Lisa Wilkes
Fran Petree
Gary Wilkes and Moravian Love Feast attendees
Now in it’s 38th year, First Christian Church, 650 McCallie Ave., will be offering its annual Moravian Love Feast on Sunday as a “Christmas gift to the community.” "Everyone is welcome to attend this special event," officials said. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a performance by the University of Tennessee Knoxville Trombone Choir. The Moravian Love Feast begins at 6 p.m.
"The Love Feast is held much like early Christians met as members of the Moravian Church and broke bread together as a token of their fellowship and love. The very first Love Feast occurred in Bertheisdorf, Germany in 1727. It is a symbol of Christians sharing with one another and is not a substitute for the Holy Communion. The Love Feast strengthens the spirit of unity and good will among people and strives to remove, at least for an hour, all social barriers and distinctions," officials said.
Love Feast buns are made from a traditional recipe that includes citron and orange peel for flavoring. It is served with decaffeinated coffee pre-mixed with sugar and cream.
"The lighted candle used toward the end of the service represents the sacrifice of Christ for humanity and the flame of love, which He came to kindle in our hearts. Finally, the Moravian star serves as a symbol of the birth of Jesus and is representative of the star of Bethlehem. The Moravian star is hung for the first Sunday of Advent at First Christian Church," officials said. "All are welcome at First Christian Church, a church of service, working for wholeness in a broken world."
Visit http://firstchristian-chat.com for more information, or call 423-267-4506.