Lend voice to fair’s outdoor service

August 27, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By LINDA M. LINONIS

canfield

Under the blue skies that God created and sounds of His creatures mooing, baaing, crowing and neighing as a backdrop, people will gather for the Canfield Fair interdenominational worship service.

The service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4 near the grandstand. A rehearsal for a choir will be at 9.

Tom and Kelly Scurich, who have directed the choir for more than 20 years, will again fill the role of musical directors. They also will provide special music. The couple are musicians and teachers in Canfield School District.

Tom Scurich said the choir rehearsal is on a tight time frame before worship begins, but somehow those who show up to sing pull it off.

“There are usually between 20-40 people and they need to learn quickly,” Scurich said. “It generally all works out thoughn it’s a bit of a challenge.”

Scurich said he tries to match the hymns to the theme of the worship service led by Pastor Russell Libb of Berlin Center United Methodist Church.

Scurich said Pastor Libb contacts him well in advance to discuss the service and its theme. This year’s service will draw on Scripture from John 14:1-14 and especially verse 12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

Scurich said the choir will sing two anthems, “Go Ye Into All the World” and “Look at the World.” He said he and his wife picked those selections because of the setting of outdoor worship. “You’re out there among God’s creatures,” he said.

Pastor Libb echoed that sentiment with the comment, “Can the flowers get any prettier, the pumpkins any bigger or the demolition derby any louder?”

Born and raised in Canfield, Pastor Libb said the fair, in its 165th year, is an integral part of many people’s lives. He’s been involved between eight to 10 years.

Having a religious service at the fair seems only natural, Pastor Libb said, because the bounty of the fair in animals, plants and produce is rooted in God’s creation and demonstrates God’s goodness. “It makes sense to express gratitude,” he said.

Pastor Libb guessed the attendance at the service is about 300. “People do feel close to God in the outdoor setting,” he said.