Religion in American Life program this Sunday
A Fifty Year Celebration of the Religion in American Life (RIAL) Thanksgiving Program will be held at the Huntingburg Event Center on Nov. 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited. Program includes prayers led by local ministers, music selections from various churches, Southridge High School Choirs and the Huntingburg Music Club.
Food and monetary donations will be collected for the local Shared Abundance food bank and the city’s Transient Fund.
RIAL began when Huntingburg churches were being challenged to rise above their differences and to pray and work together. Their very early successes were recognized by the community being placed in the national RIAL Hall of Fame.
Say it ain’t so. With all respect to the Event Center, it’s a cold, bare place to hold such traditionally warm and homey services that only the surroundings of a church could provide. If space and seating is the issue, suggest having two services, one at each of the two traditionally-held churches (ST Mary’s and Salem) that currently alternate years, either on successive evenings or a week apart leading up to Thanksgiving. Understand the services wouldn’t and couldn’t be exactly the same – not all participants could do both – but others could, and still others would fill in and be able to participate. Each service would be unique. It would allow these special services to seat all who want to attend and do so in the warmth and meaningful church environment that only the church can offer. Understand it’s the spirit and not the place – in theory. But the reality of it is, it’s the church(es).