“Are You For Us or For Our Enemies?” Joshua asked the man standing in front of him just outside of Jericho. ” [Joshua 5:13] “Neither,” he responded, saying he was with God, as the commander of the army of the Lord. In the wake of this fraught election season, said Lighthouse church pastor Marcio Sierra, it would be good to find our unity in God and not politics, “loving each other as God loves us.”
Pastor Sierra offered the reflection as part of the third annual community ecumenical Thanksgiving service, held Monday, November 25, 2024, at Bethel Lutheran Church. One of the ways that unity played out was that the canned goods and offering collected at the service was split evenly between Lutheran, Catholic, and evangelical food pantries: the Bethel Food Pantry, St. Vincent De Paul, and Extended Hands Food Pantry which is based at Lighthouse church.
“We come to celebrate what we have in common,” said ELCA Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe in her Call to Worship, echoed by Catholic Bishop Donald Hying in his opening prayer, “brothers and sisters in faith, drawn by our love for You.”
Bethel’s large sanctuary was filled with clergy and the faithful from many local churches who came to enjoy the expression of unity where theological differences were put aside in favor of a broader expression of faith and thankfulness to God. Afterwards many stayed for conversation and snacks in the fellowship hall.
The Wisconsin State Journal has more photos from the Thanksgiving service.