On a warm day in September, the city of Bethlehem, Pa., turned out to celebrate the Moravian Church Settlements’ inscription as a World Heritage site. At City Hall, civic organizations celebrated from a city perspective, while down the street, local congregations and church agencies turned the Central Moravian Church green into a celebration of all things Moravian.
The day kicked off with the unveiling of the World Heritage plaque by Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds, accompanied by a vocal choir and a local high school fife and drum corps. City officials and dignitaries toured the Settlement area and visited a new mural painted in the tunnel connecting Main St. to the old Industrial Quarter.
To highlight the living Moravian Church, the six Bethlehem Area Moravian (BAM) churches were joined by local agencies like the Moravian Archives, Moravian University School of Theology, Moravian Historical Society, Moravian Music Foundation, Bethlehem Museums & Sites, the Northern Province and others. Each group’s table offered activities, treats and opportunities for conversation about today’s Moravian Church and related ministries.
Attendees could also learn about Moravian traditions, like how to trim Lovefeast candles, make paper Moravian stars, read the Daily Texts and take tours of Central’s sanctuary and Old Chapel. Meanwhile, in the church’s education center, judges tasted and graded entries in the Moravian sugarcake competition.
Throughout the day, a variety of performers filled the Central green with music, including a trombone choir, Moravian church praise bands, and local musicians. Inside the Central sanctuary, the Johnston Memorial Concert brought together a large choir and instrumental ensembles for a beautiful and rousing program of music.
And to round out the afternoon, the six pastors of the Bethlehem churches led an outdoor community Lovefeast. Attendees worshipped and sang together in lawn chairs and on blankets, while those same pastors served the Lovefeast.
As I strolled around the area with my camera, I witnessed a Moravian Church that is vibrant and alive. While the celebration heralded the area’s recognition as an important historical treasure, the real treasure to me was seeing the living church today. I hope that vibrancy was felt by all who joined in the celebration.
I’ve included a few of my photos from the event on page 34 of this issues. You can also learn more about Moravian Church Settlements at
www.moravianchurchsettlements.org.
Peace,
Mike Riess, Editor
