Nest

Rebeka Moran’s heart has always been filled with love for God and for music. She laughs when she says, “I was born in Bethlehem, like Baby Jesus,” though in her case, it was Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she started piano lessons at age five.

Music was always part of her life, even as she grew up in Reading, studied musical theater in New York, and later moved to New Jersey. Through all those transitions, two core things remained: faith and music. She always found her way to a Lutheran church, the faith that shaped her, often serving with her voice, a songbird lifting the congregation in song.

But moving to South Carolina felt different. Between a demanding job and a string of discouraging church visits, Rebeka grew spiritually and musically adrift. “I was becoming despondent,” she admits. Church after church rang hollow. Some churches didn’t connect with the liturgy, one discouraged women from singing solos, and others felt more like stage shows than worship. “This is not how I envisioned my spiritual life,” she said. At that point, she struggled to hear even a whisper of God’s song.

Then Rebeka found St. Philip. After a couple of visits, she met with the pastor and was introduced to the brand-new music director. She felt an instant connection. “It’s very different here at St. Philip,” she says. The blend of old and new in worship, the welcome of youth and diversity, and the spirit of inclusion struck a deep chord with her. With tears in her eyes, she adds, “I have never experienced this fresher approach to worship.”

Rebeka also began to notice what she calls “strange, weird parallels” – unexpected connections with others in the congregation who share roots, experiences, and even struggles with her. One Sunday, she even found herself hugging a fellow member who voiced the same challenges she had faced. Even Rebeka’s husband Mark - once a sporadic churchgoer - has found his place here, often joking about his love of beer-making with the pastor. For Rebeka, Mark’s regular presence in worship is a prayer answered.

Today, Rebeka clearly sees God’s hand in leading her here. “I have never felt this way in any other church,” she says. “God has given me a joyful place to rest and sing!” This songbird has truly found her nest.