Interfaith Alliance To Sponsor Community Thanksgiving Service
On Sunday, November 24 at 2:30 p.m., the parish hall of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will be the site of a community-wide service of Thanksgiving.Wednesday, November 20, 2002 10:06 AM
On Sunday, November 24 at 2:30 p.m., the parish hall of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will be the site of a community-wide service of Thanksgiving. Sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of the Lehigh Valley, of which the Muhlenberg College Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding is a member, the service is the first such collaboration since a crowd of 800 gathered in the wake of the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This year, the theme is “Thanks for the Bounty.” The service will feature Allentown mayor Roy C. Afflerbach and representatives of nine faith communities.
Farsi and Vedic chant, Arabic prayer, gospel song, American hymns and a Transylvanian folk tale will help to express the theme. Mayor Afflerbach will be the keynote speaker, and will be introduced by Mohamedraza Rajmohamed of the Shia Muslim community. Judy Klofach, of the Allentown First Church of Christ, Scientist, will read the presidential proclamation of a national day of Thanksgiving.
The Interfaith Alliance comprises representatives of all the faith groups that are present in the Lehigh Valley. It offers educational programs for school and community groups, as well as organizing interfaith observances such as the one for Thanksgiving this Sunday. Chaired by Prof. Allen Richardson of Cedar Crest College, the Alliance was a major partner in the memorial service held at the Jewish Community Center on September 23, 2001.
The service at St. John’s this weekend will include participation by representatives of the Baha’i, Christian, Christian Scientist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Unitarian Universalist communities.
