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Churches' Series to Explore Bonds of Art, Spirituality: Wauwatosa Events

Posted on: Saturday, 4 March 2006, 03:03 CST

By Tom Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Mar. 4--Exploring the mystical margins of art and spirituality, several area churches are helping people add depth to their Lenten preparation offering a range of literary, visual and performing arts experiences between now and the first week in April.

In Whitefish Bay, four Baptist, Catholic and United Methodist churches have cooperated to present performances and presentations in a series from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. on five Sundays, rotating the sites.

And on the west side of Milwaukee County, Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church has invited area artists to give samples of the work and tell how they have experienced "the mystery of the Divine" in their creative processes in a series that includes some hands-on lessons in 10 separate workshops or lectures and an overnight "Telling Visions" retreat.

The North Shore series evolved after Heidi Russell, director of Christian formation at St. Monica Catholic Church, approached Jo Ellen Witt, pastor of Roundy Memorial Baptist Church, to discuss offering collaborative programs during Lent.

"We came up together with the idea of the arts, thinking people find God through the arts and that maybe the Lenten season would be a good time because this is when you are focusing on deepening spirituality," Witt said. "And that can be accomplished through all of the arts, not just through coming to your own church and worshipping God."

The artistic experiences offered at the Whitefish Bay churches will speak for themselves. At Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church, the artists -- all Christians -- will reflect openly on their blending of art and spirituality.

"Spirituality is a very important part of any artist's inspiration and work, whether it's Christianity or another kind of spirituality," said the Rev. John Sumwalt, pastor of the Wauwatosa church.

Sumwalt, an author and storyteller, will be exploring that topic in his weekend sermons. He noted that people learn in different ways and that his church plans its services to reach out to people who are auditory, visual, intuitive, or learn in other ways.

The Whitefish Bay series begins Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with a presentation and the showing of clips Chip Duncan, founder of The Duncan Group, at St. Monica Parish, 160 E. Silver Spring Drive. Other events include: March 12, novelist and retired Marquette University professor Prem Sharma and Sister Irene Zimmerman, a retreat center poet, at Roundy Memorial, 1250 E. Hampton Ave.; March 19, artist Anna Pagnucci at Holy Family Parish, 4825 N. Wildwood Ave.; March 26, Nancy Seifert-Creighton and North Shore Dance Studio students, and Dance Eternal's Kim Brunner, Alyce Roeder and Linda Wade, at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, 819 E. Silver Spring Drive; and April 2, contralto Laura Snyder and Ethnicity, a 14-member ensemble playing music of many cultures, at Roundy Memorial.

At Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church, a Thursday night lecture series begins at 6:30 Thursday with a presentation United Methodist Pastor Grace Imathiu, a native of Kenya and an internationally known preacher and storyteller. The cost is $20 for the five-session series or $5 per session. Other offerings are: March 16, actor-playwright-director Michael Duncan; March 23, psychotherapist and columnist Philip Chard; March 30, recording artist-composer Kerri Sherwood; and April 6, folksinger-storyteller David HB Drake.

There also are a series of classes and presentations on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus a retreat. For details, go to www.waumc.org and click on "Ticker Tape Notes."

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Copyright (c) 2006, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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