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It's tricky business, learning to pray and worship and learn and SING together in new ways, even as we are all staying in our own houses to keep everyone safe.
Zoom helps us be together in lots of ways, but it is a challenging platform when it comes to singing together. When everyone sings out loud, all at once, it sounds really chaotic. On the other hand, when we can TAKE TURNS singing and listening, it can be really beautiful! Songs that are structured in the oral tradition style of "call and response" are perfect for "taking turns" singing together over zoom. Below is a song I wrote yesterday, as a way to experiment with this idea of singing "call and response" style with my own kids over zoom.
I am hoping that some of the children and families from St. Mark's might be game to join us in sharing this song during online worship one Sunday in May! We'll have a series of short (~15 minute) zoom "practice sessions" to practice this song (and maybe a couple others) every Tuesday and Thursday in May at 3PM MST. Email me for the Zoom Meeting ID if you'd like to join us. All ages welcome! No pressure to sing "in church" if you don't want to...you are welcome to join the practice sessions just for the fun of it!
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 Thuma MinaAs we did in February, this month we're singing a song that comes to us from the strong and brave people of South Africa. First, we will sing these original words in Zulu: Thuma Mina (3x) Somandla which means Send Me Almighty God These words remind us of a verse in the bible in which the Prophet Isaiah chooses to answer God's call: ‘And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”’ – Isaiah 6:8 After we sing the Zulu words, we will sing our own verses in English. We can adapt the words of the song to fit the prayers of our hearts. Just listen to the leader's "call" and you will automatically know your "response." Call: Thuma mina Response: Thuma mina (3x) somandla Call: Send me Lord Response: Send me Jesus (3x), Send me Lord Call: Heal me Lord Response: Heal me Jesus (3x), Heal me Lord Call: Teach me Lord Response: Teach me Jesus (3x), Teach me Lord ETC. Throughout March we'll sing this song in Children's Chapel, and as part of our weekly Lenten Wednesday night worship service (5:30-6:00PM in Stoney Chapel.) What do you need most deeply today? How can Jesus meet your need? Make up your own verses to this song and sing your prayer to God. Palm Sunday (April 5, 2020)In addition to offering leadership for our "Song of the Month", we will be looking to St. Mark's children to provide significant support and leadership for the music and liturgy for our Palm Sunday service (Sunday, April 5th.) Children and youth are needed to assist with
Taking time to help our children become familiar with these pieces of music will enable them to participate more fully in our Palm Sunday liturgy, and will help them enter more deeply into the Mystery of Holy Week .
 Our Song of the Month comes to us from the people in South Africa. You can enjoy a lively video here of people at the South African "International World Changers" conference dancing and singing the song together in 3 languages: Ndebele, English, and Dutch. We will sing the song in English, with one key word in Ndebele: Njalo (pronounced "Jalo"--the 'n' is silent), which means "Always."  Njalo! Njalo! Njalo! Njalo! (2x) Always we pray, Always we give, Always we bless. Always! (2x) The people of South Africa have been through many challenges--apartheid, racial violence and segregation, poverty, HIV/AIDS. This song and their example of faith and courage remind us that, as people of faith we ALWAYS pray, we ALWAYS give, and we ALWAYS praise God--in hard times and in happy times, alike.
How will you pray? How will you give? How will you bless both God and your neighbor TODAY?  In the circle of the church year, January 6th marks the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is a season of light and enlightenment. This month our Song of the Month is actually a medley of two gospel music favorites: This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Glory, glory hallelujah, when I lay my burdens down! Glory, glory hallelujah, when I lay my burdens down! What does it mean to let our light shine? It means letting the creative, loving, life-giving light of God shine through us!
  St. Mark's kids will share our December Song of the Month twice on Sunday, December 22nd--as the offertory anthem for our morning service (9:30AM) and as the grand finale for our Christmas Pageant (5PM, followed by potluck supper.) The song can be found in the blue Hymnal 1982, hymn #92. The words of the refrain are: Ideo gloria in excelsis deo! (Latin for "Therefore, glory to God in the highest!" ) ALL St. Mark's kids are encouraged to learn the REFRAIN and the FIRST VERSE of the song in preparation for December 22nd. On this day earth shall ring with the song children sing to the Lord Christ our King born on earth to save us him the Father gave us Ideo-o-o, Ideo-o-o Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo! We'll do a simple dance along with the song, which you can learn and practice with us, below. ALL St. Mark's children and youth are welcome to participate in the Christmas Pageant. The pageant is a low-stress, high joy celebration for all ages. This year's pageant includes "speaking parts" for 4 principle narrators, a few small speaking parts, and lots of non-speaking parts. We also need lots of teens and big kids to help "shepherd" smaller animals and angels through the pageant! You can read through a draft script of this years pageant here. We will hold Christmas Pageant rehearsals in the church and fit children for costumes during the Education Hour (in place of Sunday School) from 11AM-Noon on Sundays 12/8, 12/15, and 12/22. I encourage you to find creative ways to integrate this song into your family's daily prayers this month. Set aside some time to read or share a Nativity story, or to list all the blessings you can from the past day (or week, or year). Then respond to the story and/or your blessings by singing the song refrain: Ideo-o-o, Ideo-o-o
Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo! ("Therefore, glory to God in the highest!" )  As St. Mark's kids are growing more confident singing, we're able to begin exploring more challenging music! The tune for this month's song comes from a traditional English folk tune called "Dance to your Daddy." In honor of Thanksgiving, we're replacing the traditional lyrics with something simpler: Give thanks to God! Give thanks to God! Give thanks to God! Give thanks to God! Of course, as always you can mix up the lyrics and make up your own verses at home to offer thanks for any of God's many blessings! Give thanks for family! Give thanks for friends! Give thanks for food! Give thanks to God! What's especially fun (and a little bit tricky) about this song is that it's in a compound meter...that means that some parts of the song are in a triple meter (like a waltz) and some parts of the song are in a duple meter (like a march.) If you wanted to count out the music, you'd count it like this: 1, 2, 3 1, 2, 3 1, 2, 3 1, 2 1, 2, 3 With a song like this, adding movement to the music actually makes this song EASIER (rather than harder) to sing, because your body can remind you of the rhythm. Go ahead and try it! Nobody's watching you. (Just don't be confused that I keep changing the lyrics on the video. Just stick with "Give thanks to God." ) I encourage you to give it a try, then find some way to incorporate this song and dance of gratitude into your family's Thanksgiving celebrations this year! Give thanks for children! Give thanks for adults! Give thanks for elders! Give thanks to God! Give thanks for singing! Give thanks for dancing! Give thanks for praying! Give thanks to God!   October is such a glorious golden month in New Mexico. If your kids are anything like mine, they are already busy planning for Halloween. In addition to offering ample opportunities for creativity and fun, our preparations for Halloween (and the constellation of related celebrations surrounding it--Dia de los Muertos, All Souls Day and All Saints Day) offer opportunities to explore other important aspects of our spiritual lives, as well. How do you and your family understand, experience, and embody the relationship
At St. Mark's, our celebration of the season is punctuated by a Dia de los Muertos Celebration (evensong, feast, dance, and ofrenda creation) on Saturday, October 26th and culminates in our All Saints Sunday celebration on Sunday, November 3rd. Our Song(s) of the Month celebrate our confidence in the continuity of life--of praise, worship, celebration, and relationship--between earth and heaven. These songs can be sung in sequence (one after the other) OR they can be sung together in harmony. I wonder what the relationship between these two songs might have to teach us about the relationship between authenticity and disguises, fear and courage, life and death? 
  The world outside us is noisy and busy. Sometimes the world inside us is noisy and busy, too. When we come into church we need to take time To slow down To quiet down To get ready to come close to the Mystery of God In silence And stillness And stories And prayers This month's "Song of the Month" is a song that may already be familiar to some of you from St. Mark's worship or Godly Play classes. The lyrics come directly from the Bible (Psalm 46:10). The melody is by John Bell. Be still and know that I am God Below is a recording of Father Christopher singing the song. And here is a recording of Johanna, Lucia and me singing the song as a round. In order to support children (and adults) at St. Mark's in "getting ready" to find stillness and listen to God in worship, we've created an Altar of Preparation (see photo, above) at the back of the worship space. This Altar of Preparation offers a variety of special objects and practices to help us get ready to pay attention and find God in the church and in our hearts. We hope that you'll take some time to explore these objects and practices yourself, and that you'll actively support the children in your life and in our church in exploring and incorporating these practices as part of their regular routine for preparing for worship. The Icon The Icon An icon is like a “window” we look through to see God. Greet the icon with a gentle touch or holy kiss. The Water The Water The water reminds us of creation. All living things need water to live and grow. The water reminds us of washing. Water makes everything clean and new. The water reminds us of baptism. In Baptism we remember God saying, “You are my beloved child. With you I am well pleased.” Gently touch the water with your fingertips. Then gently touch your head, your heart, your left and right shoulders with the water Making a sign of the cross. Remember that God is here right now. God is within you and around you In your head and in your heart On your left and on your right. The Oil The Oil The fragrant oil reminds us of the Holy Oil used to anoint prophets, priests, and kings in ancient times. The fragrant oil reminds us of the Holy Oil priests still use to anoint people for baptism and for healing. The fragrant oil reminds us of the frankincense and myrrh the mysterious magi brought as gifts for the Baby Jesus: Frankincense for God; Myrrh for Humanity Place one drop of oil in the palm of your hand, and rub your hands together until it is warm. Bring your hands to your face and take three deep, slow breaths allowing the fragrance to fill you The Colors The Colors The colored jewels remind us of the special colors that mark each day and season in the circle of the church year. Hold a jewel in the palm of your hand. How does the color make you feel? What does this color make you think of? Where else can you see this color? In the church? In the world? Why do you think this is the color for today? The Candles The Candles The candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. The candles remind us that God’s Word is a light for our path. The candles remind us that Jesus says “YOU are the light of the world.” Light a candle. Watch the light. Say a prayer. And speaking of candles, I want to alert everyone to a NEW LITURGICAL MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS AT ST. MARK'S: The Ministry of "Light Bearers"  Once you have taken a few moments at the Altar of Preparation to help your child get ready for worship, ask your child if they might like to help with the liturgy that's about to begin. Children at St. Mark's are now invited to serve as "light bearers" to help light the way for the HOLY GOSPEL during our Entrance Procession and our Gospel Procession in worship each week. ALL are welcome to participate! Here's what you need to know to support the full participation of children as "light bearers" in our weekly liturgy:
If your child would like to receive additional training to carry the Children's Cross or Gospel in procession, just contact Mother Sylvia and we'll set up a time to practice! I'm usually free to meet and practice on Sunday mornings before the liturgy.  August's Song of the Month comes from my friend and colleague, the Rev. Kerri Meyer. The text was inspired by a quote by writer Arundhati Roy. Kerri conceived of the song for use in public protest marches, but it is useful in any context in which we recognize the necessity of renewal, conversion, transformation, and hope. The first verse represents Kerri's original text. Additional verses have been added (with her blessing.) Another world, another world is not just possible It's on its way (2x) And I can see it coming And I can hear it singing It's not just possible It's on its way. (2x) Another world, another world is not just possible It's on its way (2x) And I can see the children And I can hear creation It's not just possible It's on its way. (2x) Another world, another world is not just possible It's on its way (2x) And I can see it dancing And I can hear it praying It's not just possible It's on its way. (2x) For further reflection and discussionI think we too often forget (or deny, or ignore) the particular prophetic vocation of children and youth. Perhaps because they are usually less exhausted, cynical, and jaded than adults, they are often the ones who can offer the fresh perspective, renewed energy, and restored hope that we all so desperately need if we are going to continue to do the work of building/revealing God's Kingdom on earth.
Spend some time this month (if possible with a young person) reflecting on these questions:
 Our pattern of prayer in the Episcopal Church is one that shapes us for empathy and action. It is a pattern of prayer that helps us balance an inward focus with an outward focus, and trains us to notice and respond to the needs of others. It is normal (and healthy) for a child's prayers to begin with those closest to them--family members, pets, best friends. The Book of Common Prayer offers us a pattern of prayer that can help people of all ages build a habit for praying, not only for those who are near to us, but for the whole world. The Prayer Book instructs us to include at every Eucharist, our prayers for:
For Children's Chapel at St. Mark's, we've set aside 6 small jars with visual prompts to remind us to offer prayers not only for ourselves, but for people, places, and things in each of these 6 categories. When a child offers a prayer, they are invited to place a small jewel or pebble in the appropriate jar. (I've made several extra copies of the visual prompts, in case you'd like to replicate this practice at home.)  On July 28th, the children will lead the Prayers of the People during Sunday Worship at St. Mark's. They will also lead the whole congregation in a sung response to the prayers: "Come Holy Spirit" by John Bell. Come Holy Spirit (Come Holy Spirit) Come Holy Spirit (Come Holy Spirit) *Maranatha! (Maranatha!) Come, Lord Come. (Come, Lord Come.) * Note: "Maranatha" is an Aramaic word meaning "O Lord, Come!" In the face of the needs of the world and the needs in our own lives, we don't need to tell God what to do. God doesn't need our instructions or advice. We just need to call on God--the source of all love, all life, all light; the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things-- to draw near and dwell with us in the midst of all our pain, our suffering, our uncertainty, our need, our fear, our hope; and to grant us the strength, wisdom, and inspiration to respond with faith and courage to the needs of the world.
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Song of the MonthIn early 2019 I began serving as assisting priest at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Albuquerque. St. Mark's is home to a diverse and rapidly growing faith community as well as a Montessori Preschool that serves ~50 preschool children and their families. Archives
April 2020
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