Pastor John Writes: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Psalm 51:7-9 What is hyssop? In…
DetailsPastor John Writes: I was looking at the watchword for Friedland for 2023: May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 This chapter of 2 Thessalonians ends Paul’s second letter to the believers in Thessaloniki, and provides many words of advice, warning, and…
DetailsOver the past several weeks, I have been honored by many kind words and well wishes from my Friedland family as my wife Steph and I prepare to make the transition to serving the Union Cross congregation. In my final Friedland newsletter article, I’d like to share an excerpt from the book With Courage…
DetailsJoin us for our Christmas Day Lovefeast and Candle Service Sunday, December 25, 2022. There will be a band prelude beginning at 10:15 am, and the lovefeast and candle service will begin at 11:00 am. A nursery will be available. Come early to make sure you get a seat as there is always a huge…
DetailsPastor John Writes: One year on Christmas Eve, a pastor in a small town had just finished the worship service at his church. When he returned home, he brought out presents and piled them under the tree. Just as he was about to fall exhausted into bed, the pastor remembered his neighbor’s sheep. His neighbor…
DetailsLast month I had the opportunity to attend the Interprovincial Ministers Convocation in Maryland. During my time there, I was able to worship with Moravian ministers from all over the country in a worship space unlike any I had experienced before. This was my first time worshipping in a silo. The ceiling was transparent, allowing…
DetailsYet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 I recently watched a friend of mine, who is a potter, create a chalice out of clay. First, he made a cylinder for the body of the chalice,…
DetailsRecently I came upon a peculiar device in the church archives. If it were not for the label on the top, I never would have guessed that this was one of the first electric toasters. I always found it interesting that by simply heating up a piece of bread for the right amount of time…
DetailsAll this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18 Reconciliation has been defined as “the restoration of friendly relations.” It can be the process where two individuals or groups in a conflict agree to make amends or come to a…
DetailsBack in 2015, I had the opportunity to travel to Prague in the Czech Republic during the 600th anniversary of July 6th 1415 when John Hus was burned at the stake. Moravians around the world still remember this day every year, and some churches including Friedland celebrate Holy Communion on the Sunday closest to July…
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