The Next Step: Recent Episodes
Dana Myers
I've created the Next Step podcast as an offering for those who need a short message of the Good News of our God who Creates, Redeems and Sustains. I am a student pastor through the MDivX program of Luther Seminary, completing my internship at Fries Memorial Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC. I'm also a candidate for ordained ministry in the Moravian Church, completing my Graduate Certificate in Moravian Studies @ Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, PA. I live and serve in rural NC with my husband, Matt (a 6th grade teacher), daughter Raine, our 2 dogs Bandit and Rosie, and super-cat Nala.
"Pentecost doesn’t have to be a corporate event, or even a visible one. It’s not relegated to one denomination or faith tradition. The Spirit doesn’t follow a formula. She doesn’t show up because She’s obligated to, or because we spend enough time imploring her to. She shows up where she will, as she will, in the form that she will, upon those whom she will. "
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to send me an email to dsgmyers@gmail.com. Interested in our church? Come and Worship with us at the Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Come and Worship gathers on Sunday mornings at 11:00am. We'd love to see you!
Love is not pie. Faith is not a zero sum game. In spite of the misogyny, the racism, the economic disparity, the scarcity mindset, the fear of never having enough, the search for justice… in spite of the problems and the concerns and the worries and the fears that we bring into our life of faith, in spite of labeling winners and losers and fighting to see ourselves in one category over the over, in spite of all the complications that make it tough to break out of our scarcity mindset – Jesus is enough.
I'd love to hear your thoughts - you can reach me by email @ dsgmyers@gmail.com, or Come and Worship with us on Sunday mornings @ The Enrichment Center in WSNC.
"For here is where we get back to the meaningful meal conversation. Of course they have food - food and Jesus just naturally go together - whether he is feeding 5 or 5,000, bread and fish and wine are all together consistently found in Jesus stories. And they hand him a piece of boiled fish - fish jerky, if you will, and he eats it in their presence. This makes me laugh because it’s like turning the solemnity of the Lord’s Supper into a post-Resurrection buffet at the Golden Corral, only Jesus is the only one eating. Everybody else is too scared, too awed, too overwhelmed to eat. And there’s Jesus, gnawing on his boiled fish while they scratch their heads in disbelief."
What about you? Have there been significant meals in your life that God used in meaningful ways? I'd love to hear your thoughts - email me anytime @ dsgmyers@gmail.com, or Come and Worship with us, 11:00 am Sundays at The Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Yet in spite of our unity, we are not a people united. Like all mainline Protestant denominations, Moravians disagree about many issues: the place of Queer people within the church, women in ministerial leadership. Historically we’ve disagreed about the inerrancy of the Scriptures, about abortion and alcohol, racial justice and gay marriage, divorce and means of grace. There are Moravians who practice baptism by immersion and spinking and those who believe in the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in holy communion and those who staunchly disagree and believe the sacrament is a mere symbol of Christ’s real presence. If there’s been an issue in theology or doctrine, church structure or leadership, or just about any other matter whereby there is more than one opinion to be had on the matter, Moravians have probably held multiple opinions across our Unity. In spite of our unity, we are not a uniform people.
And yet… we are a people strengthened by our opinions and our diversity.
What do you think? Does diversity strengthen or divide? I'd love to hear your thoughts - email me @ dsgmyers@gmail.com or Come and Worship with us on Sundays @ 11:00, 1106 Marshall St. WSNC 27101
"A political and national messiah doesn’t ride on a donkey. He collects taxes and tributes, gold and silver, valuable, exotic gifts and treasures, not people’s castoff work coats and palm branches thrown haphazardly on the ground.
What kind of king is it that we want Jesus to be? Because no matter what our expectation is of the Savior, he will turn our hopes on their heads in this upcoming week. He will not bring a sword against those who oppose him, nor mobilize us to be soldiers in an army to defend His Kingdom. He will not resist the violence that will be cast upon him, nor turn his face away from the sneers of his oppressors. He will not silence the mouths of those who lie against him nor compel a confession from the ones who deny him.
He will not fight back."
This week, we explore the topic of human life and the end of human life. Death is not only inevitable, it is part of God’s plan for humanity. But death - a death in Christ - is not a scary adversary to be avoided, fought against or ignored. Death is a gift. A life with an ending is meaningful because it has an ending.
Thoughts or questions? Email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com - Blessings in faith, love and hope ---
Transfiguration Sucks. It forces us to become vulnerable, to reveal the inward most details of who we are and who God created us to be to an outside world who often doesn't understand or doesn't want us to be truly vulnerable.
"When I show up as my true self, all the change and fear and weakness that is within me making itself known on the outside - when I let go of the control of what other people think about me, about my journey of faith, about who I am or what I stand for - when I allow myself to be vulnerably transfigured more and more into the image of Christ, I get a foretaste, a glimpse, of what is to come."
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this message - send me an email to dsgmyers@gmail.com, or Come and Worship with us! Come and Worship Moravian Church gathers weekly at the Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St. SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Thanks to Trinity Moravian Women's Fellowship for the invitation to speak at their Day of Prayer Service - what a blessing it is to worship together!
Fear is at the root of much, if not all, of the evil in our world. Fear is the root of sin... Yet, this is the story of God. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ - that God’s abiding love within us grows through our confession of Jesus Christ as Savior into an abiding Presence that casts out, that prunes, that shapes our fear into perfect love.
I welcome your thoughts, comments, or questions - feel free to send me an email @ dsgmyers@gmail.com. Or Come and Worship with us! Come and Worship Moravian gathers weekly at 11:00am at the Enrichment Center in Winston-Salem, NC. We'd love to see you!
"It’s not a place I like to spend a lot of time, isolation. In fact I believe long-term isolation is responsible for many of the social and psychological issues that we face today. There is no depression like isolated depressive episodes when you can’t wash your hair, can’t get out of bed, can’t face anybody or any place other than the safety and solitude of seclusion. It’s okay for a little while, but long-term, isolation starts to wear on our souls. "
Thoughts or comments on this message? Feel free to sent me an email @ dsgmyers@gmail.com
Interested in Come and Worship? All are welcome to worship with us! We gather weekly on Sunday mornings at 11:00am at the Enrichment Center, 1006 Marshall St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
I screwed up. I made a mistake. I ate food I shouldn't have eaten, or said something I shouldn't have said, or ordered 1 item when I meant to order 100. Our miss takes are not an affront to God; our screw-ups don't make US screw ups. We are not products of the things we mess up on.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this or any of the messages you hear on the Next Step - reach out to me at dsgmyers@gmail.com, or if you're in the central NC area, Come and Worship with us on Sundays @ 11:00 @ the Enrichment Center, 1106 Marshall St. WS,NC. Thanks for listening!
Today is the Second Sunday of the Epiphany, January 14, 2024, and I am so excited because it is my first Sunday as transitional pastor with one of my all-time favorite congregations, Come and Worship Moravian. Come and Worship meets at the Enrichment Center in downtown Winston-Salem on Sunday mornings at 11:00 and we would love to have you join us! Feel free to contact me with questions or thoughts on this message or the community of Come and Worship - I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening and may you be blessed in faith, love and hope throughout this coming week.
But here’s the thing… I can accept my own depravity, for I think I’m the worst person I’ve ever met. Like you, my recipes never turn out like my grandmother’s. I’m financially irresponsible. I don’t go to the gym like I should or eat like I should or hold to my own standard of what I think a “good person” should act like sometimes. I can easily accept I’m broken. I’m a screw up. I’m unfixable. But earlier this year when I heard my kid use the same language - “I can’t do anything right. I am bad at everything. Nobody likes me and I’ll never get my life on track.” Something within my mother’s heart leapt in protest. NO, child of mine. You are not broken! You do not need fixing! You are perfect - you came from me at a perfect 7 lbs and half an ounce and every inch of you is God’s beloved creation.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this message for Christmas, 2023. Feel free to email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com, or Come and Worship with me at The Enrichment Ctr, 1106 S Marshall St in WSNC on Sunday mornings at 11! Thanks for listening - and happy holidays.
"YOU ARE SO GREEDY. Four words. Four words that pierced my heart with pain of a 10 year old child being told they are not worthy, that they are a bad person. "You are so greedy." Even now, it hurts to think of the look on that child’s face. It wasn’t about the toy. It was about being told by your mother - the person in the world who is supposed to love you the most - that you are greedy, all for wanting a toy before Christmas."
Trauma. It affects all of us, whether we realize we carry it or whether it just takes up space in our lives, and this time of year (8 days before Christmas), the space our generational/communal trauma takes up can be filled with pain, suffering and fear. Be encouraged on this 3rd Sunday of Advent as we celebrate JOY - you are not alone. Trauma will not defeat our God who redeems. Hear the encouraging promises of Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, Psalm 126 and Luke 1:46b-55. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, prayer concerns or questions. You can reach me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
The message of baptism—that God has declared that you are enough, that God accepts you just as you are—is just what we each desperately need to hear this time of year. This message has never been more appropriate, for we live in a culture that promises acceptance only if we are…skinny enough, young enough, successful enough, strong enough, and so on and on. Whether young or old, steeped-in-the-faith or relatively new, we all crave a sense of identity and belonging.
Listen to hear more as we "Prepare the Way of the Lord" this second Sunday of Advent - send your thoughts, questions, comments, or stories to me @ dsgmyers@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
The prophecy is not that God will make all things right - not this time - the prophecy is that we have HOPE that God will make all things right. The prophecy is an ask. A plea. A cry from the loneliness of feeling unaligned with the presence of God.
God, come near.
You can listen to All Creatures of our God and King by clicking here.
All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing,
"Alleluia! Alleluia!"
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thoughts or comments? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
"I am the third servant... and in realizing that - in begging for grace and mercy from the God I know, hear, have a relationship with and talk to on a regular basis - in recognizing the faults I have, the ones I know about and the ones I’ve yet to discover - I also recognize one very important truth. God loves the third servant. God cares for the third servant. And though God may surprise us with judgment, God’s legacy is always one of love, care, concern and protection."
Thoughts? Send me an email to dsgmyers@gmail.com - would love to hear from you!
"At every point in the story, they could have said NO.
We also, very often, have the privilege and power to say “no.” And no is not a bad word, not even to God.
The truth from this text given to us this day for the week in which we celebrate the election of our Chief Elder is that not only could he have said 'no' to the challenge to lead us, but that we too could have said “no” to the challenge announced to us that fateful day in November."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Would love to hear from you. You can contact me at dsgmyers@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
Would you like to contribute a story or remembrance of a saint or spiritual ancestor that's important in your life? Email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com or text the audio file to 336-399-7472. Keep listening for more stories of saints, souls and ancestors as we move through the month of November!
As temperatures drop and the shadows grow longer into the night, celebrate All Hallow's Eve, Dia de los Muertos, All Saint's Day and All Souls' Day with this short vespers message and prayer of blessing. May your celebrations be safe and blessed.
And this is the kind of conversation you’re having with Cleopas on that 7 mile road trip, and it’s a really tough, but really interesting conversation and all of a sudden there’s this stranger who’s talking too but his voice is so compelling that you don’t really care that you don’t know the guy because he’s adding so much depth and ideas to your conversation. And you’re still walking, and that 7 mile walk, even at a good pace, is taking you a good couple of hours, and yet it seems like minutes as the time passes and you get deeper and deeper into the details of this conversation.
And returning to the KEY to the story - a simple revelation in just 5 words. “Jesus said to her, "Mary!" - and she knew. Oh did she know! She heard her name and she knew without a shadow of a doubt who had spoken it. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Voice of the One who had spoken it was the Voice of the One who had given it to her. She knew beyond a shadow of any doubt that the Voice of the One who had given her name to her not only knew it, but spoke it with such compassion and love that she had no doubt that the Voice of the One had defeated the power of the grave - and had returned, not only to proclaim His own glory, but to speak her precious NAME.
I'd love to hear your thoughts? Have you heard the Savior speak YOUR name? Feel free to send me an email @ dsgmyers@gmail.com, or Come and Worship with Us on Sunday mornings at 11:00am at The Enrichment Center in WSNC. Thanks for listening!
"Love's Definition" proclaimed March 26, 2023 @ Fries Moravian church
You can also check out Bishop Carol Foltz's sermon @ my ordination on Oct. 2, 2022 here (Sermon begins @ timestamp 33:10) -
homemoravian.org/danamyers
If you have thoughts, comments or questions, feel free to get in touch! I'd love to hear from you: dsgmyers@gmail.com.
Blessings in faith, love and hope,
Dana
Message from Fries Moravian Church on the Third Sunday of Lent, March 12, 2023.
Text for the day included Exodus 17:1-7 and John 4:5-29 (click link to be taken to Gospel text)
Exodus 17:1-7, NRSV
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
2-5-2023
Justice - God's call for our attention, and our action.
I'd love your thoughts and feedback! Feel free to email me at dsgmyers@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening!
Thoughts about this message or any others you hear on the next step? I'd love to hear from you! Send me an email @ dsgmyers@gmail.com
May God richly bless you with faith, love and hope as you trust in God! <3
Sermon from 9.18.2022
Fries Memorial Moravian Church
Thoughts or questions? I'd love to hear from you! dsgmyers@gmail.com
Welcome back to the Next Step!
This sermon was preached at Fries Memorial Moravian on Sept. 11, 2022.
As always if you have feedback or thoughts, please let me know! You can reach me @ dsgmyers@gmail.com.
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.