spirituality, education, history, tradition and music.

But with what we’re covering, I think we’re just scratching the surface. There’s so much more to address, to share, to discuss and to ponder.

The Moravian Church, with all of its heritage and traditions, is a denomination in change. Like many mainline Christian denominations, we are seeing shrinking numbers, overwhelming financial concerns and a perceived loss of relevance.

We recognize the world is changing around us and wonder where our denomination fits. We wrestle with questions of doctrine, April 2011

stewardship, spirituality and belief.

As the official journal of the Moravian Church in North America, it is our role to help address and answer some of those questions and concerns. With articles by church leaders and lay members alike, we have an opportunity to openly discuss and address the issues facing our church.

And that’s where you come in. We want to hear from you. As our readers, what are the issues, concerns and questions you would like to see covered in our pages? Who do you want to hear from and on what topics?

In short, what’s most important to you?

Please send your thoughts on the topics you would like to read more about in The Moravian via e-mail to <pubs@mcnp. org>, or through the mail to Mike Riess, editor, The Moravian Magazine, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245 As a magazine, the greatest value we can bring is to help our readers better understand their church and grow closer in their relationship to God. With your help, we can continue to bring that value. ■ 31

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OBITUARIES

The Rev. Dr. Samuel Benno Marx Brother Samuel Benno Marx, fondly know as Dr. Sam, died Jan. 28, 2011 at age 92.

He was born to missionary parents working with Tibetans in northern India. He grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Moravian Seminary. In 1940 he pastored a German-speaking congregation in Vancouver, Canada. At Camp Van Es in Alberta that summer he met Grace Hoppe whom he married in 1945. He attended McGill University and graduated with a medical degree in 1948. After a medical internship, they traveled to eastern Nicaragua in 1949 for medical mission work with the Moravian Church. They served the Miskito and Creole peoples of Nicaragua and Honduras for 35 years. They built up the hospital in Ahuas, Honduras, and raised their five children there.

In the 1970’s Dr. Sam and Grace returned to Wapato, Washington to work at the Wapato Medical Center. After returning to serve six more years in Honduras, they returned to Winston-Salem where Dr. Sam worked in private practice in Yadkinville. He assisted pastors and taught Sunday School at Christ Moravian and until November 2010, led weekly Bible studies. He also volunteered at Sunnyside Ministry.

Surviving Dr. Sam are his wife Grace of 65 years; children — Richard (wife Vicki) of Winston-Salem, N.C.; Stephen (wife Ann) of Nampa, Idaho; Benno (wife Teresa) of Grandview, Wash.; Catherine (husband Joseph) of Ben Lomond, Calif.; and Julie (husband John) of Kendrick, Idaho; Grandchildren — Elizabeth, Jonathan, Brian, Grace, Hannah, 32

Samuel, Laura, Eileen, Stephen, Marie, Luke, Cristi, Micah, and Ryan; and great-grandchildren — Levi, Ethan, and Zoe. Funeral Services were held Feb. 2, 2011 at Christ Moravian Church with the Rev. Dr. Neil Routh and the Rev. Roger Kimball officiating. Burial followed in Salem Moravain Graveyard. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be donated to Mission Aviation Fellowship, PO Box 47 Nampa, ID 83653 or Sunnyside Ministries, 319 Haled Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27127. Online condolences may be sent to <www.salemfh.com>.

Moravian Academy, located in Bethlehem, PA, offers day students in prekindergarten through grade 12 an education that develops the whole person–mind, body and spirit.

For information please visit our website at: www.moravianacademy.org

DEVELOPING MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SINCE 1742 The Moravian

The Rev. John Henry Kapp, II John Henry Kapp, II passed away on Feb. 1, 2011 in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the age of 94. He was born Nov. 27, 1916. Rev. Kapp graduated from Moravian College graduating in 1938 and subsequently earned an M.Div. from Moravian Theological Seminary in 1941, where he won the Hebrew and Greek prizes for the highest scholastic average and was awarded the John David Bishop Prize presented annually to the most outstanding theological student graduate.

In 1942 he married Louise Bowles and they celebrated more than 68 years together. Rev. Kapp was ordained a deacon on August 31, 1941 at Bethania Moravian Church where he had a lifelong attachment. He was consecrated a presbyter at Oak Grove Moravian on June 29, 1947.

Over 65 years of service he pastored at Mt. Bethel-Willow Hill in Cana and Ararat, Va.; Leaksville in Eden, N.C.; Oak Grove, Providence, Fulp in Winston-Salem, and Walnut Cove, N.C.; Mayodan in Mayodan, N.C.; Union Cross in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Macedonia in Advance, N.C.; and after officially retiring he served again for many years at Willow Hill in Ararat, Va. He was Dean of Camp at Camp Hanes and Laurel Ridge and youth group leader at most of the churches where he served. In addition to his pastoral duties, he directed bands and choirs, taught adults and children to play and sing, and directed the Madison High School band for two years while serving as full-time pastor. He provided leadership to the Moravian Ministers’ Conference, Liturgy and Music for the Southern April 2011

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS NORTHERN PROVINCE Daggett, Michigan Brother Archie Roberts, who has been serving as part-time pastor for the Daggett Moravian Church, Daggett, Michigan, concluded his ministry with the congregation March 31, 2011.

Brother Gary M. Straughan has accepted an appointment to serve the congregation as its part-time pastor effective April 1, 2011.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Brother J. Fred Lehr, who has been serving as Director of Church Planting for the Northern Province, has accepted an appointment to temporary service effective February 1, 2011.

Elizabeth D. Miller Provincial Elders’ Conference

Province, Moravian Music Festivals, Archives Board, Board of World Mission, and was secretary of the Mission Society for 40 years.

Rev. Kapp was a life-long dedicated servant of the Lord; he loved people and people loved him. His kind, gentle spirit touched the lives of many. He is survived by his wife Louise, and their daughter. His memorial service was held at Bethania Moravian Church on Feb. 6 with burial in the Bethania Moravian Graveyard.

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Unity archivists (continued from page 12) Crews discussed an especially lucrative project to translate the Cherokee mission records funded in large part by the Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Paul Peucker reported on a grant obtained in partnership with Lehigh University through the Council of Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to catalog maps, books and personal collections. The Moravian Music Foundation is in the process of applying for a similar grant to catalog their collections. And Olaf Nippe reported on Unity Archives’ preparations to celebrate their 250th anniversary in 2014.

As a group we discussed policies regarding use of images, and copyright law in our respective countries.

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Although not an archivist, our group was happy to include Craig Atwood, as the new Director of Moravian Studies at Moravian Theological Seminary, and hear about his future plans for the Center. An exciting collaborative effort discussed by our group was the development of a common website or portal that would link all Moravian historical institutions.

If implemented, the website would host common aspects of Moravian history, culture and music, including: electronic books and translations, digital resources like stock images and a Moravian music iconography database, bibliographies on various Moravian topics, brief biographies of key Moravian leaders, and even samples of musical recordings.

We seek to pave the way for the “future of our history” with more collaborative efforts.

Although our mission concerns the past, Unity archivists are one forward-looking group! ■

The Moravian

3FUJSFNFOU MJWJOH JO IJTUPSJD -JUJU[ KVTU HPU CFUUFS In addition to its small town charm and big offerings in the way of shopping, dining and more, Lititz now features the new luxury Townhomes at Moravian Manor with: s

Three spacious floor plans (2,600 – 2,830 sq. ft.)

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Two-story living (all necessary amenities on the 1st floor) Two bedrooms, den and bonus room; optional sunroom

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Two-car garage Gas fireplace

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Hardwood flooring And much more!

Now accepting reservations!

Call 717-626-0214 for more information or to schedule your personal introduction to the townhomes. Or visit us online at moravianmanor.org for a virtual tour of our community.

A Community within a CommunityTM

300 W. Lemon Street | Lititz, PA 17543 | www.moravianmanor.org

Postmaster please send address changes to: The Moravian, P.O. Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245

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