Special Services at Long Memorial
Moravian Love Feast
The Moravian Love Feast is based on the meals of the early Church described in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles. In realization of their new-found unity and equality, early believers ate a meal together before celebrating Holy Communion. As the Church grew, this practice was gradually laid aside for practical reasons. In 1747 Protestants of Moravia, Germany revived the tradition and later brought it to America as they founded settlements like the one at Salem, North Carolina. The Love Feast is not a Sacrament like Holy Communion, but a worshipful sign of Christian love and unity.
Here at Long Memorial, a Love Feast is held on the evening of the second Sunday of December each year. The service begins with a harpist playing Christmas carols for about 20 minutes while the congregation gathers. At the entrance each person receives a small candle with a traditional red paper frill symbolizing the Lord’s blood shed for us. Traditional Moravian hymns and simple table blessing lead worshippers into a hushed sharing of sweetened buns and mugs of milky coffee, brought in by servers and passed hand to hand along the pews. The service culminates with a small candle being lit from one of the altar candles and that light passed candle to candle throughout the congregation to symbolize our unity of purpose in spreading Christ’s light.
This beautiful worship service has become a beloved tradition at Long Memorial and offers an opportunity for us to invite members of other denominations to come and share the rich expectancy of the Advent season with us.
Christmas Lessons and Carols
On the Third or Fourth Sunday of Advent a special “musical sermon” is offered at Long Memorial during the morning worship service. While a lovely Crismon tree twinkles with gold and white ornaments – each a monogram or symbol of Christ – wreaths and swags of greenery with red ribbons and candles remind us symbolically that Christ the Eternal Life and Light offered himself for us and our salvation. Amidst this beauty, dramatists read the scriptures that proclaim the Christmas story. The Chancel Choir punctuates and illumines these well-loved passages with interstitching anthems. Their rich choral sound is supported by instruments such as strings and flute, in addition to organ and piano. The music is further enhanced by liturgical dance. This service draws us away from the commercial busy-ness of our society to the profound joy of recalling the true meaning of Christ’s birth as we prepare our hearts to receive Him.
Palm Sunday Cantata
On Palm Sunday a special musical and dramatic presentation is offered at Long Memorial during the morning worship service in the place of a sermon. As the congregation sings a joyful hymn of hosanna, children process with palms and lay them on the altar. The Chancel Choir moves into a series of anthems that recall the Passion of Christ from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem to his death on the cross and interment in the tomb. Organ and piano are joined by instruments such as violin and cello for richness of sound while liturgical dancers add lyric expression of feelings through movement. Actors portraying the principle witnesses to Jesus’ last week on earth, give poignant interpretation through dramatic readings. This touching service takes us from festive celebration to somber reflection as we begin our observance of Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday Service of Hand Washing
On the Thursday preceding Easter, Christians commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Latin word “mandate” for command, recalling Jesus’ words, “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13: 34) During the service here at Long Memorial, we solemnly take turns washing each other hands to recall Jesus’ tender act of humility as he demonstrated the kind of love he meant by washing his disciples’ feet. At the end of this service, the church is darkened and the altar is stripped of its cross, candles, and hangings. We leave in silence remembering Jesus’ agonized prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
On the Friday preceding Easter, Christians the world over commemorate Jesus’ love poured out on the cross. This day recalling Jesus’ horrific death is called “good” because, through his suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus won victory over sin and death. Here at Long Memorial we hold a Service of Tenebrae, from the Latin word for darkness or shadows. Scriptures are read recalling the events of Holy Week — from Jesus’ triumphal procession into Jerusalem to his being laid in the tomb by grief-stricken disciples. After each scripture, a prayer is said, a candle extinguished, and the light in the church gradually diminishes until finally in near darkness we leave in reverential silence to wait for the glorious celebration of Easter.
Special Ecumenical Services
Ecumenical Lenten Luncheons
Mirroring Jesus’ forty days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry, the Church throughout its history has set aside Lent – the forty days before Easter – as a time to draw closer to God through self-discipline, prayer and charitable giving. With this purpose in mind, Long Memorial has for many years hosted an annual series of Lenten Luncheons in association with Roxboro Presbyterian, Roxboro Baptist, First Baptist and St. Mark’s Episcopal Churches. The luncheons, held in Harris Hall at 12:00-1:00 p.m. each Wednesday for five weeks, are attended by members of all these churches and others from the community at large. Beginning the week after Ash Wednesday, each of the five churches takes a turn providing the sermon and special music for one of the weeks. Long Memorial groups take turns providing simple lunches for a small charge. Though some of this money may be used to cover costs, the greater part is used for mission work. These luncheons strengthen our ecumenical ties in the community and provide us with an opportunity for fellowship and faith-sharing with our neighbors.
Community Easter Sunrise Service
Each year an Easter Sunrise Service is held outdoors at Merritt Commons on Main Street in uptown Roxboro with joint participation by the pastors and congregations of Long Memorial United Methodist, Roxboro Presbyterian, Roxboro Baptist, First Baptist and St. Mark’s Episcopal Churches. Rotating year by year, the pastors of these five churches take turns preaching and performing other parts of the service such as offering prayers and reading scripture. This service offers another great opportunity to express our ecumenical unity in celebrating together the truth at the heart of our common faith: the amazing good news of Christ’s resurrection.
Community Thanksgiving Service
An ecumenical Thanksgiving Service is held on an evening during the week before Thanksgiving with joint participation by the pastors and congregations of Long Memorial United Methodist, Roxboro Presbyterian, Roxboro Baptist, First Baptist and St. Mark’s Episcopal Churches. Rotating year by year, the five churches take turns hosting the service and their pastors take turns preaching and performing other parts of the service such as offering prayers, reading scripture and giving the benediction. This service is a wonderful way to recall the true meaning of Thanksgiving by coming together with neighbors and friends to praise and thank God for our abundant blessings. To share some of those blessings, the offering taken at the service goes to support the ecumenical ministry of the Christian Help Center of Person County, which helps provide for the basic human needs of those in our community who are facing crises in their lives.