Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ashley on Expressing Faith through Music and Dance


“Today, we are practicing for a marching band competition, which is part of the twelve weeks of holy convocation. The competition will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our band, The Madison Sunrisers, is one of the few DC bands competing. Our church, United House of Prayer for All People, has been in DC for over eighty years and the band has been around for over thirty.

“Our faith is expressed through music. At church, we have the brass band, the Madison Lively Stones, which a lot of churches don’t have. That is how we worship the Lord. Here, practicing with flags, we are still praising him through music and through dance.

“My favorite hymn is ‘They said I wouldn’t make it.’ It is a song about holding on to God’s hand regardless of what you’ve been through. Faith is my life in DC. The House of Prayer is my life in DC. We live in homes and housing that are provided by the House of Prayer. My friends are all from the church. Faith is my way of life. Usually, we are practicing and volunteering around DC, doing community activities, and we also hold an annual peace parade on Memorial Day. Our church is also known for food. We have good soul food and a lot of people in the community come to the church for that. Some people buy, but those in need, we just give it to them. Our church also does different clothing drives and we help senior citizens, too. So, yes, faith is my life in DC.”

You may know the Madison Lively Stones from their regular performances in Dupont Circle. Check them out here and here.

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