Moravian Magazine, December 2013

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In this issue: Candles Burning Bright Christmas in Alaska 400-year-old Bible And more!

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On the cover: A beeswax candle burns bright during Christmas Eve services heralding the birth of Jesus.

Photo by Mike Riess

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In this issue: Candles Burning Bright Christmas in Alaska 400-year-old Bible And more!

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

Christmas Traditions 6 Memories of Moravian Christmas on the Kuskokwim 8 The Beeswax Candle: A Moravian symbol of light and hope Moravian History 12 A celebration of the Bible and ecumenism: the 400th anniversary of the Kralice Bible 24 Books offer deeper look into Moravian history 25 Call for Papers: Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History & Music Moravian Music 14 Songbook makes musical addition to services at Trinity

Member, Associated Church Press

Camping Ministry 16 Small stitches make a big difference Moravian Reflections 18 A good time to look up Moravians in Mission 20 In Memoriam: The Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss (1927-2013)

Visit our website at http://www.moravian.org.

Letters to the editor, address corrections, and other correspondence may be e-mailed to the magazine at pubs@mcnp.org.

December 2013

In Our Congregations 22 Washington DC pastor shares why it’s the ministry that matters In Every Issue 4 Ponderings: A Tale of Two Coffees 26 Official Provincial Elders News 26 Clergy Emergency Assistance Fund 27 2013 Index of The Moravian Magazine

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PONDERINGS

A tale of two coffees Like many, coffee is central to my morning. Sharing a cup with my wife is how we start every day. It fuels my writing, helps me on long drives and provides a conversation starter at my local donut shop.

But I never realized that coffee would be part of my religious life until I began attending Moravian services. During one weekend in early November, I found coffee to be the connection between two very different worship services; this is the tale of two coffees.

On Nov. 10, I was in Winston-Salem on a Sunday morning. Most of my many trips to North Carolina are during the week or the beginning part of a weekend, so I haven’t had many opportunities to worship in area churches. To make the most of this particular Sunday, I decided I would try to make not one but two services.

My first stop was Home Moravian Church for a special day in the life of the Home congregation­—a lovefeast celebrating its 242nd anniversary.

When I arrived, I couldn’t help thinking I was in the center of Moravian culture and worship in the Southern Province. The Home Church Band was playing traditional chorales. I was heartily welcomed by ushers, several of whom wore lapel pins shaped like miniature Moravian coffee pots. I ran into friends and was introduced to new people, too. I took a seat up front with IBOC Board Member Jane Carmichael where I’d have a good view. Instead of taking photographs as I typically do, I decided to sit back and experience the service.

And what a service it was. I heard beautiful music by the children’s and adult choirs, brass ensembles and that amazing pipe organ. I was inspired by pastor Rick Sides’ sermon, a meaningful liturgy led by associate pastor Ginny Tobiassen and a near-full house of Moravian faithful. All in all, it was a very moving experience.

And then there was the lovefeast itself. While the choir and congregation sang, dieners in their white dresses and haubes and servers carrying baskets of buns and trays of coffee, served all in the congregation.

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(ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600) December Vol. 44, No. 10 Publications Agreement No. 40036408 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: OnTrac International, 121 5th Avenue NW, New Brighton, MN 55112 email: file@ontrac.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.

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

Michael Riess, Editor Renee Schoeller, Communications Assistant Arlene Clendenning, Customer Relations/Business Assistant 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 Design by Sandy Fay, Laughing Horse Graphics, Inc. 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: moravianmagazine@mcnp.org www.moravian.org Contents © 2013, Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America.

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The Moravian

The coffee served at this lovefeast wasn’t your typical coffee shop java. No, this was a sweet, milky concoction that reminded me of how I took my coffee when I first started drinking it in college (I’ve since weaned myself from both milk and sugar in my coffee). I’ve heard about the tradition and art that goes into brewing the lovefeast coffee at Home, and the coffee didn’t disappoint.

Now, I know lovefeasts are more than just the coffee and the buns. They hark back to the spiritual awakening at the heart of the renewed Moravian Church, and this service celebrated nearly two and a half centuries of worship at Home. The combination of the coffee and bun, along with the majestic music and inspiring service, lifted my spirit and made me feel closer to God and the people around me.

But that’s only the first part of the story.

Once that formal, magnificent lovefeast service at Home Church came to a close, I was on my way to a completely different Moravian worship­—this time at a coffee shop in Winston-Salem’s art district.

On most days, Chelsee’s is a funky little place with great coffee on Trade St. On Sunday mornings, however, it is transformed into a place of worship and song as the home of Come & Worship, a fellowship started by the Rev. Brad Bennett and Bishop Sam Gray.

These days, they hold two services, one at 9:30 and a second at 11:00.

I arrived at Chelsee’s while the 11:00 service was in full swing. Brad was in the middle of his sermon, to which the 30 or so people in attendance listened with interest. Not wanting to interrupt, I went to the counter at the back of the shop, ordered a large dark roast coffee (black) and sat in one of the folding chairs set up for the service.

Once his sermon ended, Brad and guitarist John Switzer led both traditional Moravian December 2013

hymns and more contemporary material.

That morning, Brad served communion, too.

He donned his surplice, led the communion liturgy, then served the bread, then the cup, to those seated at the coffee shop tables. Like in communion throughout the Moravian world, we offered the right hand of fellowship prior to partaking.

While the prayers, the songs and the communion all felt very Moravian, the location did not. Customers are welcome to walk in at any time. The sounds of the bean grinder and espresso machine punctuated sermon points.

But the fact that we were worshiping in a coffee shop did not diminish the spirituality nor the meaning of the service in any way. Instead, we were hearing the Word of God in a new way and a new place. Come & Worship represents a ministry that brings the Good News to people who might otherwise not be connected to a church, in a relaxed atmosphere that some find refreshing and comfortable.

As the service came to a close and Brad led the benediction, I reached down for my halfempty coffee cup and enjoyed the last of it.

And that’s when it hit me…I had experienced two very different types of Moravian worship, both meaningful and spiritually uplifting, and both with the help of good coffee!

All of us at The Moravian Magazine wish you and yours a joyous Advent season and a blessed Christmas. We hope you enjoy this issue of The Moravian—I’d suggest enjoying a hot cup of coffee to accompany your read!

Peace.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Memories of Moravian Christmas on the Kuskokwim In our October issue, we shared several stories of Moravians visiting Alaska. During one of those visits, visitors met Ruth Strand Williams, a lifelong Alaskan. Ruth told visitors of her memories of the now abandoned Moravian Children’s Home. One of those visitors, Alice Mosebach, encouraged Ruth to share her remembrance of Christmas in Alaska during that time.

Moravian missionaries came to the Kuskokwim region of Alaska in the 1800s to set up a mission to reach the Yupik Eskimo people.

I had the privilege of having a small window of time in 1946–1952 to observe the Moravians engaged in their beautiful struggle to bring the Gospel to this area.

Christmas at the Moravian Children’s Home was a flurry of celebration. The staff of about eight people began organizing 40 children into carpenters building a stage with an entire wall of spruce boughs, artists drawing 6

the town of Bethlehem on a large wall blackboard depicting three wise men of the East on camels led by a star to where the young child lay. Choirs practiced the songs—Brightest and Best, Once in Royal David’s City, We Three Kings, etc. A soloist was chosen to sing Morning Star. Practice, practice, practice, because the surrounding villages of Kwethluk and Akiak were also anticipating a wonderful experience. They hitched up their dog teams and loaded their wives and children into fur-lined sleds and travelled the narrow paths across tundra, portages and rivers. The Home hosted this celebration every year on the Sunday before Christmas.

The girl’s dorm housed the schoolroom which doubled as a church on Sunday. On the back wall of the schoolroom was a wall structure depicting the Putz, a manger scene with carved figurines of Mary, Jesus, shepherds, wise men, sheep and camels. A black velvet backdrop from which shone a large star and numerous other smaller twinkling stars completed the scene. This amazing ef-

The Moravian

fect was created by a light bulb shining behind the black velvet.

The Christmas Story was the central theme of our celebration. It was portrayed in a pageant in front of the spruce bough stage. Children who lived at the Home became Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, inn keepers and angels.

Afterwards was a Candle Service where beeswax candles in their crepe paper skirts were passed to each person. The lights were then turned out and the congregation sang carols. The soloist sang Morning Star. The night truly turned wondrous, as the first Christmas must have been.

Then, mugs of coffee with cream and sugar were passed out to everyone, children and all, with the fragrant love feast buns wrapped in paper napkins twisted at the top. Christmas had come!

On Christmas Eve, all 40 of us kids hung our stockings around the dining room. Every year in the spring, each child received a huge box from their sponsoring church in the lower 48. A large barge came into the town of Bethel bringing the yearly supply of food in the spring. Bethel was 20 miles away and the Yupik village of Kwethluk was three miles away. Each box contained clothes for an entire year, including Christmas and Easter dresses, toys and notions for Christmas.

We were told that we might hear Santa’s sleigh land on the roof and maybe hear the reindeer hooves. As little girls we would be all ears, straining to hear what was transpiring on the roof. All that we vaguely heard were footsteps in the attic above our heads, missionaries, or should I say Santa’s elves, scurrying around the missionary boxes gathering Christmas presents. The presents were prewrapped by the host church.

December 2013

I remember sitting after school at our desks with our pens and inkwells writing thank you notes to churches in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina, Bethlehem and Lititz, Pennsylvania and others.

Anticipation was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Sleep didn’t come easy that night. The next morning, after breakfast, each little girl got a new doll dressed beautifully, fragrant bars of soap, lavender scented talcum powder, toothbrushes and toothpastes (continued on page 30) Written by Ruth Strand Williams (below) She’s also the one in the red dress in the photo at left.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

The Beeswax Candle: A Moravian symbol of light and hope The lights are dimmed, the candles are lit,

a little voice begins singing Morning Star, O Cheering Sight and the congregation responds. It’s Christmas Eve, a night full of Moravian traditions. You’re familiar with the service, but do you know the origins of the beeswax candles that you are holding during the Christmas Eve lovefeast?

From the beginning, the small, lighted candles distributed to Moravians in America were made from beeswax. Beeswax, considered the purest of all animal or vegetable waxes, suggested the purity of Christ. The candle, giving its life as it burned, suggested the sacrifice of the sinless Christ for sinful humanity.

Over time greater emphasis came to be placed upon the candle as representing Christ, the Light of the world and the light shed by the burning candle suggesting our Lord’s command, “Let your light shine,” a concept summed up in the children’s hymn: Jesus bids us shine/With a clear, pure light/Like a little candle/Burning in the night.

Until the end of the nineteenth century, only 8

the children received candles, and this is still the case in some churches. Giving candles to the whole congregation has become an accepted and beautiful part of the Christmas Eve vigils in many places. The grownups are permitted to share in the childlike joy of the Savior’s birth, to become children again, if only for a brief moment. When everyone lived within walking distance of the church, the children tried to keep the candle burning unPat Zulli, a member of Edgeboro Moravian Church, pours beeswax into a candle mold.

til they reached home, where it would be used to light the candles on the Christmas tree.

The story of the Moravian Christmas candle In 1747 the world was chaotic with political strife intertwined with religious persecution.

The Brethren, who with such vigor had built the church community of Herrnhut were busily building a similar one near the castle of Marienborn in Wetteravia, Germany, as well as being engaged in mission work all around the world.

Marienborn, once a cloister, was now part of a run-down domain whose owner was happy to lease it to the Moravians who, by their industry, were sure to improve conditions.

This became a headquarters of the church’s work in the mid-1740s; a school and other buildings were built and many families joined in the work of this new Moravian community.

In the castle the Zinzendorfs and other families met regularly for devotions. As Christmas neared, the children were taught much which would lead them to love their Savior, who was also once a little child.

Thus, on Christmas Eve 1747, Bishop John de Watteville conducted vigil services, using as a theme the happy anticipation of the Christ-child’s arrival. This was not a common idea then.

They sang Christmas hymns, “some antiphonally by the presiding minister and the (continued on next page) Adapted from an article by Lee Shields Butterfield which originally ran in the December 1962 issue of The Moravian.

At right: winding wick string into a candle mold.

December 2013

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(continued from previous page) children, some as solos, some by the whole group.� In this very informal gathering he asked the children questions and they, by their answers, showed their listening parents their clear understanding of the Christmas story. They had even composed some poems which were read to the group.

Then Bishop de Watteville spoke of the happiness their knowledge of Christ would mean and “of his kindling a blood-red flame in each believing heart thereby.� Now, making his lesson unforgettable, each child was given a burning candle, with a bit of red ribbon wrapped about the base.

So stirring was this service that the following year one like it was held with the children in Herrnhut. Repetition did not dull it; it quickly became a memory to be cherished, an event to look forward to each Christmas; an established custom.

Naturally the idea was carried to other Moravian centers. The first record in the New World of a candle service like this is in the diary of Bethlehem, Pa., where it was an important event of Christmas, 1756.

These were years of peril. Christmas the year before had been darkened by the massacre of close friends and relatives at nearby Gnadenhuetten on the Mahoning. Then other outlying farms were burned, families captured, killed or scattered. Refugees had crowded into Bethlehem time and again. A constant watch for marauding Indians had to be maintained. The children from Nazareth and other schools had to be brought into the Bethlehem stockade for safety. Many of the youngsters had parents who were away on mission work. For many adults and children it must have been hard to raise their eyes from the immediate dangers

The Moravian

WHY A BEESWAX CANDLE? and hardships to thoughts of Christmas.

Just two weeks before Christmas a muchloved minister, Bishop Peter Boehler, returned to Bethlehem, having concluded some business in Europe. The devotions he conducted Christmas Eve in the Old Chapel, then the main church building, were long to be remembered as a bright hour in the midst of a dark time.

The town diary has a full account, a free translation of which is: At eight o’clock the children assembled for their Vigils service in the congregation chapel. After the choir sang the old Christmas hymn, “Today we celebrate the birth,” Brother Peter Boehler talked about the birth of the Savior, using as illustration the Christmas Eve painting which was illuminated and surrounded with the Daily Texts from the past two days. The children took part with Christmas verses, singing them with spirit and tenderness. Then each received a gift as a reminder of the greatest and most wonderful gift when the Savior gave himself to us. (continued on page 19)

The candle itself is symbolic of Christ: the Light of the World, sinless and pure, sacrificing his life for sinners. According to Moravian tradition, the candles must be made of beeswax because it is considered the purest of all animal or vegetable waxes.

Why a red frill?

The red frill, originally a red ribbon, reminds us of the blood that Christ shed for all of us. It is also, as Bishop John de Watteville intended when he introduced the candles to a Christmas service, to remind us of the blood-red flame of love that Jesus lit in every heart through his life and sacrifice.

These two elements capture the essence of Jesus in a single image, but it is not until the candle is illuminated that we see the fullness of the love of Christ reflected. The lit candle is symbolic of the birth of Christ, the Light of the world. The candle both celebrates Jesus as our light and Savior and reminds us of the sacrifice that he made for us.

The sight of the lit candles all illuminating one space, together driving out darkness, displays the overwhelming love of Christ, as each candle is a singular message to each one of us: I am yours and you are mine. We each receive a candle, just as we each receive Christ’s blessing and salvation, letting Christ’s glory shine within us.

MORAVIAN HISTORY

A celebration of the Bible and ecumenism: the 400th anniversary of the Kralice Bible This September, the small town of Kralice in

the Czech Republic came alive to celebrate a national treasure—the Kralice Bible.

2013 marks the 400th anniversary of the final, third edition of the Kralice Bible, the first complete translation of the Bible from the original text into the Czech language.

At the festival celebrating this anniversary, more than 2000 visitors attended exhibitions, lectures, poetry readings, films and more highlighting the importance of this book. The town, about 100 miles from Prague, was decorated with verses from the Bible for the event.

For Protestants and even many Catholics

in Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Slovakia, the Kralice Bible is a national treasure. But for many years, the Kralice Bible could only be read in secret in Bohemia and Moravia.

It was illegal to own this translation; many were destroyed when found and their owners prosecuted.

The festival weekend was planned with the Church of the Czech Brethren and the Lutheran Church of Silesia and Slovakia. A highlight of the festival, which was attended by many Germans as well as Czechs, was the celebration of the closing service that included the Church of the Czech Brethren as well as representatives of the Lutheran, Moravian, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic churches.

The Kralice Bible The Kralice Bible became the standard translation of the Bible into Czech. It is as significant to the people of the Czech Republic as Martin Luther’s translation is in Germany. It influenced the Czech language in a way similar to how the King James version influenced the English language.

The Kralice Bible was translated by leading scholars of the Unity of the Brethren and printed in their print shop in Kralice in

The Moravian

Southern Moravia. Several attempts had been made to translate the Bible into Czech. But the translations were from Latin texts (not the original Hebrew and Greek) and for many weren’t acceptable.

During the 16th century, the Unity of the Brethren (the precursor of the Moravian Church) was instrumental in translating the Bible into Czech. Jan Blahoslav, a bishop of the Unity, translated the New Testament from the original Greek in 1564. Between 1579 and 1588, five additional volumes of the Old Testament were published by Zacharias Solin, financed by Count Jan von Zerotin, the local lord of Kralice.

In 1596, a one-volume edition was printed followed by a third revision printed in 1613.

It was the revised text of this 1613 edition that became the standard text for the Czech Bible for centuries to come.

Copies of the original Kralice Bibles are prized by their owners. In 1952, the Northern Province Archives obtained a set of the original six volumes published in 1579-1593. The set had a history of being buried in a tin box under a garden and smuggled in bags of hay until it came with its owner to America in the mid 1800s. ■ Thanks to Rev. Benigna Carstens, a member of the Provincial Board of the European Continental Province; Herrnhuter Bote, the magazine for the Moravian Church in Germany; Paul Peucker from the Northern Province archives and The Rev. Dr. Craig Atwood for information in this story. To learn more about the Kralice Bible, see the October 2013 issue of “This Month in Moravian History” at www.moravianchrucharchives.org.

December 2013

MORAVIAN MUSIC

Songbook makes musical addition to services at Trinity When John Foltz, a life-long member of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, attended the 2013 Moravian Music Festival in Pennsylvania, he discovered a new resource that is having a big impact on the congregation’s music ministry.

The Festival seemed so wonderful—creativity, worship and fellowship abounded at the Festival. In retrospect, I wish that I (also a member of Trinity) could have been there, too. I followed the Festival daily through John Foltz’s Facebook postings.

John returned home to Trinity overflowing with excitement. He brought with him a new book. It was Sing to the Lord A New Song: A New Moravian Songbook, released by the Moravian Music Foundation just in time for the Festival. John handed it to me, that first Sunday after his return to Winston-Salem, and said, “Check this out; it is so good!”

I went home that afternoon and went through this new songbook. It was so fresh, so today, so worship-directed and so Mora 14

vian. I got on the phone that afternoon and spoke with a dozen Moravians who were contributors, thanking them for sharing the creativity with which God had blessed them.

When I returned the songbook, John Foltz shared a dream: he wanted Trinity to be able to use the songbook regularly in worship.

I encouraged John to share his dream with Pastor John Jackman and with other members of the congregation, as God led.

In a matter of three weeks, two anonymous donors had provided the funds to purchase 130 copies. This permitted our choir and congregation to have “songbooks in hand” for weekly Sunday worship.

The gift of the books was wonderful. Thank you Lord! Visioning how Trinity Church would effectively use them brought the gift to life.

Pastor Jackman, along with Music Director Jonathan Sidden, developed a worship plan, incorporating a song from the new songbook each week into the Sunday morning worship format. (We continued to sing at least one The Moravian

hymn each week from the 1995 Moravian [blue] Book of Worship.) Liturgies in the new songbook are being used when appropriate to focus worship. We have used two liturgies as of this writing (November 12, 2013).

The new songbook is a good “fit” for worship at Trinity Moravian Church. As Pastor Jackman points out: “Trinity is a congregation that encourages creativity. One of our members, June Edwards, began writing new hymns as a part of her spiritual journey during Gemeinschaft; two of her creations are in the new songbook. New thematic hymns are often featured in worship: hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, Lynette Delbridge and others.

We occasionally use “contemporary Christian” music but more often newly written hymns in a traditional style. Our music director has composed new choral settings of some favorite Moravian hymns, including ‘Sing Hallelujah.’

Each week in worship songs from the new books are accompanied by organist Daniel Johnson, Senior High member Corey Shouse and Pastor Jackman in worship, using piano and guitar. Trinity Moravian Church gives thanks to the Moravian Music Foundation for Photo, top left: the choir, rehearsing music in the new songbook. At right, organist Daniel Johnson (at the piano), Senior High member Corey Shouse and Pastor John Jackman (playing the guitar).

collecting and editing and the Interprovincial Board of Communication for publishing Sing to the Lord A New Song: A New Moravian Songbook and to the many talented writers of song and text. To God be the Glory!

Sing to the Lord A New Song is available from the IBOC and the Moravian Music Foundation. Visit store.moravian.org or www.moravianmusicfoundation.org for more information. ■ Tripp May is a retired Moravian pastor and a member of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem.

CAMPING MINISTRY

Small Stitches Make a Big Difference A small group of women is using their passion for stitching to make a big difference to Hope Conference & Renewal Center.

The Hope Quilters have contributed over $4,000 (and counting!) to Hope Conference

Center in 2013, money earned by stitching patchwork quilts, potholders, wall hangings, and anything else that can be created and quilted out of small pieces of fabric. The women (so far they are all women, but men would be welcomed, too) get together several times a year to plan, shop, and work on their quilting projects. Many of the women also stitch on their sale items at home in their spare time.

This year they have been taking the finished products on “round robin� shows, selling their wares at Moravian congregations around the Eastern District. Usually they sell at a congregation for two weeks, advertising it in advance in the church bulletin.

The Quilters grew out of the annual Quilt Camp in October at Hope Center, begun in 1992 by Rev. Lois Mease, who wanted people to quilt with and to try to raise money for a The Moravian

new lodge at Hope Center. The lodge was never built, but Quilt Camp caught on.

Large, full- and queen-sized quilts have a limited market, so the quilters began to make smaller pieces which they took to various synods to sell. But synods are only held every few years, and reach only a narrow market. This year they decided to try to reach more people by selling smaller, more affordable items. The results have been very gratifying.

Hope Center has not been the only beneficiary of the tiny stitches. Several years ago the group sewed red vests featuring a pieced Moravian star for pages volunteering at District and Provincial Synods. They have made a quilt for each of the female bishops in the Northern Province as well.

Quilt Camp is open to anyone who wants to come, whether they quilt or not. Participants can learn to quilt, sew their own projects, or simply come for the fellowship, devotions and sharing. This year’s activities were inspired by the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, which features a patchwork quilt motif as its theme.

If you are looking for a handmade gift to give (or get!) this Christmas or a unique way to celebrate the Olympics, one which will also benefit Hope Conference Center, contact the Hope Quilters. You can also offer for your congregation to host a round robin event. The Quilters can be reached by calling 610.360.0132, or by sending an e-mail to loismease@gmail.com. You can also find the Hope Quilters on Facebook. â– Susan M. Dreydoppel is the Administrative Assistant for Hope Conference & Renewal Center. She is a member of the Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pa. and represents the Lehigh Valley, North on the Eastern District Executive Board.

December 2013

MORAVIAN REFLECTIONS

A good time to look up When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4

It was the first Sunday in Advent, the begin-

ning of the church year, and the preacher had begun the familiar preparation sermon.

“Prepare the way of the Lord,” the preacher toned from the high pulpit. “All who have ears let them hear.” Directly over the preacher’s head was a traditional Moravian star, nearly six feet across, lit for the first time just minutes before.

As the preacher moved into his second page, the huge star suddenly jolted and slipped several inches from the ceiling where it was attached. Though it didn’t fall farther, it twirled ominously over the head of the preacher. He stopped mid-sentence and looked out at the congregation. “It is apparent to me that not one of you in this entire

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church is looking in my direction.” Following the gazes of the parishioners, he looked up and quickly stepped back out of the line of the potentially descending star. Ushers flew into action and after several minutes, it was determined that the star was secure and service could continue.

Certainly the descent of the Advent star became the sermon that day and perhaps more importantly, the star caused the congregation to look up. It is what that first star over Bethlehem did too. “They looked up and saw a star, shining in the east beyond them far; And to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night. Noel, noel, Born is the King of Israel.”

Looking up is good work for the first Sunday in Advent. It is also good work for the coming new calendar year. When I was in junior high and feeling particularly adventuresome, I used to join my friends to take the bus uptown to capitol square in Madison, Wisconsin. We delighted in standing on the sidewalk The Moravian

and pretending to look intently at something high up on the capitol building. Through we were just a bunch of kids, it was very hard for most folks to pass by without looking up too.

When that happened, we would giggle and move on.

Perhaps, in the human spirit there is an inner capacity for looking up, for looking beyond ourselves. There are many good reasons for looking up. Psalm 8 offers a wonderful “looking up” reason. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”

Psalm 8:3-4 Looking up reminds us of how small we are compared to the universe, to all creation. It helps us to be humble. Looking up gives us the feeling that we are part of something so big and cosmic that we can do anything. It gives us power and confidence. Looking up lifts us out of ourselves for a little while so that we can try some new thing, or take a risk, or rise beyond what is usually expected. It energizes us. Looking up may be a way of connecting with those we have loved who have died.

It gives us hope.

Looking up is transforming because that is where we might imagine God to be, and looking up connects us with God in some new way.

It strengthens our faith. Looking up is not idealistic or impractical because we look up with our two feet firmly planted on the ground where we need to be.

So climb a hill. Take a walk downtown.

Look out your window. Keep looking up. ■

Beeswax Candle (continued from page 11)

And, at last, each was given a wax candle, lighted while hymns were being sung, and before one was aware of it, more than 250 candles were ablaze, producing a charming effect and a very agreeable odor, especially as they sang the concluding hymn.

Brother Peter dismissed them with the wish that their hearts would burn as brightly toward the Child Jesus, as the candles were burning. Then they went happily homeward with the still-burning candles in their hands.

In 1762 lighted candles, symbolizing the flame of love, were used in Bethabara and Bethania, N.C., and in their diary of 1770 it records that they joyfully carried them home, still burning.

The traditional beeswax candle continues to be a central part of Moravian Christmas celebrations. While there are local variations—the size of the candle, how its base is trimmed, how they are presented during Christmas Eve services—the light of the beeswax candle remains a powerful symbol of the light Jesus brought to the world. ■

From Of Seasons & Sparrows by Bishop Kay Ward. © 2000 by Kay Ward and the Interprovincial Board of Communication.

December 2013

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In Memoriam: The Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss(1927-2013) This summer, a fixture of the Labrador and Newfoundland’s Moravian community passed away. The Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss touched Moravians in Germany, England and for many years, Labrador. We share a remembrance from Hans Rollman, a professor of religious studies at Memorial University in Newfoundland.

On

the afternoon of Aug. 24, 2013, while Brigitte Schloss’ earthly remains were buried at Nain with a memorial service in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, I attended at the Anglican Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in

The Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss ; above, Nain in Labrador

St. John’s, a moving celebration and thanksgiving for her life. That service was arranged according to her wishes, with many of her friends attending, including a large contingent from Labrador.

I met Brigitte in the early 1990s after she had retired from her position as coordinator of Memorial University’s (MUN) native teacher education program in Labrador.

At the time she was studying in Queen’s College, a time-honored Anglican theological institution in St. John’s, so that she might be better prepared for her post-retirement career as a minister in the Moravian Church. As I came to know this already ailing senior, I soon realized that here was an individual who had the widest life experience and an expansive mind that remained forever young and inquisitive.

Brigitte’s wish for ordination became a reality when the Moravian bishop the Rt. Rev. Dr. Arthur Freeman, a man whom she admired very much for his creative and bold theological thinking, ordained her at Nain, Labrador, in October 1995.

As I became increasingly interested in the Moravian Church and its historical roots in Europe, we had many conversations, in which she taught me much about the church in Labrador.

The Moravian

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

Forced from her home Brigitte, a very private individual, only gradually came to share some of her life experiences from her childhood in Gnadau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, as the daughter of the Rev. Erwin Schloss, a Moravian minister of Jewish descent. Fear for the family’s lives forced them to flee Germany in 1935 during the dark days of the Nazi regime.

After the family’s arrival in Switzerland, she received her schooling and subsequent teacher training there. In 1949, she moved to England in preparation for becoming a teacher in Moravian schools in Labrador.

Brigitte’s long teaching career in Labrador began in 1950 and continued at MUN in 1981 when she became responsible for co-ordinating native teacher education in Labrador.

Here, she helped Labradorians in becoming qualified teachers to educate the children and youth of Labrador. In the meantime, she had earned degrees at MUN and Laval University as well as a PhD in education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at Toronto.

Ministry When I met Brigitte, she had begun to lead worship services in St. John’s for Moravians from Labrador. She also visited people from Labrador who had come to the capital city for medical and hospital treatment and conducted a dedicated ministry at the local correctional facility — work that she considered “a privilege and high calling.”

Her faith expressed itself in the breadth and depth of her own ministry.

“God has led me all the way,” Brigitte said, “and I learned that nothing can separate me from his love.”

Like Count Zinzendorf, the spiritual father of the Renewed Moravian Church, she sought December 2013

with fellow clergy in the St. John’s and Area Council of Churches to give “expression to the fundamental unity of the several Christian denominations and to provide for common action in Christian witness and service in and for the community.”

Reconciliation Her interior reconciliation with the German people, who had been responsible for the flight of her family, was a long and arduous spiritual journey that began when she realized that her father’s cousin, who had suffered even more than her family had, was able to remain positive throughout her life.

Brigitte’s struggle for wholeness and reconciliation led also to her closer identification with the Inuit struggle for identity and for overcoming alienation, shame, and resentment.

“I am always anxious not to let cuts remain cuts that fester, but to have them turn into something that helps me, and hopefully others along the way,” she wrote.

“Then it will not be lost, not have happened in vain. This has been a deep concern of mine. I am deeply grateful for all the many people who have helped me along the way.”

With the help of that same cousin she also came to appreciate the depth and wisdom of Judaism and thus found a way back to the spiritual roots of her paternal family. When I visited her a few months ago, Brigitte told me once again that reading the rabbis was a great consolation to her and had opened new ways of understanding the Bible for her Christian faith. ■ Hans J. Rollmann is Professor of Religious Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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IN OUR CONGREGATIONS

Washington DC pastor shares why it’s the ministry that matters “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…

John 15: 16 (part)

Those were the words that gave the Rev. Bevon H. White his motivation to enter into Ministry some 25 years ago.

In September, Bevon, a native of the Jamaica & Cayman Islands Province, was installed as the Pastor for Faith Moravian Church of the Nation’s Capital. He received his MATS degree from Moravian Theological Seminary last spring.

The weather was perfect, the congregation excited, and before some 250 people, Bevon and his family were received into membership, and Rev. White later installed as Pastor.

Sis. Peg Grenier, Penn-Mar representative for the Eastern District Executive Board officiated on behalf of Rev. David Bennett. Also in attendance were representatives from area congregations and staff from the Jamaican Embassy in Washington.

During the installation service, Bevon preached a sermon entitled “The Ministry That Matters.” In it, he outlined what ministry means to him.

“In our text, we are reminded of God’s initial choice in our lives. We respond to God’s choice with our own choice. Not only are we chosen, but we are also appointed. Appointment is not a force of action, but leaves us a choice to act accordingly. I see this installation today therefore as a fulfillment of what God had already planned out, with each of 22

us having a role to play in the ministry of the church, making it a ministry that matters.

“I share three things about this ministry.

First, it is an Ordained Ministry. Ordained speaks of being religiously appointed, it is to be set apart for service; it is the authority by which we do ministry. We recognize the ministry of those who are Ordained in our church and in other churches, but we also recognize the ministry of the church as being ordained

by God, and all of us as Christians are called to do our part in this ministry as defined by each congregation. Each of us therefore is called by Christ to be part of the ministry of the church. We refer to this as the Priesthood of all Believers.

“As I answer my call to ministry, so too must you answer yours so that together we will fulfill the command of Christ, “go into all the world… ’ In this ministry there is a call for unity. The first letter to Timothy, Chapter 6, makes the point that ministry is not for personal gain. It is not for wealth; it is not for control, it is not geared towards leaving a name behind. The bottom line is that ministry is not about you or I, neither is it ours, it is Christ’s ministry through us. It demands of us therefore a different kind of unity—in our work, in our worth and in the Word— 1 Timothy 6:3…Let us seize the moment in response to God’s call so that at the end of the road we will not have regrets. ‘For you did not choose me…I chose you…’

“Secondly, this ministry is Commanded.

When any of us examine the journey to where we are in life, there should be no doubt in our The Moravian

hearts that we have been answering God’s call to us. We were not promised a smooth road but we are assured of one who will journey with us. Go into all the world then, answering God’s call, knowing that He who commands will also accompany you. As I have responded, so I pray that you also will respond, ‘… here I am Lord, I will go Lord, I will hold your people in my heart.’

“Because ministry is a command, we should be concerned with obeying, and leave the results to God, difficult as this can be in this results driven society. Be prepared therefore, as we minister together, to embrace entirely new avenues of ministry, to try new ways of doing old things, and to apply old ways to new things. ‘Behold I make all things new’ still applies to the church today.

“And third, it is a ministry that is Authenticated. We do not do ministry at our whim and fancy, neither do we do ministry as a hobby.

Church is not a social club, a get-away, or a meeting place for friends. The church’s ministry is genuine, it presents truth and is a legitimate representation of God’s outstretched arms to this world in which we live. As such it is a ministry that is given the full backing and support of the wider body, but more-so, of the God we represent, the one who directs the ministry.

“Finally, friends, a word of caution. In this ministry to which we have been called, there is accountability to boards, committees, church, but ultimately, to God. Because we are answerable, it behooves us to act responsibly in this ministry. This friends, is our Carlota McCormack is a member of Faith Moravian Church, where she co-chairs the Worship Committee and is director of the Chancel Choir.

December 2013

opportunity; this friends is our time to minister in a way that matters—that matters to the lives of those we touch; that which matters to our church’s future as well as ours. It is the opportunity to answer God’s call to an ordained, commanded, and authentic ministry.

We have been chosen for this place, time and task. As I have responded, so I encourage us all to respond today, “I will go Lord, if you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart.”

Rev. White called on the congregation to rise up and increase their impact in the surrounding community. He committed to working closely with the congregation to strengthen ministries and increase the church’s membership and influence in the community. He stated, “The idea is to get everyone involved in the church’s ministry. Among the adults there will be various ministries to incorporate every member of the church. There is much to be done and together, we have an opportunity to do ministry in a new way.” ■ The Rev. Bevon White tries on his new surplice during his installation at Faith Moravian Church in September.

MORAVIAN HISTORY

Books offer deeper look into Moravian History Are you interested in learning more about

the history of the Moravian Church? Here are three volumes offered by the IBOC that can teach you what you want to know, answer your questions and strengthen your connection to those who made the Moravian Church what it is today.

History of the Unity of the Brethren

By Rudolf Rican, translated by C. Daniel Crews History of the Unity of the Brethren provides an in-depth, comprehensive history of the Unity from the Hussite Revolution through the creation of the Unity of the Brethren and the life of Jan Amos Comenius. Detailed accounts of events and explanations of developments in theology bring this history to life.

One of the definitive histories of the Unity of the Brethren, written in 1957 to mark the 500th anniversary of its founding, this volume includes a full translation of Rican’s book by Daniel Crews making the story accessible to English readers.

The Moravian Church Through the Ages

By John R. Weinlick and Albert H. Frank The Moravian Church Through the Ages spans more than 500 years of Moravian history, from the 1450s to present day, taking the Moravian Church from Europe to America and throughout the world. This book illustrates the roles of some of the great figures

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in the founding of the Moravian Church, including Christian David, Count Zinzendorf and John Watteville.

A section on Moravian Heritage outlines basic Moravian beliefs and their origins, the many ways in which worship is conducted and how education came to be an important part of the Moravian community.

A Collection of Sermons from Zinzendorf’s Pennsylvania Journey Translated by Julie Tomberlin Weber, Edited by Craig D. Atwood Do you ever wonder how Count Zinzendorf was able to impact your faith today from hundreds of years in the past? Do you wonder how he might still impact your faith in the present?

In the early 1740s Zinzendorf journeyed to Pennsylvania to bring the Moravian settlers into his “ecumenical theology of the heart,” teaching his “heart religion” and “theology of the cross.” Zinzendorf’s style of preaching aims to move the heart, not just the mind, and his sermons have an immediacy and an emotional impact. The only English translation of these sermons, Zinzendorf can still speak directly to you on themes that have become the centerpiece of Moravian faith while providing a true outline of Moravian identity.

All three of these books are available from the IBOC. For more information, visit http:// store.moravian.org. ■ The Moravian

MORAVIAN HISTORY

Call for Papers: Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History & Music The fourth Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History and Music is coming to the campus of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary October 2-5, 2014.

The conference explores Moravian history and music in a worldwide context from the 15th to 20th centuries.

The conference is sponsored by Moravian College, Moravian Archives, and the Center for Moravian Studies, in partnership with the Moravian Music Foundation, Moravian Historical Society, Moravian Theological Seminary, and Historic Bethlehem Partnership.

The program committee is now accepting proposals for individual papers, panels, lecture recitals, films, and reports on current research projects on any topic related to Moravian history and music. Special consideration will be given to the following topics focused on War & Peace and the Moravians • Martyrdom of John Hus (1369-1415) • Civil War in America • Controversy and the Moravians • Moravian composer, Johann Christian Geisler (1729-1815) December 2013

Proposals of 300 words or less will be accepted on the conference website until April 1, 2014. Visit the website for more information and updates: www.moravianconferences.org.

The program committee will notify accepted applicants by May 1, 2014. A limited number of grants for housing and travel costs is available. Conference sessions and a prize for undergraduate student papers will be offered.

All inquiries can be directed to: Lanie Yaswinski, Conference Chair, 4th Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History and Music, Moravian Archives, 41 W. Locust St., Bethlehem, PA 18018-2757, lanie@moravian churcharchives.org. ■

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS NORTHERN PROVINCE Ordination Sister Rebecca (Schoeneberger) Sisley was ordained a deacon in the Moravian Church December 1, 2013 at Nazareth Moravian Church, Nazareth, Pa. Bishop M. Blair Couch officiated at the ordination service.

Presbyterial Consecration Brother Eric Renner, presently serving as pastor for Shepherd of the Prairie Moravian Church, Fargo, N.D., will be consecrated a presbyter of the Moravian Church on January 18, 2014. Bishop Paul A. Graf will officiate at the service, which will be held at Shepherd of the Prairie.

New Philadelphia, Ohio Sister Rebecca (Schoeneberger) Sisley, a May graduate of Moravian Theological Seminary, has accepted the call to serve as pastor of Sharon Moravian Church, New Philadelphia, Ohio. Sister Sisley will be installed December 15, 2013.

Released for Other Service Brother Keith Harke has accepted a call to be released for other service to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving as Intentional Interim Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church on Staten Island, N.Y. Brother Harke began his new work October 15, 2013.

Elizabeth D. Miller Provincial Elders’ Conference 26

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Clergy Emergency Assistance Fund As per the 2010 Provincial Synod resolution,

the ‘Clergy Emergency Assistance Fund’ (CEAF) was established for “clergy who find themselves in emergency situations and who need assistance providing for their food, shelter and/or safety.” (From Resolved 6, Third Partial report, Mission to & with our Shepherds, 2010 Northern Province Synod legislation.)

An advisory board was appointed by the Provincial Elders’ Conference to administer, and to create guidelines and application procedures for the fund, all of which have now been approved by the PEC. The policy and application process of the CEAF can be obtained from the Rev. Keith K. Harke, CEAF Chair, 74 Hillside Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10308, keithharke@gmail.com Be assured that all confidentiality regulations for both the United States and Canada will be observed.

Contributions to the fund are encouraged, and may be sent to Tina Giesler, Provincial Controller, 1021 Center St., PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016. Checks should be made out to the ‘Moravian Church Northern Province’, with ‘Clergy Emergency Assistance Fund’ on the memo line.

Your continued prayers are requested as the advisory board moves forward in the administration of the CEAF in ministry to our shepherds who find themselves in need. ■ Ad Policy for The Moravian — The Moravian accepts paid advertising that is consistent with the magazine’s objectives and editorial convictions as they are stated in the purpose and mission of the Interprovincial Board of Communication. Advertisements for activities, services and products of specific interest to members of the Moravian Church have priority. The Moravian does not accept purely editorial advertisements that advocate specific ideas or issues. Articles, columns and letters to the editor are the appropriate vehicles for the presentation of ideas and issues. The Interprovincial Board of Communication is responsible for the content and design of the magazine, including advertisements. Ad rates and specifications are available www.moravian.org.

The Moravian

2013 INDEX OF THE MORAVIAN 21st Century Moravians Learning from our past: Ideas for a 21stcentury Choir System, Nov, 6 Adopt-A-Village Orphan Education in the Sikonge District, April, 24 Board of World Mission Board of World Mission 2012 Annual Report, June/July, 11 Board seeks God’s direction in mission during fall retreat and meeting, Nov, 17 Christmas Traditions Memories of the Moravian Christmas on the Kuskokwim, Dec, 6 The Beeswax Candle: A Moravian symbol of light and hope, Dec, 8 Commentary A ministry of stewardship and education to those less active and inactive, April, 6 Congregational Milestones Mt. Bethel celebrates its 160th anniversary, March, 24 Crafting for Ministry Knitting together for Synod 2014, Sept, 23 Daily Texts/Moravian Daily Texts Choosing a cover for the Daily Texts, Oct, 5 Ecumenical Partners Moravian Bishop Kay Ward pens Bible Study for Gather, May, 18 Faithful Resources “Daily Prayers for Moravians” offer inspiration and prayer on the web, Jan/ Feb, 19 Northern Province offers new Healthy Congregations resource, Jan/Feb, 23

December 2013

Full Communion Historic lovefeast brings together ecumenical partners, Sept, 20 Mission trip results in ecumenical partnership and communion, Sept, 22 Moravian-Episcopal Committee meets to strengthen full communion, April, 10 In Our Communities Filling the GAPS, Sept, 12 Organization honoring Moravian missionary plans bicycle trail & park system, April, 26 Redeemer Ohio Community Garden plants seeds of outreach, Oct, 18 Salem Creek RCC reaches out to St. Philips’ neighborhood, Oct, 27 What one man can do by following the Lord, Nov, 24 Youth mission project produces a-maze-ing labyrinth for Christ Moravian, Oct, 25 In Our Congregations A special project for a special season, Aug, 26 Charlotte area Moravian women share “Springs of Life”, April, 22 Daggett Moravian “saddles up” for Cowboy Church celebration, Nov, 19 Lamb Ministry brings comfort, June/July, 37 New Beginnings blends mission with “Start your Engines!”, Aug, 22 Ohio congregations join together for “Grace in the Valley”, Oct, 13 Open house shared old Moravian traditions in a creative new way, April, 20 Palmyra Moravian celebrates sesquicentennial, May, 24 Staten Island congregations send thanks for helping them help Superstorm Sandy victims, Aug, 8 Washington DC pastor shares why it’s the ministry that matters, Dec, 22

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Larger Life Foundation Agency helps build a “larger life” for Northern Province congregations, March, 22 Latino Ministries Conference emphasizes growth, challenges of Latino ministries, June/July, 9 Lenten Reflection Three Lenten Gifts, March, 6 Lay Seminary Lay Seminary seeks to answer “Moravian Theology - What is it today?”, April, 13 Ministries Foundation Creating a Mission and Ministry Fund, Oct, 11 Moravian Ministries Foundation: Future perspective from historical inspiration, June/July, 31 Moravian Ministries Foundation helps Moravians “Invest Where You Believe”, Jan/Feb, 11 Ministry of Camping/Moravian Camping Ministry Building faith in the great outdoors, May, 5 Camp Hope readies for busy season of Eastern District Camping, May, 10 Camping brings California Moravians together, May, 17 Camping in Canada at Camp Van-Es, May, 14 Camping in the Western District, May, 12 Laurel Ridge: the Southern Province’s jewel in the mountains, May, 6 Mid-States getting “back to basics”, May, 16 Small stitches make a big difference, Dec, 16 Take a fresh look at Hope Center, March, 18 Why did I put that guitar in the car?, May, 8 Moravian College & Theological Seminary Bryon L. Grigsby named President of Moravian Theological Seminary, March, 26 Moravian Theological Seminary celebrates 2013 Commencement, Aug, 5

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Moravian Connections Bulletin messages connect Moravians across North America, March, 12 Moravian Education Comenius Learning Series event explores Ancient Unity and Sermon on the Mount, Oct, 8 Moravian Theological Seminary’s CROSSROADS program prepares lay leaders for congregational service, Nov, 21 Moravian History 400th anniversary of the Kralice Bible, Dec, 12 Bethlehem Archives completes first phase of renovations, Oct, 15 Books offer deeper look into Moravian history, Dec, 24 Call for Papers: Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History & Music, Dec, 25 Mission work on the home front: a remembrance of Francis Weber, Sept, 26 Moravian Archives expansion project helps prepare it for the next 35 years, Jan/ Feb, 28 New book brings archivist’s research and words to life, Jan/Feb, 30 Moravian Minsters Moravian clergy gather to learn, relax and refresh spirits, Aug, 16 Moravian Music Bläsertag 2013: Unity Brass Festival gathers horns from around the world, Aug, 12 “But we’ve never sung THAT before!”

Introducing a new song, Aug, 16 Festival Scholarship winners share thoughts, thanks for musical opportunity, Sept, 18 Hearing the stories behind the songs, Nov, 22 Moravian Music Festival 2013, Sept, 14 Moravian music strikes a chord with concert-goers in Greensboro, Jan/Feb, 9 Provinces share guidelines for using copyrighted materials, March, 14 Sing...Play...Listen at the 24th Moravian Music Festival, April, 17 Songbook makes musical addition to services at Trinity, Dec, 14

The Moravian

Moravian Reflections A good time to look up, Dec, 18 A Moravian life begun at the kitchen sink, April, 8 Crossroads: Stories at the Intersections highlights the power and spirit of stories, Aug, 23 Moravian Travels Mission team learns and grows while helping Alaskan Seminary, Oct 23 Travelers find warmth and hospitality among Alaskan Moravians, Oct, 20 Moravian Unity Committee focuses on worldwide matters at meeting in Bethlehem, Nov, 5 Moravian Unity Board meets in Herrnhut, Jan/Feb, 5 Tracing Moravian roots on the Unity Youth Heritage Tour 2013, Nov, 13 Moravian Women Come... let us walk in the light of the Lord... The 12th Moravian Women’s Conference, Sept, 11 Spiritual Life Retreat demonstrates “JesusGod With Us”, Aug, 27 Moravian Youth A different way to spend Spring Break: college age mission trips, May, 21 College-Age Retreat reveals “growing up is hard to do”, Jan/Feb, 7 Gearing up for Youth Convo 2013, March, 21 Moravian youth “get connected” at Convo 2013, September, 5 Seminary offers Youth Ministry Weekend, March, 5 Young adults study the importance of their faith at Wisconsin retreat, May, 27

Moravians In Mission A Canadian congregation helps build the faith in Nicaragua, March, 10 Back to our Mission Area in Sierra Leone, March, 8 Global Leadership Summit brings together World Mission partners, June/July, 6 In memoriam: The Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss (1927-2013), Dec, 20 Joy and Lament at the Women’s Conference in Tanzania, Jan/Feb, 16 Moravians in Cuba: A growing faith, Jan/ Feb, 26 On the road to Gininiga, Jan/Feb, 14 Shining in Cuba, Jan/Feb, 24 Obituary Bruckart, Rev. James O., Aug, 32 Dreydoppel, Rev. Otto, Sept, 29 Johnson, Rev. James L., Aug, 32 Klokow, Rev. Melvin R., Oct, 30 Loppnow, Rt. Rev. Milo A., April, 29 Matthias, Rev. Leon H., Nov, 28 Matz, Rev. Dr. Mary J., Sept, 29 Rodney, Rev. Dr. Cedric Sydney, Jan/Feb, 34 Ponderings A cover for Lent, March, 4 A new team for the IBOC, Aug, 4 A tale of two coffees, Dec, 4 One busy Summer, Sept, 4 Ordination uplifts a Sunday afternoon, April, 4 Recognizing the Spirit in changing times, June/July, 4 Sparking a sense of community, Oct, 4 Steeping myself in Moravian theology and history, Nov, 4 Sunrises, sunsets, Jan/Feb, 4 The park bench oasis, May, 4 Statistics/Indices 2013 Index of the Moravian Magazine, Dec, 27 Statistics of the Moravian Church in the US and Canada, Nov, 29 Synod 2014 Gathering prepares delegates for 2014 Synod, Nov, 10

December 2013

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Kuskokwim

(continued from page 7) (which we promptly ate), much to the dismay of the staff. They quickly learned to mix salt and soda in mason jars for tooth hygiene. We got color books and books, paper dolls with cut-out dresses, stocking monkeys, etc.

Fun, fun, fun!

Our stockings had an apple and an orange (rare commodities in the winter) and hard candy. At naptime, we had to leave our booty outside our dorm door lest we get no sleep.

I have endeavored to pass down to my children and grandchildren these wonderful Moravian Christmas traditions of my childhood. They are an integral part of who I am today and have become my traditions. â–

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The Moravian

GROWING FAITH takes inspiration.

Growing funds takes expertise.

L

EADING THE WORK OF MORAVIAN MINISTRY is a divine gift — but it requires financial gifts as well. That’s why leaders of faith in our churches and agencies are often called to be leaders in fundraising. Fortunately, Morning Star Campaign Services is here to help. As a program of the Moravian Ministries Foundation, Morning Star provides full-service advice and support for capital campaign fundraising, stewardship education and development, and long-range planning to help you build a solid financial platform for doing the work of faith. From understanding the fundraising possibilities to capturing their full potential, Morning Star can help you grow the resources needed to continue growing our faith.

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

Salemtowne residents - Bill & Carol McElveen

Energize Your Lifestyle Salemtowne is a non-profit continuing care retirement community that reflects the Moravian values of respect for the individual, hospitality, life-long learning and a love of the arts.

At Salemtowne, a maintenance free lifestyle provides you the extra time to devote to your interests.

We invite you to visit Salemtowne and discover a community where your passions can thrive.

Visit salemtowne.org or call (336) 767-8130