knowyourneighbor

President Faust reached across the aisle

When I taught Relief Society last week, the basis for the lesson was President Faust's talk The Healing Power of Forgiveness.

Because Know Your Neighbor is ever on my mind, as I prepared this lesson, it occurred to me that when President Faust chose to prominently feature a story about the Amish community, he was teaching us, encouraging us to reach across the aisle.

Interesting.

During the upcoming General Conference, will you look for stories/examples of looking for common ground?

If you were to teach a lesson or give a talk in church next month, is there anythig "virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy" about another faith that you can highlight?

When the Amish community forgave how were they reaching across the aisle?

Friends Teach Us to Move

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalms 98:4

I thought you might like an update on Nekisha’s quest to win the St. Louis’ Diamond Gospel Idol competition.

Well, she made us proud. With grace and determination and spirit running-over, Nekisha placed third. She wanted to win first, and as her friend and cheerleader, I wanted that too. But I couldn’t be more proud of her performances and showmanship - she was gracious and happy for the winners.

(photo: Nekisha Rhodes sings her heart out at the Diamond Gospel Idol Competition in St. Louis, MO)

The top five winners will go on a local church tour with Merdean Gales, Gospel music promoter and BET network host.

And Nekisha has invited me along for the ride. This should be fun!

I got to know the Diamond Gospel Idols personally and wrote about the experience for a local newspaper. Check out: St. Louis’ Gospel Idols.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing about a Gospel Music competition, I would have said, “you are crazy, what do I know about that?”

Never did I think I would have the opportunity to have such a close and personal experience with Gospel music. Not even when I helped start a Gospel music choir with other Latter-day Saints about a year ago.

But here I am, being taken-in by this Christ-centered and testifying music, joyful and expressive…yes, it makes me move!

Our Gospel choir sang at a fireside a couple weeks ago. We sang “Wade in the Water” and “This Little Light of Mine”. Bishops and stake presidents, Nekisha and Merdean, the choir members…. we were all singing and clapping and moving!

Merdean shared her thoughts with us about Gospel music further testifying of its power to convey the message of Christ. She also treated us to Theresa San Luis on viola playing “Amazing Grace”. The audience, white and black and people of all backgrounds, spontaneously sang the song. The spirit of Christ, the unity we felt as God’s children, was overwhelming.-

(photo: Nekisha smiles after a great performance.)

Did I ever imagine Latter-day Saints moving and rejoicing in the Lord like this? I wish you could have seen everyone’s smiles and their tapping and clapping.

As Merdean likes to say, “Anything God puts His hands on has to move!”

We have been given a taste of this joyful, spirited music by our own Sister Gladys Knight and the Saints United Voices. Now, we are doing it - moving - right here in our chapel in St. Louis, Missouri!

And my husband, a mild-mannered guy, typically not an expressive man, said, “I really liked that, it was a great experience… I want to join the choir”

Thanks to help from our friends, Nekisha and Merdean and others, we are learning to embrace and understand Gospel music.

I am grateful for friends who broaden our horizons and take us on new adventures.

Bridging troubled waters

Thank you to Neal Robison for sharing this article from the Detroit Free Press.

To pique your interest, here's what Craig Wagenschutz, a member of the Lutheran Church, said after hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing:

"It took me a number of years to understand this: There are more ways to worship than my own. And I think human beings create more barriers than we need. I know I've been guilty of that sometimes through the years.

"In the end, though, barriers just aren't helpful," he said, gesturing back at the choir loft. "If I had stayed behind my barriers, I would have missed out on something as great as this."

Link: DAVID CRUMM | OUR SPIRIT: Soothing and soaring.

Craig and Sue Wagenschutz realized they were staying behind barriers. What barriers are we staying behind?

The Pineapple Award Nominations

Welcome to all Meridian readers!

The Pineapple Award, a prize for neighborliness on the part of individuals, wards, or even stakes.

The winner of the Pineapple Award will be announced on October 21st and will receive a copy of the Know Your Neighbor poster and a fresh pineapple.

To nominate someone, you can click on comment below, and submit.