The Texas Alphorns
St. Paul United Church of Christ in East Dallas is marking its 125th anniversary this Sunday with all-day celebration, starting with its regular morning service and ending with its 25th annual German advent service that night.
To kick things off, during the 11 a.m. worship service St. Paul will display artwork from eight of its members:
There will be art by East Dallas attorney Art Blanchard who sketches everywhere he goes — while riding the DART bus, at the doctor’s office and, apparently, while sitting through services at St. Paul. For more, check out the Q&A we did with Blanchard back in 2013.
Neighbor Laurie Justus Pace (read the Q&A we did with her back in 2012) will bring a painting of her mother, Gladys Justus, along with one of her mother’s paintings. Laurie will also show one of the paintings done by her son, Morgan Pace, as well as a painting from her granddaughter, Lauren Hendren. Phew! Did you follow all that? In other words, artwork from four generations of painters.
There will be oil paintings from the late Rev. Theophile Tanner, who was one of St. Paul’s first ministers. His name is among those listed on the Texas Historical Marker located outside the sanctuary. He has paintings throughout the church, including the giant oil painting of Christ that hangs between the Fellowship Hall and the classrooms, and the painting on the ceiling of the music room.
And last but not least, artist Dorothy Ann Bode Hollander, who grew up on Bonita Street, will be coming from Oklahoma City to show one of her oil paintings. She plans to bring a painting by her mother, Nettie Bode, as well.
After the service there will be a complimentary grilled wurst luncheon that will include German dishes like homemade German potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage and more. The Texas Alphorns will play a few tunes.
At 2 p.m. St. Paul will host a mini-Concert in the sanctuary featuring baritone/bass Theodor Carlson, and mezzo-soprano Etleva Shemai. They will be accompanied by Will Kanute, St. Paul’s organist/ pianist/choir director.
Then at 6 p.m. plan to join St. Paul for its 25th annual German advent service, also called the “Deutscher Weihnachtsgottesdienst” service, which will be given in German. For those of us to don’t speak German, there will be very long programs written in both German and English for each audience member. The Texas Alphorns will play their horns and the Dallas German Frohsinn Singing Society, which believe it or not is even older than St. Paul, will sing along with St. Paul’s choir.
The service is followed by a reception where guests can snack on homemade German cookies, candies, punch, hot chocolate and coffee.
