All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Rev. Eric Garner of Valmont Community Presbyterian Church delivered the message at the Interfaith Service at Gunbarrel's Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Nov. 23.
Pastor Janet Kettering of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and Rev. Bruce Swinehart of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church shared the lectern at the Interfaith Service on Thanksgiving Eve.
Rabbi Nadya Gross of Pardes Levavot Jewish Renewal Community and Pastor Emily Kintzel of Niwot United Methodist Church led the congregation in the Lord's Prayer in Hebrew and English, respectively.
Rev. Sasha Billow of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church participated in offering communion to those gathered for the Interfaith Service.
Rabbi Victor Gross of Pardes Levavot Jewish Renewal Community delivered Prayers of the People, Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World, a Native American prayer, as adapted.
Members of local faith congregations gathered Nov. 30 at Gunbarrel's Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on Lookout Road for a Community Thanksgiving Eve service.
The service, an annual tradition in the Gunbarrel community for many years that was interrupted by Covid, allowed in-person attendance as well as remote attendance on video.
The faith leaders of five congregations participated in the service, including Pastor Janet Kettering (Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, ELCA), Rev. Sasha Billow and Rev. Bruce Swinehart (St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church), Pastor Emily Kintzel (Niwot United Methodist Church), Rev. Eric Garner (Valmont Community Presbyterian Church), and Rabbi Victor Gross and Rabbi Nadya Gross (Pardes Levavot Jewish Renewal Community).
Rev. Garner delivered the message, entitled "A Parable on Pruning," sharing his personal struggle with the death of his father a year ago. The remaining clergy conducted other aspects of the service, joining together to offer communion to those assembled as well as a blessing for those who desired it.
A community choir, accompanied by a pianist and two guitars, presented a vocal rendition of Psalm 126 following Garner's message.
An offering was collected to benefit Rise Against Suicide, a non-profit organization that funds therapy sessions for at-risk youth struggling with suicidal ideation, including students in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts. Rabbi Nadya Gross spoke of the unmet need for immediate therapeutic intervention and the barriers that prevent quick action. She noted that for all Colorado youth between the ages of 10 and 18, suicide has been identified as the leading cause of death in recent years.
Following the service, those attending in person shared pie and other desserts in the fellowship hall.
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