Pastor's Corner
Spiritual Feast Pros & Cons Offered by Moravians

Mt. Redoubt Southwest of Anchorage, Alaska - Spring 2009

Spiritual Feast Pros & Cons - Moravian sentiments  Note:  Additional pros and cons will be added as they are received.  In order for Moravian members to co-exist in love it is oftentimes important to try to understand the differences in opinion and yet respect them within confines of God's Word.  Spiritual guidance and correction are needed if there is error.  Synod always has oversight of doctrine.  It is "always inevitable that questions of personal conduct, congregation practice, and the correction interpretation of Scripture will constantly arise, and receive different answers from individual Christians, so these will need to be referred to Synod" (taken from Handbook for Moravian Bishops, published by the Unity, 1996). The Handbook for Bishops also states that "only rarely can Bishops act as referees.  In special cases, if they are expressly requested by representatives of the opposing sides, this may be expected of them, however it must be understood that their insight is limited like that of other brothers and sisters".

The Spiritual Feast in the Moravian Churches in Alaska is one that has created many sentiments pro and con within the communities of southwestern Alaska.  This section on the Anchorage Moravian Church website offers Moravians an opportunity to share their sentiments on the Spiritual Feast.  The comments shared are not necessarily supported by Bishop Nicholson nor any one else within the Moravian Church in Anchorage or the church at large, but are offered to promote further understandings for dialogue with the end of unity, peace, and love always prevailing.  Due to the fact that our Moravians are extremely geographically removed, meet once anually, and are wondering how to respond to a threat of "act of correction" this section of the website is devoted for one purpose.  It is to help promote understanding of the opposing sides to the Spiritual Feast concept.  Names will be withheld from some of the written material; names submitted are approved by the authors submitting the material.

Commentary 1.  If this movement (Spiritual Feast) is still ongoing by the end of 2009, _______ will present to synod 2010 a proposal to end this movement.  The proposal will state that anyone supporting this movement will be removed per Book of Order Section IV.  Removal of membership No. 812.  The movement is neither traditional or Alaska Moravian Church practice, as it is being conducted.  The supporters of this movement are free to conduct their own services outside of the Alaska Moravian Church. 

Aug 25, 2009, 10:03

Pastor's Corner
Children Letters to Alaska Native Soldiers Overseas

Pastor Nicholson, along with Margaret Hoffman of Rural CAP, is encouraging children of the Anchorage Moravian Church, even those in Sunday School, to send cards to soldiers overseas that are lonely and in need of encouragements.  The Pastor is supporting Native leaders from western Alaska at Rural CAP to send packages to soldiers.  Expected are up to 100 small parcels which will be boxed on January 19, 2009 at 1 PM at Millennium Hotel and then sent to our solders.  If you would like to create cards from scratch and sign some cards for soldiers, please feel free to give them to the Pastor by 1 PM, tomorrow.  Suggestions are:  “We are thinking of you and praying for your safety”  “Thank you for giving us freedom by your sacrifices”.  “God loves you; we love you too!”

Pastor's Corner
Why are Some Christians Rebellious?

An Email Question from a Pastor and brother in the Phillipines who closely follows our Church bulletin board:

Brother William Nicholson good day to you! May I know from you what is the evidence of being filled by the Holy Spirit?  Because many christian now claim that they are HOLY SPIRIT FILLED but I wonder because they are so very rebellious or not submissive  to their leaders or to their pastors.  Can you tell me about this situation..

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or pray about.

In Christ,
_________ and family

Pastor's Corner
Renewal, Spiritual Gifts, and Danger of Pride

There are a lot of questions out there on the part of individual Moravians on what new thing God is doing in our midst.  Is renewal happening?  As a result of the Spiritual Feast is renewal happening now?  I will try to share my thoughts on renewal as I understand it.

As a believer I feel that we must be concerned about renewal.  As one of the pastors of the Alaska Moravian Church I should be concerned about renewal for my own Church.  Renewal is scriptural.  Renewal is certainly part of our religious heritage. 

According to or any good Moravian historian, the Moravian Church arose out of a “Pentecost experience” which brought renewal to individual Christians and led to a great missions expansion of the Church.   Renewal is in the heart of God.  Over the centuries it seems God is always at work trying to bring renewal to open people in accordance to His sovereign Will. 

As a believer within the Moravian Church in Alaska, I know that God wants to bring renewal to our church to win people and grow our Church.  We must not loose our biggest and most important mission; this is to bring glory to Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  He is our hope of glory! He is our hope for meaningful living now and our hope for eternal destiny in Glory land.

There is a bit of confusion, fear and misunderstand around us.  That’s why I am driven to draft a spiritual commentary or two for the Anchorage Moravian Church website.  I don’t think everyone understands that there has been an outpouring of God’s Spirit impacting us.  It sounds like it is happening in a couple of villages.  I observed one such event in Manokotak November 2008.  From my observations, I don’t think that this outpouring it is the work of anyone man.  It is a sovereign move of God and it is happening as a result of a big spiritual hunger on the part of many of God’s people, young and old alike.

But in my mind it seems there are some red flags flying.  As an Army Chaplain on the firing range I have seen something very prominent.  It is usually a big red flag flying in the breeze.  When this flag is presented, I know Uncle Sam’s soldiers are on the firing line.  There everyone is instructed to be very careful with use of their weaponry as they aim down range.  Some concern needs to be addressed as to how to respond to a move of God when it happens!  I do know one thing is that we cannot be passive.  We will either inquire further about it and appropriate it in some fashion or resist it. 

Pastor's Corner
Spiritual Feast & Believer Priests: A Commentary

A Spiritual Feast will be held at the Denaina Center in Anchorage, Alaska, on November 28 and 29, 2008 at 6:30 PM. I have been told this is not a Moravian Church sponsored event.  My understanding is that it is being put on by Manokotak Young People leaders who simply want to share Christ and glorify His name and win souls for the kingdom and bring revival to young people wherever God leads them.  While the concept of the Spiritual feast is a new one, I understand it truly to be a great worship opportunity lead by “Believer Priests” who are entirely Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-led, and who give God the praise honor and glory.  I will share the concept of the Believer Priest which is an old doctrine and the idea of an Open Worship opportunity, which is also an old idea resurrected in this time and age as the Spiritual Feast.

I am writing about the Spiritual Feast as an outsider, but one who is beginning to understand it because I have spoken to the Manokotak Young People one-to-one about it.  Their minds are pure and unselfish and extremely Christ centered.  I will try to explain what I understand about it.  I will attempt to explain the Spiritual Feast from the stand point of scripture.  At this point I am supporting it because of its fruits and its basis from Holy Scripture.  Again, this is just a commentary and attempt to understand what God is doing in our midst.  I am open to other interpretations if there are any.

Because the Spiritual Feast concept is new, there may be people opposing it.  They may opposing it because of false information or because they do not understand what it really is about.  I have heard that there are some that say this is the work of Anti-Christ.  I would like to share my thoughts as a result of having attended two of the Spiritual feasts.  The fruits are enormous as souls are being won for the kingdom wholesale and many more are recommitting their lives to the Lord Jesus.  This appears to be a new work of the Holy Spirit in these end times.

Pastor's Corner : Sermons Online
Sorrow for the Lost

Bishop Nicholson Message

Romans Chapter 9

The Word of God declares in Romans 1: 18 that God’s righteous judgment is already upon the wicked!  Romans has been a very interesting book to study.  I hope you are reading it along with me. 

Did you know in Romans, Paul does not talk of the cross until Romans Chapter 3?  In Romans 6:23 Paul speaks of the results of sin.  Here it says, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  And it's interesting that Paul does not mention God’s love until Romans Chapter 8, a chapter which we looked at last Sunday.  In Romans 8 we find a key to living the abundant Christian life and that is by living in the Spirit, not living according to the flesh.

A word of encouragement from Paul.  He says, in verse 1 of Romans Chapter 8:  “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  Chapter 8 is one of the most important passages for the Christian.  In Chapter 8 its teachings cannot be overemphasized, because the power of God’s Spirit in the life of the believer is what help us to overcome and to live in God’s will.  This Chapter speaks of the Spirit 20 times.  It's all about allowing the Holy Spirit to influence us daily.  Having the Holy Spirit fill us daily is a key to living in freedom and power.

Today we take a look at Chapter 9.  Let’s read Romans 9:1-3 - “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.  For I wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh."  Here we see an emotional side of Paul.  What made Paul sad and in anquish? 

Pastor's Corner : Sermons Online
The True Gospel and Living by the Spirit

Bishop Nicholson Message

Romans Chapter 7 & 8

Many are very worried about the direction of our country. As Christians we should not lose heart. The Lord knew who would win. He allowed it to happen. He has a plan and purposes for our nation as well as our lives!  Now God continues to call us to serve Him faithfully - to do whatever He tells us to do, to go wherever He tells us to go, to say whatever He tells us to say.

Today we celebrate Christ as our Chief Elder.  May we always seek His leadership each day.

Today let's take a brief look at Romans 7 & 8. For several Sunday’s now, I have been studying and preaching on the book of Romans.  The book of Romans reminds me that we must be faithful to the Word of God and faithful to Christ.  We are reminded that we are servants of Christ; we must build up and bring the gospel to the people around us.  When it comes to how we should share the gospel to others, I learned from the recent Moravian Pastor and Elder’s Conference in Bethel, Alaska that possibly some of the pastor’s are not sharing the entire gospel!  An example shared at the conference I will share with you:  Think of doctors.  If they are just nice like some pastors are and only prescribe orange juice and aspirin for one month for someone that has cancer without telling them what their problem is.  This would not be a good doctor; it does not help the one who is sick to ignore their problem.  If the doctor did not tell me the truth I would be deeply upset.

Pastor's Corner
Manokotak Spiritual Feast III Report

Manokotak Spiritual Feast:  An Amazing Outpouring of God's Spirit? 

Pastor's Corner : Sermons Online
Path Out of Self Destruction

According to a recent Anchorage Daily News article, “A man police said was apparently suicidal told officers he molested a 6-year-old girl over the weekend to justify ending his life, though he never followed through with his death wish, Anchorage police said Tuesday."  This young man, I’ll call him Bobby (not real name) from an Eskimo village is charged with "sexually assaulting a minor and was being held at the Anchorage jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, police said." When questioned by police, Bobby told them "he planned to kill himself but couldn't do so without having a reason, Honeman said".  "He figured he had to do something very disgusting to make people hate him," Honeman said. "He needed a justification to kill himself."  Bobby told police "he loaded a gun to shoot himself but the weapon didn't fire when he pulled the trigger.”  Later when I became involved as the Anchorage Moravian Church pastor, I visited the family impacted by Bobby's behavior.  I spoke to the man who owned the weapon Bobby used to try to end his life.  I was told the cartridge used was new; the fact that the gun did not go off was a miracle!

Pastor's Corner : Sermons Online
Ruin and Rescue

Bishop Nicholson Message

Romans Chapter 5

In last Sunday’s message we learned about faith and trust from Abraham, the Father of Faith.  We realize that we can’t live daily unless we have faith in God and a firm belief that no matter what comes, God’s Will is good for us. 

When I visited the Anchorage City Jail this last week, I spoke with an inmate who said that when his mother died, he lost his job and with a few weeks even lost his truck.  He became mad at God.  He was extremely angry for a long time.  And because of his anger, he was now in prison.  He went on to share that he lost his faith in God.  But Praise God God never gave up on him; he shared with me that he recently regained his faith in God in prison.  I am glad that I can represent you as your pastor and bring encouragement to prisoners this last week.