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All God’s children
Candlelight Christmas Eve service brings faith traditions together
By LINDA M. LINONIS
youngstown
An ecumenical spirit embodies St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, which will welcome “all God’s children” to an interfaith Christmas Eve service at 8 p.m. Friday.
The Rev. D. Gary Schreckengost has been pastor for 20 years at the Historic Church of St. John, an identification also used for the place of worship.
The pastor said the parish is “barrier free” in the sense that it’s “welcoming and inclusive” to those of all faiths.
The Rev. Mr. Schreckengost asked his longtime friend, the Rev. Dr. Morris W. Lee, pastor of Third Baptist Church, the Rev. Stephen Pressey of St. Augustine Episcopal Church, and members of their congregations to participate in the service.
“Morris and I go back 40 years,” Mr. Schreckengost said of their friendship. Both have been active in civil rights going back to the 1960s, and both recalled the “turbulent times” that sparked a course of action on the “right thing to do.” “It induced a dialogue to build bridges between faith communities,” Mr. Schreckengost said.
Dr. Lee marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma, Ala. Father Pressey also supported civil rights and marched in Montgomery, Ala.
A mutual respect of one another and their faith traditions brought about the interfaith Christmas Eve service, now in its second year. “It was well-received last year,” Mr. Schreckengost said.
Mr. Schreckengost emphasized St. John’s ecumenical nature. It’s a site where the St. John Academy for Theological Study flourishes and attracts participants from a wide range of denominations to “higher level” discussions of Christianity. Both Dr. Lee and Father Pressey are teaching associates.
Though the Christmas Eve service will celebrate the anticipated birth of Jesus Christ, it also will serve as learning experience for participants. The service will incorporate traditions of the three denominations and the ministries of the three clergymen.
Dr. Lee will offer blessings and Scripture readings appropriate for Christmas Eve. Katrina Harris, a member of Third Baptist, will sing “Lamb of God” with piano accompaniment by Dr. Lee.
Father Pressey will annoint participants with oil by making the sign of the cross. This portion of the service recalls the “blessing of baptism” and how this sacrament “is the admission to Christ’s church and the sacraments,” Mr. Schreckengost said. The clergymen noted that oils are mentioned in Scripture, often as “healing oils” to annoint the sick.
Mr. Schreckengost will deliver the Christmas message, focusing on this “night of miracles.” He added that St. John’s follows a tradition of “open communion” in that if a person has been baptized, he or she is welcome to receive that sacrament.
Mr. Schreckengost said the church originated with Slovaks, but now includes members of various ethnic backgrounds.
“No one is excluded. We’re all God’s children,” he said, adding that he believes God doesn’t put denominational labels on believers.
The church has about 100 families, some old-time members and some new members.
“We’re a ‘Heinz 57’ family,” the pastor said, referring to the diversity of the congregation.
Mr. Schreckengost, Dr. Lee and Father Pressey all emphasized the need for more such services, which bring together people of different faith traditions and backgrounds.
They noted such services could serve as an example of what brings people together and unify them.
“I think we need to be intentional about what brings us together,” Mr. Schreckengost said.
Dr. Lee said people should ask “who is my neighbor” and find out the answer.
The interfaith service is one way to accomplish this.
Father Pressey said the miracle of Christ’s birth should serve to spark examination by participants about appreciating the meaning of Christmas and its impact on one’s life.
Mr. Schreckengost said he also hopes that the interfaith service will attract those who aren’t attending a church. They’re invited to stop in, participate and see “what’s going on” inside the church walls.