May 14, 2009

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  Love Feast

  I thought some of you might enjoy seeing how we prepare for Love Feast.

   

  

  Saturday Schedule

  Our deacons and their wives meet at church and prepare for our Love Feast which is held Saturday evening. Today you'll find the ladies in the kitchen filling 544 cups with water for our evening meal. They are then placed in the fridge until it's time to set the tables.

   

   

   

  

  Meanwhile the men are busy in the fellowship hall. Left to right: Randy, seated is Jere (our son-in-law) and Marv are filling the small cups with grape juice for communion. There are also other jobs that keep the men busy until lunch.  

   

   

   

  

  My caring friend, Phyllis (who keeps me calm in busy times) is ready to set this steaming dish of potatoes on the table for our lunch. 

   

   

   

   

  

  This is a special time of fellowship as we stop our responsibilities and have lunch together. Each of us brings an item for this meal. We start with prayer, eat, visit, and end with a song. (Now why couldn't the healthy food be in full view for you to see!! We do have a balanced menu!  )

   

   

   

   

  

  As we do dishes after lunch, we get into fun and meaningful conversations. As you see, this one is more serious. The bonding we experience is precious. (Our daughter, Barb, has the pink sweater.) Some of my Mennonite friends will probably know a few of these ladies. (We are Church of the Brethren.)

   

   

   

  

  This meat needs to be thinly sliced as we make a sandwich with this at our evening meal. These ladies put a lot of time into this day - Mary Kathryn on the left, my cousin, Martha, on the right, and I missed getting Martha Copenhaver on here. I'm sorry Martha. Martha C. and Mary Kathryn are sisters and have been doing this "job" for years and years and do so well with all this responsibility! Today they have 260 lbs. of beef.

   

  Early afternoon we have worship service. It's a time we each examine our hearts so we are prepared for the evening as we remember Jesus' sacrifice for us. This isn't a negative time but encouraging. We have visiting ministers here for this service and it is just so refreshing to hear their thoughts as they have prayed and studied. I truly enjoy this time to search my heart and purpose to be in right relationship with God and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

   

   

   

  

  After the service, we move!   On the back of each bench there is a narrow table top that is on a hinge that can be lifted - that becomes our table to place our food items. Most of the deacons and their wives work at this while a few are in the kitchen making rice soup.

   

   

   

   

  

  After the tables are set, the ladies slice the beef. Nevin was asking if anyone needs their knives sharpened.

   

   

   

   

  This beef preparation is started Friday evening. Early Saturday morning it is placed in a large cooker and by the time we arrive, the aroma at church is wonderful!!! You think you are hungry even if you're not!!

  Above, Phyllis and Becky are placing the beef, that the rest of the ladies sliced, in bowls that then go on the table for the sandwiches that I mentioned. 

   

   

   

   

   

  This rice soup is sooooo tasty! Now it is soon time to start the evening service. By now the tables are completely set except for the soup. We keep the soup as the last item to accomplish so it stays hot. Martha is dipping it from the brazier into a large stainless steel bowl. (You can relax; this dipper is used for food only!  I grew up on a dairy farm and it reminds me of  something we used in the barn!)  

   

   

   

  

  We really DO have cheerful ministers' wives!! They are concentrating as they dip this very hot soup into these small bowls. The deacons' wives and some of their daughters place lids on the bowls and they are then passed from the kitchen to each table in the sanctuary, by hand.  Leave me try to show you.

   

   

   

  

  We are working to the left of this counter top and now Kathy starts this process..........

   

   

   

  This is not a top quality picture but I just love it. This is how we do it....all ages helping! The three men on the left are older men and it blesses me to see them being part of this! You notice we stack by two's and hand over hand they are passed until the entire sanctuary has a bowl of soup at each place setting.

   

   

   

   

  Notice across the front of the sanctuary the bowls are being passed.....then the whole way back and gradually the job is accomplished! What a blessing to have so many helping hands. This picture is from my friend Doris.   I have not seen her pictures yet; I know you will enjoy seeing them because she always has quality!  The tubs you see on the floor are for washing feet; I will mention a bit more about that.

  I wasn't sure if you would like to hear about each observance we have....I know it will get lengthy. I'll go ahead and place it on here...you are welcome to read it or skip ahead. It is a most meaningful evening as we read scripture to remind ourselves why we do what we are doing!

   

   

  I don't have pictures of this part of the evening. Somehow it doesn't feel comfortable taking pictures at this time. We start with prayer. Then we wash feet...it's more like rinsing. I have an apron I can easily put around my waist and with that I dry my sister's feet. Then the tub is passed to the next lady and also the same apron. We continue doing that until all the ladies on our bench have had their feet washed. For regular worship service, we sit together as families but for Love Feast we have the men helping each other and the ladies as I mentioned. We do the feet washing because of what we read in John 13: verses 1-17. It's interesting to me that Jesus didn't have the disciples wash their own feet but Jesus washed their's.....this is a symbol where we are telling each other that we are committed to reach out and help when needed.  

   

  We now have what we call the Lord's supper.  (We have wipes for our hands before we eat!  ) The supper is a symbol of brotherhood and peace....a picture of  Christian love. We also take this from John 13. I cannot fathom Jesus eating when He knew exactly what was ahead of Him!

   

  Throughout some of the evening we have singing....with this size group and four part harmony, you feel such a spirit of worship! It's beautiful!

   

  The communion service - Matthew 26:26-28 and I Corinthians 11:24-25. We take the bread first and break a piece for the person sitting next to us - remembering Jesus' broken and bruised body....He was wounded for our transgressions! We feel this is a very sacred part of the evening. Later we sang the song: " He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels,  but He died alone, for you and me."

  As we are about to close the evening, we sing again until everyone has had their grape juice. Our hearts ring out in praise for what Jesus has done for us! "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name!!" Psalms 103:11,12,and 1

   

   

   

   

   

  

  As you can imagine, there are a lot of cleanup chores. As deacons we all are so very, very grateful for the many people who remain afterwards and help put things away and have the sanctuary ready for Sunday morning worship. This is only a small number of our helpers we deeply appreciate.

   

   

   

  

  Lucille and Stephanie...

  I enjoyed getting this picture of my dear friend, Cille, and her oldest granddaughter.

   

   

   

  

  I keep an apron just for this job as I use clorax water to wash these foot tubs.  My, that looks like tired eyes! And by now I'm sure you are tired of reading!! I'm almost finished!

   

   

   

  

  Nevin is a steady Eddy....he just keeps moving and inspires me to do the same. He soon has these stacked so they will be dry by morning and we can return them where they belong.

   

  Review of our day:

  Weary in body but strong and rejoicing in spirit!

   

  (Other then my church friends, are any of you familiar with Love Feast?)

   

  • 11:30 pm
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