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KW: Ian and I attended an interfaith, multi-cultural prayer service tonight at St. Matthew’s Church in Dix Hills. We went for a variety of reasons: it was about affordable housing and addressing poverty; it was in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Fred Brewington – civil rights attorney and preacher – was giving the homily; and some of our friends were performing music. It was a great evening of reflection and fellowship.
Many of the people there are more hopeful about Barack Obama and his promises than we are. One man on the Noah’s pudding* line said: “It gave a new meaning to sing ‘We Shall Overcome’, now that we have, in a way.'” So, even though I have my reservations about Obama, and especially knowing that Obama wants more war in Afghanistan, it is interesting to be in the midst of people’s optimism, and to think that at least something happened, at least America elected an African American President.
Above: Fred Brewington, Esq. delivered the “Charge to the Congregation.”
Above: Fred Brewington
Even with the snow, there was a good turnout. Above: Gathering of Light Choir
Above: Gathering of Light, Multifaith Spiritual Fellowship Choir, Reverend JoAnn Barrett in white,
Annie Marks plays guitar and leads choir.
Gathering of Light played “American Prayer.” It had a good beat. People clapped.
While Gathering of Light performs, a young boy stands on pew and claps
*The Noah’s pudding is a special dish. It was prepared for the congregants to enjoy at a reception following the service by the Turkish Cultural Center Long Island.
The entire program was sponsored by:
Huntington Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing Now (ICAHN)
Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger (MICAH) and
Long Island Jobs with Justice
The service was adapted from the 2008 National Children’s Sabbath Manual created by the Children’s Defense Fund.
Filed under: events, Photos, Political Websites, To Study Up On Nonviolence Tagged: | Affordable Housing, dr. martin luther king, Fred Brewington, Gathering of Light, Jr., Martin Luther King, poverty
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