“Greatest Hits of the Bible!”

      This year, our Sunday school curriculum explores musical literature in the Bible and its counterparts in contemporary and traditional music.  Fall of 2009 features Songs of Freedom. We’ll look at psalms, poems and stories from Hebrew Scripture and listen to and sing Freedom Songs like Wade in the Water, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Rivers of Babylon and Siyahamba recorded by a artists including The Staple Singers, Bob Marley, Sublime, Johnny Cash, Beyonce and Raffi. In the winter and spring, we’ll explore lamentations and songs of comfort and joy.

      On October 4th, we kick off our Sunday School season and our year of Christian Education with a parish-wide musical event. At 9:00 a.m., we will gather in the Lichtenberger Room and divide into small groups. We’ll then proceed to visit some of the talented musicians of our congregation who will be stationed throughout the church. At each station, the musician will show how emotions like sadness, joy, anger, inspiration, or comfort are evoked on their particular instrument.

      Parents and musicians showed groups how instruments make different sounds and create different feelings. We read stories of freedom from Hebrew Scripture and related them to spirituals like “Wade in the Water,” “Go Down Moses” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” that were sung by slaves escaping along the underground railroad. Some of these songs held coded messages. We walked through the neighborhood and saw a house on the underground railroad that was owned by one of St. Paul’s first parishioners. Our Christmas pageant was the best ever!

      In the spring we’ll learn how scripture and the songs that inspired the Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights movement and the freedom movement in South Africa.  We’ll also listen to songs of comfort and joy inspired by bible stories.      

Throughout the year, we invite parishioners help children learn some of these great songs. Classes will also write psalms which will be set to music by Andy Clarkson, our Director of Music. In addition to musical help, our Sunday School program needs people of all backgrounds to participate in teaching.

Thank you so much for your participation. Events like these bring our community together and make coming to church fun. If you have any questions about the curriculum or this activity, please feel free to call Maria O’Meara at 617-734-2524.