GREETINGS (HUGS) . . .
from Holy Cross Sunday School Worship and Music.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
We are so pleased that your children are participating in the Sunday School Program at Holy Cross. Because you have chosen this experience for your children, your children are already beginning to perceive that worship and music are an important part of life. In this newsletter and newsletters to follow, we will share Sunday School worship and music experiences with you so that you might better know and understand what your children are doing and that you also might make music with your children in your home.
LEARNING ABOUT OUR VOICES . . .
We are using the following chant by Helen Kemp to experiment with the different kinds of voices we have and to prepare our whole beings for worship:
Body, mind, spirit, voice,
It takes the whole person to sing and rejoice.
We are discovering that we have at least four kinds of voices:
- Speaking
- Playground
- Whispering
- Singing
Ask your children to share the chant using each of their voices. Perhaps you could be their echo as they use a variety of voices for each phrase of the chant.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH . . .
Worship and music live not in polite apartness but in the passionate bustle of everyday life.
LEARNING ABOUT AND PREPARING THE WORSHIP SPACE . . .
In addition to preparing ourselves for worship, we are learning to prepare the worship space for worship.
We light candles and place them on the altar – we remember that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."
We place a Bible on the lectern or reading desk and remember that "Your (God?s) word is a lamp unto our feet."
We bring to the altar gifts of bread and wine, remembering Jesus? words, "Take eat, this is my body. Take drink, this is my blood. Do this in remembrance of me."
Finally we fill the baptismal bowl with water and speak the words spoken to us at our baptism:"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Perhaps you might create a special worship place in your home where you and your children might spend time together and individually, praising God, giving thanks, and praying?
GETTING READY TO SING GOD'S PRAISES . . .
- Our bodies . . . we sit or stand tall comfortably (but not at attention!) to make room for lots of breathing space!
- Our minds . . . we focus our attention on being alert and ready for action; we then store our words and melodies in our minds until we need them again!
- Our spirits . . . are the heart and soul of what we do; our spirits bring meaning and feeling to all we do, speak, and sing!
- Our voices . . . have so many capabilities and offer a variety of ways we can use to praise and pray to God!
SOME WORDS . . .
For praising God:
Lift up your voice and sing,
Rise, children gonna praise the Lord.
Praise now our God and King,
Rise, children gonna praise the Lord.
Rise, children gonna rise, gonna rise,
Rise, children gonna praise the Lord.
Rise, children gonna rise, gonna rise,
Rise, children gonna praise the Lord.
For going out into the world:
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live.
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus’ name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today.
For remembering the goodness of creation:
In the beginning, God said,
"Let there be light."
And God saw that it was good
God said,
"Let there be sky."
And God saw that it was good!
God said,
"Let the earth bring forth plants and
every kind of tree.
And God saw that it was good!
God said,
"Let there be sun to brighten the day,
and moon and stars to lighten the night."
And God saw that it was good!
God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures – creeping things, cattle, and wild animals."
And God saw that it was good!
God said,
"Let us make people in our image. Let them fill the earth and take care of what we have made."
And God saw that it was good!
In the beginning,
God gave life to everything.
And God saw that it was good!