Thanksgiving Interfaith Service Invites Community to Gather in Gratitude

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

The Pacific Palisades Interfaith Clergy invited community members to a Thanksgiving event on Monday evening, November 22, with a theme of “gathering as a community in gratitude.”

In previous years, attendees have congregated in-person at various locations, including Corpus Christi Church and Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, for the service. This year’s event was hosted at St. Matthew’s Parish and community members were invited to attend in-person or watch online.

“We are gathered here tonight to remember our blessings and give thanks for our community,” Reverend Grace Park from Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church said during the event.

Clergy from Corpus Christi Church, Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kehillat Israel, Palisades Lutheran Church and Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church spoke and were in attendance.

Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homeless Co-Chair Sharon Browning was also in attendance and shared some about the organization’s efforts

“Something that I didn’t know when I started this was that even though we don’t move this person off of the streets, in many cases, we do impact their lives,” she said. “We have people coming back to us who left two years ago, and are coming back to our social workers saying they are ready to go in, ready to be helped … We are moving into the bigger picture now.”

She also shared her gratitude for both the Task Force and the community.

“It’s wonderful to be with a faith community, to be able to talk about what we do and to see so many of our volunteers who are here in the sanctuary tonight,” she said. “We all come from different faiths and by some miracle we have come together.

“I want to thank you all for being here tonight, for caring, for being a part of the Palisades community and for supporting this effort.”

She told the Palisadian-Post she has attended the service before but this is the first time she participated by speaking on behalf of PPTFH.

“It was such a meaningful experience, it’s hard to put into words. You almost have to be there to experience the people of our community and the palpable feeling of quiet unity, warm caring, good will and joy,” she said. “It was an honor and privilege to participate and thank our wonderful faith community as well as our community in general for their growing support of PPTFH. I left the service feeling renewed, centered and hopeful. I hope others did too.”

Reverend Matthew Hardin of Palisades Presbyterian Church closed the ceremony with a concluding prayer and benediction.

“Throughout our society and throughout our world, the willingness to come together in such a fashion is so desperately needed,” he said.

Palisadians can still watch the program on The Episcopal Parish of St. Matthew’s YouTube channel.