Category: Faith And Spirituality

Maundy Thursday Online Worship Service

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Blessings to you on this Maundy Thursday. 

In a more normal year, we would be gathering for Maundy Thursday Holy Communion. While that is not currently possible, I hope that our recorded services feed you spiritually during this Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday Worship

You should also know that when we are cleared to return to worship in our beautiful sanctuary, we will revisit the Easter Liturgy, anthems, and message – for that will be a day of resurrection for us all as we return to a more normal life personally and as a community of faith.

Blessings, peace, and health to all,

Pastor Derek

“The Lord is Risen!”

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 There is no service of worship more characteristically “Moravian” than those based upon our Easter Morning Liturgy. Indeed, so central is it that Moravians often self-identify as “Easter people,” not because they believe they have any special claim to the promise of resurrection, but rather because the celebration of God’s raising of Jesus from the dead embodies the core of our faith and hope. How stirring it is to be among a congregation when the pastor’s profession: “The Lord is risen!” is answered by massed voices responding “The Lord is risen indeed!” I cherish childhood memories of Easter Dawn services outside of Home Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC where over ten thousand persons voiced those words. 

 Yet as moving as such collective affirmations of faith are, they are no substitute for our individual experience of relationship with God through the risen Christ. An account of an exchange between Moravian Bishop August Spangenberg and a young John Wesley during the height of a violent storm at sea on the voyage to America brings the matter into sharp focus. Spangenberg asked Wesley, “Do you know Jesus Christ?” Wesley replied, “I know he is Savior of the world.” “True,” said Spangenberg, “but do you know that he has saved you?” It is one thing to profess the Lord is risen in a crowd on Easter morning; it is quite another to profess it at home with just as much hope, joy, and faith in the midst of this present storm. Yet that is the challenge – and the gift – of these times. Alone or in small family groups we have the time to ponder what we really believe and to make it our own. 

 It is worth remembering that according to the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene was alone when the miracle of the Resurrection was revealed to her. Though she testified to the other disciples regarding what she had seen, they had to go and see for themselves. Though we traditionally celebrate Easter together, the truth at its heart must be discovered and owned by each of us individually. That truth – that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it; that the power of death, sin, and separation has been broken by God; that hope shall prevail over despair – is not diminished by our inability to gather together. Rather it becomes all the more necessary and compelling. 

 As I write, the flowers spring from the ground, the trees bud and bloom, and life in the natural world goes on. So too, Easter will come. We will celebrate the best we can on the day of Resurrection – remote from one another in body yet close in spirit and heart. Even if there is no one else to hear it, even if unuttered, I invite you to lift your heart to God on Easter morning and know that the Lord is risen indeed!

Easter Blessing to You All,
Pastor Derek

Feeding the Hungry

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Editor’s Note: This is a pastoral letter that Pastor Derek sent to the congregation on March 29th regarding the acute needs of those in our community.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

These are challenging times both spiritually and materially. Yet as we hunker down to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and others, the work of the church in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ continues even expands to meet new and pressing needs. I am happy to share with you that the freezer ministry, which began at East Hills and spread in the past few years to all Bethlehem Area Moravian congregations, has been asked to provide 400 meals to persons living in Moravian Towers 1 and 2 in downtown Bethlehem. Feeding the hungry is certainly a Biblical way of making Christ known.

Previously the county was able to provide these meals. Yet the weekly influx of non-residents into a senior living community, coupled with high rates of occupancy in the dining area became too risking as the transmission of Covid 19 in the Lehigh Valley accelerated and the meals were canceled.

Fortunately, the BAM Freezer Ministry was there to step in and fill an acute need. Recent cooking events at East Hills Moravian Church had filled two industrial freezers with quarts of soup, rice and sausage dishes, macaroni and cheese, etc. just waiting to be distributed and warmed up. Who would have thought that a kitchen facility mainly used as a staging area for church dinners would become a vital asset to the surrounding community and a source of hope for those facing food insecurity?

Sadly I expect the need to increase as many persons are out of work without unemployment benefits. Early this week I, therefore, sent a grant request to Bethlehem Area Moravians for $8000 to support this ministry. They approved it and we should soon receive the funding. Should any member of the congregation, or a neighbor of a member, or a friend, etc. find themselves running short of food, please reach out to the church.

Thank you to all who have made this ministry possible. Even if we can’t include you in cooking at the present time due to limits on how many persons can be gathered in one space, know that your volunteerism in the past has filled the freezers for moments such as this. The contributions of congregation members to the annual budget has provided funds for the gas, electricity, and facilities to make this outreach possible.

Of course, as followers of Jesus, we don’t live by bread alone. Your congregational lay leaders and I are trying to provide opportunities for us to worship, learn remotely, and continue to connect with one another. We know that spiritual connection becomes more important during times of physical isolation. Please make note of such opportunities in the weekly emails and share them with others who may not have heard of them.

Our Board will be contacting members of the congregation to check on their well being. We ask that all members help us care for each other. If you or someone you are aware of has physical, emotional, or spiritual needs during this time of social distancing and quarantine please contact me or one of our elected lay leaders.

Peace, grace, and good health to you and your loved ones,
Pastor Derek

March 22nd Worship Notes

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Missed Worship?

If you missed worship this Sunday (or last Sunday for that matter), head over to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/EastHillsMoravian. Derek posted the Sunday worship services there and will do so for the foreseeable future. We realize this is unchartered territory and are doing our best to provide continued continuity despite quarantines, restrictions, and social distancing.

Missed the Mid-Week Lenten Service this Week?

If you missed the Mid-Week Lenten Service this past Wednesday, Derek did his best to bring it to you online over on our East Hills Moravian Group Page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/109455987443/. If you aren’t a member yet, please consider joining us!

Have a Prayer Request?

Please email the church office: office@easthillsmc.org. We will not be mentioning persons by other than their first name during worship or delving in too deeply into individual circumstances since the YouTube broadcast is literally available to the world. We soon will have a new prayer list which will contain the information normally present in the Sunday morning bulletin.

Need Pastoral Care?

Contact Derek via email at pastorfrench@easthillsmc.org, via text message, or via Facebook messenger. His personal and cell numbers are available to members in the East Hills Moravian Church directory. If you need a directory, please email the church office and we will gladly send you a .pdf copy.

Please Consider Online Giving

Please consider using our Online Giving portal for submitting your tithe or other donations. This is safe and secure and helps provide needed resources not only for our congregation but also for the emergency funds we provide to those in our community. All Moravian congregations and fellowships in the Northern and Southern Provinces in the United States have online giving enabled through the Giving Portal at https://mmfa.info/giving-portal/. The Moravian Ministries Foundation in America is happy to do its part to help Moravians support the ministries of their local churches and worship God with their tithes and offerings from the safety of home. Answers to frequently asked questions are available at https://files.constantcontact.com/4979844f601/4ee20b1b-d3a0-4f5a-ac32-c1846e2e30f4.pdf

Mid-Week Lenten Services

Derek is going to try and post this week’s Mid-Week Lenten Service on our YouTube channel. That said, we are using some external content so we need to make sure copyrights are observed. Please bear with us; this might remain in our East Hills Moravian Facebook Group page instead. Many thanks, again, to Peter Diehl for the idea for this program. This week’s focus will be on the disciples.

Ministry Opportunities

A Can a Week

Please hold those with food shortages in your thoughts and prayers as changes at both the Northeast Community Center Foodbank and Second Harvest take place. We will not be collecting canned foods at this time, but if you’d like to continue to help with this effort, please mail a check in any amount to the church at 1830 Butztown Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Please note “A Can a Week” on the memo line. Cash cards will be purchased to help meet the needs of the hungry at this time of stress and uncertainty. Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry.

Victory House

Interested in helping to feed the hungry. Contact Rob Greenawald at 610 438 2626 or rgreenawald@rcn.com for more information or to volunteer.

EHMC Preschool Fundraiser

Ongoing fundraiser with Primary.com which sells quality children’s clothing at affordable prices. Please visit our school’s special URL at primary.com/school/easthills and use the code EASTHILLS when checking out after shopping. Information to register for Primary.com is available through the Preschool, and you will also receive an extra 25% off your first order.

Book Club

All are invited to join the East Hills Moravian Church book club on Monday, April 27th at 7 pm in the parlor where we will discuss “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson. Questions? Contact: Amy Frantz Gross at bartlet4pres@yahoo.com.

Cancellations

WHY KNOTS, scheduled for March 25, and WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP, scheduled for April 7, are both canceled. Please hold one another in your thoughts and prayers, and maintain connection by phone, email, or text. 

Northeast Community Center 2020 Annual Italian Buffet Fundraiser on Saturday, April 4, that was in the March Newsletter, has been canceled. If anyone would like to send a donation for the 2020 Summer Camp Program, they would be so grateful. Northeast Community Center, P.O. Box 1463, Bethlehem, PA 18016 

Preschool Information

Bunny Breakfast (tentatively)

Saturday, April 4th, 9 AM to 10:15 AM. Open to the community. Pictures with the Bunny from 9:15 to 10:15 for a donation (bring your own camera). Egg Hunt at 10:30. Tickets are $5 for anyone over two, two and under are free but need a ticket. For reservation/tickets please email EHMChurch1830@yahoo.com with your name, how many tickets for two and up and how many tickets for under 2 and the best way to contact you. Questions please email EHMChurch1830@yahoo.com or call 610-737-0012. Includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, tater tots, cheese sauce and other condiments, and a juice and coffee bar. Proceeds will benefit the East Hills Moravian preschool marketing budget. The deadline to get tickets is March 27, 2020.

Spring Preschool Lovefeast Service (tentatively)

The Spring Preschool Lovefeast will be tentatively held on Wednesday, April 15th at 9:30 am. This is in celebration of the Week of the Young Child. 

Preschool Registration

Registration for East Hills Moravian Preschool is open! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors about our wonderful school. We have a beautiful facility, friendly and knowledgeable teachers, and a new curriculum. We offer the following programs:

  • Three-Year-Old, M/W/F; 9:00-11:45 am
  • Four-Year-Old, 4 days M/Tu/Thu/Fri; 9:00-11:45 am or 5 days M-F; 9:00-11:45 am. The first Wednesday of the month is 9:00 am-1:00 pm for 5-day Fours only. 

If you want to extend the fun, children can bring their lunch and stay 11:45 am-1:00 pm or until 3:00 pm. Please call us at 610-868-6242 and let us know your preschool needs. 

Letter from Bishops of the Moravian Unity

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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

During these challenging times the church, both locally and globally, continues its mission of proclaiming the Gospel and caring for its members and neighbors.

Attached please find the pastoral letter of the Bishops of the Moravian Unity living in the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in America.

Blessings and prayer for good health for you and your loved ones,
Pastor Derek

“For the Love of God”

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There are times, such as in moments of extreme frustration, when non-believers join followers of Jesus in referencing God. We use the expression “for the love of God” to express our vexation as we implore a person to act out of basic human decency or common sense. Usually the one uttering the phrase is not actually thinking theologically about love for God, or God’s love for us. Yet since February is the month we celebrate love with Valentine’s Day, now is as good a time as any to consider the implications of taking this common saying literally. What would it mean to act for the love of God in all things? 

Does it mean, for instance, that we are to act because God loves us, because we love God, or both? And how are we to act? We can find an answer to these questions in the 4th chapter of the 1st Letter of John. “God,” says the author, “is love” (4:8). 

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 

To act for the love of God is, therefore, to extend Christ-like love to others in response to God’s love for us. It is to seek the deepest, the truest good for others rather than our own advantage or satisfaction. It is to be patient, kind, respectful, and humble toward others. At times it means being flexible to preserve relationships. It means insisting on right-doing and truth. (See 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). 

In the final analysis, to act literally “for the love of God” is to live out one’s life with far more than basic human decency or common sense. It is to pattern one’s life after the Incarnation of God’s love – Jesus Christ. I am tempted to say: “For the love of God, what part of Jesus saying, ‘Follow me’ don’t you get?” There is an urgency in our Lord’s words that we often miss in the context of worship or Bible study. Love, says Paul, is patient and kind, but that doesn’t rule Jesus’ disappointment when his followers fail to act for the love of God.

Pastor Derek French

Gratitude, Generosity, and Blessing

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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Col. 3: 15-17)

Gratitude plays a central role in the lives of those who choose to follow Jesus as his disciples. Paul, writing to new Christians in Colossae (modern-day Turkey), notes that cultivating gratefulness is essential if one wishes to live a life transformed, redeemed, and blessed by Jesus Christ. Being thankful draws us closer to God and makes it possible for the peace of Christ to find a home in our hearts.

Being thankful is not hard, but it does take a bit of intentionality and determination. In our current context, it’s easy to embrace negativity. There’s plenty of it to go around on the news and social media. Like a bad cold, negative emotional energy can be transmitted from one person to another, and that negativity can lead persons ever deeper into self-isolating, protective stances rooted in the primitive human psyche. Such a response to life can lead to dysfunction and illness of mind, body, and spirit.

Yet, we can take action which will increase our resistance to society’s malaise and confer numerous benefits as well. Recent research indicates that gratitude decreases anxiety, depression, and aggression, increases physical health, and improves the quality of sleep, the number and quality of relationships, mental strength, and self-esteem. Gratitude begins when we choose to look for the positive, affirmative, beautiful, or life-giving stimuli in the world around us and then pause to offer thanks to God and contemplate these blessings.

I often envision gratitude – and the resultant expression of generosity – as the opening of a hand, with the palm facing upwards in an expression of release and thanksgiving. A clenched fist can hold onto what one already has, but it cannot be filled to overflowing with further blessing. When we approach life with gratitude and respond with generosity, then with the psalmist we can say: “my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

The Importance of Continuing Christian Religious Education

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“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

An old proverb states “Charity begins at home.” (In this proverb the word “charity” is used in its “archaic” sense as meaning ‘the love of humankind.”) So too, does spiritual growth and a healthy relationship with God. Weekly worship is a good beginning, but limiting one’s program of religious enrichment to worship alone is the spiritual equivalent of trying to rehabilitate an injury by doing physical therapy only once a week. It’s a routine and disciplined approach to Christian religious education that leads to real progress. Fortunately, there are many resources available for those wishing to grow spiritually.

September 9th is Rally Day, the beginning of a new year of Sunday School. Each Sunday at 9:30 am, persons of all ages have the opportunity to dig more deeply into scripture in the context of a community of believers. Discussion and study are facilitated by our committed Sunday School staff.

If Sunday School does not appeal to you, East Hills Moravian Church offers week-day Bible Study groups. On Tuesday, Jesus Saves, led by Eugene McDuffie, meets from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Parlor.

On Wednesday, Men’s Bible Study meets from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the same room. There are also groups of Moravian Women who meet periodically and begin their time with Bible study. If self-study is your preference, Bible reading plans are available in most study bibles and in the Moravian Daily Text.

The Daily Text itself is available as a free daily email. Ideally, each of us would partake from a varied diet of individu and collective reflection and study.

Yet, HOW we go about continuing our Christian religious education matters far less than THAT we continue to feed our souls on a daily basis. Resolve to review and, if necessary, improve your personal program of religious enrichment this fall.