INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE—NOVEMBER 18

Last Monday, St. Gregory's hosted the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. Over a hundred people from our community gathered in our sacred space to worship and give thanks to God. A special highlight was the presence of the Boy Scout troop that meets weekly at St. Gregory's and a number of teens who comprise the Boca Raton Interfaith Youth Association (BRIYA).

For this special event we removed the two rows of pew chairs and brought in round tables and chairs enabling people from different faiths to sit together in our beautiful church. We listened to scriptures and prayers from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Native American traditions; we reflected on the words from our shared American heritage; we sang hymns of thanks and listened to music inspired by the Native American tradition; we lit candles and offered prayers for our nation. 

But I believe what made the most memorable difference was when participants at each table discussed four questions: 1. What are we personally thankful for? 2. What are we thankful for as Americans? 3. What are the highest and best values of our nation? 4. How has our relationship with God shaped our gratitude? 

To listen in on these conversations as diverse members of our community-young and old-spoke from their heart was a hopeful, indeed, holy moment. God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, declares,

"My house will be called a house of prayer for all people" (Isaiah 56:7).

On Monday night this promise was brought to life! 

In a nation healing from a divisive political season and in a world in which the wounds of violence in Gaza, Ukraine and Haiti painfully bleed, we all shared that blessed evening a taste of what God intends for the human family, the children of God. This is how St. Gregory's makes a difference.

Blessings in Christ,

Andrew+