Page 12 - Moravian Messenger May 2020

From the Sanctuary
Recently, I walked into my dentist for my six-monthly check-up. I reported in at the reception and was told to go into the waiting room. As I entered the waiting room, I noticed that it had recently been decorated, and as my eyes scanned the room, taking in the changes in colour, I was drawn to a new picture on the wall. It was the famous photograph of the lighthouse surrounded by waves, taken by Jean Guichard.
It was one of those moments of 'Wow'. For me, the picture encapsulated a time in my life when my world felt like it was on the edge of falling through. I had felt like the person, standing in the doorway of the lighthouse, not sure if I would make it inside to safety, or be washed over the edge and drowned. Although the context may be different, I'm sure that many of us have been to that edge and wondered if we would be swept over, lose our footing in life, and possibly drown.
Yet, throughout all of that, I had a sense of being held by something greater than me. I felt loved, closely connected with God, cared for, strangely secure and surprisingly at peace in myself - not lost in the flood of life that was going on around me. Maybe I had disassociated with the reality of what was happening, but the love of God, through others, was my constant. And when I sometimes forget and get caught up in anxiety and fear (as I sometimes do), I have that picture to remind me of the truth of God's promise - that whatever life throws at us, the essence of who we are - our spirit - will never be destroyed. God will always be present in the midst of our problems. That doesn't mean that times won't be tough, and that life as we know it may change unrecognizably, or that death may even be our path. But God's presence will be there with us, if only we can be 'grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love'.
Dukinfield
Br Peter Gubi
Photos from International Women's Day & Rajpur Congregation
© Sr Roberta Hoey
Unity Prayer Watch is a global Moravian ministry, where over the whole year each Province ensures continual prayer and intercession for the Unity and the World. This year our Unity Prayer Watch allocation will begin on 26th June-9th July 2020. Roberta will send out district allocation and the World Mission Committee will send out Prayer notes in the coming months. Especially at this time we keep our whole Unity in prayer as each Province deals with the impact of Coronavirus.
The BMB were on a visit to India when the coronavirus crisis became more critical, and Sr Roberta and Br Livingstone had to cut their trip short before lockdown was imposed. However, it was a very
productive time and wonderful to spend time in fellowship with our brethren in Rajpur and Delhi. Br Joachim Kreusel was due to spend an extended period of time in Leh, Ladakh with Br Erdmann Becker (Berlin, ECP) but this has been postponed. We look forward to sharing more details of the BMB trip soon and future plans.
The BMB are continuing to keep in touch with our brothers and sisters in India, Nepal and Western Tanzania: all are experiencing various forms of
restrictions on daily life and unable to meet together for worship each week.
Many Moravians in these areas, as in the British Province, continue to work on the frontlines as medical staff, in food production and in ministry. We pray for the 37 alumni of Moravian Institute in Rajpur who are working as Doctors, Nurses, Lab Technicians and Pharmacists and nine nursing students.
Like brothers and sisters here, the Moravian Church around the Unity have found different ways of being together, including meeting online and to continue ministry in all forms through Passion Week and Easter. We have heard from Moravian Church in Shey who have been able to contribute
200,000.00 to the relief fund for
BMB (British Mission Board) News
Ladakh.
Sr Roberta Hoey
British Mission Board
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