AREA CHURCH CELEBRATES SEASON WITH JAZZ SERVICE

The congregation at Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau will rejoice and celebrate Sunday with special jazz music during the 10:45 a.m. worship.

The second annual service marks the changing liturgical seasons. Lent begins Wednesday when many Christians celebrate Ash Wednesday.

"We want the congregation to celebrate the goodness of God in preparation for the Lenten focus of the sacrifice of God," said the Rev. Clayton Smith, senior pastor at the church.

With the region between St. Louis, Mo., and Memphis, Tenn., home to jazz music, there are cultural traditions and regional ties that make the service popular and relevant.

Mardi Gras will be celebrated Tuesday in many cities, though primarily in New Orleans. And jazz, ragtime and spirituals are appropriate for the church today as Black History Month comes to an end, Smith said.

The people were "caught up in the spirit of rejoicing to God," Smith said of the previous year's service. "We all deal with the February blahs and need to celebrate."

Sunday's service will begin with a processional to "When the Saints Go Marching In" and mix in some traditional music but mostly focuses on jazz, Smith said.

"It's a biblical imperative that we come together and celebrate."

The word "jazz" is often used to mean improvise, enliven and otherwise make more interesting.

For a traditional church like Centenary, "I think it's good for us to introduce new styles of worship on special occasions," Smith said.