What is Godly Play?

Godly Play is a way of religious education. The goal of Godly Play is to teach children the art of using the language of the Christian tradition to encounter God and find direction for their lives. There are six objectives that help meet this goal.

1. To model how to wonder in religious education, so children can “enter” religious language rather than merely repeating it or talking about it.
2. To show children how to create meaning with the language of the Christian tradition and how this can involve them in the experience of the Creator.
3. To show children how to choose their own work, so they can confront their own existential limits and depth issues rather than work on other kinds of problems dictated by others, including adults.
4. To organize the educational time to follow the pattern of worship that the Christian tradition has found to be the best way to be with God in community.
5. To show children how to work together as a community by supporting and respecting each other and one another’s quest.
6. To organize the educational space so that the whole system of Christian language is present in the room, so children can literally walk into that language domain when they enter the room and can begin to make connections among its various arts as they work with the lesson of the day and their responses in art or other lessons.

(Berryman, J., Teaching Godly Play, 1995).

KEY CONCEPTS OF GODLY PLAY:

• Godly Play grew out of Montessori roots and is based on the principles of Montessori education
• Children will be greeted at the door of the Godly Play room ready to enter the space and say goodbye to their caregiver
• “Work” in Godly Play is child-directed. Children will choose what they want to do, such as art activities (coloring, crafts), discovering Godly Play materials, cleaning the room (sweeping, dusting), etc.
• What children choose to say and do in the Godly Play classroom is sacred; therefore, the Godly Play leaders will not comment on what children said or chose to do each week. Caregivers should allow children to share what they choose to after a Godly Play session

GODLY PLAY AT NATIVITY:

• Children in 3k-5k and grades 1-5 are invited to participate in Godly Play each week
• Class will begin at 9:30 and end at approximately 11:00. *Please be mindful of the start time of 9:30, latecomers might potentially disrupt the Biblical story for the day
• Children should be brought to the door of the classroom where they will be greeted by a Godly Play leader
• There will be two Godly Play leaders present each week
• Children can be picked up at the door of the classroom at 11:00 or they will be escorted into the church to find their parents
• The focus of Godly Play is not on making products, so please do not expect paperwork or organized artwork to accompany your child
• A small snack is giving during the “feast,” but please keep in mind that this is not substantial. The feast typically consists of water and a few pretzels or crackers, the idea is to mimic Communion

We look forward to spending time with your child in the Godly Play environment while learning and growing together. If there are questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Lindsay Powers (lpowers106@gmail.com, 662-466-1114)

A Note from Peter (June/July 2017)

Following the example of both St. Stephen’s, Indianola and The Atlantic, the Nativity newsletter will only have one issue this summer. So, don’t go calling the office around Independence Day looking for another mailing! Everything you need for the next two months of Nativity programming is in here, server schedule and all.

Part of the reason for doing this, of course, is that this summer Sarah will be away for six weeks on educational leave as she continues pursuing her Masters Degree in Non-Profit Management at Notre Dame. As most of you all know, Sarah has been pursuing this degree through distance learning for the past two years, but the program requires a total of ten weeks of residential learning during the summer. She will complete that requirement this summer and is hoping to complete the program in December! While Sarah is away, I will be assisted in the office by Mary Gregory Porter – working on behalf of Fred T. Neely, Alicia Dallas, and Caroline Colquett. Thanks to these great leaders for their time and commitment to keeping the trains running on time!

In the meantime, we are looking forward as a community to two fun summer time activities. Vacation Bible School will kick into gear July 11-13 from 5:30-7:30pm, and our theme will be The Greatest Commandments. Over three nights, we’ll lead those kids entering 3K to 5th grade through activities that explore Jesus’ simple instructions for faithful living: Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. As we have for the past many years, this program will be created entirely from scratch. VBS doesn’t come from a pre-planned curriculum at Nativity, which is both more challenging and more rewarding. As always, we will need volunteers both to assist in the programming and in the meals for these three nights.

But even before VBS, it’s time for the Nativity softball team to hit the field once again! In- side, you’ll find a schedule of all of our games. We have over thirty players who signed up to be on our team, which is about the size of an 8am Eucharist at Nativity! What that means is that every single game will be a great fellowship opportunity, both for the players as well as the fans who come to cheer them on. This was a highlight of last year for me, and I can’t wait to be a part of it again.

It should be a great two months together! After all this fun, I look forward to telling you what’s happening in August!

Peace,
Peter+

A Note from Peter (May 2017)

One of the constants in my life in the Episcopal Church has been the springtime tradition of Youth Sunday. We did it growing up at St. Peter’s, Oxford; as a youth minister at St. Philip’s, Jackson, it was my job to corral the EYC into the roles of usher, preacher, etc.; and at Nativity, Youth Sunday remains a must-see event.

This year, Youth Sunday falls on May 14, and as usual, our young people will help carry the roles of lector, usher, and intercessor at the 10:30 service. Their presence around the altar will remind us, if we’ve forgotten, that the Church is much broader than the boring grown folk who sit in vestry meetings. Each of us – from screaming infant to senior warden – is as essential to this church family as the next. Youth Sunday reminds us of this.

Our custom at Nativity is to celebrate Youth Sunday the Sunday before graduation, which almost always falls on Mother’s Day. And because the task of preaching typically falls to a senior, our Youth Sunday sermon is often an occasion for graduating students to thank their mothers, the congregation, and others. Nonetheless, what I most look forward to in these youth sermons is hearing how our young people read, interpret, and connect the scripture of the day with their experience and life of our church family.

This year, we don’t have any Nativity seniors. Evan Lindsay is a regular at EYC, but he’s a member of Church of the Advent, Sumner. When the issue of preaching came up, this presented a problem for a moment, until finally we decided: we don’t need a graduate; we need a preacher! I am grateful that Ellie Knight accepted my invitation to preach to us on May 14. Perhaps all of you know Ellie already, but what you might not know is that she’s already taking up the mantle of church leadership, serving on Happening Staff this March. I am thrilled to hear how she wrestles with scripture, and what word of encouragement she brings from it to us.

One of the great gifts of this church family is the way that it raises up young leaders, nurturing them in the faith, and then sending them out into the world to love and serve the Lord. I look forward to celebrating them with you in a few weeks!

Peace,
Peter+

A Note from Peter (March 2017)

With the 2017 Speaker Series this weekend and Nativity hosting Happening #85 the following weekend, one could be excused for forgetting that Ash Wednesday is March 1! But indeed it is, and so, at 12:05 and 5:30pm we will gather to pray for the world; to have ashes imposed on our foreheads; and for the invitation, once again, “to the observance of a Holy Lent.”

For the last ten years, my observance of Lent has always included listening to the St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach. This massive work of classical music recounts and reflects upon the story of the last supper, Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. It was originally written to be performed on Good Friday in the church where Bach served as church musician. Truly, this is a piece of classical music meant to be an act of worship. It is crushingly beautiful, and at times inspiring, mournful, and surprisingly joyful in places. Each Lent, it allows me to dwell deeply in the story of our Lord’s suffering and death and his love for us.

My hope, this Lent, is to share that gift with you all in an adult forum class I’m calling “Bible Study with Bach.” We’ll read together Matthew 26 and 27, pausing periodically to watch a performance of the Passion from the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. In the performance, you get a sense for Bach’s own spirituality, how he interprets the biblical text, and what he thinks it all means. And just like reading scripture with any other friend, how Bach reads the story might shape how you read the story. These days, when I read of Judas giving back the money for which he betrayed Jesus, I hear the depth of his repentance that Bach puts into music. When I think of Peter in the garden denying Jesus, I hear the mourning that Bach puts into Peter’s voice. Two years ago, my entire Palm Sunday sermon was inspired by the music Bach composed for two words St. Matthew wrote: “wept bitterly.”

I’ll be assisted in this undertaking by our friend Ben Arnold, assistant professor of music at MVSU and known to many as a bookseller at Turnrow. St. Matthew Passion moves me on a deep level, but when it comes to talking music history and theory, I get out of my depth very quickly. I am grateful to Ben for helping me out in that department. In addition, David Williamson has given an introduction to Bach and the Passion elsewhere in this newsletter. As David points out, all of you already know music from the St. Matthew Passion. It’s in our hymnal, and it’s in a lot of weddings too!

This offering begins March 19 and will continue through Easter Day. Whether you’re a big music lover or not, why not take this Lent and this opportunity to spend a little more time with the story that makes all the difference in the world?

Peace,
Peter+

Minister’s message is simple: Jesus

To hear Will Willimon tell it, he’s a Methodist preacher who likes to talk about Jesus.

“I think when it comes down to it, Jesus is the most interesting thing Christians have to say to the world and to themselves,” he said in a recent phone interview.

Willimon, who’s also a former bishop of the North Alabama United Methodist Conference, professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke University Divinity School, and the author of 70 books that have sold more than a million copies, will spend next weekend in Greenwood talking about his favorite subject.

Hosted by the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, he will give lectures on the night of March 3 and the morning of March 4 and a sermon at Nativity on March 5. The entire community is encouraged to attend, said Nativity Rector Rev. Peter Gray.

Willimon holds a Master of Divinity degree from Yale and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from Emory, in addition to 13 honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees.

He said he has been blessed in his long career to “be a bishop for eight years in Alabama, a parish pastor for about 10 years and a professor and minister at a fine university  for 20 years.

“I’ve had a variety of opportunities to see Jesus at work and to see people responding to him in a variety of ways,” he said.

At the heart of his teachings about preaching and about Jesus is Willimon’s strong belief in redemptive possibility. That, he said, is one of the blessings of being a Christian in Mississippi.

Willimon started out preaching in a small South Carolina town and has spent most of his life in the South, encouraging racial reconciliation as a Christian’s duty.  

Most recently he published “Who Lynched Willie Earle: Confronting Racism Through Preaching,” a book rooted in his early life experience and his life teaching others how to preach about difficult issues.

The book begins with a historical narrative “that happened at the hands of people in my hometown,” Willimon said.

In Greenville, South Carolina, in 1947, a black man named Willie Earle was dragged out of a jail cell and brutally murdered in what’s generally considered the last public lynching in South Carolina.

“There was an internationally prominent trial where all 31 white lynchers were acquitted and Strom Thurmond bragged to the governor, ‘Hey, at least we had a trial,’” Willimon said.

Willimon said that  though he grew up in the midst of it, he didn’t hear about Willie Earle until he was in college.

“Since then, I’ve had a kind of lifelong interest in it,” he said.

The part of the narrative that inspired him and others was a sermon by a young Methodist preacher who came to South Carolina shortly after the lynching.

“He stood up and preached and said, ‘Who killed Willie Earle? We all know the answer to that question; it was those men who lynched him,’” Willimon said.

“But that answer was too simple. He went on to say that ‘we’ killed Willie Earle with our segregation laws and economic injustices and our history of discrimination. It was an amazing act of courage, a response to a terrible tragedy of many dimensions.”

The book asks what it means to speak out about race through sermons, and it draws on sermons from some of Willimon’s students following the 2015 Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting in Charleston.

“What I try to say is that America’s racism is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel, to say that the redemptive possibilities of God are just limitless,” he said.

Willimon says people would often question him in his attempts to renew and transform the church in Alabama.

“They’d say, ‘Bishop, do you think we can really change the course of history?’ And I’d say, ‘I really believe it is the nature of God to change people.’”

Willimon said preachers are accustomed to talking about things people often would rather they not bring up, and dealing with doubts is one of the great gifts of the ministry.

Recently engaged with students talking about the particular challenges of this time in America, Willimon said the conversation turned to “what a great time (it is) to talk and to see our national situation as a call to teaching and to reflection for sermons.

“It’s great to turn to Jesus for help  just thinking this through,” he said. “The constructive approach is not to fret, to say, ‘I’m going to try to think like a Christian about this.’”

Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.

A Note from Our Stewardship Chair

Friends:

Keeping in mind that Stewardship at Nativity is a year-round Mission, I wanted to advise you of a few timely matters –

First, I thank all communicants who returned a pledge card following Stewardship Sunday. A good number were returned, and I encourage all who have not yet done so that that it is not too late. Cards remain available in the office and in the back of the church, so if you haven’t returned a card, please do so. I would also encourage those who pledge to consider the automatic bank draft feature. Pledges give the Church some measure of certainty in financial planning, but the automatic draft feature really helps with day to day bookkeeping tasks.

Second, if you receive the Mississippi Episcopalian, odds are that you have received a direct appeal from Bishop Seage for a gift to the Diocese. This appeal is to fund Diocesan programs for overseas missions, Episcopal Cursillo, The Gray Center and Camp Bratton-Green, and youth ministry and lay leadership opportunities. Particularly relevant today is the Diocesan Disaster Response and Relief Program, which, along with the collection at Diocesan Council, can provide some measure of relief to our brothers and sisters who are struggling from the effects of the Hattiesburg tornadoes.

Likewise, you probably received a direct appeal from Gray Center for giving. Some goals of these two appeals are common: fostering Lay leadership; youth ministry; and protecting Camp Bratton-Green and our wonderful facilities at Gray Center. We hope to bring Grae Dickson, director of Gray Center, down for a Sunday to discuss all things Gray Center and CBG, and to inform us of recent master plans involving Camp and Gray Center. With the number of children both big and little at Nativity, we really should keep a keen focus on CBG. One of the greatest experiences I have shared with my older sons is attending First Camp with Cindy Saia and the Saia boys. We have more age-eligible children at Nativity for this year than last year, and I look forward to going back.

Last, those who were able to attend the Parish’s Annual Meeting a couple weeks ago were treated to Bob Provine’s rollout of Nativity’s Endowment Fund. This is a giving ministry which will preserve and protect our Church for years to come. I encourage you to consider a commitment to the Endowment. Lindsay and I have done so, however modestly; nevertheless, these gifts will add up quickly, and grow in perpetuity. We have strong leaders as Endowment Trustees and are meeting regularly to make good, sound decisions for the fund.

At the Annual Parish Meeting, Peter reiterated in so many words that 2017 will be a year of giving. I ask that in this year of giving, you give thoughtfully, you give prayerfully, you give cheerfully, and you give faithfully, for yourselves, for each other, and for the needs of the world.

Many Blessings to You,
Harris F. Powers III

A Note From Peter (February 2017)

For me, one of the great highlights of the last two years at Nativity has been the restart of the Nativity Speaker Series. I consider myself unbelievably privileged to be able to learn from, spend time with, and host some of the most influential religious thinkers of our day right here in Greenwood. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would be talking theology with Walter Brueggemann over a plate of chicken livers, and yet, there we were at the Crystal Grill last year before I took him to the airport!

The first weekend in March, Nativity will welcome the Rev. Dr. William Willimon for the 2017 Speaker Series for a program entitled Why Jesus? Born in South Carolina, Dr. Willimon is now known as one of the great preachers of our day. In 1996, a survey out of Baylor University named him, alongside Billy Graham, as one of the twelve best preachers in the English speaking world. He served as Dean of the Duke University Chapel for fifteen years before being elected the United Methodist Bishop of North Alabama in 2004. Since 2012, he has been back at Duke Divinity School as Professor of the Practice of Ministry.

A distinctive feature of Willimon’s preaching and teaching is the high expectations he has of the Church as it witnesses to and follows Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior. Willimon is a fascinating fellow in that he has spent his career deep within the governance and structures of the Church but has never been confused as to Whom he owes his first allegiance. As Rusty Douglas said to me, “Willimon has been known to knock out a stained glass window or two!”

Friday, March 3, the weekend will begin with a light reception at Turnrow Books at 5:30pm. I am grateful to Lucy Swayze who is helping pull off this new feature of our speaker series. After enjoying fellowship and showing off our beautiful bookstore to out of town guests, we’ll head back to Nativity for the first lecture, “The Most Interesting Person in the World,” beginning at about 6:30pm. Saturday morning, we’ll have a light continental breakfast at 8:30am followed by lectures at 9am, “Jesus Christ: the Truth About God,” and 10:45am, “Jesus Christ: the Salvation of the World.” In between, Dr. Willimon will be available to sign books.

On Sunday, March 5, Nativity’s adult forum will be treated to some extra time with Dr. Willimon at 9:30am. All through February, we will be reading his book Why Jesus?, and on this day, he’ll lead a class that he has intriguingly titled “Jesus Christ at the Church of the Nativity.” Finally, at 10:30, he’ll be our guest preacher for the first Sunday in Lent. As we hear the story of Jesus’ trials in the wilderness, his sermon title is “Just Say No! Resisting Temptation with Jesus.”

It should be a wonderful weekend. I hope you’ll plan on taking advantage of this great opportunity and invite friends from near and far!

Peace,
Peter+

Brown, Luger marry Oct. 15 in Greenwood

Mary Hayes Brown and Stefan Rudolf Luger were married at 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2016, at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood. The Rev. Peter Gray officiated the double-ring ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Loraine Craig Brown of Greenwood. She is the granddaughter of Richard Emmett Moss of Greenwood and the late Jean Hayes Moss and the late Mr. and Mrs. William Pierce Brown Jr. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hartmut Franz Luger of Schaerding, Austria. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Luger of Schardenberg, Austria, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Scheuringer.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a strapless couture gown of ivory taffeta featuring a draped crossover sweetheart bodice. With the gown, she wore a layered cathedral-length veil. The bride’s bouquet was made of cascading Phalaenopsis orchids and Delta cotton bolls nestled in an ivory handle of seed pearls and ivory ribbon.

Attending the bride as matron of honor was Amy Springfield Brown of Greenwood and maid of honor Katleen Jasmin Luger of Vienna, Austria. Bridesmaids were Valentina Leoni Luger of Bad Hofgastein, Austria; Meredith Stainback Brown of Schlater; Cecil Brown Patton of Covington, Louisiana; and Hope Brown Vickery of New Orleans. The bride’s attendants wore ivory, formal-length silk gowns and carried an array of white and champagne flora delicately laced with cascading jasmine vine and tucked with cotton bolls.

Rene Erik Kohlhauser of Budapest, Hungary, served as best man. Groomsmen were William Pierce Brown V of Schlater; Hamilton Moss Brown of Cleveland; Richard Craig Brown of Greenwood; Hannes Erich Koller of Vienna, Austria; Hartmut Franz Luger of Schaerding, Austria; Moritz Stefan Wagner of Bad Hofgastein, Austria; and Marcus Matthias Waclawik of Vienna, Austria. Each wore a boutonniere of white cotton bolls.

The bride’s proxy was Kelly Elizabeth Kuykendall of Atlanta. Flower girls were Mary Landry and Ann Morgan Brown of Greenwood and Anne Callaway Patridge of Hernando. Ring bearers were Hayes Chassaniol Brown and Louis McAllister Brown of Schlater. Scripture was read by Kelly Elizabeth Kuykendall of Atlanta and Lisa Hamilton Trotter Melton of Greenwood. Program attendants were Anne Craig Melton and Floyd Mortimer Melton IV, both of Greenwood. Shawna Malloy Young directed the wedding.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at Ashland Plantation in Schlater at the home of the bride’s cousin. The canopied outdoor reception area was decorated with arrangements of ivory and champagne hydrangeas, tulips and Phalaenopsis orchids. The bride’s cake was six layers of tiered almond confection with gold leaf, and the groom’s cake was a confection mimicking stacked luggage topped with a world globe surrounded by small cupcakes iced with the flags of Austria and the United Kingdom. Complete Desire of Atlanta provided the entertainment, and the celebration concluded with a firework celebration and sparkler send-off.

On the eve of the wedding, the groom hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity. The dinner was followed by a champagne toast and cocktail reception held at The Alluvian hotel.

Following a honeymoon to Nevis, the couple is at home in London, England.

Miss. Religious Leaders Denounce Orlando Shooting

Leaders from Mississippi’s Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities as well as those of other faiths gathered in the chapel of Tugaloo College in Jackson, last night, to pray and reflect on Sunday’s shooting.

The shooting at the Orlando gay nightclub killed 49 people and injured 53 others.

Reverend Brian Seage is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi.

“Our tradition calls for us to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being,” says Seage. “I think one of the ways we can do that is by coming together as one against these horrible, evil attacks that have taken place in our world. It certainly took place Sunday morning.”

The shooter, twenty-nine-year-old Omar Mateen, claimed allegiance with the Islamic-militant group known as ISIS.

Fatih Ozcan is with the Dialogue Institute of Mississippi -- a group dedicated to recognizing religious and spiritual diversity.

“There’s a verse in the Quran saying that killing one person is killing all humanity. People are coming and then killing innocent people and then saying I am acting with this ideology. This is not justifiable in any kind of religion, and I don’t accept this interruption.”

All state and federal flags will remain at half-staff until sundown Friday in memory of those killed during the attack. 

Whites, Brantley to wed in June

Dr. and Mrs. Perry M. Whites of Greenwood announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Mary Reynolds Whites, to Christopher Felder Brantley of Ridgeland.

Mr. Brantley is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Felder Brantley of Ridgeland. He is the grandson of Mrs. Albert Hines Walters of Jackson and the late Mr. Walters and the late Mr. and Mrs. Tobie Dunn Brantley.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Betty Ann Stribling of Greenwood and the late Mr. Lance E. Clemes and the late Mr. and Mrs. David D. Whites.

A 2009 graduate of Pillow Academy in Greenwood, Miss Whites attended the University of Mississippi, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority, and she made her debut with the Southern Debutante Assembly in 2010. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing in 2013 and is pursuing a doctorate degree in nursing practice at the University of South Alabama. She is employed as a registered nurse with Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson and Greenwood Leflore Hospital in Greenwood.

The prospective bridegroom is a 2008 graduate of Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood. He is a 2012 graduate of the University of Mississippi, where he was a member and treasurer of Sigma Chi Fraternity, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with majors in banking and finance and managerial finance. He is employed as a wealth management analyst with WealthPartners of Ridgeland.

The couple will exchange vows at 7 p.m. on June 11 at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood.