Interfaith Series

[wil]

We are bringing in folks to compare with...if you are in the Balt/DC area and feel like joining us....

Unity Center of Light
InterFaith Series

August 2 - September 13, 2006
All events are on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted

August 2 Hinduism and Chanting with Meena and Krishna
Somanchi

August 9 An Interfaith Experience with Circle of Light Interfaith Ministry

August 16 Dances of Universal Peace (Sufi)


August 23 Living Muslim with Imam Karim Abuzaid of the
Prince George’s Muslim Association

Friday, “MOTHER TERESA” The Movie
August 25 In a powerful portrayal, Olivia Hussey
7:00 p.m. illuminates the life story of Mother Teresa, the selfless
missionary who brought hope and salvation to the
poorest of the poor.

August 30 Native American Spirituality with Thadius Chintaw
“Strong Mountain” Sale, Member of the Cherokee
Nation, Bird Clan

Sep. 6 Judaism with Rabbi Philip Pohl, Nevey Shalom

Sep. 13 InterFaith Candlelighting Service with
Representatives from 12 Major World Religions

Unity Center of Light is located at 3501 Moylan Drive, Bowie,.MD 20715 Please call form more info at 301-464-5581 or for directions. You may also find us on the web at unitycenteroflight.org. (directions are there...use them, Mapquest sends you 'round the cape)


(After this we'll be back to our drumming, chanting, dancing and silent meditations...)

[Abogado del Diablo]

Looks like a great lineup. Too bad I'm so far away.

[flowperson]

Looks great wil.

Too bad teleportation isn't quite up and running yet or I'd be there... but then again, I'm not that far from Area 51...oops!...forgot...that doesn't even exist, does it ?

Have fun !

flow....

[wil]

I cannot tell you what fun we've had. With all the speakers, all the discussion, all the connection that was involved. All wanting to get together again, and maybe more often than once a year...it was great to see it all come together.

And then last weekend an interfaith retreat with our middle school kids. We had kids come from Roanoke, VA to the south and Syracuse NY to the north, and every state in between. 63 kids and 21 adults came. About an even mix of girls and boys... We had speakers on Hinduism, Native American and Bahai, we discussed Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Judaism (our event having inadvertently been scheduled at the first day of Roshashana and Ramadan..(not very good of us) we had difficulties getting representatives) We did Sufi dancing, chanting, the kids meditated and drew mandalas. They learned about the various thoughts, traditions, holidays, symbols, and holy texts.

While we rained information on them, we told them they were just dipping thier little toe into all of the thought and information in our world....they soaked it up like sponges. They hardly got breaks, it was more of an intense workshop than a retreat and they had a great time.

They learned a peace dance with chants from 8 religions and moved into the sanctuary at the end of service and blew the congregation away...all of them wearing rainbow tie died shirts with the earth and world religion symbols around it....

What a blesssing to take part in this with our youth, our future. 2 much fun.

[taijasi]

wil, this brings the best kind of tears to my eyes ... and reminds me that there is SOOO much HOPE, for Our Planet and for the Human Family!

Thank you

[InLove]

Hey, wil--I remember you talking about this project somewhere else on another thread. So it sounds like it was great! I was wondering what the kids thought. Did you have any conversations with some of them afterwards? I love to hear children's comments on things like this.

Also, I noticed there was a film about Mother Teresa, but I'm wondering how much actual participation there was from the Christian communities.

And I was wondering if you know how any of the various leaders treated the interfaith experiences when they returned to their own churches, synagogues, etc. I suppose I mean something like how did they recap in their individual youth groups and so on? Do you know?

InPeace,
InLove

[wil]

There is a leadership conference going on right now in Alexandria VA, Ministers, Teachers, Administrators and some lay folk...I asked the people that I know who are going to see what feed back we get.

Also I've been contemplating working up a letter to go out to the various churches to get some feedback as well.

I do know that our speakers for the adult version of our interfaith time ask to be contacted to return, and the fellowship time afterword is always a hubub of conversation. This is our fifth year which started in a one night ecumenical service and this year grew into a 2 month period of exploration and the added youth component. So far while there have been some hiccups, I'd say our congregation is 99% positive about the experience.