Welcome to the
Moravian Church - Western District
The Moravian Church was founded in Germany more than 500 years ago and at that time was officially called the Unitas Fratrum, or Unity of the Brethren, which remains the church's official name today. The Moravian Church is one of the oldest Protestant denominations dating back to 1457 in Europe and first coming to America in 1735.
Moravians have a strong tradition of ecumenical work and are best known for their missionary work and rich musical heritage.
The Moravian Church in North America is comprised of the Northern and Southern Provinces. The Northern Province has approximately 28,000 members in 102 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces. The Southern Province includes nearly 20,000 members in 58 congregations, which are located primarily throughout the Southeast. Moravians now number more than 789,000 worldwide and are spread across five continents and more than 20 jurisdictional provinces.
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“Nowhere To Hide”
The Rev. James HicksPresident of the Western District Executive Board
What do you do behind closed doors? This is a timely Easter topic! It is behind “shut,” “locked,” “closed,” doors that Jesus finds the disciples, and us (see John 20:19+). Those doors shield us from fear. Many of our congregations, are wondering about their future. To me, that sounds like the disciples’ concern.
Into this fear, into what we would keep hidden, Jesus inserts himself. There is nowhere to hide. A lie in our society is the notion that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” This phrase is neither harmless nor true and cultivates a destructive illusion. The cross fosters the illusion that God can be denied. Not so. Fear says what happens on the cross stays on the cross. Jesus will have none of this.
“Peace be with you!” Notice how his greeting is intricately tied to showing them his hands and side. There is nothing about those wounds that are illusory or deceptive. These wounds are not hidden in the tomb. They go with him. Into the midst of this world’s brokenness, he enters, wounds and all. What happens on the cross stays on the cross? No.
The disciples “rejoice.” Jesus again asserts, “Peace be with you.” Ironically, John’s Gospel, which often lingers in long explanations, immediately quickens the pace – “As the Father has sent me, so I send you!” What is going on behind closed doors is to be fully shared.
“Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. ‘Receive the Holy Spirit,’ he said. ‘If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?’” (The Message, Eugene Peterson).
Do you suppose the world is watching to see if the church believes in forgiveness? I do. Practiced forgiveness is evidence of being sent – by God. Foregoing forgiveness allows us to avoid being sent. Then church focuses inward, on our problems, and once again the doors are “locked!” We’re back to thinking that what happens on the cross stays on the cross.
Again Jesus enters and stands among us. “Peace be with you.” What are you going to do, there is nowhere to hide!
-James
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