An Interfaith Day of Prayer
Saturday, November 24, 2001, 10 AM to 4 PM
sharing our prayers,
celebrating our common ground
at La Casa de Maria Retreat and Conference Centers - Ladera Campus
801 Ladera Lane -- Santa Barbara, CA 93108 -- (805) 565-9062
Across the boundaries of culture and tradition that may have separated us, people of faith can share surprisingly deep common ground. As a prayerful life develops, universal themes often emerge. Among these are gratitude, connectedness, reassurance, adoration, mercy, forgiveness, blessing and surrender. These shared themes can become paths for people of different faiths to reach out to one another in peace, since no one group or culture can now build a peaceful world or even a peaceful community by itself.
As religions continue to clash around the world, and people of different faiths encounter one another ever more frequently, people of good heart in every tradition are challenged to transform these encounters from fear and condescension to respect and appreciation. We will explore deep listening as one possible key to that transformation.
We invite you to join us in learning how our sisters and brothers in many traditions pray (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Native American, Christian and others) and we will share the prayers that guide our lives. Each sincere and compassionate prayer invites all who hear it to pray, in their own ways, more sincerely and more compassionately, and thus we will open ourselves to receive the grace that can come to us through every human heart. The focus will be on faith as you live it in the middle of life's many struggles, rather than on formal theology, and on blessing what you find that is good rather than judging what might appear to be lacking. We hope to create together an experience of shared meaning and shared blessing that each participant can take back to her or his community.
The "Guiding Lights" of this gathering will include, among others,
Sensei Robert Joshin Althouse, Zen Peacemaker Order,
Fr. Virgil Cordano, OFM, pastor emeritus of Saint Barbara Parish,
Fariba Enteshari, scholar and teacher of Rumi's poetry,
Richard D. Hecht, Professor of Religious Studies (UCSB),
Gene Knudsen Hoffman, Quaker writer and peace activist,
Farah Michelle Kimball, scholar of the Koran and
Director of the International Peace Project,
Brice Taylor, teacher of the Bahá'í Faith,
Father Constantine Zozos,
Pastor of Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.
In preparation for this retreat, please review the following list of questions and give some thought (and perhaps make some notes) regarding any of the questions that speak to you. (At the retreat you may share as much or as little as feels comfortable to you.)
How did your prayer life begin?
What changes have you noticed in your lifetime of prayer up to now?
What prayers have been the most sustaining to you in times of trouble?
What prayers have brought you closest to other people?
What are the central prayers of your tradition?
What prayers of your own composition would you like to share with others?
How do you understand the process of praying? (can be many leveled)
How do you pray for your own children and the children of the world?
How do you pray for the web of life on Planet Earth?
RESOURCES FOR MULTIFAITH UNDERSTANDING
From: Joel Beversluis <conexus@iserv.net>
Date: Friday, September 14, 2001
We all deplore the horrible tragedy and violence experienced on Tuesday, September 11.
In response, you and millions of others participated in numerous public and private prayer services. Significantly, many of these were multifaith services. North Americans are clearly recognizing the religious diversity among us as well as understanding our common needs and similar spiritual yearnings.
Unfortunately, some persons have struck out in a generalized anger toward Arabs (including Christian Palestinians) and Muslims. Even Sikhs have been targeted in recent days, based on their appearance. Demonization of the "other" becomes simplistic rhetoric and reaction.
In response to all threats to religious freedom, human dignity, and life itself we must take additional steps to promote inter-religious understanding and cooperation. We must use the tools of listening and dialogue to understand the causes for actions such as in New York and Washington, and act out of love rather than fear or hatred. We must learn from each other, across religious boundaries, the healing winds of Spirit in the world.
This tragedy proves that even as we maintain religious diversity, the growing challenges in our world demand the insights, interpersonal relationships and methods pioneered in interfaith movements and organizations during the past century. Interfaith organizations in New York City and Washington D.C. (listed below) are already responding to the great needs they face.
Below is a short description of resources for those seeking to respond with the support of multifaith organizations and the growing body of interfaith wisdom. In addition to the organizations listed, numerous others are working locally, regionally, and internationally, in religious and ecumenical agencies, educational institutions, on the internet, and in service and advocacy positions. And some people and religious institutions-and even politicians!-- are now responding with interfaith instincts and multifaith programs whether or not they are part of an organization with this agenda.
As we face the crises of our time, we will discover new sources of spiritual solidarity and wisdom across religious boundaries. We'll learn about the good and sacred, as well as the bad news. The resources for multifaith understanding listed below can support your multifaith outreach in times of crisis as well as those times where we do our business as usual. By interacting with others in a wider community of religious and spiritual philosophies, we can begin to understand what is at stake and the possibilities for re- shaping the world, together.
RESOURCES FOR MULTIFAITH UNDERSTANDING:
CONEXUS MULTIFAITH MEDIA CENTER distributes resources that support inter-religious understanding and cooperation. Materials that are particularly useful in this context include: Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality; All in Good Faith: A Resource Book for Multifaith Prayer; The 2002 Multifaith Calendar;the Golden Rules Poster (versions from 13 religions), and the Multifaith Information Manual, which was designed for use in institutions such as hospitals, professional training schools, and prisons. For detailed information on these and other media, or to place an order, visit www.conexuspress.com or call toll-free 1-877-784-7779.
COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS (CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, works to protect the human rights of Muslims and to provide appropriate information about Islam. For instance, on Wednesday following the attack, CAIR called on Muslims nationwide to offer whatever assistance they can to help the victims of today's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, DC. They also provide frequent news releases pertinent to the seven million Muslims in America. Visit http://www.cair-net.org
HUMANITARIAN RESOURCE INSTITUTE (HRI) offers a web site that serves as a hub of news, links, and emergency and relief information, especially for use by religious and civic organizations. Visit http://www.humanitarian.net Also visit HRI's new Interfaith News Network for its coverage of the World Trade Center Terrorist Incident, at: http://www.humanitarian.net/interfaith/tradecenter
NEW YORK: In this city of such great need there are several substantial interfaith organizations, including:
THE INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK offers a street level presence in mid-town Manhattan with educational programs, a gift shop and display are. They are also supporting an urban ministry program that is responding to the great need following the tragedies, and organized an interfaith prayer service on Thursday Sept. 13 for the United Nations community, followed by a press conference with Kofi Annan. They also maintain contacts with the United Nations community and throughout the world. tel. 212-685-4242. Their web site is http://www.interfaithcenter.org
TEMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING provides educational programs, conferences and interfaith services for the NY region, the United Nations community, and internationally, through videos, personal contacts, experiential programs, conferences, and multifaith prayer services. Visit: www.templeofunderstanding.org
WORLD CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PEACE works internationally with religious institutions and through ngo's and the United Nations community; it addresses a host of peace-related issues and coordinates multifaith leadership in arenas such as conflict-resolution, disarmament and religious freedom. Visit: www.wcrp.org
NORTH AMERICAN INTERFAITH NETWORK (NAIN) offers networking among approximately 60 interfaith organizations in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Its web site offers a directory of interfaith organizations, a list of religious web sites, NAIN's online newsletter and Interfaith Digest, a chat room, a library, young adult pages, and other related information. Its next annual conference will be held in Wichita, Kansas, next August. Visit www.nain.org
UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE is a grass-roots international interfaith organization with over 130 cooperation circles and numerous affiliate organizations and individuals. The URI Emergency Response Network (in San Francisco) offers a model in which over 100 religious leaders in the wider Bay area have formed a network to respond instantly to verified acts of hate violence perpetrated against religious, ethnic, racial, and gender minorities in Northern California. Visit www.uri.org
UNITED WAY of NEW YORK: Much is needed in the effort to help the victims. If you would like to help financially with the recovery efforts, please donate to United Way of New York's September 11th Fund at: www.uwnyc.com/epledge/sept11.cfm Or send donations to: The September 11th Fund, United Way New York City, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
WASHINGTON D.C.
This city, with its current trauma and immense responsibility, is capably served by the INTERFAITH CONFERENCE OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON. It provides services for the permanent resident community as well as for the diverse international presence in this city through effective coalitions with others on, for example, educational programs for high school students, coordinating information about human services, offering multifaith prayer services and concerts, and addressing issues of social and economic justice. Visit: www.interfaith- metrodc.org
WORLD INTERFAITH CONGRESS. Visit the interfaith networking web site created by Bruce Schuman that helped bring you this email and offers free directory listings, content, discussion and network services to more than 800 faith- based, ecumenical and interfaith organizations, plus many individual participants. Additional organizational representatives are invited to participate by providing their own information and accessing discussions, documents from religious and interfaith organizations, project descriptions, contact information for many other organizations with numerous areas of service and focus, and more. (Note: the web site was inactive for a time, but is now poised for greater participation.) Visit: www.interfaithcongress.org
I invite your participation where appropriate and encourage you to send this text on to your friends and colleagues.
Seeking peace,
Joel Beversluis
Editor, Sourcebook of the World's Religions; Editor, North American Interfaith Network News; and Proprietor, CoNexus Multifaith Media Center E-mail: Conexus@iserv.net
Web site: www.conexuspress.com
To respond directly to the author, click on the email address above. To contribute responses to the larger community via the World Interfaith Congress (WIC) web site's discussion board, logon with your name and password at www.interfaithcongress.org