The Next Step

This is my last sermon as student pastor at Fries Memorial Moravian Church. It has been an honor and a privilege to be allowed to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the last 2 years of my Seminary experience. I pray you hear the Voice of God calling you Beloved and proclaiming Good News to you through these words. I would love to hear your feedback or thoughts on this or any message - feel free to email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. May God bless you in abundant faith, love and hope, Dana

"God never let go of my family." Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:3-4) I am adopted - and so are you! Will you consider this year (2022) broadening the ever-widening circle of God's family as you consider spiritual adoption? Preached at Bethania Moravian Church, WSNC, on 1.2.2022

What do Henry F. Potter, George Bailey and the whole town of Bedford Falls have in common with an epistle text from Colossians? Preached at Fries Moravian (outdoor service) on 12.26.2021. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback or thoughts! You can reach me at dsgmyers@gmail.com Blessings in faith, love and hope as we close out the year of 2021.

Watch the Trees is a message preached at Fries Memorial Moravian in WSNC on Sunday, November 28, 2021 (the first Sunday in Advent). If you have questions, comments, or feedback regarding this message or any you hear on the podcast, please feel free to drop me a line at dsgmyers@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

This message was preached in honor of the celebration of All Saints' Day on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at Fries Memorial Moravian Church. I am grateful to be a pastoral intern at Fries, completing Term 6 of 8 of my Seminary experience through Luther Seminary's innovative MDivX program. I love the end of October / beginning of November - celebrating All Saints, Halloween, and Dia de los Muertos - feels like a sacred way to honor death. What a unique idea! Celebrating death. The family that surrounds us, both here in the immediate presence of this planet and further on, beyond our view, in the more immediate presence of Christ's glory, comes together in one glorious celebration of life and of lives lived. We remember those who passed before us and those who will pass after us, and we look within ourselves to find the birth - death - redemption cycle happening over and over again. May the Lord bless you as you see this work of God within your own life, and hopefully, claim some of the joy and peace that this season celebrating death can bring. As always if you have any feedback or thoughts on this message, I'd love to hear from you. My email address is dsgmyers@gmail.com.

This message, entitled Throwing Off the Cloak, was originally preached within the congregation of Hopewell Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sunday, October 24, 2021. If you have thoughts or feedback on this or any message you hear on the Next Step podcast, I'd love to hear from you! You can reach me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. May the Lord bless you in your own journey of faith this day!

A change of internship site for me meant that this very difficult subject - the God Who Suffers - was the first message I delivered to my new internship congregation at Fries Memorial Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. This message is a hard word for many folks so please don't hesitate to reach out by email with any concerns or questions: dsgmyers@gmail.com. In faith, love and with tremendous hope, Dana

This message was preached @ Unity Moravian on July 11, 2021. The story is taken from the Gospel of Mark's account of the execution of John the Baptist. As you listen, I'd love to hear any feedback you might have on this message. You can contact me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. May you be blessed by this Good News and by the love, peace and compassion of our Savior this day and always. Amen.

This message was shared at Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, North Carolina on May 9, 2020 (Mother's Day). It is a hopeful look at a passage in 1 John as we consider looking for the Face of God in those who might be different from us. I'd love to hear any thoughts or feedback you might have on this message or anything you hear on the Next Step - you can reach me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. Blessings and Peace to you, Beloved Child of God, Amen.

On Maundy Thursday, we come together to celebrate a meal together -a gift from our Lord that we are able to accept year after year. What is it that makes this meal a gift? How can we honor the greatest giver with our remembrance of his sacrifice? Most importantly, how do we keep our Table open and always make sure there are places for those among us who might not feel welcome at this blessed table? This communion meditation was originally preached @ Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, NC on 4.1.2021.

With an unusual Old Testament text as the background for this unusual story, we explore the plains and wilderness experience into which God sometimes calls us as people of faith. This message was originally preached at Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, North Carolina, on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

This short meditation was preached on Ash Wednesday, 2021 @ Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, NC. This was a difficult season for many who had experienced a difficult time dealing with Covid-19 and its havoc on our community and our world. Through a New Testament text in the Gospel of Matthew, we considered some very odd gifts that are given to us by God through this unique season of Lent. If you have thoughts or feedback on this or any other Next Step messages, feel free to reach out to me @ dsgmyers@gmail.com.

The season of Advent is all about waiting. We think of this waiting as a time to look forward to the birth of Christ and indeed we do look forward to that blessed Incarnation. Yet Christ also promises another gift to come in response to our Advent waiting. Two historical figures, Saint Nicholas of Myra and Saint John the Baptizer, prepared us for this holiest and most underestimated (and underappreciated) gift of the Advent season. The Holy Spirit of God.

The next 17 days will divide families, ruin friendships and possibly end marriages. Our friends and family of both political ideations will hurt, and ache for consolation. Yet God wants to be seen - and God will be seen if we will only look. Through the Fruit of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we explore the ways in which God wants to be seen. As Moses stood in the cleft of the rock and perhaps garnered the courage to look upon the most surprising reflection he ever saw, may we find courage and desire to look for the face of God in these tumultuous days. *Preached at Unity Moravian Church, 10.18.2020

This prayer, from Ash and Starlight, by Arianne Braithwaite Lehn, beautifully expresses my prayer for the world of 2020. I highly recommend the book (Amazon link below)! It is full of inspiration and beauty. I invite you to pray with me.-- Lord, your Kin-dom come. Let it be so! Amen. https://www.amazon.com/Ash-Starlight-Prayers-Chaos-Grace/dp/0827200803/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-drs-ajax1_0?cv_ct_cx=ash+and+starlight&dchild=1&keywords=ash+and+starlight&pd_rd_i=0827200803&pd_rd_r=e7243d7e-6198-400b-abcd-d3b4b026485a&pd_rd_w=9pC8a&pd_rd_wg=PBsgG&pf_rd_p=2af54486-024b-43c2-a014-77f8e1ab2526&pf_rd_r=4NYKVPQ7WSNS5KRDDGA6&psc=1&qid=1602377917&sr=1-1-25b07e09-600a-4f0d-816e-b06387f8bcf1

This message was originally preached on October 11, 2020. I recommend before listening to this message that you consider the blessing: "Beloved is Where We Begin" (by Jan Richardson) as you remember how Beloved you are as a Child of God even before considering the advocacy that God is calling you to on behalf of the other. I pray this message - as compelling a call to advocacy as I can hope to preach - touches your heart with a name, a face, and a cause from the Lord. May we understand and demonstrate what it means to be a Radical Advocate.

Thanks for joining me for the Next Step Podcast. I'm Dana Myers, Luther Seminary MDivX Student and Pastoral Intern at Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, North Carolina. God is doing a new thing with Church. It's difficult for many people to commit an hour or more to watching and listening to a live synchronous service. Our days in 2020, although perhaps different than before a global pandemic swept through our regular schedule, are still very busy. I've created the Next Step podcast as an offering for those who are looking to hear a short message of inspiration and good news. The sermons I present were first preached at Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville North Carolina, under the supervision of Pastor Barry Foster. Episodes for the next step are published as they are preached, so feel free to subscribe for updates and tune in to our live services via Facebook or Youtube @ Unity Moravian Church in Lewisville, North Carolina. If you have any trouble finding us, feel free to reach out to me and I'm happy to connect you with our church family. God is doing a new thing. Thanks for joining me. Preaching is but one step along the journey to which God is calling me - what's your next step? Feel free to email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or suggestions.