New Philadelphia News Lovefeast Services
Sunday, December 18 Children’s Lovefeast & Candle Service @ 11:10 a.m.
Sunday, December 18* Congregational Lovefeast & Candle Service @ 7 p.m. Saturday, December 24* 4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Lovefeast & Candle Service 8 p.m. Christmas Eve Lovefeast & Candle Service *The band prelude begins 1 hour prior to each service with the exception of the Children’s Lovefeast
The Lovefeast and Candle Service
The Lovefeast was a familiar practice in the first century Church. The early Christians celebrate the Holy Communion to maintain their vertical fellowship with God, and the agape meal or Lovefeast to symbolize their horizontal fellowship with one another. In 1727, the Moravian Church revived the agape meal, and established the custom of celebrating the great church festivals by partaking together of this Lovefeast. The first Lovefeasts of the Moravian Church in North America were held during the years 1735 to 1740 in Savannah, Georgia. The Lovefeast is primarily a song service opened with prayer. The hymns are intended to furnish the subject matter for devotional thoughts; buns and coffee are served during the singing. When everyone has been served a blessing is offered and the congregation partakes of the simple meal. The Lovefeast is not considered sacramental in the traditional sense; rather it symbolizes the all-inclusive fellowship of God’s family, the Church. The Christmas Lovefeast with its lighted candles is one of the most beautiful services of the Moravian Church. The custom originated on the European continent at Marienborn, Germany, with a children’s candle service in the year 1747. It soon spread through the Moravian world. The words to the hymn, Morning Star, were penned by Johann Scheffler, a physician of Silesia, in 1657. The melody was written by Francis Florentine Hagen, a Moravian minister, in 1836 for the children of Salem. It is sung antiphonally as the candles are distributed. Each person receives a lighted beeswax candle as a reminder that Christ said,
“I am the light of the world,” and “You are the light of the world...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The New Philadelphia congregation has a long and distinguished history of ministry in our city and county and celebrated her 160th anniversary this year. Today we are still sharing our faith through a comprehensive ministry which includes worship, Sunday school; women’s youth, and senior adult fellowships, choir and band programs for all ages; bell choir, scouting programs, and numerous other activities. We also support World and Homeland Mission projects, Sunnyside Ministry, Crisis Control Ministry, Forsyth Prison Ministry, and may other local ministries. Our regular Sunday worship services begin at 9 a.m. and 11:10 a.m., and Sunday school for all ages begins at 10:05 a.m. A nursery for the care of infants and small children is available during the worship service, Sunday school and most special services. New Philadelphia has a preschool program in service on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for children eight weeks to five years of age. Led by experienced and qualified teachers, the program is open to the entire community. If you receive this newsletter and do not have a church home, we invite you to join with us. God bless you,
Worth Green