Sixties Dance — Feelin Groovy, 3/5/06

Several Youth Ministry leaders and others organized another in our successful series of "beat the Winter doldrums " events: a Sixties Dance! The enthusiastic participants danced to tunes digitally spun by that famous pair "Too Old Guys," and enjoyed great conversation and some tasty treats.

Here are some photos, clips, and a perspective on the event written by Moira Guertin Merrill.

I recently took one of the teenagers to see a college she is interested in attending.  I thought the car trip was going really well until I heard her call her mother from her cell phone.  “Mom, I’m having so much fun, we’re listening to an oldies CD.”  Wait a minute! That’s my favorite CD! OK, to be fair-there are a couple of Neil Diamond songs on the CD, but there’s also Green Day and Hootie; doesn’t that make me cool? 

To these kids the 80s and 90s are the “oldies.”  For me, it was the 60’s.  Sure, I loved 60's music, but my introduction to the Beatles was not the Ed Sullivan show; it was my music history teacher. 

Whether you did the fox trot or the Macarena at your high school prom, First Parish church was the place to be for everyone during our 60's dance a few weeks ago.  Those of us that grew up wondering why Ricky wouldn’t just let Lucy be in the show (wasn’t he sick of the whining?) And those of us who know the answer to the question:  Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  We all love 60's music.  Who cares if Jeremiah was a bullfrog? He was a good friend of mine.

The music, the struggles and the emotion of the 60s truly transcend time.  In fact, wasn’t that song by the Byrds based on the same Ecclesiastes reading that the teenagers chose for their worship service last week?  Whether it is fellowship or worship; truly, to everything — there is a season. 

Happy Spring! 

Moira Guertin Merrill