moravian magazine, june 2012

Western District Synod

Environmental Stewardship Conference

Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation

J U N E 2 0 1 2

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Western District Synod 2012

8 Guided by Ephesians, building up the body of Christ15 Western District Synod elects new executive board

In Our Communities

6 Moravian Open Door launches breakfast program

Faith and Order

16 Faith & Order Commission presents Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation

Environmental Stewardship

20 Environmental Stewardship Conference shares need to care for nature

Provincial Women

25 Spiritual Life Retreat brings peace, fellowship for Southern Provincial Women

Daily Texts

27 Bringing the 2013 Moravian Daily Texts into the digital realm

In Every Issue

4 Ponderings: Travel offers wonders and blessings 29 Offi cial Provincial Elders’ News 30 Obituary: The Rt. Rev. Warren A. Sautebin

Western District Synod

Environmental Stewardship Conference

Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation

J U N E 2 0 1 2

June 2012 3

Member,AssociatedChurch Press

Visit our website at http://www.moravian.org.Letters to the editor, address corrections, and other correspondence may bee-mailed to the magazine at [email protected].

Christ and himcrucifi ed remain ourconfession of faith

In essentials, unity;in nonessentials, liberty;in all things, love

On the cover: Delegates at the Western District 2012 Synod used technology to review and share documents to reduce paper use. Photo by Mike Riess

25 6

I’ve just completed a travel marathon, and while I’m tired and a little sore, I have a pile of memories, a camera full of pictures and a new view of the world of Moravians here in North America.

Since the middle of April, I have traveled to Winston-Salem to meet with the Pilot Mountain Regional Conference of Churches; Green Bay and Appleton, Wisconsin for the Western District Synod (see the ar-ticle on page 8); Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the Canadian District Synod (which we will cover next month); then Syracuse, New York to pick up our younger daughter and fi nally to Indiana, Pennsylvania for the graduation of our older daughter.

The fi rst three legs of this journey took me to three centers of Mora-vian life here in North America. With two years under my belt with the church, I’m still meeting new Moravians with welcoming hearts, in-teresting stories to tell and gracious assistance in understanding their Moravian faith.

In North Carolina, I worked with a team of people interested in learning more about communicating with their congregations and their communities. Through an interactive session, we discussed ways to view communications strategically and improve communication skills and outlets.

Then it was on to Wisconsin, where Moravians from the midwest and California were meeting at the Western District Synod. I was invit-ed to work with the communications committee there, which yielded great discussions and opportunities to strengthen communication in the District. I also experienced worship services, spiritual refresh-ment, meeting new people and re-connecting with others I already knew. Through it all was the blue glow of computer screens as the Western District Synod went “all digital” with their Synod planning

Photo

s by M

ike Ri

ess

Travel off ers wonders and blessings

(ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600)June 2012, Vol. 43, No. 5

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Offi cial 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 andThe Wachovia Moravian.

Michael Riess,Editor

Siobhan Young, Communications Assistant

Interprovincial Board of CommunicationPaul Knouse, Paul PeuckerChair Adam PristasJane Burcaw Richard SidesJane Carmichael Valerie WagnerLance Fox Jill WestbrookGary Kniskern

Design by Sandy Fay, Laughing Horse Graphics, Inc.

Address all correspondence regardingarticles, subscriptions, or advertising toThe Moravian, PO Box 1245,Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245FAX: 610.866.9223Phone: 610.867.0594800.732.0591e-mail: [email protected]

Contents © 2012,Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America. All rights reserved

4 The Moravian

PONDERINGS

and document distribution efforts. Great work was done by all and I think everyone left renewed.

After three days home, it was off to Calgary, Al-berta for the Canadian District Synod — my fi rst trip to Western Canada and a blessing on so many fronts. Seeing fi rsthand the beauty of God’s creation in the Canadian Rockies west of the city; working and worshipping with Calgary and Edmonton-area Moravians at Good Shepherd Moravian Church; be-ing invited (and heartily accepting) the opportunity to play Pastor Rick Beck’s back-up 12-string guitar during worship; and seeing the Moravian govern-ing system in full action made for a moving, re-warding weekend all around. Read more about the Canadian District Synod in our July/August issue.

And my travel blessings continued, as I left fi ve hours after arriving home from Calgary to pick up my younger daughter after successfully completing her fi rst year at Syracuse University. The oil paintings, ceramics and sketch-books she brought home made me proud of my young art student, and the seven hours on the road well worth it.

Then four days later, years of work, worry, prayer and best wishes paid off when my older daughter, Gracie, received her degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In two ceremonies, Gracie’s mom and I were snapping photos and trying to fi ght back tears. Then we moved her out of her apartment, brought her home, and are now helping her with the transition to her new post-baccalaureate life.

So after fi ve weeks, six airports, three different rental cars, 7,000-plus miles in the air and 1,100-plus miles behind the wheel, I’m pretty tired. But I will look back on this past month with fond memories, lots of photos and a keener sense of the blessing that my Moravian life is to me. Meeting, learning from, worshipping with, photographing and working among our Church’s pastors, lay leaders and Synod delegates was a reward-ing experience that has broadened my view — and strengthened my optimism — about the Moravian Church here in North America. At the same time, I am constantly in awe of the strength, resiliency and brilliance with which my daughters have been gifted.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue of the Mora-vian. There’s much to share about Environmental Stewardship, events in both Provinces, the future of the Moravian Daily Texts and the great work at Moravian Open Door. You’ll fi nd all of this — and more — in our June edition.

Peace

Mike Riess, Editor

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Cook Natasha Merius serves breakfast in the new kitchen at MOD

This new kitchen is part of a program to provide a healthy breakfast to MOD residents

Less than a year ago, Moravian Open Door (MOD), the transitional housing facility in Manhattan that has been serving homeless adult men and women for 25 years, made plans to extend its services to residents by emphasizing health and wellness through education and a breakfast program. Those plans came to fruition as the facility recently completed a new kitchen.

Information and a mealMOD wanted to provide not only information about nutrition, health and wellness to its resi-dents, but a healthy breakfast as well. This was impossible unless the 25-year old kitchen was fully renovated. Appliances were in disrepair or missing, and many features were not up to current New York City code.

After obtaining preliminary bids, it was determined that at least $120,000 would be needed to renovate the kitchen and establish the breakfast program. In late June, 2011,

MOD began its “Feed His Sheep” special gifts campaign to raise these funds within two years. Board members and members of the Public Relations and Development Committee contacted individuals and wrote grant proposals.

The response was overwhelmingly posi-tive — 91 individuals made pledges totaling $84,000, the UBC Trustees Church Extension Fund granted $50,000 in matching funds, the Society for Promoting the Gospel granted $5,000, a Larger Life Foundation discre-tionary grant provided $5,000, the North-east Pennsylvania Moravian Mission Society granted $1,500, and gifts from three church groups provided $3,000 (Dover First Mora-vian Women, Central Moravian Busy Workers, and Riverside First Moravian Church). A spe-cial loan from the Sixth Century Fund of the Eastern District allowed the kitchen renova-tion to begin in fall 2011.

Moravian Open Doorlaunches breakfast program

6

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

A MOD resident enjoys breakfast served from the new MOD kitchen

Renovating for food serviceThe fi rm Elite FoodService Equipment Com-pany of Farmingdale, NY carried out the renovation. Everything was replaced and brought up to code: fl ooring, walls, ceiling, ventilation, fi re suppression system, drainage system, and all new commercial appliances. New storage cabinets were installed in the common room, and new tables and chairs, china, fl atware, and other serving and cook-ing necessities were purchased.

MOD was fortunate to have the advice and help of David Evans, former senior cook and trainer at the Stein Senior Center in Manhat-tan to plan the menus, identify food vendors and organize the breakfast program. Resi-dents had fi lled out questionnaires about special dietary needs, and these needs were recognized in the menus. One of David’s for-mer student trainees, Natasha Merius, was hired as breakfast cook, and David agreed to work with her during the fi rst two weeks of establishing the program.

On April 2, 2012, the Common Room was festive with fl owers on tables as the fi rst breakfast was served. There were enthusiastic reviews by the residents. Breakfast is served every day but Sunday, during a one and a half hour period that allows all who work to get a good meal before leaving for the day.

In preparing for the breakfast program, staff member Michael Ralling completed a course given by the New York City Depart-ment of Health and Mental Hygiene, receiving a Qualifying Certifi cate in Food Protection. He will provide training for the residents in food handling and how to use the new appliances so that they will be able to make meals for

themselves. The kitchen also will be available for visiting groups to use in order to serve special meals for the residents.

With this new kitchen, MOD is better pre-pared to provide a safe and clean place to live. Its staff provides services that help re-build lives with the goal of fi nding affordable housing for independent living. A life skills program was begun three years ago, with a Life Skills Center equipped with four com-puters, mentoring in computer skills, and classes in word processing. There have been workshops in fi nancial literacy (provided by Wells Fargo Bank) and health fairs for educa-tion and baseline testing (the fi rst provided by the nearby Karpas Health Information Center and later by volunteer nurses from John Hus Moravian Church).

Generosity makes it happenThis project would not have been possible without the generous “extra mile” gifts re-ceived from individuals and others. All dona-tions to the Feed His Sheep campaign are in a restricted fund and used solely to support the breakfast program. Moravian Open Door receives no government funding, and its op-

Doris Schattschneider is president of the Moravian Open Door board of directors. (continued on page 31)

June 2012 7

“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evange-lists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

With Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians as its central theme, the Western District of the Moravian Church, Northern Province, met April 26-29 in Appleton, Wis. for its 2012 Syn-od. The Western District includes congrega-tions in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Indiana, Illinois, California and Michigan.

The work of SynodUnder the leadership of Synod Chair Rick Santee, delegates worked to do the business of the church for the next four years. Each of the 35 congregations of the District sent pastors and lay delegates elected by their congregations. Representatives from agen-cies working with the District, interprovincial ministries and other guests were also on hand to participate, but were not voting delegates.

This Synod focused on the work of a dozen committees, each charged with a different topic. Synod committees were organized to address issues that face congregations and the district as a whole, especially in how they help nurture healthy congregations.

Delegates spent much of the meeting time during this Synod in committee work, focus-ing on joint board training and development; lay leadership training and development; evaluation, assessment and measurements; visioning and “new ways of being church;”

Guided by Ephesians, building up the body of Christ

The Moravian

WESTERN DISTRICT SYNOD 2012

Left top: Rev. Wanda Veldman prays during worship at the Western District Synod 2012. Left below: Members of the youth care and ministries committee at work. At right: Rev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler leads Synod worship.

ecumenical relationships; senior care/senior ministries; youth care and youth ministries; adult education, stewardship, missions & evangelism; care of pastors; and communica-tion and sharing best practices.

Grounded in EphesiansPrior to Synod, all delegates were asked to read and study Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. When sending delegates to their committees, the Rev. Jim Hicks, president of the Western District Executive Board (WDEB) charged delegates to keep Ephesians in mind through-out the work:

“As you gather in committees and intro-duce yourselves, do so as one rooted in the words from Ephesians,” said Jim. “Come into relationship with your committee members by talking about experiences where you’ve seen God dwelling in you, talking about times someone said truth when you needed to hear it, times when you saw with your heart, times when you no longer felt like a stranger or alien. How will your committee work — and Synod as a whole — be different if rooted in Ephesians?”

“Act with humility, with gentleness, bearing each other in faith and love, making every ef-fort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace,” continued Jim. “I know there will be disagreements — please disagree where necessary — but also please let us practice this faith and offer ways to our com-munities to get through the diffi culties ahead of us.”

June 2012

(continued on next page)

Synod delegate Greg Behrend shares information about Cobweb Communications Ministry.

ing Services and recommended the Northern Province do the same.

Offering ideas and encouragementAdditional Epistles summed up the views of the committees and offered ideas, encourage-ments and commitments for ongoing efforts. For example, the committee working on the Care of Pastors, Leadership and Recruitment, offered a broad array of ideas to assist con-gregations and the District in keeping pastors healthy, engaged, and learning, while high-lighting ideas for encouraging those who may have gifts for ordained ministry to consider the calling.

The Adult Education, Stewardship, Mis-sion & Evangelism committee recommended improvements and strategies for the Mora-vian West Christian Education Commission (MWCEC) to be more effective in its ministry. The Youth Care and Youth Ministries Commit-tee offered steps to support and strengthen the District’s work with young Moravians. The Ecumenical Relationships Committee

Epistles of hopeFrom this committee work came a series of Epistles that encourage and charge the Dis-trict, congregations and church members to build up the body of Christ.

Some of the Epistles set forth projects and work to be completed either by the commit-tee or the WDEB. For example, the Commit-tee on Joint Board Development and Training committed to assemble and create Joint Board training resource kits to help meet the need for growth, nurturing and training of elected lead-ers essential to the health of congregations.

Along the same lines, the Lay Leadership De-velopment and Training Committee put forth a proposal to establish a task force to research resources and implement programs for the development of lay leadership in the district.

To help meet the need for educating con-gregations on issues involving aging services, the senior care and ministries committee established a new District Committee on Ag-

(continued from previous page)

brought forth suggestions to promote unity with brothers and sisters in other Christian denominations at the congregational level.

The Communications/Best Practices com-mittee encouraged congregations to under-stand, catalog, celebrate and share their best practices and what makes them unique, and develop and implement a communications team to help congregations tell their stories.

And through its Epistle, the Visioning/New Ways of Being Church committee offered insights, ideas and encouragement for con-gregations to grow and thrive again, despite challenges and diffi cult realities. They en-couraged fellow Moravians to strive to pro-vide service opportunities which are attentive to the deepest needs of surrounding com-munities, and to “be willing to be light in the darkest places of our world.”

As these Epistles were presented, all del-egates were encouraged to take them back to their congregations, share them broadly, and work to put the ideas and work into prac-tice. To read all the Epistles presented, visit www.wdsynod2012.org.

The Business of SynodAlong with the committee work, Synod com-pleted a number of other important tasks. The Western District budget for 2012 and 2013 was approved; a line was added to the budget that would cover vouchers for the up-coming youth convocations. An impromptu offering was then made by Synod attendees that raised more than $2,400 for assisting youth with 2013 Convo.

The Synod also elected the Western District Executive Board to serve for the next four years (see accompanying story). In addition, representatives to the Board of World Mis-sion, Marquardt Village Parent Board, Mar-quardt Village Foundation Board, Mt. Morris Camp & Conference Center board and the Moravian Western Christian Education Com-mission were elected by Synod.

Important ConversationsAmong the business of legislation, elections and committee work, Synod delegates also

Northern Province PEC and Synod leaders bless outgoing Western District Executive Board members Jeff Bradley, Diane Klawikowski and Kay Wipperfurth.

June 2012 11


Western District Synod committee leaders pray prior to the start of Synod.

tation, delegates took time to discuss three key questions, the answers to which will help shape the next steps in the restructuring com-mittee’s work.

Synod delegates also continued the Holy Conversations begun last year to discuss the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy in com-mitted relationships. A large group session, led by committee members Rev. Gary Marsh and Bishop Kay Ward, discussed the commit-tee’s work to date and introduced the oppor-tunity to continue conversations with Synod delegates. For some, this was the fi rst oppor-tunity they had to participate in the process, while others shared thoughts from sessions they attended in 2011. Human Sexuality Task Force members Amy Gohdes-Luhman, David Piper, and Paul Peucker also assisted in the conversations. The task force was established at the 2010 Northern Province Synod.

And delegates participated in discussions and Bible study with the Rev. Susan Nienaber of the Alban Institute. Susan gave presenta-tions about the challenges facing all churches today, led Bible study sessions about Ephe-sians and served as chaplain of the Synod.

A new way of doing SynodThe 2012 Western District tried something new with the distribution of reports, informa-tion and the fi nal work of Synod. Tradition-ally, all materials were printed and mailed to delegates of Synod. This year, the planning committee found ways to make the distribu-

participated in two conversations that will have an impact on the Northern Province as a whole in the coming years.

First, the delegates heard a presentation by the Revs. Dawn Volpe and Matt Kapp about the Northern Province restructuring effort. The Province’s restructuring activities are driven by legislation from the 2010 Provincial Synod that seeks to review and recommend the best possible structure for the Northern Province. Following Dawn and Matt’s presen-


tion of this material totally electronic, limiting the use of paper and saving more than $2,000 in printing and mailing costs.

Spearheaded by Synod committee mem-bers Jeff Brandt and Aden Ward, delegates were presented with materials that were e-mailed or were downloadable from a special Synod website. All committee work, when completed, was submitted electronically and shared online. Printed copies were prepared for the few who were not able to access infor-mation via computer.

As a result, the Synod fl oor was aglow in the light from laptop screens, iPads, and tablets. Information and documents under discussion were projected onto two large screens, allow-ing all in attendance to see as well.

Worship at SynodAs with any Synod, worship played a central role in the weekend’s events. Worship leaders Staci Marrese-Wheeler, Mike Eder, Paul Graf, Kay Ward, Andrew Shenk, Amy Gohdes-Luh-man, David Piper and Peg Chemberlin each brought different perspectives and styles to the worship services. Music also played a big part, celebrating and punctuating happenings during Synod.

Each worship service had the words of Ephesians at its core. A particularly moving part of the worship services was on Saturday morning, when delegates and others were welcomed to reaffi rm their baptism. Mora-vian traditions were apparent in the Lovefeast held on Saturday evening and Holy Commu-nion served Sunday morning. The new WDEB members were installed and blessed on Sun-day morning.

And to celebrate the idea of Moravians tell-ing their stories — a theme that ran through-

Technology was everywhere during Synod: the Revs. Eric Renner (bottom left) and Rebecca Craver (right) use their iPads to present.

June 2012


Synod delegates and guests sing during Synod.

out the Western District 2012 Synod — Rev. Jason Anderson wrote new words to the hymn “I Love to Tell the Story” (MBW 625). The second verse goes, “To each God’s grace was given; to each God’s call is plain/To put our gifts in service; to share and share again/To be the church God promised, to a world divided, torn/God’s Unity of purpose — rec-onciled, reborn/Moravians have a story; we share it for God’s glory/and tell our old, old story/in new exciting ways.”

Words describing SynodFollowing three days of meetings, conver-sations, worship, committee work and fel-lowship with other Moravians, the 100-plus delegates and guests of the Synod returned home with a feeling of optimism and strength for the Western District.

At the close of Synod, delegates recog-nized the work of the Synod Planning Com-mittee, including Staci Marrese-Wheller, Eric

Renner, Judy Andersen, Jeff Brandt, Aden Ward and Amy Gohdes-Luman. They also highlighted the contributions of John Hauser, Synod Secretaries Karen Buchholz and Teresa Holzhueter, Beth Behrend and Mike Barnes for all their work.

As part of the fi nal Plenary session, those in attendance were asked to offer one word that described how they felt following the Synod experience. Those words included, “Love,” “Inspiration,” “Renewed,” “Ener-gized,” “Grateful,” “Renewal,” “Hopeful,” and “Exhilarated.”

The now-completed Western District Synod 2012 exceeded the fi rst three purposes of a Western District Synod: To confi rm and re-new Christian love and fellowship, to stimu-late and strengthen the work of the Lord and to assemble and distribute information con-cerning the work of the District, the Province and the world-wide Unitas Fratrum.

For photos, Synod documents and more about the Western District 2012 Synod, visit www.wdsynod2012.org. ■


Above: The Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller installs the new Western District Executive Board (l to r) Bruce Loppnow, Cindy Fahney, Jeff Brandt, Jim Hicks, Bruce Nelson and Jason Andersen. Nancy Chandler (not pictured) was also elected.

Western District Synod elects new executive board

At the 2012 Western District Synod, del-egates elected the new Western District Ex-ecutive Board (WDEB) to serve for the next four years.

In its initial ballot, Synod re-elected The Rev. James Hicks as WDEB president. In this role, he is the chair of the board and also serves as a member of the Northern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference.

Joining Jim are clergy members the Rev. Jason Andersen, former pastor of Freedom Moravian Church in Freedom, Wis. and soon-to-be pastor of West Salem Moravian Church in West Salem, Ill.; and the Rev. Bruce Nel-son, pastor of Lake Mills Moravian Church in Lake Mills, Wis. Both were elected on their fi rst ballot.

Lay members elected to the WDEB include Bruce Loppnow, member of Berea Moravian Church in St. Charles, Minn. who was re-elected; Nancy Chandler from Hope Moravian Church in Hope, Ind.; Jeffrey Brandt from West Side Moravian Church in Green Bay, Wis., and Cindy Fahney from Lake Mills Mora-vian Church in Lake Mills, Wis. Election of lay members took fi ve ballots.

The WDEB is comprised of both lay and ordained members and led by the district president. It has a supervisory responsibility for the congregations and clergy of the Dis-trict, and is concerned with everything from confl ict management to evangelism.

The Board works with the congregations in calling pastors, addressing confl ict, estab-lishing quotas, managing fi nances, and de-termining budgets for the various ministries that our congregations participate in together. Members of the WDEB are elected by the Dis-trict Synod every four years.

The new board was installed by the Rev. Betsy Miller, president of the Northern Prov-ince Provincial Elders’ Conference, during a worship service on Sunday, April 29. They will serve until the next Western District Synod in 2016. During Synod, delegates honored for-mer WDEB members Kay Wipperfurth, Diane Klawikowski and Jeff Bradley for their service to the District. ■

June 2012 15

WESTERN DISTRICT SYNOD 2012

FAITH AND ORDER

In November, 2011, the Interprovincial Faith and Order Commission of the Moravian Church developed a statement of Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation. This statement, which includes an exten-sive historical review of how the Church has viewed biblical interpretation, “offers some guiding principles of scriptural interpreta-tion” to guide clergy, lay members and agen-cies of the Church in North America.

The statement was amended and adopted by the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference on March 5, 2012 and the North-ern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference on April 12, 2012.

While we cannot fi t the entire statement, including its in-depth historical review, in the Moravian Magazine, we have excerpted the key points to present a basic summary of these guidelines.

In opening the statement, the Faith and Or-der Commission writers affi rmed the “God’s Word and Doctrine” section of the Ground of the Unity of the Unitas Fratrum: “The Triune God as revealed in the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments is the only source of our life and salvation; and this Scripture is the sole standard of the doctrine and faith of the Unitas Fratrum and therefore shapes our life.

Faith & Order Commission presents Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation

The Unitas Fratrum recognizes the Word of the Cross as the center of Holy Scripture and of all preaching of the Gospel, and it sees its primary mission, and its reason for being, to consist in bearing witness to this joyful message. We ask our Lord for power never to stray from this.

The Unitas Fratrum takes part in the continual search for sound doctrine. In interpreting Scripture and in the com-munication of doctrine in the Church, we look to two millennia of ecumenical Christian tradition and the wisdom of our Moravian forebears in the faith to guide us as we pray for fuller understanding and ever clearer proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But just as the Holy Scripture does not contain any doctrinal system, so the Unitas Fratrum also has not developed

any of its own because it knows that the mystery of Jesus Christ, which is attested to in the Bible, cannot be comprehended completely by any human mind or ex-pressed completely in any human state-ment. Also it is true that through the Holy Spirit the recognition of God’s will for sal-vation in the Bible is revealed completely and clearly.”

The Guiding Principles statement contin-ues, “From the earliest days of our history, Moravians have held the Word of God in high-est esteem. Yet we have always made it clear that the written word points and directs us not to itself, but to the Word made fl esh, that is, Jesus Christ. A hymn of the Bohemian Breth-ren found in the Moravian Book of Worship, expresses that relationship beautifully:


18 The Moravian

The word of God which ne’er shall cease, proclaims free pardon, grace and peace, salvation shows in Christ alone, the perfect will of God makes known.”

Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpreta-tion then charts an extensive historical review of the development of the Church’s position on the role of Scripture. This review starts with John Hus and follows the Church through to the 1995 adoption of the position found in the Ground of the Unity featured above.

Following the historical review, Guiding Principles continues:

“In more recent years, many Moravians…have written articles, papers, letters and other documents that have addressed in one way or another the topic of Biblical Interpretation. All of these voices, while speaking from dif-ferent contexts and with somewhat varying perspectives, seem to affi rm what has been affi rmed throughout our history: that as Moravians, proclaiming Christ and Him crucifi ed as our confession of faith, and believing that the Triune God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only source of our life and salvation, we do not believe that Jesus points us to Scripture so that we can fi nd the answers there, but rather that Scripture points us to Jesus so that we can fi nd the answers in him.

As a church we must be attentive to God’s Word (the word of the cross, the word of rec-onciliation, the word of personal union with the Savior, the word of love between one an-other), and our faith and order must be for-mulated under Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Yet, it is not Scripture and our conformity to a particular interpretation of it that unites us,

but rather Christ, our Chief Elder, who holds us together by keeping us all close to Him.

With this narrative of the history of in-terpretation of Scripture in the Moravian Church in mind, we offer some guiding prin-ciples of scriptural interpretation. Before do-ing so, we share our hopes for this important task of the people of the Moravian Church in North America.

Our hopes for the Moravian Church as we interpret Holy Scripture: ■ That our efforts be grounded in faithfulness

to the centrality of Christ, the way of the cross, and obedience to the word of God.

■ That we proceed with openness to the leading and grace of the Triune God, not presuming in advance the outcome of our study and discernment together.

■ That understanding a Moravian way of in-terpreting Scripture is of value to our life and work and the Moravian church every day, in every situation. More specifi cally, understanding how we interpret Scrip-ture is critical when disagreement arises among us.

■ That such understanding and work strengthen our Christian fellowship with each other as Moravians (individuals, congregations, provinces), grounded in a recognition that, ultimately, our unity as Moravians is rooted in our affi rmation of Christ, our crucifi ed and risen Lord.

■ That we have strength, patience, and love as we live, work, and worship together in community.

Guiding Principles for the interpretation of Scripture: ■ As Moravians, we understand that Scripture: • Points us to Christ so that we can fi nd

our answers in Him.


June 2012 19

• Ministers (along with the Sacraments, preaching, etc.) to the divine and hu-man essentials of our faith — that the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, creates, redeems and sanctifi es us; and we respond in faith, love and hope.

■ Scripture, as a whole, is the sum of many parts.

• Scripture includes the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament

• We affi rm that not all texts are equally clear. With Zinzendorf, we affi rm that scriptural passages have varying degrees of clarity:

• Basic truths about salvation (that are clear)

• Matters of knowledge that require his-torical understanding

• Mysteries that remain uncertain (even for those with the tools)

■ We note considerations for interpretation: • Given our human contexts and experi-

ences, we affi rm that every reading of Scripture is an act of interpretation.

• Scripture is interpreted in a variety of ways: literal, metaphorical, historical, contextual, rhetorical, etc. We affi rm that no one way is the prescribed way.

• Given the diverse witness of Scripture, we believe that any particular scriptural text must be interpreted in light of all Scripture.

• Our interpretation of Scripture is guided by heart and mind, piety and rationality, doing and thinking.

■ Faithful interpretation acknowledges: • The historical context out of which the

texts arose. • The contemporary cultural and global

contexts out of which questions of in-terpretation arise (including scien-tifi c, archeological, and other forms of knowledge).

■ In this work, we affi rm the importance to Moravians of relationships to each other and God, and assert that biblical interpre-tation happens most faithfully in conversa-tion and fellowship with one another, not as individuals (or even as individual congre-gations or provinces).

As we interpret Scripture together, we acknowledge that: ■ Given the mystery of God, we cannot predict

in advance the fi nal result of our search for truth. Refraining from starting with a spe-cifi c end in mind is aided by acknowledg-ing that we come to the text and task with presuppositions. By naming our presup-positions, we deepen our ability to discern meaning and truth in the Holy Scriptures.

■ Even with shared principles of interpreta-tion, we realize that individuals, congrega-tions and provinces of the Moravian Church may draw different conclusions.”

For the complete Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation, visit the Southern Province website (www.mcsp.org) or North-ern Province website (www.mcnp.org). It is also available on the Faith and Order website at www.moravianseminary.edu/FaithOrder/Statements.html. ■

20 The Moravian

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Following those words — and looking for ways to put them into action — brought more than 40 Moravians together for the third an-nual Environmental Stewardship Conference in March.

Held amongst the natural surroundings of Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center in North Carolina, the Stewardship Conference invited Southern Province Moravians to dis-cover, learn and share best practices of caring for the environment. The Conference featured speakers, group discussions and resource-sharing, all aimed to put environmental con-cerns at the forefront and raise awareness of the importance of caring for nature, especial-ly within the context of the church.

“I came this weekend to learn more about what we can do about God’s world,” said Fran Huetter, a member of Home Church in Winston-Salem. “I have always been privi-leged to have the world as we know it, but I am concerned that our younger generations won’t, unless we do a better job of caring for the earth.”

“We received a lot of good, usable infor-mation though the conference,” said Jim Yarbrough of Winston-Salem. “It’s exciting to learn what people have done and what we can do. Putting environmental stewardship into action is better than just talking about it”.

Learning from expertsThe Board of Cooperative Ministries invited experts from a variety of environmental fi elds to share ideas and activities that demonstrate the different ways to tend for creation.

Michael Kirschman, division director for nature preserves and natural resources of the Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C. area) Parks & Recreation Dept., gave two presenta-tions during the weekend. The fi rst, “What is it Worth? The True Value of Open Space,” of-fered a look the work his department is doing to quantify, in economic terms, the value of making wise environmental decisions.

Through his presentation, attendees learned about the impact of development on a region. The Mecklenberg County area has grown rapidly over the past 20 years, replac-

Environmental Stewardship Conference shares need to care for nature

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it!” — Psalm 24:1

George Santucci of the National Committee for the New River

The SunCatcher greenhouse at Laurel Ridge

Attendees discuss resources at the conference.

June 2012 21

ing what had been green space with impervi-ous surfaces like roads, rooftops and parking lots. His department has been working on ways to ensure green space and nature are preserved for the benefi t of the community.

Kirschman shared the County’s efforts to protect Schweinitz’s sunfl ower, a plant with Moravian connections, from extinction. He also cited statistics that clearly demonstrated the economic value of parks, trees, wildlife and nature preserves, along with the health benefi ts that recreation in the parks and pre-serves system brings to the county.

Later in the weekend, Kirschman gave a talk on the rich natural history of North Caro-lina and the ongoing work to preserve the en-vironment in the region.

First Church SolarStan Corwin, a member of First Congrega-tional United Church of Christ in Asheville, shared the story of First Church Solar, an ef-fort to create the fi rst church in North Caro-lina to install solar power. The Earth Team at First Congregational United Church of Christ built a partnership with the Appalachian Insti-tute for Renewable Energy (AIRE) and North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light that made it possible.

Since the church, as a non-profi t, couldn’t take advantage of tax credits available for solar investment, the partnership created a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) that sought private investors. Their efforts soon raised the $60,000 required for the project. A 10-kilowatt system featuring 42 solar panels was installed on the roof of one of First Con-gregational’s downtown Asheville buildings.

“Our investors realized that they weren’t going to make a lot of money on this invest-


Participants draw representations of their childhood nature memories…

Michael Kirschman of the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Dept.

…and share them with the group.

22 The Moravian

ment,” says Corwin. “Instead, they invested because they knew it was the right thing to do and a great way to show their care for the planet.”

While the church doesn’t use any of the en-ergy produced by the solar array — the pow-er generated fl ows directly into the electrical grid — Green Power is purchasing energy credits, which offers the partnership 20 cents for every kilowatt they produce; in turn, the church pays only 12 cents per kilowatt hour they use. And in fi ve years, the church will be able to purchase the system from the partner-ship, allowing them to take advantage of the funds it generates.

The AIRE website, which features more information about this partnership, shares, “What these folks have done at First Congre-gational suggests that there is a great desire among communities of faith to make our so-ciety more sustainable. They are trailblazers, and there are now others traveling along that path. As Rev. Joe Hoffman’s liturgy at the solar dedication said, ‘We know that human life on Earth, especially in the United States, has not been kind to Earth. We confess that we have used more that our share of Earth’s resources and seek to live more in harmony with Earth’s ways and with respect for all Earth’s creatures and life systems.’”

Corwin closed his presentation by encour-aging all in attendance to consider the possi-bility of creating more solar projects through churches as a way of living out our call to pro-tect and care for God’s creation.

The New RiverConference attendees also heard form George Santucci, executive director of the National


Rev. Rick Sides leads environmental stewardship formation

Discussing the New River with George Santucci

Stan Corwin presents the First Church Solar project

June 2012 23

Committee for the New River, a conservation group working on protecting the New River basin. The New River fl ows north from North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, eventu-ally emptying into the Ohio River.

During his presentation, Santucci shared the work that his group does to protect the river, restore riverbanks, and advocate for making wise use of the river and its surround-ing land. He outlined efforts to plant native shrubs and trees along riverbanks to prevent erosion, yearly activities to clean debris from the river and lobbying efforts to prevent haz-ardous building along the New River’s banks.

Forming environmental stewardsOn Saturday afternoon, the Revs. Rick Sides and Lisa Mullen led a group discussion on forming environmental stewards for the gen-erations to come. Working in small teams, conference attendees discussed where they played as children and used it as a launch pad to discuss what they remember of nature as children and how that can be translated to the children of today.

“Environmental stewards aren’t born, they’re formed,” says Rick. “As people of the church, we need to think through how faith communities are forming children as envi-ronmental stewards. Our children are sur-rounded by messages that depict nature as something that can be dangerous, dirty or messy; our kids are growing up in a predomi-nantly video/verbal culture with fewer oppor-tunities to interact with nature. In many ways they are being cut off from the natural world, a condition known as nature defi cit disorder.”

Rick cited a professor at Appalachian State in North Carolina: “Our emotional response


24 The Moravian

to the outdoors makes nature essential and memorable. It calls into mind beauty, unex-pected surprises, the engagement of all our senses and a sustaining sense of wonder. Na-ture provides incredible gifts to us and forma-tional opportunities to children.”

“Congregations have to be intentional about helping children understand the value of na-ture and the need to protect it,” says Rick. “We assume other institutions are taking care of all this. Camps and other outdoor places have this as a mission, but it is people of faith who received from God in the fi rst command of the Bible, ‘take care of the world that I have created,’ that must take up this task, too.”

Brainstorming ideasAt the end of the session, attendees brain-stormed different ideas for enhancing environ-mental stewardship. Some of these included:• Involving your congregation in environ-

mental stewardship-based Vacation Bible School programming

• Supporting Laurel Ridge’s emphasis and role in helping us (Moravians) care for the environment

• Involving our pre-school programs at the church in “green activities”

• Calling for more “pulpit leadership” in our creation care work for God’s world

• Claiming our Moravian identity and re-sources in our environmental stewardship efforts (i.e. using what we believe and how we live)

• Organizing a Sunday School class around environmental stewardship studies and projects

• Organize and support an “Eco Weekend” event for adults (at Laurel Ridge or in town)

• Getting a Green Team started in your con-gregation to focus on environmental issues

• Focus on smart resourcing, recycling and reuse in our congregational activities, pur-chasing, and waste

• Get more specifi c information on solar panels, installation, & their potential con-tribution to our church

Going home with a mission“I am honestly still trying to unpack every-thing I learned,” says Mary Rights, wife of the Rev. John D. Rights of Konnoak Hills Moravian Church. “Each speaker was ex-tremely informative and the sessions were very educational for me. John and I have had many discussions since we have been back about what we heard. I also appreciated the discussion among the participants, and the fact that we heard from people college age and up. The exchanges and sharing of ideas was as benefi cial as the information from the speakers.

“I appreciated the fact that we were pre-sented with ways to practice our stewardship of the earth that seemed doable,” continued Mary. “I was reminded that, although we were talking about big ideas, we can start small with our children to bring them into a greater awareness and love for our natural resources. Another highlight for me was the feeling of community that I experienced with other Moravians of all ages.”

The Environmental Stewardship Confer-ence 2012 was sponsored by the Southern Province Board of Cooperative Ministries and was coordinated by a team led by Greg Keen-er and the Rev. Rick Sides. More information about environmental stewardship is available from the Southern Province Board of Coop-erative Ministries. Visit www.mcsp.org. ■


June 2012 25

PROVINCIAL WOMEN

Spring is a time of renewal — the Earth comes back to life refl ecting Christians’ celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Flowers bloom; trees fi ll back in with new, green leaves; pine trees sprout cross-shaped blooms and dog-woods send forth white leaves decorated with red crosses.

Forty-two women gathered April 13 to 15 at Laurel Ridge Camp & Conference Center in the North Carolina mountains to celebrate spring at the annual Southern Provincial Women’s Spiritual Life Retreat. The retreat was led by the Rev. Judy Knopf, pastor of Good Shepherd Moravian Church in Kernersville, N.C., with the theme “The Hidden Seeds of Faith, Love and Hope.”

“I returned to my study of Moravian history in choosing the theme and my thoughts cen-tered on Lukas of Prague and the essentials of Christian faith, the last three representing what humans are called to do have: faith, love and hope,” said Judy.

The ideas came easily, according to Tamra Thomas, spiritual life chair for the Provincial Women’s Board and member of Home Mora-vian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., running agricultural motifs through the events to cre-ate a spiritual experience.

Along with the morning worship and eve-ning vespers services, the women enjoyed a range of activities through the discussions on faith, love and hope, including the making of bead bracelets, called, “The Gospel Ac-cording to Beads,” and helping Laurel Ridge

Spiritual Life Retreat brings peace, fellowship for Southern Provincial Women

Dee Henry is a member of New Philadelphi a Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. You can learn more about the Southern Province Provincial Women’s Board by visiting www.mcsp.org.


The Revs. Judy Knopf and Kelly Moore.

26 The Moravian

prepare for summer by working in the gar-dens. The women received copies of Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac and packets of fl ower seeds to carry the theme home for their own personal gardens.

First time visitors were recognized Friday night, again using nature in the form of lady bugs.

“I included Lady Bugs (lapel pins) to iden-tify fi rst time participants,” Thomas said. “Even at meal time the menu hinted of our theme with the Lady Bug appetizer (crackers topped with a ‘lady bug’ made creatively from vegetables), Donut Seed snacks, and the Dirt Cake with gummy worms dessert.”

A retreat for fellowshipOf course, one of the main goals of the retreat is fellowship, accomplished through group work and free time when the ladies could relax by the fi replace in the lobby of Higgins Lodge.

“It was my desire at the Spiritual Life Re-treat that Christian women could cultivate a friendship garden with their Moravian sisters in the Southern Province by sowing seeds of

faith, love and hope. I pray these heirloom seeds will continue to be passed on to bloom in the hearts of others,” Thomas said.

Patricia Tucker, a member of Good Shep-herd Moravian Church in Kernersville, N.C., said that “the best part was seeing old friends and meeting new ones.”

Tucker shared her musical talent as she and Donna Crook, also a member of Good Shepherd, provided music on guitar and uku-lele while others made Gospel According to Beads bracelets. The bracelets are made from different colored and shaped beads that rep-resent parts of the Gospel story, such as green and blue for creation, wooden beads to rep-resent Jesus being a carpenter, and a blue or clear bead to represent the water of baptism.

Many favoritesHowever, the quality of the weekend as a whole was shown in the fact that different parts of the retreat were mentioned as fa-vorites. Many, including Knopf, named the skits, created by the women to show what a particular female from the Bible — Mary Magdalene, Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the fa-mous duo of Mary and Margaret — would be like today. Knopf said she was pleased at the


(continued on page 31)

A Devotional Guide for Every Day

DA ILYTEXTS

MORAVIAN

2013

DAILY TEXTS

Every year for almost three centuries, printed Moravian Daily Texts books have been a staple of Moravians’ daily prayers. For 2013, the North American Daily Texts will be enter-ing a whole new realm when they are made available for the fi rst time as a digital book for the Kindle.

“We are hard at work on the printed edi-tions, which we will continue to offer,” says Mike Riess, executive director of the Inter-provincial Board of Communication, the agency charged with producing the North American versions of the Daily Texts. “We do know, however, that many people have grown accustomed to the convenience of carrying an

e-reader like the Kindle. We are working to make it possible to expand the printed ver-sion into the digital realm.

“This is one more opportunity to keep the Daily Texts relevant and accessible to our readers,” continues Mike. “I currently keep my printed copy on my desk and carry my Kindle with the test version we have been de-veloping since November. I fi nd both useful at different times.”

Keeping the tradition aliveEach year, a dozen writers from across the North American Moravian Church select ap-propriate, inspiring hymns to complement

Bringing the 2013 Moravian Daily Textsinto the digital realm


28 The Moravian

the Old and New Testament verses chosen for each day. They also write insightful, heartfelt prayers to help bring each day’s Daily Texts to life.

The writers for this year have now complet-ed their work for the 2013 edition. Contribu-tors from all provinces and districts, both with clergy and laypersons, provided their voices to the book. This year several mem-bers of the IBOC staff contributed their hymn selections and prayers to this year’s edition.

Since mid-February, Communications As-sistant Siobhan Young has been hard at work compiling all of these contributions into the North American editions of the Daily Texts. Proofreading, ensuring proper hymn meter and line length, checking copyrights and put-ting it all into the proper format have taken the bulk of Siobhan’s time during the past several months.

It’s now on to our designer, who will turn those words into the books that Moravians all over the world cherish on a daily basis. The full color cover format for all editions introduced with the 2012 editions will con-tinue for 2013. This year’s cover features an abstract red and white image taken from the cross in the center of the lamb’s fl ag in our Moravian seal.

Preparing for digitalOnce the print version is complete, the IBOC will then proceed to build the digital version. The digital version will include the full texts, hymns and prayers, just like in the printed version.

In its standard size, a page on the Kindle version will appear almost identical to a page in the printed version. With the Kindle ver-

sion, however, it will be possible to increase the type size to make it easier to read for those with vision problems or when reading from it during a worship or presentation. The 2013 Kindle version will be available for pur-chase by November.

To help in the fi nal development of the digital version of the Daily Texts for 2013, the IBOC has prepared a Kindle version of the 2012 edition. It is now available on Amazon.com for $2.99 (search “Mora-vian Daily Texts 2012” in the Amazon search box.) Those interested in trying the Kindle version are encouraged to send their comments and suggestions to the IBOC for further refi nement.

When the digital 2013 Daily Texts goes on sale in November, it will be priced at $8.50, $2.00 less than the printed paperback edition.

All printed versions of the Daily Texts will, as always, be available from the Interprovin-cial Board of Communication. As in previous years, the IBOC will be offering pre-order dis-counts for the Daily Texts of 15% off each edition’s list price through July 31. Pre-order information will be sent to congregations and current IBOC customers in early June.

If you still have not yet received your 2012 Daily Texts or would like to share with friends, they are available for a limited time at a 50% discount.

Daily Texts can be ordered online at www.moravian.org; a new online store is planned to launch in early summer to make it even easier to order the Daily Texts online.

And don’t forget, you can sign up at www.moravian.org to receive the Daily Texts every morning by e-mail. The new Moravian Church website will also feature the Daily Texts every day on the front page of the site. ■


June 2012 29

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

Prayer Day for Camps and ConferencesSunday, June 10, 2011 has been designated as Prayer Day for Laurel Ridge Camp, Con-ference and Retreat Center in the Southern Province. At Laurel Ridge our experiences occur in an environment distinctly related to nature and creation as we learn to meet all of life’s relationships as children of God. Please be in prayer for all who help to discern and understand God’s will for the leaders, staff, volunteers, users and future promise of this very special place.

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Outdoor Ministries Sunday, June 10, 2012The 1994 Synod of the Moravian Church—Northern Province passed legislation regard-ing the observance of an Outdoor Ministries Sunday. The date for this observance has been established by the Provincial Elders’ Confer-ence as the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, which falls on June 10 this year. Pastors are encour-aged to use either of the liturgies provided in 1996 or 1997. The liturgies are available in the “Documents” section of the Northern Province website.

Edmonton, AlbertaSister Rebecca Craver has accepted the call to serve as pastor of Edmonton Moravian Church, Edmonton, Alberta. Sister Craver will begin her new work July 1, 2012.

Dublin, OhioBrother Jay Petrella, who has been serving as pastor of Bruderheim Moravian Church, Bruderheim, Alberta, has accepted the call to serve as pastor of Church of the Redeemer Moravian Church, Dublin, Ohio. Brother Pe-trella will be installed June 24, 2012.

RetirementsSister Carol A. Reifi nger requested and was granted permission to retire from the active call of the Moravian Church effective November 19, 2012.

Sister Reifi nger was ordained a deacon of the Moravian Church August 5, 1984 and has served the church as a pastor at Central Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The church is grateful for her 28 years of faithful service.

Sister Sharon M. Benson requested and was granted permission to retire from the active call of the Moravian Church effective September 1, 2012.

Sister Benson was ordained a deacon of the Moravian Church September 29, 1996. She has served the church under call to special-ized ministry as chaplain at Auburn Manor (Chaska, Minnesota) and in pastorates in Minnesota (Northfi eld and, Waconia).

The church is grateful for her 16 years of faithful service.

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30 The Moravian

OBITUARY

Brother Warren A. Sautebin died in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., April 16, 2012, two days shy of his 91st birthday.

Born April 18, 1921 in Marion, N.D. he was the son of Walter and Augusta (Gohdes) Saute-bin. Brother Sautebin attended public schools in Marion, N.D. He graduated from Moravian College in 1943 and Moravian Theological Seminary in 1945. He was ordained a Deacon in the Moravian ministry June 7, 1945 and consecrated a Presbyter June 18, 1950. He was elected bishop of the Moravian Unity and consecrated on October 5, 1986.

He was united in marriage to Alice Schul-tz on September 15, 1945 at the Lake Mills Moravian Church, Lake Mills, Wis. Together they served pastorates in Wisconsin (Sister Bay, Wisconsin Rapids, Sturgeon Bay, and Green Bay-West Side). He further served the

Moravian Church North-ern Province as a member of the West-ern District Executive Board (1966-1978) and president of

the Western District Executive Board and

vice-president of the Provincial Elders’ Con-ference (1978-1986). He retired September 15, 1986. In 1993 he received the 20th an-nual John Hus Alumni Award from Moravian Theological Seminary.

His wife, Alice; sons, David and Bruce; daughters, Carol and Anne; fi ve grandchil-dren and seven great-grandchildren survive Brother Sautebin.

A memorial service was held May 4, 2012 at Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. with the Rev. Dr. Matthew Knapp and the Rev. E. Reeder Herrick offi ciating. Burial was in the Sister Bay Moravian Cemetery. ■

Th e Rt. Rev. Warren A. Sautebin

330

Moravian Church North-ern Province as a member of the West-ern District ExecutiveBoard (1966-1978) and president of

the Western DistrictExecutive Board and

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erating budget is funded entirely by donations from individuals, churches, church organiza-tions, and fees paid by its residents for room and supportive services.

In this, its 25th year of service, Moravian Open Door looks forward to celebrating the difference it has made in the lives of so many formerly homeless individuals, and continu-ing its mission with the strong support of the Moravian Church. ■

Moravian Open Door(continued from page 7) (continued from page 26)

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 specifi c interest to members of the Moravian Church have priority. The Moravian does not accept purely editorial advertisements that advocate specifi c 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 are available by contacting Deb Swanson at [email protected].

June 2012 31

women’s willingness to participate. “The skits were the most fun part of the

weekend for me because they took basically very bland and uninteresting descriptions of these women, ‘fl at line’ descriptions, and brought these women to life, made them into people we can love,” said Judy, adding she found the experience “cathartic” as the women got to laugh, cry and come closer to each other working on the project.

The Spirit moved some to tell personal sto-ries. Donna Tesh, a member of Christ Moravi-an Church in Winston-Salem, told the women of how she had always felt the call to mission work, but had never taken the fi nal step. Now her son has decided to become a missionary and she has realized that was God’s plan the whole time.

“I was really moved when Donna told the story about her missionary son and the preparation that God had provided her with,” said Cindy Lamb, member of Fries Memo-rial Moravian Church. “Waiting for the Lord’s time is something that I constantly struggle with, but when it happens there is usually awe, understanding, gladness and thankful-ness (things that you did not even know that you needed at the time).”

Others said being in a religious service at Laurel Ridge was a blessing.

“For me it was the Sunday Morning Service with the beautiful morning, the music, Holy Communion, and hearing God’s word,” said Betty King, a member of New Philadelphia Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. “I felt our Lord’s presence all around me. It was very moving. What a wonderful way to start my day.” ■

Spiritual Life Retreat

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