Celebrating Christmas, children, Live Nativity, Lovefeast, Lovefeast Buns, Raleigh Moravian

Christmas Eve at RMC 2009–Part 2

Suzanne Miller

Hi Everyone,
so I have finally had a chance to download my photos.  Unfortunately I don’t have any during the service, since I was sitting up front.  I’m counting on David Chervany’s photos and look forward to seeing them.  (Here’s a link to David’s Facebook photos!!  Check them out! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=47474&id=1257733985)

During the Children’s Lovefeast at 2:30pm we did have a photographer from the Raleigh News & Observer come and take lots of photos.  They are included in the gallery on their web (photos 19-30).  Check them out here: http://www.newsobserver.com/galleries/gallery/256173.html

RMC’s Moravian Youth Fellowship presented their live nativity again on Christmas Eve before the Children’s Lovefeast.  It was great to see all of them living out the reason for the season! Check out the slideshow:

There is a (no-longer secret) ongoing joke at Raleigh Moravian where the Dieners (Servers) make special lovefeast buns for the pastors that include various and assorted fillings and decorations.  I posted last year’s pictures in an earlier blog.  Well…here are the long-awated photos from this Christmas Eve!  Thank you for the great laughs, and the special additions to my Lovefeast experience! (And see my next post of the 12/27 sermon for more info too!)

During the 2:30pm Children’s Lovefeast, the Dieners gave to me:
A squirty cheese and whipped cream-filled bun.  (It harkens back to last Saturday night’s MYF Christmas Party and the fun that was had by many there with squirty cheese and whipped cream.)

For an insiders view:

I actually ate this one after the photos were taken.  It was surprisingly good–cheesey with a hint of sweetness!
For the 5pm Lovefeast, Craig and I both received this lovely creation:

I mistakenly looked at it from behind, and missed that smiling (Shrek-ogrey) face.  Instead I thought it looked like this:

Strange, indeed!

(Ingredients list: 1 slice of Spam, Marshmallow ears, gummy Life Saver candy nose, Vienna Sausage eyes, and Squirty Cheese mouth and eyebrows) [On a side note, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not–now everytime I smell Spam, I think “Christmas Eve”!  Thanks for the gift 2 years in a row!]
Not to be outdone, the 7:30pm Lovefeast took the cake!  The dieners said it was “dessert” after our Worker’s Potluck that was held between the 5 and 7:30 Lovefeasts for everyone that’s there helping.
[The worker’s potluck is my favorite part of Christmas Eve–I love the spirit of joy and merriment that is in the air.  I also believe it’s much closer to the idea of the Agape Lovefeast, since we are all there worshiping and don’t want to leave to go home to eat.  Instead we bring food in and eat together as the family of God!–just my $.02]

[Ingredients list: Hamburger Buns, Gummy Life Saver eyes, Beef Jerky hair, sweet tart teeth, marshmallow ears, whipped cream and red hots smile, and Icing eye brows and writing]

[The book says “Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas” which we certainly did, thanks to these lovely gifts of love from our dieners!]

Merry Christmas from Raleigh Moravian Church! ~Pastors Craig and Suzanne

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