Learning to worship through arts and music

Michele Marr

Early Monday morning, 40 or more schoolchildren will gather at St.

James Episcopal Church on Via Lido to discover firsthand the myriad ways

that Jesus Christ is worshiped throughout the world.

They will explore the worship of a variety of cultures -- from Africa,

Israel and Latin America to the Caribbean and North America -- through

choral music, dance, crafts, visual arts and cookery.

“The idea to offer the Worship, Arts and Music Week came out of a

conversation at breakfast one morning,” said the Rev. Lisa Golden,

associate pastor of children’s ministry at St. James. “It came from our

hearts.”

Cheri Graybill, director of children’s music at the church, also

helped to organize the week of fun activities.

“I always had such good experiences in church while growing up,”

Graybill said, “and I have always associated going to church with good

things.”

She said the program’s goal is to give kids a “wonderful experience in

church.”

Graybill and Golden wholeheartedly believe that when kids have good

experiences through Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, church choir

camp and other programs, they are more likely to appreciate being

involved in church later on, as adults.

“At St. James, we also find some kids can fall through the cracks as

far as Sunday school goes,” Graybill said. “Either their parents don’t

come to church or they don’t come regularly or they might come but go to

a service when there is no Sunday school.”

With a summer program such as Worship, Arts and Music Week, Graybill

and Golden hope to include more of these children. The program is from

8:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Each morning will start with a short session in the chapel, led by

Golden. Then a team of adults will demonstrate aspects of Christian

worship from their culture.

Tuesday is Israel Day, and the children will learn the Hebrew name,

Yeshua, for Jesus. They will learn to sign and say the phrase “Jesus

loves you” in Hebrew. They will also learn to sign and sing, in English

and Hebrew, the Shema (“The Lord our God, the Lord is one) prayer. A

Hebrew dance will also be taught.

The children will get to see items of clothing and a shofar, a type of

horn, used in Hebrew worship. The shofar is one of the earliest

instruments used in Jewish music. It is traditionally made from a ram’s

horn, but it can be made from the horns of other animals, such as a goat

or a sheep.

After a snack of foods apropos to the culture studied, the rest of

each morning will be filled with crafting, singing, and recorder and

dance lessons. The morning adventure closes with the Worship, Arts and

Music theme song, “Tell All the World.”

The children will learn an assortment of songs from the mix of

cultures featured throughout the week, including “Oh, Sing to the Lord,”

a Brazilian folk song; “Dansi Na Kuimba” (“Dance and Sing”), a Swahili

song; “‘Wade in the Water,” an African American spiritual; “Listen to the

Rain,” a traditional Hispanic folk song sung to the tune of “La

Cucaracha”; and the traditional Caribbean tune, “Halle, Hallelujah.”

Some of the children who have registered to attend already enjoy

playing musical instruments.

“I think we are going to pretend we are in Africa and play

instruments,” Sammy Peters said. “I have a guitar at home.”

“I like to play soccer,” said soon-to-be-third-grader Sarah Stoermer,

“and I want to play flute and piano. I can start in the fourth grade.

That’s when they have instruments in school.”

Sarah’s brother Taylor already plays recorder, piano and clarinet.

Children participating the week will have a chance to learn a tune or two

for the recorder.

“I write my own songs too,” Taylor said. “We have a keyboard at home.”

Five-year-old Genesa Cefali has her mind set on learning one thing

next week, “How did he get the name God?”

“For now,” she said, “I want you to put that question in the newspaper

for me, and you can let me know if anyone knows the answer.”

FYI

What: Worship, Art and Music for children in kindergarten through

eighth grade

When: 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. Monday to Friday

Where: St. James Church, Trane Hall, 3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach

COST: $20

CALL: Cheryl Graybill at (714) 291-0793 or Pastor Lisa Golden (949)

675-0210