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What is a Moravian Lovefeast?

What is a Moravian Lovefeast?

As the early Christians met and broke bread together in token of their fellowship and love, so the members of the Moravian Church family have made it their custom to celebrate special occasions by sharing with friends a simple meal, a “lovefeast.” The name of the service is a literal translation of the New Testament word “agape.” A Lovefeast (not to be confused with Holy Communion) seeks to remove social barriers and strengthen the spirit of unity and goodwill among all people. A Lovefeast, in fact, is a Singstunde which incorporates a simple meal.


The first Lovefeast was served in Germany on August 13th, 1727, following the Renewal of the Moravian Church. Moravians (officially called Unitas Fratrum or Unity of the Brethren) are spiritual descendants of the Czech reformer Jan Hus, who was martyred in 1415. Their orderly and rich ecclesiastical life was very nearly smothered by the Counter-reformation and the Thirty Years War (1618-48). But within five years of the Renewal, Moravians were sending missionaries around the world – including North America in 1735. Permanent settlements were established in Pennsylvania (Bethlehem 1741), North Carolina (Bethabara 1753 and Salem 1766) and elsewhere. The Lovefeast is a simple meal shared in a spirit of reverence and joy that Christ is present in our lives. The actual food and drink may vary considerably; in the Caribbean you may drink tea, in Africa you may eat peanuts. In America the traditional Lovefeast consists of a sweetened bun and coffee – but it could be a cookie and juice as well. Those who serve the meal are called Dieners, which is German for “server.” The manner of serving may also vary – except that all wait until all have been served and the Pastor has asked the Blessing. Some congregations listen to the choir sign hymns and anthems while they enjoy the Lovefeast meal; in other congregations, people speak quietly with their neighbors about their spiritual journey. For 270 years the Lovefeast has maintained its dignity and grace, and is used by quite a few other demominations to celebrate appropriate events.


Odes, Orders of Service, Bulletins, Programs, etc. (send us an email for many more examples or advice)

  • General Lovefeast outline
  • Stewardship Lovefeast example
  • Mission Lovefeast example
  • Lovefeast example from Winter Park FL
  • Singstunde: The Lord’s Prayer
  • Singstunde: Celebrating the Essentials of the Moravian Faith
  • Resources for the Moravian Church may be found HERE.

How to Hold a Moravian Lovefeast

(Condensed from the article of the same title by James Boeringer in the Winter 1981 issue of the Moravian Music Journal)

We receive many inquiries from members of many different denominations about how to carry out a lovefeast. Dr. James Boeringer, director of the MMF from 1980-84, put together this information as a guide to those who are interested in holding a lovefeast.

The requisites for all lovefeasts are traditional simplicity and coherence. It is not a time for musical showing off, but for musical devotion, excellently and sensitively performed, with all of the texts strung together so as to deliver a message about God. Thoughtfully planned and carried out without self-consciousness, the Lovefeast can be one of the warmest communal experiences available to people. So here follow some plain and easy instructions about how to make one. Plan carefully, prepare and practice assiduously, and then relax and let the Spirit take over.

Words and Music
The Moravian lovefeast is a service of song at which a simple meal is severed to the congregation. This meal, usually a bun and coffee, is an act of fellowship. It is not a sacrament, nor a substitute for Communion.

The Lovefeast, begun by the Moravians in 1727, is a revival of the Agape of the early Christian Church. The service spread with the church throughout the world, and remains an important part of Moravian religious ritual.

Almost any special occasion is appropriate for a lovefeast. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were held as many as fifty or more times a year to celebrate important festival days, to honor distinguished guests, to recognize milestones, to bid a last farewell to neighbors moving away, or to bind the church community into a spiritual unity when this need was felt. Today the Moravian Church holds fewer lovefeasts, but they were presented on similar occasions.

The ode, or text, of the lovefeast consists of individual stanzas or whole hymns chosen to carry forward a particular idea. For example, if the purpose of the lovefeast is to recognize the work of missionaries, hymns relating to mission work are coherently arranged. The hymn stanzas to be sung by the congregation are compiled and printed in a special leaflet which is given to each person. If the tunes are not well-known, the tunes are also printed.

The organist assures a continuous succession of hymns, moving smoothly from one to the other.

The choir sings at least one anthem of sufficient length to last during the time it takes for the congregation to eat a bun and drink a mug of coffee, i.e., five to ten minutes. Anthems may be used at other places during the service. The words to the anthems in the ode may also be printed so that the congregation can read them as the choir sings them. (Make sure you have the proper copyright permissions before printing words to any hymns or anthems!)

Ideally, to be a Moravian lovefeast, the hymns, chorales, and anthems should be Moravian, but other churches adapt their characteristic music to the framework. The key to fostering the appropriate spirit is simplicity.

Serving
In the Moravian Church there is a special corps of servers called “Dieners” (German for serve), whose responsibility it is to distribute the buns and mugs of coffee, prepared well in advance so that there is no interruption to the flow of service.

Buns are passed along the pews in baskets, each person taking a bun and passing the basket on. The mugs of coffee are carried on a tray and passed hand to hand by the occupants of the pews. Usually men carry the trays while women take care of passing the mugs to the pew occupants.

All of the serving activity, and the collecting of the mugs after the partaking, take place while the hymns are being sung. In a well-run lovefeast, the buns and coffee are distributed almost without being noticed by most of the congregation.

When the whole congregation has been served, a grace is prayed in unison. Traditionally the American Moravian Church prays “the Moravian grace”:

“Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be
And bless these gifts bestowed by Thee. Amen”

While the choir sings an anthem, the congregation partakes of the lovefeast. This is done reverently, without hurry, and with an understanding on the part of the congregation of the significance of the activity: that in breaking bread together, we share a spiritual fellowship.

When the meal has been finished, the members of the congregation pass the mugs from hand to hand to the aisle, where the servers collect them, and carry them without interrupting the service to an anteroom. Then the servers may again join the congregation. The song service may continue after the meal for any length of time determined beforehand. If there is to be a collection, an address, or other activity, it usually occurs after the meal. At Christmas in most Moravian churches, lighted candles are distributed to the congregation after the meal. If this is done, this distribution is similar to the passing of the mugs of coffee.

Supplies and Accessories
The lovefeast meal is simple, and elaborate trappings are not needed. The usual food is a sweetened bun, sometimes placed on a paper napkin. Although any kind of pastry can be used if it does not produce dust, crumbs, or stickiness.

Coffee is now used as the drink at lovefeasts, but tea used to be served (an is still used in some places in Europe), and many other drinks can be used, from water to sangaree (a mixture of red wine or vinegar and water with sugar and spices).

Trays and baskets are used to serve the coffee and buns, and the Dieners sometimes wear special uniforms, the women in white with a white doily on the head, and the men with a long white apron wrapped about them.

Conclusion
The lovefeast is a simple, devout service which has had a great significance for Moravian for over two and a half centuries. In recent years other denominations have presented lovefeasts with success, many members of these churches discovering that the service can be deeply rewarding and meaningful. Much of the success of the lovefeast depends upon establishing and maintaining the air of devotion and dignity, which makes the unusual activity of “eating in church” not only acceptable but also significant. This is done through the choir of music; by the example set by the minister, choir members, servers, and leaders of the congregation; by the quiet efficient serving of the meal; and by impressing upon the congregation that the lovefeast is as much an act of worship as the regular Sunday service. If the lovefeast is entered into in such a spirit, it cannot fail to move the participant with its solemn dignity and spirit of fellowship.

We welcome inquiries concerning the lovefeast and Moravian music, and appreciates receiving copies of new lovefeast odes. Moravian anthems are available for loan from the Southern Province Lending Library

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Terry M. Pope says

    December 24, 2021 at 4:27 pm

    I grew up in the Moravian Faith at Hopewell Moravian Church located
    in Winston Salem, NC! I recall our family observing the Love Feast at Hopewell church many times in my youth! I came to know my savior Jesus Christ through my early years in church! Praise be to God! Amen! ?

    Reply

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Who: The courses will be taught by Christopher Ogburn, PhD, the Director of the Moravian Music Foundation (MMF) and our resident musicologist. Prior to coming to the MMF, Ogburn taught and lectured at Manhattan College and LaGuardia Community College, before joining the faculty of Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC as Instructor of Music. He has over a decade of experience teaching courses in both music history and theory.

Growing up in the Moravian Church, I learned the value of the church and the importance of its long and remarkable history, both locally, but also internationally. My own family lineage can be traced back to the Bethabara settlement, so there is a strong personal connection that draws me to the work of the Moravian Music Foundation and the preservation of its remarkable archival collection. While an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I had the privilege of interning one summer at the Foundation under Nola Reed Knouse. This opportunity solidified my passion for musicology and is what ultimately inspired my pursuit of a doctorate in that area. In many ways, I owe my career to the Foundation and consider this opportunity to be both a literal and spiritual homecoming.

Looking to the future, I am excited by all the possibilities, including expanding the lecture series, building a more robust online presence, providing live music performances, creating workshops for local students, and working to tell the global story of the Moravian Church more completely and accurately.

My family has deep ties to the area that go back several generations. My wife, Erin, and I are excited to be moving back to Winston-Salem and to raise our daughter, June, in this community that played such a vital role in shaping who I am today. We are looking forward to exploring all the new restaurants, hiking around Pilot Mountain, and enjoying the vibrant cultural community that has grown over the years. After having lived in New York City for the bulk of our adult lives, we are delighted to be back in the land of BBQ, Cheerwine, and the Heels.  -Chris Ogburn

Items for Sale

  • Moravian Music Foundation   
    Christmas CDs, both choral and instrumental, and featuring the Moravian Lower Brass
  • Moravian Archives     
    Books, resources, gifts and accessories

Artists and Craftspersons (confirmed, so far)

At Archie K Davis Center


Art C Designs – Moravian gift items by LaDonna Crist

Handmade Moravian Stars by Susan Moore

At Elberson Fine Arts Center


Artist, Laura Morales Studios

Karlee Kreations – Cocoa Bombs

Calvary Moravian – Lovefeast in a Box

Artist, Liz S – Elizabeth Stonich

East Bend Woodworks – Tina Johnstone

Moravian Mercantile – Christmas gift items by Lauren Hatfield

Vida Collective – Angela Hunt

Unity Women’s Desk – worldwide crafts

Hot Sauce Mall, Drake Lanier

Vicki Vassar

Laurie Russell Pottery

CSV Creations – Carlie S Van

All artists, vendors, exhibitors are subject to change.

Struggle Bus       coffee truck  www.facebook.com/thestrugglebus21

Patriot Pretzel Co.   pretzels  www.facebook.com/patriotpretzelcompany

Knock Out BBQ https://www.facebook.com/KnockOutBBQFoodTruck

Taco Truck Calentana https://www.facebook.com/people/Taqueria-La-Calentana/61558492804697/

Hot Dogs and Cotton Candy, too!

TALK What is Moravian Music?
12:00pm in the Spaugh Lecture Hall, Archie K. Davis Center
Speaker, Christopher Ogburn, Ph.D., Executive Director of MMF

TALK The Peter Oliver Pavilion and Gallery
2:00pm in the Spaugh Lecture Hall, Archie K. Davis Center
Speakers, Christie Williams and Sabrina Garity, Assistant Archivist

Tours of the Vault (including music treasures
On the hour [ 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm
45 minutes (Max 10 people per hour)

All music performers and schedules are subject to changes. (as of 12/5/2024)

Music outdoors around the ChristmasFest campus

10 – 10:20Whitaker Elementary School Garden
10:30 – 10:50West Stokes HS Chorus Garden
11:00 – 11:45Trinity Moravian Chancel ChoirCourtyard
11:00 – 11:45Adam and Stephanie Goodrich AK Davis Ctr
12 – 12:50Talk on “What is Moravian Music?” (indoors – Spaugh Recital Hall) AK Davis Ctr
1 – 1:45North Davidson High School JV and Varsity SingersCourtyard
2 – 2:45New Philadelphia Worship TeamCourtyard
3:30 – 3:50The Moravian Band (all players welcome! – green and blue books) Courtyard
4 – 4:45Salem Band Tuba Quartet Courtyard

Music Concerts at Salem College, Elberson Fine Arts Ctr, in Hanes Auditorium
10:30a – 12:30pTriad Community Band
1:00p – 2:30pSalem Community Orchestra
3:00p – 5:00pWinston-Salem Civic Orchestra / Winston-Salem Symphony Youth Philharmonic

MMFS1301      Glory to God in the Highest   Gregor, Christian      Luke 2:14        
SSAB    $1.75   Christmas

MMFS1908      Glory to God in the Highest   Gregor, Christian      Luke 2:14        
SAB       $1.75   Christmas

MMFS1003      Hail, Infant Newborn    Michael, David Moritz       Christmas hymn, anon.         
SATB                $1.75   Christmas

MMFS1401      Morning Star in Darkest Night        Hellström, Georg Friedrich von     Johann Scheffler (1624-1677)   
SATB    $1.75   Christmas

MMFS0802      Night of Holy, Highest Worth        Brau, Christian Ludwig      Christmas hymn, anon.               
SSAB    $1.75   Christmas

MMFS1806      O Dearest Jesus     Hellström, Georg Friedrich von   
S/SATB               $1.75                 Christmas

MMFS2101      Six Carols       Clemens, Theodor Liley   
SATB    $1.75   Christmas

MMFS1714      Thou Child Divine      Bates, James  Text: anonymous       
SATB    $1.95   Christmas

MMFS1717      What Good News the Angels Bring       Hagen, Francis Florentine      William Hammond (1718-83)        
SATB/SATB      $1.95   Christmas

MMFS1001      Sing, O Ye Heavens       Peter, Johann Friedrich      Christmas hymn, anon.               
SATB, S & T solos         $1.95   Christmas, General

MMFS0804      Glory to Him Who Is the Resurrection LaTrobe, Christian Ignatius Text: John 11:25-26   SSAB                $2.25

MMFS1307      And Yet Believe  Henkelmann, Brian Text: John 29:29, adapted  
SAB   $1.75

MMFS1103      Glory to Him  Wolf, Ernst Wilhelm   
SATB    $1.95  

MMFS1303      Fling Wide the Portals   Wolf, Ernst Wilhelm Text: J. G. von Herder
SATB            $2.25

MMFS1304      He Who Died, Behold, Now He Is Risen  Wolf, Ernst Wilhelm Text: J. G. von Herder   
SATB                $2.25

MMFS1305      O Death Now Is Swallowed Up in Victory  Wolf, Ernst Wilhelm Text: J. G. von Herder
SATB/SATB

MMFS0907      Lord Christ Jesus, Our Salvation       Henkelmann, Brian   Text: verse 1, Jan Hus (circa 1410); verse 2, Ernst Christoph Homburg (1659)
2 part   $1.75   Lent, Communion

MMFS0807      Wounded Lamb! By Your Self-Offering          Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Text: Holy Communion hymn, anon.  
SATB    $1.95   Lent, Communion, General Use

MMFS1905      Kyrie           White, James C.           Text: Latin mass     
SATB    $2.25  Lent, General

MMFS1703      Lamb of God  Erbe, E. I.          Text: Latin mass, based on John 1:29       
SATB    $1.95   Lent, General

MMFS1705      Those Who Sow With Weeping  Peter, Johann Friedrich     Text: Psalm 126:5-6             
SSAB                $1.75   Lent, General

MMFS0801      Christ By His One Sacrifice   Graun, Karl Heinrich Text: based on Hebrews 10:14, and an 18th century hymn
SATB    $1.95   Lent, General

MMFS1111      In Truth, He Bore Our Affliction  Graun, Karl Heinrich          Text: Isaiah 53:4-6 
SATB    1.75     Lent, General

MMFS0909      Christ, and Him Crucified      Knouse, Nola Reed     Text: Liturgy for Lent (from the Moravian Book of Worship)    
SATB    $1.75   Lent, General

MMFS1302      Lord of Life (The)          Wolf, Ernst Wilhelm   Text: J. G. von Herder            
SATB    $2.25   Lent, General

MMFS1716      Truly He Has Borne Our Frailty            Herbst, Johannes        Text: Isaiah 53:4-5 
SATB    $1.95   Lent, General

MMFS0904      In Stillness       Gregor, Christian         Text: adapted from Exodus 31:17, 16:23
SSAB, flute, ‘cello                $1.75   Lent, Great Sabbath

MMFS1501      Behold, O There’s a Sight       Peter, Simon   Text: Christian Gregor          
SATB    $1.75   Lent, Maundy Thursday

MMFS0803      Throw Wide the Door   Michael, David Moritz Georg Weissel (1590-1635)            
SATB   $1.95   (for Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday)

MMFS1109      Prepare Your Hearts  Peter, Johann Friedrich (1746-1813)
S/SATB    $1.95   (for Advent/Christmas)

MMFS1901      People, Arise  Reissiger, Karl Gottlieb (1798-1859)      Isaiah 60:1     
SATB    $1.75   (for Advent/Christmas/Epiphany)

The archival holdings of MMF are divided into collections. (some in Bethlehem, some in Winston-Salem)

The FINDING AID for each collection is a “30,000-foot view” of the collection in its context. Each finding aid contains information about the size of the collection, how it was created, history of the community or key individuals involved in the collection, and a description of the contents.

Individual Finding Aids       LINK

Guide: A searchable table of all collections          LINK

GemeinKat

GemeinKat is the MMF digital catalog on WorldCat.org    LINK

WorldCat.org: to search the catalog, go to https://moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org/discovery. You can search by composer, title, collection, or any number of other keywords; just go try!

OCLC (Online Computer Library Center): the collective of organization(s) that built the online database called WorldCat. It is now owned by Backstage Library Works.

“GemeinKat” is the name given to MMF’s project to upload new and enhanced digital records to the OCLC and RISM databases. We have used the name “GemeinKat” as our umbrella term for the entire project, involving Backstage Library Works, OCLC, WorldCat, and RISM and the work of cataloging; also, the creation of the digital records and the creation of finding aids.

GemeinKat is available to the public, on the internet, at moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org and is a WorldCat Discovery catalog, developed by OCLC, a nonprofit organization that provides services to thousands of libraries worldwide. Through WorldCat, users have the potential to access more than 1.8 billion items in libraries around the world.

GemeinKat itself is: the bibliographic records for each manuscript, book, or printed music item found in MMF holdings.
These archival holdings are grouped by collections and physically reside in either the Bethlehem or Winston-Salem archive (sometimes in both).
For a description, see the MMF website: https://moravianmusic.org/gemeinkat-catalog/.

 

Internships at MMF

The Moravian Music Foundation welcomes students for internships.
Both college (or higher) and high school levels may be accommodated.
Some projects require no musical experience; others require ability to read music and understand orchestral scores/parts.

Salem Saturdays at Christmas

Throughout the holidays and during ChristmasFest, Old Salem will welcome visitors to enjoy the shops and displays around Salem. Make it even more special by touring the historic buildings, homes and shops. Tickets at the Visitor Center: Holiday All-In-One Ticket

Old Salem Inc. museum, shops and historic buildings will be open 10:00a to 4:00p on the Saturday of ChristmasFest. (admission fee)

More about events >>

https://www.oldsalem.org/events/event/salem-saturdays-at-christmas-6/

Visiting Old Salem Museum and Gardens - This Is My South

Candle Tea of Home Moravian Church

In the two weekend prior to ChristmasFest: Dec. 1 – 3 and Dec. 8 – 10, 2022

As a Moravian brass band plays nearby, costumed volunteers welcome guests with an introduction to the history of the Moravians in Salem, followed by carols in the Saal accompanied by an 18th century Tannenburg organ, the sweet aroma of a beeswax candle-making demonstration, a visit to the original kitchen to enjoy coffee and sugar cake, and finally a viewing of the amazing Salem putz and the nativity scene.

The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and interesting narrative of Candle Tea provide a warm experience of Moravian Advent and Christmas traditions from early Salem to the present day. The regular Candle Tea tour lasts about an hour.

More Details and to make a reservation >>

The Scriptorium: Moravian Candle Tea       Moravian Candle Tea in Old Salem | Eventcombo

 

RISM

RISM: Répertoire International des Sources Musicales

RISM, or International Inventory of Musical Sources, is an international, non-profit organization that aims to comprehensively document extant musical sources worldwide: manuscripts, printed music editions, writings on music theory, and libretti that are found in libraries, archives, churches, schools, and private collections.

Search RISM ONLINE (more searching options and granularity for scholars)    or   Search RISM CATALOG (more general searching)

The RISM Catalog of Musical Sources contains over 1.2 million records and can be searched at no cost. Early western music from 1600 through to the early 19th century is included.

RISM was founded in Paris in 1952 and is the largest and only global organization that documents written musical sources. RISM records what exists and where it can be found. RISM is where scholars go when they are looking for music manuscripts or early prints around the world. RISM entries include the musical incipits – the first phrase or so of music – to enable identification of a specific piece of music (which setting of “Sing to the Lord a New Song” is this?).

Other resources at MMF:

  • Reference library: the Peter Memorial Library in Winston-Salem
  • Irving Lowens Collection of early American tunebooks and songbooks, in Winston-Salem
  • An extensive international collection of hymnals (mostly Moravian) in many languages, dating to the 16th century, in Winston-Salem

Video about Moravian Music Research
 
Books about Moravian Music
 
Blog Posts about Moravian Music

Books for Sale: Musicology

Video about Moravian Music Research
 
Books about Moravian Music
 
Blog Posts about Moravian Music

Books for Sale: Musicology

ArchivGrid

ArchiveGrid                         LINK

This is a collection of over 7,000,000 archival descriptions, including documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials held in about 1,500 archival institutions. ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials, but who may not know exactly where to go to find them. MMF’s finding aids can be discovered through ArchiveGrid. For an example, go to https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/help/; type in the search box (upper right) “Bethlehem congregation” and the first thing you will find is MMF’s finding aid for the Bethlehem Congregation Collection, and also related collections and suggested search terms (Lancaster, Dover, Lititz, etc.), linked to those finding aids on the MMF website.

A recent inquiry to MMF - Subject: Copyright/Streaming

 

Dear MMF,

I have a question about copyright and streaming. We have CCLI license and streaming license at my church, but it does not cover many pieces for organ. Would the ASCAP license provide that protection for us to stream and include copyrighted organ music? I’ve read their website, and it seems like it would.  https://www.ascap.com/music-users/types/church-or-ministry

Thanks!

____________________________________________________

Dear Worship Leader,

We have been instructing folks to follow CCLI and OneLicense guidelines, which, as you discovered, unfortunately, rarely cover instrumental/keyboard music.

Yes, it appears as though ASCAP offers a “WorshipCast” streaming license, which is set up in much the same manner as CCLI and OneLicense licenses – i.e., the fee structure is based on worship attendance:

https://apps.christiancopyrightsolutions.com/purchase-license.aspx?svc=wc

A quick click brought up this fee structure:
1 – 199 (in attendance): $284.00
200 – 499 (in attendance): $424.00 (obviously it goes up from here)

Some further good news – the WorshipCast license offered above is controlled by Christian Copyright Solutions (a division of CCLI, and it appears as though purchase of this license would allow you to broadcast both ASCAP and BMI titles, opening up even more possibilities.

I don’t think, however, that this license includes SESAC titles; thus, if you wished to perform anything under the SESAC umbrella (Dan Gawthrop, for instance), you would need to approach that entity directly for a license:

https://www.sesac.com/#!/

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Blessings to you in your music ministry!

Gwyneth Michel, Assistant Director, Moravian Music Foundation      – – (with edits by Erik S.)

YouTube Moravian Music Lectures

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Archie K Davis Center

Construction began on the building in the fall of 1999, and the facility was completed and occupied in July 2001. In September 2001, the building was dedicated as the Archie K. Davis Center. More about the man, the building, and a quick, visual tour of our beautiful home.

The Archie K. Davis Center