By David Karas | Correspondent

The theme of a Thanksgiving service, “creating a home together,” was premised on the importance of building relationships and giving thanks.

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But the gathering, held the evening of Nov. 25 in St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville, did much more than that – it brought together the broader faith communities under one roof.

One of many activities facilitated by the Clergy Organization of Lawrence Township, the service included the sharing of song, stories and Scripture, with prayer offered by the local community’s faith leaders.

“All are welcome, and we are glad you are here,” greeted Trinitarian Father Gerard Lynch, administrator of St. Ann Parish . Father Lynch assisted in the parish’s hosting of the gathering, which rotates among congregations each year.

Participating faith communities and congregations included the Lawrence Baha’i Community; Congregation Adath Israel; First Baptist Church of Eggerts Crossing; Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church; Slackwood Presbyterian Church; Temple Micah, and the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville.

“We are all in Lawrence, so it is just the gathering of our faith community,” said Father Lynch, who added that such gatherings are great ways to show unity among congregations.

“Now we come together as a faith community of many different faiths,” he said, “and push it to another level.”

More than 100 faithful gathered in the church for the celebration, which featured some prayers or messages geared towards particular faith communities, as well as general intentions offered by the gathering as a whole.

Lawrenceville resident Jim Reeder has been attending interfaith prayer services for many years along with his wife, who is the pastor of the Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church. He said that such gatherings have a distinct framework and atmosphere that make them different from the services of any one particular faith community.

“It is totally different,” he said, noting that friendships and bonds form as a result. “I think it helps people to get to know each other; it helps build relationships.”

Mercy Sister Beth Dempsey, pastoral associate for St. Ann Parish, said that the interfaith services have taken place for more than 20 years. Reflecting on the 18 years she has been part of such gatherings, she echoed Reeder’s comments about building community.

“They are our neighbors and friends,” she said, adding that the communal prayer and worship among those gathered for such occasions resonates with each of the faith traditions involved, and is an important part of building the broader faith and local community.

Father Lynch said that the timing of the service, just two days before Thanksgiving, provided the perfect context for such a coming together, and offered attendees something else to be thankful for this season.

There was also a spirit of generosity in the service, as guests offered non-perishable food items for the Lawrence Community Center’s food pantry and monetary donations to benefit Every Child Valued, a nonprofit organization that works to offer educational enrichment programs in the community. Attendees were also treated to a rendition of “This Little Light of Mine” from some of the youngsters in Every Child Valued’s after-school program.

Service has long been a part of the Clergy Organization of Lawrence Township, Sister Beth said. The organization is comprised of faith leaders in the local community, who come together on a regular basis to discuss congregation and community needs. Past projects have included work with Habitat for Humanity, as well as the founding of the Lawrence Interfaith Housing Network.

Besides song and prayer, guests enjoyed the sharing of stories, both from the executive director of Every Child Valued and from Rabbi Ben Adler of Congregation Adath Israel.

Rabbi Adler opened the evening offering a moment of silence for those in Ferguson, MO, a city that had been in turmoil the evening prior following the announcement that a grand jury voted not to indict a police officer who killed a young man there over the summer –an incident that sparked discussions and debates about race, as well as sometimes violent protests and demonstrations.

"It is a sign of hope that we gather,” Rabbi Adler said.

He also shared a parable about a man who had spent much of his life searching for treasure, only to eventually find it in his own home. He said that we all spend much time searching for a home – whether in the concrete or spiritual sense – and that many in the local community are on a similar journey.

“Home is something that we build together,” he said.