Category: Faith And Spirituality

Built Together With Christ

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“What brought us together, what joined our hearts? The pardon which Jesus, our
High Priest, imparts; ‘tis this which cements the Disciples of Christ, who are into
one by the Spirit baptized.” Hymn # 675

Jesus as Good Shepherd

The Home Moravian Church sanctuary is illuminated by 10 stained glass windows.

Christ calls us into covenant relationship with God and each other. It is he who builds us together into his church. Those who are faithful to the Lord shape their lives and world-view in response to God’s grace. It is a response characterized by faith, love, and hope.

Two years ago, while spending Thanksgiving with my family in Winston-Salem, NC, I encountered tangible expressions of Moravian faith, love, and hope in the bell tower and attic of Home Moravian Church. We were there with my cousin, the congregation’s administrative assistant, to lift weights powering the church’s clock and chimes back to the top of the tower. While engaged in that task, she disclosed that recently one of the supporting ropes had parted and allowed the suspended weight to fall several stories onto the ceiling of the narthex. The 18th century Moravians had anticipated this eventuality and placed hay and other shock absorbing materials under the weights.

When the rope failed, as they knew it eventually might, no damage was done. Similar foresight by early 20th century Moravians was demonstrated when the sanctuary’s stained-glass windows had to be repaired. Present day members found carefully packed replacement panes of glass in the church’s attic where they had been since the windows’ installation in 1913.

The depth of these Moravians’ faith in God, hope for the future, and the love demonstrated by such foresight touched me emotionally and spiritually. Generations ago they had anticipated the presence of those who would follow them and prepared a place for them to join hearts together in worship of the Savior. As I descended from the clock and bell tower I passed through the sanctuary where I paused to enjoy the late afternoon sun warmly illuminating the interior.

As I contemplated a window depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd, it occurred to me that what we build together with Christ often lasts far longer and is more satisfying than any purely personal achievement. Those who came before us built worship spaces which continue to express eloquently their faith in God, hope for the future, and love for fellow believers. As we express gratitude for the faithful actions of those who preceded us, may we resolve to bless others by “paying it forward.”

Seeking a Life in Truth

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Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  (The Gospel of John, 8:31-32)

Sincere followers of Jesus Christ seek to live a life grounded in truth, for Christ is himself the embodiment of God’s truth. The quest for truth is often personally costly. The eternal struggle between God’s truth and the lies and hatred of the world are laid bare in an exchange between Pontius Pilate and Jesus which occurs during our Savior’s sham trial: Jesus: “… For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”(John 18:37-38)

Christ Before Pilate, Duccio Buoninsegna

Christ Before Pilate, Duccio Buoninsegna

Pilate is no seeker after truth, but rather cynically sees what others call “truth” as a matter of personal perspective or practical expediency. Christ is crucified as “King of the Jews,” not because Pilate believes that Jesus is the Messiah, but rather because doing so is politically convenient. In ordering Christ be crucified, Pilate curries the favor of the mob clamoring for Jesus’ death while winning the approval of both Jewish leaders and Caesar. It’s a good deal for him all the way round.

Pilate’s self-serving behavior contrasts starkly with the lives of those who earnestly seek truth. Such seekers understand that truth consists of more than statements which accord with the facts or with reality. Ultimately, truth is teleological – that is, it pertains to the purpose of life. As such, truth directs our relationship with others and shapes our ethics and worldview.

Seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, speak the truth, adhere to truth and defend truth to the death.Jon Hus

Two such truth-seeking persons with ties to Bethlehem area Moravians are the 15th century Czech priest and reformer, John Hus, and his 20th century countryman, the late Václav Havel. In seeking to reform the church, John Hus wrote: “Seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, speak the truth, adhere to truth and defend truth to the death.” As a priest, Hus was concerned that certain church practices endangered the souls of those God entrusted to its care. Specifically he was opposed to the selling of indulgences by the Roman church to pay for a crusade against other Christians and to bishops selling priestly offices. Hus insisted that priests be qualified, godly persons capable of preaching the gospel and caring for their parishioners. Hus’ pursuit of reform cut into the profits of those in power. This won him the enmity of ecclesiastic and secular leaders. Hus’ own search for truth ended on July 6, 1415, when he was burned at the stake after refusing to renounce what he believed was true. A group of his followers formed the early Moravian Church.

Like Hus, the late Václav Havel also paid a steep price for pursuing a life in truth. As a dissident in Communist Czechoslovakia, he was repeatedly imprisoned. In spite of such opposition, Havel clung to his vision that “Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred.” Fortunately, Havel outlasted the authoritarian regime and emerged to become president of his nation. In October of 1991, Havel visited Bethlehem, re-dedicated Moravian College’s statue of Jan Amos Comenius, and received that institution’s highest honor, the Comenius Medallion.

Like Hus before him, Havel realized that living a life in truth involves courageous introspection both as individuals and as a society. A little over a year before he visited the Lehigh Valley Havel wrote: We have become morally ill, because we have become accustomed to saying one thing and thinking another. We have learned not to believe in anything, not to care about one another and only to look after ourselves. Notions such as love, friendship, compassion, humility and forgiveness have lost their depth and dimension, and for many of us they …appear as some kind of stray relic from times past … (“The Great Moral Stake of the Moment”, New Year’s Address by Václav Havel, 1990)

In short, as he surveyed his society, Havel saw many who we would identify as having chosen the cynical, self-serving way of Pilate rather than the redemptive example of Christ. We fool ourselves, and the truth is not in us if we think the moral challenges Havel noted are reserved for societies emerging from communist rule. It is the challenge of our own time and of every generation.

  • Pastor Derek French

What’s In An Anniversary?

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Time, it is said, flies when you’re having fun. If so, each passing decade of life must be bringing me more fun than the last. These days, time seems to pass much more swiftly for me now than it did a quarter century ago. I find myself searching for markers of time in the great journey of life.

Anniversaries are one such marker.

The year 2017 is the 275th anniversary of the founding of Bethlehem, the 60th year in the life of our congregation, and the 50th anniversary of the dedication of our sanctuary,

An anniversary provides an opportunity to pause in the midst of our routine, all-too-rapid lives to consider what truly matters to us. It is an occasion to reflect on the persons, places, and experiences which have shaped us. It is a time to look back and a time to look ahead, a time to celebrate and a time to reflect. For a congregational anniversary, it is also a time to give thanks to God for guidance and blessings received.

This church has felt your blessing for lo, these many years; your Spirit’s gracious leading through all its joys and tears; we join with those before us in holding high the cross. O use us, Lord and Master, whate’er may be the cost.

And now, O God, our Father, we pledge ourselves anew by work and prayer and worship to serve your kingdom too. With grateful hearts we praise you and pray, O Lord, that we who are your church at present, may serve you faithfully. “We Come to You, Our Father” (MBW, 433)

As East Hills Moravian Church enters its 61st year of ministry, I would encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what I pray truly matters to you – relationship with God and your personal growth in faith and the witness of a distinctively Christian life.

I offer the following questions to help start this process of reflection:

  • How has your relationship with God deepened in the past year?
  • How have you found satisfaction and blessing as you participated in the Lord’s work through East Hills Moravian Church? How recently and in what capacity?
  • How has God challenged you to grow personally and demonstrate Christian aspects of character as you have interacted with others (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, generosity and self-control)

– Pastor Derek French

Clothed With Christ

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“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

clothed in christ

When a Moravian pastor officiates at Holy Communion he or she often wears a specially made white robe (surplice). Its flowing white design with wide sleeves calls to mind the white robes in the book of Revelation. Its purpose is to remind worshipers of heaven and to show that the pastor is representing Christ when administering the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion. The ritual of robing reminds pastors that they, together with all baptized believers, are to “clothe themselves with Christ.”

In offering himself as a willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of all humanity, Jesus fulfilled the demands of righteous justice while embodying divine grace. Clothing ourselves with Christ means that, in spite of our sinful nature we are able to approach God without fear of rejection, trusting in God’s forgiveness of sin through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of Jesus. A hymn in the Moravian liturgy for burial expresses this well:

The Savior’s blood and righteousness, my beauty is, my glorious dress; thus well-arrayed I need not fear when in his presence I appear.

Because our lives, our souls, have been redeemed by God, we are free to respond by choosing a new focus for our lives. We clothe ourselves with Christ as disciples of the Lord. Our goal should be to become just a bit more Jesus-like each day. Therefore …

  • We exhibit love for others, even those with whom we vehemently disagree, because “God is love,” and “Whoever does not love does not know God,” (I John 4:8)
  • Knowing ourselves to be less than perfect and in need of God’s forgiveness, we forgive others’ sins, as we trust God will forgive our sins. (Matthew 6:12)
  • Similarly, we refrain from judgment for that is God’s task. The Apostle James echoes our Savior’s teaching when he writes: “So who then, are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12)
  • In speaking with others, we choose our words carefully knowing that “a harsh word stirs up anger,” and that only a “perverse person spreads strife” through gossip. (Proverbs 15:1, 16:28)
  • Whatever material goods God has entrusted to us as individuals or a congregation, we invest to build up the Kingdom of God and help draw others closer to Christ for we know that one day we will have to account for our stewardship. (Matthew 25:29-30)

As we continue deeper into the New Year, resolve to clothe yourself with Christ.

 

The Church As Clay Jar

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“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”  – 2 Corinthians 4:7

treasure in clay jars

In this age of plastic I seldom think of clay jars, bottles or pots. On the rare occasions when I do, what normally springs to mind is the contents of the vessel – a flowering plant in a terra-cotta pot, port wine cheese in an earthenware crock or good Belgian ale made by Trappist monks in a ceramic bottle. The container adds a nice rustic note to the total experience but it is what is inside that really counts.

We may think of the institutional church as a clay jar into which God pours extraordinary gifts. Our congregation is a place for persons to grow in faith and to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Building, ministry programs, and events add nice details to the total experience but members’ encounter with the Holy One who moves within and among believers wherever two or more gather in Jesus’ name is what really matters.

Pottery is generally durable but will break under the right circumstances. The church is a gathering of potentially fragile, sometimes broken, often fallible persons each carrying some life burden or facing some challenge. The frailty of members and the institution as a whole should serve to remind us that power and glory belong to God and not humans.

When we contribute financially to provide for the upkeep of the church building, staffing and programs, or set aside time to attend worship on a Sunday morning, we help insure the continued existence of the container – the clay jar – in which the sacred encounter with God can take place.

I hope you share my conviction about how important this is and will join me on Consecration Sunday, November 6th as we recommit ourselves individually and collectively to Christ’s work of forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation.

Remember: Daylight Savings Time ends on November 6; turn your clocks back so you don’t miss worship or the celebration brunch!

  • Pastor Derek French

The Unity We Already Have

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The unity of Christ’s Church – that is the essential interrelatedness of all who confess Christ as Lord – is an inescapable reality brought about by God through the Head of that Church, Jesus Christ. Paul, in his letter to Christians in Ephesus, takes it for granted that Christ’s prayer for Christian unity (John 17:20-21) has been answered when he writes: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) It is that unity which followers of Jesus celebrate on World Communion Sunday, the first weekend in October each year.
world communion sunday

Yet it is apparent to even the most casual observer that Christians are not of one mind and practice. The body of Christ is divided on the interpretation of Scripture, on styles of worship, on the essentials of faithful discipleship, social justice, and involvement in politics – to name but a few issues. How then can we profess that we are “all one?” (John 17: 21)

Christian unity is an existential unity, not one based on consent. It does not rest on human opinion; it rests on the work of God’s redemptive work in Christ. Those who are among the redeemed are by definition in relationship with all others whom Christ has redeemed. We are in relationship with other Christians in somewhat the same way our heart is in relationship with our hands, eyes, feet and other organs. Organs cannot simultaneously function autonomously and remain part of an integrated body. Neither do all organs look the same or function in the same manner. Integrated, interdependent diversity is what being an organism is all about!

This scriptural and traditional view of the church as an organic body differs radically from a secularly influenced perspective which holds that the church is merely a collection of autonomous individuals gathered together for a common purpose. From the latter perspective the fact that Christians are “not all on the same page” when it comes to matters of faith and life makes celebrating Christian unity on World Communion Sunday difficult. If you are struggling with this issue, I would encourage you to attempt viewing things from a different perspective. See the church through the eyes of Christ. Trust in the leadership of Christ and join with him in the prayer that we might be one. Pray for the wisdom for the church to see that difference need not imply disunity.

Being A Covenant Community Of Faith

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“We in one covenant are joined, and one in Jesus are…”
– Hymn 527, Moravian Book of Worship

A covenant is an agreement which brings about a relationship of commitment between God and God’s people and among members of a faith community. Biblical covenants always begin with God’s action on behalf of humanity and then articulate tangible ways persons of faith can and should respond to God’s freely given, unmerited favor – i.e. to God’s “grace.”

Christian faith is based on covenants made between God and Abraham, Moses and David (the basis of Jewish faith) and the new covenant embodied in Jesus Christ. Whenever we celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion, God reaffirms the foundational covenant of our Christian faith as we recall Jesus’ words to his disciples: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this … in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25) These sacred words invite us into relationship with God and challenge us to commit our lives to Christ.

As the Rev. Kevin Frack observes, “Good intentions alone are not enough to build a healthy Christian community.” Our action must follow as faithful response to God’s action if we wish to experience the full blessings of the New Covenant. For this reason, the presiding pastor asks those joining the church to affirm their commitment to God and Christ’s church:

Do you in this faith turn away from sin, evil, and selfishness in your thoughts, words and actions; and do you intend to participate actively in Christ’s church, serving God all the days of your life?

An elaboration of how this commitment to follow Christ might be realized in one’s daily life can be found in The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living.  The church office has paper copies available.

Each year on or around September 16, Moravian Clergy gather for their annual “Covenanting Day.” It is a time for them to reaffirm their call, renew their vows of ordination and enjoy the blessings of fellowship which unites the church in service to Christ. Whether ordained or a layperson, each of us is called into committed relationship with God and each other through the establishment of covenant in the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

I invite you to take a moment on Friday, September 16, to celebrate and renew your commitment to the covenant relationship that links you to God and other believers through Jesus Christ.

  • Pastor Derek French

 

Signs of Summer and the Lesson of the Fig Tree

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From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Matthew 24:32

parable of the fig tree
Unmistakable signs of summer surround us. Roads clear of school buses, community pools are open, and occasionally an ice cream truck can be heard making its rounds through the neighborhood. Their message is as clear to us as the fig tree’s tender branches and budding leaves were to Jesus’ disciples. Summer is here.

The lesson of the fig tree is a call to mindfulness – a call to pay attention to signs in our lives and in the world that indicate God’s drawing near to us. Jesus shared the fig tree illustration with his followers when they asked him about his coming again on the Day of Judgment. It was an admonition to be vigilant and keep alert in preparation for Christ’s return “at an unexpected hour.”

If we are wise we will learn the fig tree’s lesson. Two understandings of the summer season, one ancient and one contemporary, inform a faithful response to Jesus.

In the agrarian society of Jesus’ day, summer was a time of work, harvest and preparation. “Make hay while the sun shines,” runs a familiar saying. Hay – dried grass used as fodder for animals – is difficult to prepare in wet weather, so this adage admonishes us to make the most of time and opportunities which God gives us. Summer’s hot, dry days are perfect for curing hay. A biblical proverb suggests we follow the example of the ant, who “prepares its food in summer and gathers its sustenance in harvest.” (Prov. 6:8)

Like hay harvesters, we should make the most of time as we carry out the work of our Lord both individually and collectively through his body, the church. As a species, humanity still needs to hear and respond to Christ’s message of hope, peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. As a church, we need others to join us in spreading this Good News (Gospel). Jesus “said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’ (Matthew 9:36) Those who attend the District Synod will be engaged in such ministry on behalf of the congregation and the broader Moravian Church.

In today’s technological society, most of us are freed from the necessity of harvesting all our own food. We more probably think of summer as a time to travel or take a vacation. Summer is a season of rest and recreation – potentially, a time of Sabbath.

Sabbath rest and recreation involve more than taking a break from work. Sabbath rest rejuvenates us, energizes us and restores us. True “re-creation” presents a chance to re-invent ourselves or “find” ourselves if we’ve lost our way, our soul, our passion or our values in the business of daily life. Summer as Sabbath season includes the serious business of reconnecting with God and our deepest, truest selves.

Pastor Derek French