This is the first time that Siri Guru Granth Sahib has held court in a church during a service in North America. This occurred at Mile Hi Church, a New Thought church, in Colorado. You may recognize that the preacher from this church, Reverend Shannon O'Hurley, has recently become known to Sikhs when videos of her sermons praising Sikhism recently spread around the internet.

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Title: Colorado Sikhs & Mile Hi Church; Amazing, Historic Sikh Interfaith Service.

On September 4, 2016, Mile Hi Church welcomed the Sikh community into its hearts and into its Sanctuary for an historic first.

Over 1,500 people from Mile Hi Church as well as other faith traditions, took off their shoes and covered their heads in honor of the Sikh tradition.

In less than 3 minutes, Reverend Shannon O'Hurley transformed her platform into a Gurdwara, and gave her pulpit to the message of the Guru. She welcomed Guru Ji (Senchi Form) into her house of worship, and gave it full and complete reverence.

"Imagine that the Christian Bible, or the Torah or the Koran or the Bhagvata Gita, or any sacred text was an actual living being. That Jesus, Budha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, or any of the great masters was actually going to come into the Sanctuary. This is the level of importance and reverence that the holy scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji is for the Sikhs. As such, very special preparations are made for the arrival of the Guru Ji.” -Rev. Shannon O'Hurley

When asked why she took such a bold step, Reverend O'Hurley replied “It’s time. Sikhism is a beautiful religion. It’s a faith that honors all people, that celebrates Oneness, and that is dedicated to service. We all have much to learn from our Sikh brothers and sisters."

Hundreds of members of the Sikh community gathered and felt the significance of this historic first. Said Naureen Singh, founder of the Sikh Association at University of Colorado said, “Everyone was so incredibly inquisitive and genuinely interested in learning about the Sikh faith, something I have frankly never seen growing up here in America. This was truly, especially for me, an unforgettable moment with feeling connected to both my Sikh faith and the community here in Colorado.”