Saturday, October 16, 2004
Church gives gift of music to community
Faith Matters
By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor
HYDE PARK - Among its many outreach efforts, the Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church hopes simply making music can be a ministry of its own.
"We had this big beautiful organ that was being underutilized, and we wanted to start a concert series," said church member Judy Evans. "It's a gift to the community."
The church will host a classical organ series on its "world class" Casavant organ, installed in 1990 with special acoustics and a "surround-sound" style orientation.
"We really try to be a church that does outreach to the community. It's always been our goal to reach to the city and the community and share what we have," Evans said.
The series begins Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. with Pierre Pincemaille, the resident organist at the Cathedral Bascilica of Saint-Denis in France. It continues Feb. 20 with the church's resident organist, Sonia Kim. It concludes on April 17 with Paul Jacobs, the chair of the organ department at the Juilliard School in New York City.
Evans, also an organist, said she hopes the series will revive an appreciation for more classical church music.
"I think if people could get exposed to the organ a bit more, it would really appeal to people," she said. "Now, a lot of church music is tending toward contemporary music, but these are huge classical organ masterpieces."
The series is free and open to the public at the church, 1345 Grace Ave., Hyde Park. For more information, call the church at (513) 871-1345.
Pastor to help with clean-up
Pastor Henry Zorn of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Anderson Township was supposed to be headed on a vacation this month.
But then he had what he calls a "God moment." So instead of visiting family in New York City, Zorn and his wife Cindy, will be traveling next week to Punta Gorda, Fla., to deliver food and cleaning items to hurricane victims.
"There's a lot more devastation there than I think the media up here is reporting," Zorn said. "It just occurred to me to go. It was really an inspired moment. It was truly powerful."
Zorn contacted relief workers in Punta Gorda, where Cindy Zorn's parents live and asked what assistance they needed. The pastor and his wife will leave Tuesday morning with a van of donated items.
To donate non-perishable foods or cleaning supplies, drop items at the church, 1950 Nagel Road, or call (513) 474-4938.
Duty to vote to be discussed
The Rev. Michael Seger, a professor of moral theology at the Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's Seminary, will speak on the topic of the Roman Catholic faith and the civic duty to vote conscientiously.
The lecture, "Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility," is free and open to the public at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Athenaeum, 6616 Beechmont Ave., Mount Washington.
For more information, call the Athenaeum at (513) 231-2223.
The Cincinnati office of the Council on American Islamic Relations is hosting a "Feed the Hungry" program at sunset, about 7 p.m., on Sunday at the Malik Islamic Center in Over-the-Rhine.
The council expects to feed more than 500 people in the neighborhood as part of the observance of two pillars of Islam, the fast of Ramadan and charity. During the lunar month, which began Friday, Muslims will fast during daylight hours from food and drink.
In addition to the religious observance, the fast calls attention to the plight of the hungry.
