For the second year in a row, a broad spectrum of more than two dozen Madison churches and Christian ministries gave thanks to God in an ecumenical Thanksgiving service. The service was held Monday evening, November 20, at City Church on Buckeye Road.
Foregoing their significant theological differences, participants chose instead to agree on their unifying faith in Jesus Christ and the blessings of faith that called for thankful praise.
“Gratitude is our response to the gift of life,” said Madison Catholic Bishop Donald Hying in his Call to Worship. “Thanksgiving isn’t to be held to the fourth Thursday of November. Thanksgiving is a whole way of life.” He acknowledged that giving thanks when it comes in the midst of suffering is not always easy.
“Grateful” was the name of the musical reflection offered by the Lighthouse Kids Choir, sung in the Black Gospel style and directed by Dr. Ruben Broadnax.
Grateful was the posture taken by the Samaritan leper, whose healing was recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Out of the ten lepers who were healed in chapter 17, only he returned to Jesus to give thanks and praise God.
In his short reflection on the text chosen for the service, City Church pastor Tom Flaherty noted that all ten got a blessing and were healed, but only one got a relationship that came from a thankful heart. “As Christians we can [doctrinally] disagree on exactly how salvation comes, but we all agree it comes through Jesus,” he concluded.
The service included the presentation of an offering of non-perishable food items to be donated to area food pantries and a Thanksgiving liturgy led by representatives of five different churches and ministries, with the refrain, “We thank you and praise, O Lord.”
Bishop Hying noted that about 700 attended last year’s ecumenical service. Attendance this year was reported to be 850.
- The service co-sponsors included:
Anglican Church of the Messiah Madison
Catholic Diocese of Madison
City Church
Christ Church Madison
Collaboration Project
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Foundry Spiritual Center
Geneva Campus Church
Grace Episcopal Church
High Point Church
Life Center Madison
Life is Christ Ministries
Lighthouse Church
Madison Area Jail Ministry
New Covenant Church of Christ
New Crossing Church
Orchard Church
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church
St. Bernard Catholic Church-Madison
St. Bernard Catholic Church-Middleton
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Orthodox Church
St. Dennis Catholic Church
St. Peter Catholic Church
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
S.S. Morris Community AME Church
Upper House
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Westwood Christian Church
Wisconsin Council of Churches
The 2024 Ecumenical Service will be held Monday, November 25, location to be determined, according to the order of service flyer.
1 Comment
Unfortunately, I was a recent resident in the Dane County Jail. There have been no religious services whatsoever inside since COVID started 4 years ago. I witnessed a jail-house baptism in the bathroom, over a sink, with a plastic cup. Please encourage all the denominations to go back into the jail.