A Sacred Day May 29 2017

A Sacred Day

There are holy moments that pierce the soul.

The birth of a baby.

The passing of a loved one.

One sacrificing their life for others.

These are tender moments – when the Great Purpose of life is unveiled.

Our reason for being on this earth is often forgotten amidst life’s countless distractions. Ironically, the living of life frequently clouds the purpose of life.

The WHY of life gets lost in the thickets of the DOING of life.

Thus, a day set apart to honor those who gave their lives in service to others is a holy day. In remembering their ultimate sacrifice, we are remembering our very purpose for living. For every human being the purpose for being on this earth is One Great Purpose.

We exist so that we might love and be loved.

All religions.

All families.

All nations.

We all share One Great Purpose.

We might call it many different things but the core commitment to care for others is shared throughout all human history.

It is our common soul-work.

We might live out that purpose well.

We might live it out poorly.

Regardless, we all know our common purpose when we see it lived out. These are the holy moments of our lives.

In such times, the sacred quality of life grabs our heart.

We remember this life purpose when we are present for the birth of any child. We all know to stand quietly when a casket, and grieving family, passes by during a memorial service. It is not the location of the birth nor the setting for a memorial service that makes such events sacred. It is their connection to our core life purpose that makes such moments

Sacred.

Holy.

Eternal.

There are many men and women who sacrifice their lives for others. Most never wear a military uniform. They will never have a grateful nation stop and remember how their life was given for others. For those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed services, it is right and good to remember them with honor and gratitude.

This day is a sacred day.  It reminds us who we are. Why we are living.

To love and to be loved.

May it be so.

Jeff Coppage

Memorial Day 2017

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE TICKETS

Dinner At Fries Moravian Church

at Reynolds Auditorium Next Door!

June 3, 2017

Supporting Youth Going to CONVO 2017

Please register for either day by using this link.

Learning

The Art of

Forgiveness

Saturday March 25th  & Tuesday March 28, 2017

(Same program offered on both dates)

9 AM to 2 PM

• Are you finding it difficult to “let go” of resentment?

• How does one “detach with love”?

• Are forgiveness and reconciliation the same thing?

• Is it actually necessary to forgive? When is it safe to reconcile?

These questions are part and parcel of our existence as human beings living in a world saturated with resentment and anger. These one day retreats are led by Rev Jeff Coppage, Pastor of Fries Memorial Moravian Church. Jeff has extensive leadership experience in addictions recovery including care for families dealing with chronic addictions. The retreats, open to the public,  use material from Dr. Rob Voyle’s Appreciative Way approach to a life of Christian wholeness and various dimensions of forgiveness. A contribution of $10 is encouraged. A simple lunch, refreshments, and  retreat material will be provided.

Fries Memorial Moravian Church

251 N. Hawthorne Rd Winston-Salem, NC 27104

(336) 722-2847  frieschurchjeff@gmail.com

Please register for either day by using this link.

Reserve your place today for the Cristabelle Braden Concert by clicking here.

HOPE SURVIVES CONCERT

Cristabelle Braden 

Winston-Salem,NC

March 5, 2017  6:30 PM

Fries Memorial Moravian Church

251 N. Hawthorne Rd

(336) 722-2847   frieschurch.org

The Concert is free with a love offering collected for Cristabelle’s

Hope After Head Injury ministry.

Reserve your place today for the Cristabelle Braden Concert by clicking here.

About Cristabelle

If there is one thing you need to know, it’s this: Cristabelle Braden offers more than music; she offers inspiration, hope, and sincerity. After suffering a traumatic brain injury at age 14, Cristabelle spent years in neuro-trauma rehabilitation therapy. She was told by her doctors that she may never graduate high school, be independent from her parents, or be able to go away to college. Since then, she has grown and overcome barriers that were never dreamed possible, including graduating from Lebanon Valley College in May 2015 Summa Cum Laude, releasing two albums of original music, and touring the country as a singer and speaker on brain injury.

Her main outlet after her injury was music. She never wrote a song before her brain injury, but only a week after, songs started to pour out of her. All of this has given her a great resolve to use her music to share her hope-filled story of rehabilitation from brain injury as a way to encourage and empower others going through similar circumstances.

Cristabelle has become very active as an advocate for brain injury. She has started an organization for brain injury awareness called Hope After Head Injury. Through her journey of recovery, she grew more and more passionate about TBI support and awareness. The idea for Hope After Head Injury came to her in 2012, and the idea continued to grow until she finally officially launched it in 2015, 7 years after her TBI.  Her goal through Hope After Head Injury is to provide a support system which focuses on the emotional aspect on healing from brain injury. She travels and speaks at rehab centers, support groups, and brain injury conferences as well as has a large social media presence where she candidly speaks about living with brain injury.

One of her videos entitled “You Look Fine: The Real Life Struggle of an Invisible Injury” went viral on Facebook and now has over 70,000 views (and counting). This led to her being invited to speak at conferences across the nation. In 2016 she spoke at the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island Annual Conference, the Brain Injury Network of North Dakota Annual Conference, and the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania Annual Conference. For 2017, she’s already scheduled to speak and sing at the Mayo Clinic Brain Injury Conference, the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, and Penn Medicine Mind Your Brain Conference. She is passionate about spreading awareness and does this through live concerts, public speaking events, online video blogs, and more.

Having a traumatic brain injury is not an easy road, but the knowledge that God has a plan for her life has empowered her to overcome adversity. Her hope and prayer is that she can impact the lives of others, whether it be through a lyric, melody, or a simple word of encouragement. Cristabelle has come a very long way and is now a focused young woman, walking in faith and ready to take on the world and share her music in the process.

www.cristabellebraden.com

Now send your Spirit upon us as we remember our baptism today, so that we may be renewed as living, growing, and active members of your church, rise to new life, be led and nourished by your word and sacraments, and share in your eternal blessings.

Amen.

Sunday February 12th, immediately following worship is a Town Hall Meeting to outline the congregations’ involvement during the transitional period.