The Next Step

"Pentecost doesn’t have to be a corporate event, or even a visible one. It’s not relegated to one denomination or faith tradition. The Spirit doesn’t follow a formula. She doesn’t show up because She’s obligated to, or because we spend enough time imploring her to. She shows up where she will, as she will, in the form that she will, upon those whom she will. " I'd love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to send me an email to [email protected]. Interested in our church? Come and Worship with us at the Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Come and Worship gathers on Sunday mornings at 11:00am. We'd love to see you!

Love is not pie. Faith is not a zero sum game. In spite of the misogyny, the racism, the economic disparity, the scarcity mindset, the fear of never having enough, the search for justice… in spite of the problems and the concerns and the worries and the fears that we bring into our life of faith, in spite of labeling winners and losers and fighting to see ourselves in one category over the over, in spite of all the complications that make it tough to break out of our scarcity mindset – Jesus is enough. I'd love to hear your thoughts - you can reach me by email @ [email protected], or Come and Worship with us on Sunday mornings @ The Enrichment Center in WSNC.

"For here is where we get back to the meaningful meal conversation. Of course they have food - food and Jesus just naturally go together - whether he is feeding 5 or 5,000, bread and fish and wine are all together consistently found in Jesus stories. And they hand him a piece of boiled fish - fish jerky, if you will, and he eats it in their presence. This makes me laugh because it’s like turning the solemnity of the Lord’s Supper into a post-Resurrection buffet at the Golden Corral, only Jesus is the only one eating. Everybody else is too scared, too awed, too overwhelmed to eat. And there’s Jesus, gnawing on his boiled fish while they scratch their heads in disbelief." What about you? Have there been significant meals in your life that God used in meaningful ways? I'd love to hear your thoughts - email me anytime @ [email protected], or Come and Worship with us, 11:00 am Sundays at The Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

Yet in spite of our unity, we are not a people united. Like all mainline Protestant denominations, Moravians disagree about many issues: the place of Queer people within the church, women in ministerial leadership. Historically we’ve disagreed about the inerrancy of the Scriptures, about abortion and alcohol, racial justice and gay marriage, divorce and means of grace. There are Moravians who practice baptism by immersion and spinking and those who believe in the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in holy communion and those who staunchly disagree and believe the sacrament is a mere symbol of Christ’s real presence. If there’s been an issue in theology or doctrine, church structure or leadership, or just about any other matter whereby there is more than one opinion to be had on the matter, Moravians have probably held multiple opinions across our Unity. In spite of our unity, we are not a uniform people.  And yet… we are a people strengthened by our opinions and our diversity. What do you think? Does diversity strengthen or divide? I'd love to hear your thoughts - email me @ [email protected] or Come and Worship with us on Sundays @ 11:00, 1106 Marshall St. WSNC 27101

"A political and national messiah doesn’t ride on a donkey. He collects taxes and tributes, gold and silver, valuable, exotic gifts and treasures, not people’s castoff work coats and palm branches thrown haphazardly on the ground. What kind of king is it that we want Jesus to be? Because no matter what our expectation is of the Savior, he will turn our hopes on their heads in this upcoming week. He will not bring a sword against those who oppose him, nor mobilize us to be soldiers in an army to defend His Kingdom. He will not resist the violence that will be cast upon him, nor turn his face away from the sneers of his oppressors. He will not silence the mouths of those who lie against him nor compel a confession from the ones who deny him. He will not fight back."