BLOOMINGTON — What happens when a bell choir, a meditation prayer song, a church choir, a Tanzanian family singing and playing the drums, and other expressions of faith share the same stage?
Bloomington will find out November 8.
At 6 p.m., approximately nine local faith communities will gather at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington for an Interfaith Concert of Thanksgiving and Gratitude, an evening celebrating the many ways Bloomington’s faith communities express gratitude and worship, and care for their neighbors.
The concert will feature a wide variety of offerings. Participating groups are expected to include choirs, bell choirs, individual singers and musicians, meditation and prayer songs, spoken-word offerings, and other expressions chosen by each faith community.
Among the participating communities are Congregation Beth Shalom, the Unitarian Universalist Church, First Presbyterian Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bloomington Friends Meeting, Fairview Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Unity of Bloomington, and the Bahá’í Faith Community.
The program is intentionally designed to make room for both large and small congregations. A full choir is not required; communities may participate with a handful of musicians, a soloist, a family, spoken word, instrumental music, or another offering that reflects their tradition.
While music provides the framework for the evening, the organizers say the concert is ultimately about connection.
The November event is intended to create opportunities for people of different faith traditions to meet one another, learn from one another, and build relationships. Thanksgiving and gratitude were selected as the central theme because they offer a natural point of connection across religious and cultural traditions.
The evening will also extend that spirit of gratitude into action. Attendees will be invited to bring shelf-stable food items for Hoosier Hills Food Bank to help meet needs within the local community.
“Gratitude draws us closer to God and closer to one another,” says Oscar Zavala of the Bloomington Stake Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We all worship differently, but we share a desire to love our neighbors, strengthen our communities, and care for those in need. I’m grateful for the opportunity to stand alongside my friends of many faiths and traditions to celebrate the love and goodness that unites us.”
To allow time for every participating community to share while respecting the schedules of performers and attendees, the concert program will be approximately 90 minutes. The formal program will then give way to an informal time of fellowship and refreshments, offering attendees another opportunity to connect.
Organizers hope the event will become an ongoing expression of Bloomington’s commitment to interfaith understanding, one that celebrates the richness of individual traditions while creating opportunities to discover what communities share.
About the Interfaith Concert
The Interfaith Concert of Thanksgiving and Gratitude was created to strengthen relationships among Bloomington’s diverse faith communities through shared music, authentic expressions of faith, fellowship, and service. Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and organized by the Interfaith Concert Advisory Council, the event is an opportunity to celebrate both the distinct traditions represented in Bloomington and the common values that connect people across those traditions.
