The Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Vol. XXX No. 36 Friday, October 10, 2014 Turrell Creates Kid’s Guide to Worship Jennie Turrell started drawing sheep on bulletins to entertain her young son in church a few years ago. And together they created a full-fl edged book that is a prayer book for children, one that mirrors the Book of Common Prayer, with accurate liturgical language and rhyming poems for young ears. “I wanted Will to worship with me,” Turrell said recently. “When he was litt le, I didn’t want to send him away to the nursery. I wanted him to experience the service.” Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Rayford High Charles Wright So she created “Let Us Pray,” a children’s guide to the Eucharist, International Development Leader which Church Publishing issued in July. On Sundays, Turrell is, as she to Give Founders’ Day Address describes it, “not a single parent, but I am oft en alone with a child Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairman of the Weekend, many parents will be on campus to see the in church.” Her husband, Jim, is a world’s largest development organization, will deliver the “gowning.” professor of liturgy at the School Founders’ Day address and receive an honorary doctor Leading up to the Convocation, Abed will give a public of Th eology and a priest associate . of civil law during the Oct. 17 Founders’ Day Convocation talk Oct. 15, and Wright will read from his work Oct.16. at All Saints’ Chapel, where the at the University of the South. Th e Founders’ Day ceremony, [See related story on page 6.] family worships. at noon in All Saints’ Chapel, will include the conferral of two Sir Abed is the founder and chairperson of BRA C. “Th e project started with me whispering in Will’s ear—there’s the choir... additional honorary degrees and the induction of new mem- Formerly the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Commit- here’s the cross... what color are the vestments?—to keep him engaged. But bers into the Order of Gownsmen. tee, BRA C supports lasting change by giving the poor the there’s only so much ‘I Spy’ you can play during the service, so I started drawing Th e University will confer upon the Rt. Rev. Rayford High, tools to lift themselves out of poverty. Under Sir Abed’s pictures for him on the bulletins. Sheep became the people in my drawings,” provisional bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, leadership, BRA C grew in the span of four decades to she said. Keeping Will engaged in the service was important to her and to Jim an honorary doctor of divinity; U.S. Poet Laureate Charles become the largest development organization in the because the other ways of keeping a child quiet in church were unsatisfying. Wright will receive an honorary doctor of lett ers. world. Educated at both Dhaka and Glasgow universities, “I came home on Sundays knowing a lot more about the T-Rex than I did Undergraduate students will join the Order of Gowns- Sir Abed was a senior executive when the 1971 Bangla- about Jesus because we’d spent the hour looking at dinosaur books,” Turrell men, Sewanee’s academic honor society body responsible for desh Liberation War changed his life. He left his job and said. “I realized that he wasn’t worshiping in the fullest sense, nor was I.” maintaining the spirit, traditions and ideals of the University. devoted himself to Bangladesh’s war of independence. It began with sheep sketched on bulletins, then sheep on pieces of plain Because the Convocation falls at the beginning of Family Aft er the war, Sir Abed returned to the newly independent paper, then the service loosely sketched out on a stack of paper illustrated with (Continued on page 6) the sheep. Over time, Turrell said she realized that she wanted to continue creating this book. She began by painting the sheep, and it evolved from there into the mixed-media digital collage that adorns “Let Us Pray.” Meet & Greet Mountain T.O.P. Awarded Turrell’s initial plan was to self-publish the book for family and friends. But aft er people saw it, they encouraged her to seek a traditional publisher. Th ere were Episcopal books about children’s worship, she said, but there with Trustees Grant for Home Repairs (Continued on page 4) on Wednesday Mountain T.O.P. (MTOP), based in Grundy County, has been awarded a Th e Trustee Community Re- grant of $46,304 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural De- lations Committ ee and Sewanee velopment Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. Community Council invite the Th e funds will be used in Grundy County to do minor and major home public to a “meet and greet” gath- repairs using volunteer labor. MTOP and USDA Rural Development have ering at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. an established relationship and 15, at the American Legion Hall. have worked with many families Come visit with Trustee in Grundy County to make home representatives who are keenly improvements. Because of MTOPs interested in the Sewanee com- use of volunteer labor, all grant munity and the people who serve funds are used for materials, allow- as representatives on the Sewanee ing them to help more families. Community Council. Since 2007 MTOP has been awarded a total of $266,304 in HPG grants. During these same Sondheim years, MTOP leveraged HPG funds with volunteer labor and additional Musical Opens donations at an estimated value of $701,333. At the end of this grant Oct. 17 cycle, MTOP will have assisted approximately 42 families with necessary repairs Samuel R. Williamson to their homes. Theatre/Sewanee will present “While these numbers are impressive, the really impressive marker is the “Side By Side By Sondheim,” a musical value of the volunteer,” said Julie Willems Keel, MTOP’s program manager Williamson Hosted by Library revue celebrating the wit and genius of the HPG. “Th ese numbers show that over 70 percent of the value that is of Stephen Sondheim, one of musical put into homes in this area comes from the volunteers. Th rough purchasing Friends & Finding Your Place theatre’s most infl uential artists. materials, the dollars that come from the HPG unlock the ability for us to Performances are scheduled for use the skills of willing individuals. Without the HPG, we wouldn’t be able to Friends of the Library of Sewanee and the Finding Your Place program 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Octo- utilize volunteers.” are hosting a public lecture by historian and former Vice-Chancellor Samuel ber 17–18; 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19; and Th e HPG allows MTOP to work with families who otherwise would not R. Williamson, at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, in Convocation Hall. Williamson 7:30 p.m., Th ursday through Saturday, qualify for assistance. Because MTOP is a partnership ministry and not a will talk about “Th e Start of the First World War: What Happened and Why It Oct. 23–25. All performances are in charity, each family gives something toward the completion of their project. Still Matt ers.” A reception will follow the lecture. the Tennessee Williams Center. “Th is news gives us hope that we can continue helping our neighbors in real, Williamson, the 14th vice-chancellor of the University of the South (1998– The review features music from life-altering ways,” said the Rev. Ed Simmons, MTOP executive director. “We 2000) and professor of history emeritus, has writt en extensively on the origins “Company,” “Follies,” “A Litt le Night are grateful to all who are involved in the selection process.” of the First World War. His books include “Th e Politics of Grand Strategy: Music” and “A Funny Th ing Happened Britain and France Prepare for War, 1904–1914,” “Austria-Hungary and the on the Way to the Forum.” Origins of the First World War” and “July 1914—Soldiers, Statesmen and the The production will feature 10 P.O. Box 296 Coming of the Great War: A Brief Documentary History.” He has lectured student singers. “Side By Side By Sewanee, TN 37375 oft en on the topic at Cambridge, Oxford, Vienna, Harvard and most recently Sondheim” is directed by Peter Smith, as a keynote lecturer at Queen Mary University in London at an international with musical direction by Katherine conference on the start of the First World War. Anderson, scenery and lighting by Williamson is also the author of “Sewanee Sesquicentennial History: Th e Dan Backlund, costumes by Jennifer Making of the University of the South,” the fi rst comprehensive history of the Matthews, choreography by Court- institution. Making full use of the University’s rich archival resources and ney World, Chase Brantley and Josie of many interviews, the book examines and re-examines Sewanee’s past: from Guevara-Torres, and technical direc- the original concepts underlying its creation to the desperate struggle aft er the tion by John Marshall. Civil War to become a distinctive and eff ective Episcopal university in the South. Admission is free, but seating is For more information about the event or Friends of the Library, contact Judy limited. Reservations are available by Rollins at 598-1265 or email <[email protected]>. email, <[email protected]>. 2 • Friday, October 10, 2014 • Th e Sewanee Mountain MESSENGER Letters THE SEWANEE MOUNTAIN MESSENGER 418 St. Mary’s Ln. GET FACTS BEFORE VOTING P.O. Box 296 To the Editor: Sewanee, Tennessee 37375 Th ere is less than a month prior to Phone (931) 598-9949 time for mid-term voting.