Sometimes an image says more than a thousand words. Although it looks like a watercolour painting, this picture was actually taken this week by an OMS member on their phone camera.
It captures a red moon over the village of Herrnhut in Germany, the place where the original 18th century OMS first saw their covenant of radical commitment to Christ, radical kindness to all, and radical mission to the ends of the earth take root and bear fruit. And the red moon? Well Red Moon Rising was the book through which God drew thousands to the 24-7 prayer movement at the start of the new millennium, and has continued to inspire and challenge ever since.
In our Order we talk about ‘four wells’ from which we draw inspiration and encouragement. One is the Moravian well; home of the 18th century Order which gives us our name, the form of our vows, and our foundational stories. The celtic well inspires our six practises and challenges us towards sanctified wildness, and the monastic well invites us to go deep in spiritual formation and encounter with Christ. The fourth well is the contemporary 24-7 prayer movement: a move of God’s Spirit in this generation through which the renewed OMS came into being and which gives us an international family of Jesus-followers as a place of community and service.
Each of these wells bring me refreshment and life in different ways, and I tend to sit up and take notice when their waters run together. This week in Chicago, members of the OMS will be attending the 24-7 prayer USA national gathering. Please pray for them and for USA and Canada regional convenor Scott Burns as these streams merge for a few days. The Herrnhut photo was taken by Emma Boije, an OMS member and co-ordinator in Sweden who also works for the Moravian church and is there for a church synod. If you would like to read the story of Moravian well in Swedish, Emma’s husband Mike has written this account which I still keep on my bookshelf even though I know little Swedish beyond ‘Abba’ and ‘IKEA’ 😉
Next year is the 300th anniversary of the ‘Moravian pentecost’, the moment when the dreams of the original OMS burst into Spirit-empowered reality in their lifetimes and beyond. Spoiler alert: we plan to be there around 13th August 2027 as an Order and we’ll soon be sharing how you can be part of the celebrations. In the meantime, enjoy the photo and allow God to remind you that we are part of a story in Christ that is far bigger than ourselves.