Annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service

-Michael Sullivan

Semih Kemih of the Pocono Interfaith Council speaking

The Poconos Interfaith Council hosted their Annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service at Christ Episcopal Church on November 24th, 2024. Faith leaders from across Stroudsburg and the Poconos area gathered to hear the over 80-person choir consisting of choir members from the different churches in the area. Many of the choir members of the Church of Saint Luke were represented including three of our cantors Diane Taitt, Mary Frances-Kresge and Anthony Stevens-Arroyo. As well as Anthony’s son Adan Stevens-Diaz, Betty Reed, Debby McDonald, Shawn Walsh and other choir members.

Members of the Interfaith Choir Adan Stevens-Diaz in the center with the black beard

The service opened with a song from the play “Rent” ‘Seasons of Love’ with solo performances by the Pastor of Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elizabeth Koerner, and the new Pastor of Zion United Church, Gary Barraco. The Rent song was followed by words from the Lenepe Nation of Pennsylvania brought to us by Clan Mother Shelly who offered her thanks to the Interfaith Council for inviting a member of their tribe and sang in Lenape dialect. Then we watched as the Unitarian Universalist, the Reverend Susan H. Odessky, lit a candle in a Calice. It is a Unitarian tradition stemming back to the 1980s to light this “Flaming Calice”. The Stroudsburg United Methodist Church Pastor, Monica B. Guepet and the Reverend Gary Barraco recited an opening poem by Annie Lighthart before the choir sang again.

The outstanding choir led by the musical talents from Saint John’s Lutheran church, Bob Riday and Gary Raish, sang “Love Outstanding (Holy Manna)” with Bethann Kratzer, musical director at Christ Episcopal on the piano. Suzanne Prych played a special solo song on the flute “Simple Gifts” that might have stolen the show. The flute performance had to follow Rabbi Daniel Zucker from Temple Israel singing Deuteronomy 8 (7-10) in Hebrew and Semih Kiyma, outreach coordinator from the Chestnut Retreat Center, singing Surah Luqman 31:8-12 from the Holy Qur’an.

Snippets of Lenepe dialectic, Hebrew, and Arabic

Our own Pastor of the Church of Saint Luke Father Michael Quinnan followed the Rabbi’s Hebrew and the Semih’s Arabic with Saint Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.

Father Quinnan before reading 1 Thessalonians 5

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, 13 and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both] for each other and for all. 16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 

The Homily was given by Rabbi Daniel Zucker. He reminded us of how blessed we are, how much we have to be thankful for this holiday season. Although this holiday season will be tougher than most for many Americans, Rabbi Zucker reminded us of the utter poverty and destitution around the world that still exists in parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, where starvation is still rampant, and diseases spread with no treatment. We were reminded of the many difficulties around the world, and also in our own community, and that we must give thanks to the Lord for what we have and help those who have not.

Father Quinnan seated next to Deacon Luis while the Rabbi speaks

The collections were taken for the Paint the Town Red initiative to support the food pantries of the local churches. Throughout Stroudsburg red bows will be tied in honor of deceased loved ones and the proceeds from this effort will be spread across the various Churches to help pay for the food that feeds so many struggling in our town.

Then we a poem of Fethullah Gulen’s was read with a musical accompaniment by three men from the Chestnut Retreat Center. Akif Turk read while Huseyin Aldanmis played the Ney and Enes Tekin played the Tanbur.

The poem of Fethullah Gulen

We did a Litany of Thanksgiving in which Deacon Luis Rivera, representing Saint Matthews in East Stroudsburg, was one of the leaders. All stood and sang Psalm 65 “To Bless the Earth” before a brief word from Anthony Stevens-Arroyo and Semih Kemih. Finally, we concluded with the final blessing and the congregation singing, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”.  

The Poconos Interfaith Council has brought together peoples of all religious backgrounds to help coordinate their various efforts to assist those most in need in Monroe County and the Poconos. The Annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service and the Paint the Town Red fundraiser are both efforts to deepen the collaboration between the local food pantries and homeless shelters. Individually, our churches feed and help many hundreds of people each month, but collectively we can service many more. The Church of Saint Luke has already fostered relations with many of the churches and secular organizations that help to feed the poor and shelter the homeless and we hope to continue to broaden those ties in the years to come.

To learn more about the Paint the Town Red fundraiser you can watch WNEP’s story on it here: Here https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/buying-a-red-bow-can-help-your-hungry-neighbors-christ-episcopal-church-paint-the-town-red-fundraiser/523-b3e8d9a3-736b-496e-a546-efd30b24b0ca