Sightings & Soundings • October 2023

Bound Together, All of Us

Johnson:

Most noble Light, creation's face, how should we live but joined in you? Remain within your saving grace through all we say and do; and know we are the Love that moves the sun and all the stars, O Love that dwells, O Love that burns in every human heart!

This text lies at the climax of the oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard and is drawn from a movement titled “All of Us.” It reminds us of the beauty of a life lived in grace and of a love that unites our hearts, of unity and redemption that even the most horrific hate crime cannot destroy. The Washington Post writes that the piece "demonstrates music's capacity to encompass, transform, and transcend tragedy. Powerfully cathartic, it leads us from horror and grief to a higher understanding of the human condition, enabling us to endure."

So won't you join us on October 15? Whether you're there to sing or to listen, come holding steadfast to the promise that you are already integrated into the Love that moves the sun and all the stars . Come knowing that the purifying force of God's Love heals our deepest wounds, integrates all that is broken within us, and realigns us with one another.

Then, be prepared to be thrust into the world as a carrier of that unity, a bearer of a new reality, an agent of Centenary's missional call to transform the world.

- Jonathan Emmons, Director of Music Ministries

SPOTLIGHT: Winston-Salem Street School

A ROAD TO HOPE

Only a few minutes' walk from Centenary lies a true Winston-Salem treasure, the Winston-Salem Street School. While its facility may be understated and easy to miss, the Street School's mission and vision are anything but!

The Winston-Salem Street School is a private, nonprofit school that serves high school students in Forsyth County that have not found success in the public-school environment. The reasons are many; behavioral, mental health and anxiety, bullying, becoming teen parents, poverty, broken homes and families, etc. This population of students are welcomed at the Street School and given a second chance at earning their high school diploma and a “road to hope” for a brighter future. Since 2004, over 310 students have not only graduated from the Street School but have received support with food and necessities, counseling, legal support, and help with preparation for life after high school, such as furthering their education and career readiness skills. The program expects to have at least two dozen graduates in the upcoming Class of 2024!

Centenary has a long history of engagement and partnership with the Winston-Salem Street School, and this year, as Music & Arts continues to "widen our welcome," we are excited to deepen and expand that relationship. Music & Arts staff were proud to help represent Centenary last week at the Street School’s annual fundraising luncheon, learning more about the personal impact the school has on its graduates. Mia Scott (’21) spoke movingly about the benefits of her education at the Street School. Having begun the difficult journey of sobriety at the young age of 16, Mia remarked on the power of one-on-one support and community building, something she first experienced at the Street School. Individualized teaching, counselling, and care equipped her to succeed in ways previously unimagined. The support that Street School students receive from their faculty and staff is unmatched: the school is truly family.

The Street School, which receives no state or federal funding, relies upon events like the luncheon for the program’s success as it continues to grow. This fall, Centenary is honored to donate 10% of the proceeds from Nicholas Burton Bragg’s art exhibit in the Atrium Gallery and 4 ½ Street Gallery. Pieces continue to be available for purchase through October.

Worship at a Glance

October 8

Bishop Carter in Worship 9:00 & 11:00 AM

October 15

Conspirare in Worship 11:00 AM

October 22

Children in Worship 11:00 AM

October 29

Carillonneurs in Worship 11:00 AM

In the coming months, our partnership with the Street School will continue to grow. Look for Street School student art submissions in our Neighborhood Showcase: Peace, Hope & Joy in our art galleries in November, December, and January! And, stay tuned for ways in which Street School students might engage in our community-facing musical opportunities.

As our welcome widens, we are eager to support the Street School and to help undergird their vision of redemption and hope.