Remember the lively conversations we once shared around the family table on Sundays? If you close your eyes, can you also recall the delicious aromas that wafted from the kitchen? Fried chicken and cornbread, syrupy pancakes and scrambled eggs…food so tasty, its closest rival was the toe-tapping, tambourine-waving music you heard in church that morning? That’s the feeling we’re going for with #SweetSundayBrunch, a weekly Twitter chat that I’m co-hosting with the Harlem Gospel Choir.
In 140 characters: #SweetSundayBrunch is soul food, served fresh every Sunday morning via social media. Join our global conversation every week, starting 6/21.
Share snaps of your Sunday gatherings (Image copyright Harlem Gospel Choir)
#SweetSundayBrunch is also inspired by the incomparable joy that came of singing with the Harlem Gospel Choir. I still get teary-eyed when I think about the day I blogged about being a “caged bird” who trembled at the very thought of singing out loud, even in private. I challenged myself to take a workshop with the world-famous gospel choir, at the Escondido Performing Arts Center. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, but it stood at the very top of my bucket list, and I was ready for the challenge.
To my great surprise, I was invited by the lead singer to join the choir onstage, and to stand next to her in the spotlight. To my even greater amazement, I sang a full-throated version of “Oh Happy Day” at center stage, without fear or inhibition. When the final grace note dissolved into silence, each of the choir members came forward and hugged me. The lead singer ushered me offstage, but not before saying (loud enough for all to hear), “We’ve been friends for a long time. But we are more than that… we are family.” It was one of the most authentic expressions of love that I’ve ever experienced, and I (along with the Harlem Gospel Choir) want to share it with all of you.
Me, shortly after singing onstage with the Harlem Gospel Choir–oh, happy day!
#SweetSundayBrunch is an interfaith, nondenominational, toe-tapping, tambourine waving, guilt-free gathering that’ll make you wish you could scratch-and-sniff your Twitter page.
Whet our appetites! (Sunday Brunch on Lummi Island, copyright Nina Laden)
Our first Twitter chat is this coming Sunday, June 21st. Since we’re expecting guests from around the world, it’s not tied to a certain time zone.
FIVE GUIDELINES:
- Connect with us every week by adding the hashtag #SweetSundayBrunch to your Sunday morning tweets. Got extra characters? Add @MelodyeShore and/or @HarlemGospel.
- Share a good word, choir pics, song lyrics, snaps of your Sunday gatherings…bring what you’ve got to the table & invite your friends to join us.
- Tweet and retweet people who use the #SweetSundayBrunch hashtag, and ‘follow’ those whose interests you share.
- No copy/paste advertisements, rants, or porn.
- Mention Sweet Sunday Brunch by name—as much as you’d like, much appreciated! But please save the hashtag [#SweetSundayBrunch] for our weekly gatherings. [#SweetSundayBrunch is our registered hashtag, and we’ve also created a @SweetSunBrunch Twitter profile.]
Post pictures of your Sunday gatherings! Image copyright Harlem Gospel Choir
THREE SUGGESTIONS:
- Follow the Golden Rule. Meaning: be generous of spirit & open-minded.
- Give and you shall receive. Extend the hand of friendship, take away an encouraging word.
- Make a joyful noise. Jump in, speak up, give a shout out…have fun!
Sound fun? We hope so! This is our first foray into the hashtag world, so we’re hoping you’ll help boost the signal.
Oh happy day! Hope you have many glorious Sundays!
Your words to God’s ears. 🙂
Grateful for your support, Jeannine, in countless ways…
Sounds marvelously delicious, in all ways! … even though my own Sunday mornings were more like everyone dispersing to do chores (ie; “go help your father”) or heading to a horse show or daydreaming under a tree by the zucchini as it threatened to take over the entire property. No tambourines waving, no breaking out in group song (but maybe some quiet guitar and piano playing). Also loved your re-telling of your stage experience. Oh Happy Day is right!
I remember Sunday morning sermons that lasted for hours and hours, and prayers that went on for days, it seemed–from a small child’s perspective, that is. My stomach sang a mournful tune, tempted as it was by the delicious aromas that wafted through the sanctuary from the kitchen below.
But when the organist struck the first note, and the lead singer stepped to the microphone, swayed and waved her tambourine…when the choir danced down the aisles to the front row pews where we sat, ohhhh! Never mind being hungry! For me, anyway, that was soul food, at its best.
Lucky for all of us, we get to create for ourselves the circumstances (and connections) that bring us that same joy in the moment, and that recall for us our happiest memories.
I know how truly happy this makes you, Melodye, and that makes me veryhappy! xo
Such a kind thing to say, Margaret. May we all be so fortunate as to connect with people (with projects and ideas) that bring us joy. xoxo
Melodye, what a fantastic collaboration. I will look forward to the tweets and learning what makes a Sunday sweet for you and for the others participating. I’ll be sure to share a picture from my church – the Colorado mountains!