By Max Broennle | FāVS News Reporter
When Paul Steenblik went to his daughter, Allison Wagstaff, about a potential Easter concert for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she proposed the idea of an ecumenical event that brings together different branches of Christianity for something they all have in common – a love and worship of Jesus through music.
The Spokane Stake worked together with seven different churches for the Easter Interfaith Choral Festival, which was held March 21 and 22 to celebrate Easter together and to “feel united as a Christian community,” according to Steenblik. There were about 650 people who attended each performance.
Steenblik is the organizer of this event. He contacted each church and received positive responses from everyone, even if scheduling prevented some churches from participating.
This concert was free to attend, but the organizers put on a fundraiser for Bite 2 Go, an organization that provides food assistance for elementary and middle school children, allowing audience members to donate what they can to help kids in need. More than $2000 was raised, according to Steenblik.
The churches on the set list included St. Stephen’s Episcopal, Manito United Methodist, Pilgrim Slavic Baptist, Calvary Baptist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Spokane Stake), Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Spokane Slavic Seventh-day Adventists.
Each choir had their own performance, introduced by a chaplain from their church, with a diverse array of music.
“Each of these choirs is unique and their music covers this wide range of styles, but each piece will be presented to us as a form of worship,” Steenblik said.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes performed three songs including “Ye Sons and Daughters” and “Sicut Cervus.”
“I hope they see the beauty of the music that can stir their hearts and minds,” director of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes choir, Henry Bauer, said prior to the event.
Then the finale brought all the choirs on stage to sing a song together as one.
Steenblik and Bauer believe that the different branches of Christianity that were presented together brought about a bigger audience impact, bringing together those of different faiths to share their worship of the same lord.
“I think it’s a good way of sharing our message and sharing the beautiful music of the church with others,” Bauer said.
Teresa Birch, choral director for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, said how her participation in the choir brings about, not only community, but a closer relationship with God.
“All of us joining our voices together in praise unto God is a powerful thing and often the words and the lyrics that are involved are powerful, but then when they’re combined with music, that’s what touches my soul,” Birch said. “Hanging out with like-minded people of faith and being impacted and feeling the Holy Spirit together is a uniting and beautiful thing.”
Following the event, Steenblik reflected on the overall success of the concert.
“New friendships were formed as choir members mingled and sang together,” Steenblik said. “It was wonderful to see congregants from those seven churches, as well as other members of the Spokane community, sitting side by side in a common cause, sharing a common belief that ‘He is risen.’”
Steenblik was sure to mention his thanks to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for funding this event as well as the many people who have helped behind the scenes.
“It would certainly be appropriate to recognize my friend Dan Eyestone and my daughter, Allison Wagstaff, for their help with the behind-the-scenes logistics,” said Steenblik. “As well as Colette Stevens, Janelle Cobb, and Kata Dean for their great help with technology and publicity for the event.”
Steenblik and attendees expressed interest in having another Interfaith concert.
“Every audience member, choir member, choir director and clergy and church leader that I have spoken with has expressed that they would love to see this happen again,” Steenblik said.
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