Interfaith service on Longboat Key unites residents and instills hope after hurricanes

It's a unique blend of stoles and vestments for a unique, but much-needed spiritual church service.

For residents on Longboat Key, year-round and seasonal, the service at All Angels By the Sea Episcopal Church was a healing close to autumn after after a disastrous beginning with Helene and Milton.

The six "pastor pals" gathered in the cloth of their corresponding house of worship for the 44th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service.

The interfaith assembly at All Angels, with Rev. David Marshall as the host, featured a congregation that filled the pews and left parishioners standing all the way to the entrance hall.

Marshall nestled in between the lineup, which also included the Rev. Robert Dziedziak of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Rev. Kenneth Blyth of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, Rev. Julia Piermont of Christ Church of Longboat Key, Rabbi Stephen Sniderman of Temple Beth Israel, Rev. Brock Patterson and Rev. Jeffrey Nunes of Longboat Island Chapel.

"Our task is to reframe the stories we live by when the present seems hopeless," said the Rev. Julia Piermont from Christ Church in her sermon at the service. "When we feel devastated by fear, we need to look for creative ways to invest in what we believe. We need to invest ourselves with hope in our community, in this town and these islands, our houses of worship and our businesses because hope is as unreasonable as it is indispensable."

As the newest pastor on the island, Piermont was chosen to give her sermon called "Buying Into What You Believe.“ 

It focused on sharing stories that taught the importance of investing in your beliefs, especially in times of loss and destruction. This service also celebrated her one year of preaching on the island. 

Along with Piermont and Marshall, each religious leader participated in reading through scripture, prayers and addresses related to the meaning of the Thanksgiving. An interfaith choir with members from all congregations, led by All Angels Music Director David Stasney, sang hymns inspired by the various faiths they were celebrating. 

The service also benefited All Faiths Food Bank. Attendees brought in non-perishable foods to donate to the local nonprofit. 

Choir members Andy Sawyer and Michael Gardiner from Christ Church were amazed at the camaraderie they saw between the members of the different congregations. They said this was a monumental event that was needed after the hardship Longboat residents have been through recently. 

"Every time something like this happens with a hurricane, I always say, 'We should move,'" said St. Mary congregant Nancy Rozance. "But then I attend events like these, and I know that I won't find another community like this. Every one of these religious leaders is so passionate about what they do, and they really care about the people that they serve."