Moravian Peacebuilders

What is Truth? A Good Friday Reflection

Today, as is the tradition, Moravians gathered to listen to The Acts of Friday and sing hymns as found in our Passion Week Manual.  This year one phrase jumped out at me (from John 18):

37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.       Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."     38"What is truth?" Pilate asked.

I wonder if we should be asking that question more today than ever; and more so as Christians than anyone else.  In this passage Jesus says he came into the world to testify to the truth. His life was that testimony and presented a picture of a loving and forgiving God. But do we focus on the life of Jesus as much as we should? 

Yesterday was Maundy Thursday.  The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin for 'command' (mandatum). It refers to the command given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that his disciples should love one another.  Maybe it is just me, but I am concerned about our communion tradition.  None of the four communion services in our current hymnal include Jesus' command to love one another.

In a wonderful little booklet by Reverend Emmanuel Charles McCarthy, entitled The Nonviolent Eucharist, you will find a proposal that could change the world - rewrite our service to better remind us of the non-violent, loving life of Jesus we are called to imitate as his disciples.  Download a copy, read the proposal, ask yourself what the world might be like today if Christians had celebrated communion differently for the past 1700 years.  Our small group will be discussing this in a few weeks.  I welcome your thoughts.

And here is another Easter thought.  On Sunday morning around 6:10AM we will proclaim in unison the Nicean Creed.  We will say "We believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried".  But we are not reminded of the mandate, the truth we are called to proclaim.  We are called "Easter People".  I hope that means we are also "Jesus People".

Palm Sunday 2007 - The Journey Begins

This morning, at the Lititz Moravian Church, we read from the book of Luke, Chapter 19: 41-42. Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem: If you, even you, had recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. It seems the crowd wanted Jesus to be a military savior and end the Roman occupation. But Jesus was to be much more than that. His message of non-violence and love of enemy would challenge generations to come; and prove to be a force more powerful for those willing to follow him. Jesus came to show us what God is really like.

This, then, is perhaps a fitting day and fitting text to begin this open discussion among Christians who belong to a denomination which some would say fits the category of "historic peace church" - the Moravian Church.

This weblog is dedicated to that Moravian remnant, and is begun in the hope of enticing other Moravians (and non-Moravians) to see Jesus as the true Prince of Peace and, as his disciples, to discover ways in we can be true peace builders.

If you would like to serve as an author on this weblog please contact me - rick@teamapproach.com. If you choose to merely read our postings and add your comments as we go along, please do so frequently. If you choose to be silent as you review our commentary, we seek your prayers that God will lead us.

A number of years ago, after leaving 20 years of military service, I rediscovered Jesus. I then asked what seemed to me to be an obvious question, "Why isn't every church a peace church?". We may not be able to influence every church with this humble weblog but we might be able to influence a Moravian church somewhere. After all, peace is in our history and part of our heritage.