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We celebrate the 2010-11 Smithfield School with
an intergenerational gathering Sunday, September 12, 2010

Introducing Faith Practices: "Giving and Receiving Hospitality"






The morning's hospitality team – appropriately attired – welcomes you to the Black and Gold party!

the hospitality team

Rev. Liddy teaches us a Shona language call to worship: "Uyai Mose," from Zimbabwe

In Shona:

Uyai mose, tinamate mwari (sung 3 times)
Uyai mose zvino

In English:

Come all you people, come and praise your Maker (sung 3 times)
Come now and worship the Lord.

It's a challenge at first but after singing the song many times the older ones among us at least are able to sing the words with some confidence.

singing and motioning the song

And we can all do the hand motions!

singing and motioning the song  singing and motioning the song

The young people are ready for the games to begin. They are divided into teams according to birth month, and all will have an opportunity to participate in each activity.

A Black and Gold event on the day of the Steelers opener certainly requires a goal post. Here in one corner of the Social Hall the children and youths respond to questions about Abraham and Sarah before trying to kick the football through the uprights,

inflatable goal post  girl's kicking leg a blur as she aims for the goal post

and prizes are freely given, much to this child's delight!

girl showing prize to mom

In another corner, motion continues, this time with the focus on feet as participants are challenged with a jump rope.

 jumping rope

jumping rope

So much activity requires a time of sitting quietly and listening, asking questions, and answering questions.

Liddy on the floor with children

The youngest child in the room looks eager to join in.

baby

Having had a time of stillness and reflection, the kids are again ready for action. This time it's the hospitality relay race, which challenges each of the two competing teams to move everything from one table to another and end up with the place mats, plates, utensils, glasses, and napkins in the same order on the new table.

relay racer  relay racer

 relay racer  alt="relay

The child taking the last piece to the far table often had to get each piece already there in its correct place, as did this child who took the responsibility very seriously. For him it wasn't a matter of winning, but of doing the job right, of giving and receiving hospitality.

relay racer


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9/13/10
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