wfn.org | No trouble in 'River City': Activities abound for UCC Synod goers

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

No trouble in 'River City': Activities abound for Synod goers

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> June 28, 2009

Immersing themselves into a mild summer day in a UCC kind of way, more
than 3,500 attendees of General Synod 27 took part yesterday in "River
City Saturday" in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The agenda ranged far and wide. From singers and speakers to dancers
and drummers, entertainment and educational opportunity were available
at every turn.

Midway through his handbell choir's 30-minute set at Rosa Parks
Circle, 6-year-old Nathaniel Lynn stepped over to the microphone and
recited popular portions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a
Dream" speech ? from memory. "It was an honor for me," said Nathaniel.
"He was a really good man."

Under the direction of Deacon Pat Barnes-McConnell, the eight-member
children's Hand Bell Choir of St. Stephen's Community Church in
Lansing, Mich. "We developed this program to help stressed-out parents
who were having troubles with their children," said Barnes-McConnell.
"What we are finding is that they are talented and blessed beyond what
anyone could have imagined."

Rosa Parks Circle also was the site of the African drum/dance group
Wazobia; folk praise band The Messengers; the Olivet Chamber; Western
Michigan Gay Men's Chorus; the improv-like Plymouth Players; and the
eclectic sounds of Daily Bread.
Musical duo Jason and DeMarco performed concerts at two venues as part
of River City Saturday.

The Stillspeaking Kite-Flying Extravaganza, though grounded for the
most part by lack of wind, proved to be a colorful noontime event.
Several dozen participants ran back on forth on the hilly terrain
between the Grand River and Gerald R. Ford Museum, trying to fly their
colorful creations.

In the DeVos Center, musical offerings included the vibrant sounds of
Jason and DeMarco, the Cathedral of Hope Choir; the Plymouth UCC
(Detroit) Combined Choir; and five-time Grammy Award-winner Paul
Winter. UCC musicians and pastors gathered in the Plenary Hall to
premiere the new UCC praise and worship music song book Sing, Prayer
and Praise.

On the speaking circuit, Winona LaDuke ? a member of the White Earth
Ojibwe tribe and two-time vice-presidential running mate of Ralph
Nader ? shared her views on energy policy and self-sufficiency issues
in North America. She explained that her tribe names its moons after
sustainable communities (i.e., maple syrup moon, strawberry moon).
"None of these moons is named after a Roman emperor, she said.
"Empires are not sustainable. The world has two paths from which to
choose ? the one that is worn and scorched, and the one that is green."

Susan K. Smith, senior pastor of Advent UCC in Columbus, Ohio, spoke
about her book Crazy Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives. The
Rev. Alice Hunt, president of Chicago Theological Seminary, led a
Bible discussion, and international diplomat Fe'iloaktau Kaho Tevi
shared his strong advocacy of global climate change and human rights
in the Pacific.