A partnership of Temple Israel, The Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska and The American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture.





Sep
22
2009
Samir Selmanovic

It’s Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian

is a 224 page work written by Samir Selmanovic and published by John Wiley & Sons : Jossey-Bass with an ISBN13 of 9780470527290

Many  say “Religion? No thanks. I’d rather be spiritual than religious.” But a departure from religion is at the very same time a departure from its rich treasures of community, insight, art, practice, organized action, and hard lessons. Without religion, we find ourselves isolated, incoherent, and naïve on our spiritual journeys. It’s Really All About God is a very personal story and a thrilling exploration of a redeeming, dynamic, and radically different way of treasuring one’s own religion while discovering God, goodness, and grace in others and in their traditions.
Samir is one of the co-founders of Faith House in Manhattan, an interfaith community which sponsors interfaith programs, as well as programs of all the Abrahamic faiths open to the interfaith community. 
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Sep
18
2009

Holiday Blessings

Posted by: admin in Categories: Tri-Faith Initiative.

This is a weekend of special celebrations for members of the Tri-Faith.

 Tonight our Jewish members celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the new year and the beginning of the Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur later in the month.  As the sun goes down, let us pause for a moment to be with them in spirit. Rosh Hashanah is seen as the symbolic anniversary of the creation of the world.  Worship in synagogue services includes the blowing of the shofar or ram’s horn, and there are special foods eaten by tradition including a sweet challah bread and apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year.  The traditional greeting is “Shana Tova” in Hebrew.

Also tonight, Omaha Muslims are gathering for the first annual Community Iftar dinner sponsored by the Islamic Center of Omaha.  I saw Azhar and Bilal at Borders on Wednesday when they were meeting with colleagues planning the final details and only a few tickets were left.  It will be a fund raiser for the renovation of the Islamic Center which is currently closed for construction.  Iftar is the dinner where Muslims break the fast during Ramadan.  Tomorrow night, they will complete the Holy Month and celebrate Eid-al-Fitr on Sunday. The traditional greeting is “Eid Mubarak.” As our Muslim friends celebrate with their community tonight and their families for Eid, let’s join in wishing them all blessings of the season.

 Join me in a prayer of thanksgiving for all we receive from the God we share.

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Sep
01
2009

Martin Marty Coming to Omaha

Posted by: admin in Categories: Christianity, Interfaith, Islam.
     
 

What constitutes a fundamentalist movement? What are some of the most prominent examples in our world today? Project Interfaith, Center for Faith Studies, and Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation sponsor “Beyond Fundamentalism: Theirs and Ours”, a community conversation with renowned theologian and scholar Dr. Martin Marty. Dr. Marty will survey the militant and often lethal challenges to civil order caused by fundamentalist movements in far away places such as India and the Middle East. Dr. Marty then will focus on the often militant fundamentalist movements present here in the Unites States. By holding up the mirror to fundamentalist movements here and abroad, he will set out to account for such movements, touch on the psychology of those involved, assess the two sets of challenges they bring, and discuss strategies for facing them and–one hopes–transcending them. This community conversation is not designed to be an exercise in fundamentalist-bashing but rather an attempt to understand these movements and how communities respond to the challenges they pose. We invite you to register today. More details including registration information is below. Please forward this onto others who may be interested. Thank you!

 

“Beyond Fundamentalisms: Theirs and Ours”, A Community Conversation with Dr. Martin MartyThis program is part of Project Interfaith’s 2009-2010 Community Conversations Annual Speaker Series and the 2009-2010 Center for Faith Studies Annual Lecture SeriesWhen: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 7:00 pm

Location: Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68114

(Free Parking is available in the Countryside Community Church parking lot)

Suggested Donation: $10 per person

Registration: space is limited. To register please visit
http://martinmartyomaha.eventbrite.com

 

Project Interfaith serves as a leader and resource on interfaith and religious diversity issues. We work with religious groups, educators, corporations, and all members of the community to promote a deeper understanding of and respect for religious diversity. We offer innovative, community-building programs that educate and engage audiences on issues of faith, religion, identity, and interfaith relations. For more information, visit our blog at http://projectinterfaith.blogspot.com or call (402) 933-4647.

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Aug
28
2009

Ramadan Mubarak

Posted by: admin in Categories: Ecumenism, Interfaith, Islam.

The holy month of Ramadan began in the U.S. on August 21.  Observant Muslims fast during the day.  As one friend explained, “for a few hours we get to experience the hunger that the poor feel all the time.”  At the end of the month, Muslims make a charitable commitment to of a prescribed percentage of their wealth, so fasting helps remind the believers of the needs that exist in the world.

At night, Muslims break the fast with a dinner known as Iftar, often shared with friends and neighbors. Iftar dinners are often opportunities to invite interfaith friends to share dinner and learn more about Islam and Muslims’ faith and practices like the Friendship Dinner sponsored on August 27 by the Niagara Foundation.

When greeting a Muslim friend during the month of Ramadan, the standard greeting is “Ramadan Mubarak”.

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Aug
16
2009

The World Council of Churches held a youth gathering outside Geneva.

The three-week course, which had the theme “Building an Interfaith Community”, was attended by young Christians, Jews and Muslims from all over the world.

 Students heard presentations on Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and on the contributions of each of the religions to peacemaking. Daily morning prayers were prepared alternately by the Christian, Jewish and Muslim participants, and the group attended services in a church, synagogue and mosque in Geneva.

 Religion is so often seen as a barrier to peace, but peace is a central theme across the religions and a good basis for discussions about interfaith community-building, says Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur.

Read the complete story here:

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article//theres-value-in-diversit.html

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Aug
01
2009

 

TRI-FAITH FAMILY PICNIC

Celebrating Health and Wellness

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009

12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Rain or Shine

 

All Saints Episcopal Church, East Lawn

93rd and Blondo

Please RSVP by email to info@trifaith.org

 

Main dish and beverages will be provided.  Please bring a dish to share – salad, side dish or dessert.  Because our three faith groups have a variety of dietary restrictions, good choices are fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, salads with veggies, pasta and rice, breads, chips, salsa and any dishes you would serve on Jewish or Muslim holidays.We ask that you do not bring a dish with pork in it, or a dish which combines meat and dairy in one dish (a meat casserole with cheese, lasagna, etc.) 

 

Activities for children and adults

 

Sports, bounce castle, therapy dogs and more

 

Health fair provided by Creighton Medical School

 

Free blood pressure screenings, osteoporosis information.

 

The Undercroft will be available for those who need air conditioning as a respite from the heat.

 

 

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Jul
26
2009

We have posted a story from Great Britain about the effects of swine flu (H1N1 Virus) on religious practices, especially those that involve shared vessels, towels and other items in Christian and Muslim worship. Britain has been hard hit by the virus already — many believe it is because of its status as an international travel hub.

For the full story please see our NEWS page.  US religious bodies have been doing preliminary planning in case this flu virus becomes widespread in this country.  There is no need for panic or major concern, but we may all be called on to reconsider how we have traditionally practiced our religions

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Jul
19
2009

The Rev. Canon Judi Yeates of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska posted this on the Nebraska Diocese blog from the Triennial General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Anaheim, CA last week:

Tri-Faith Initiative Day

July 15, 2009 by jyeates

Today your deputies will be wearing their Tri-Faith shirts on the floor of the House of Deputies and as we meet this afternoon for a Joint Session of both Houses for the discussion on the Triennial Budget (2010-12).

Yesterday the morning session ended with the presentation of a delegation of visitors from the ecumenical community who are attending GC. They were introduced by Bishop Chris Epting (from the Omaha Regional Office), who is deputy to the PB for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations.

At the end of the introductions, a representative from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith traditions each sang a prayer and then ended by combining their voices into a sung Abrahamic blessing. It was beautiful and inspiring.

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Jul
18
2009

Walter Cronkite was Interfaith Leader

Posted by: admin in Categories: Ecumenism, Interfaith.

Washington, D.C. – Interfaith Alliance President, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy expressed his deep sorrow on the passing of Walter Cronkite, the organization’s honorary chair. Mr. Cronkite has been affiliated with Interfaith Alliance since 1997. Mr. Cronkite told Rev. Gaddy at their first meeting that “nothing less is at stake in the work of the Interfaith Alliance then the existence of democracy as we know it.”

Our sympathies are with all who knew and respected Mr. Cronkite and we honor his committment to interfaith work.

To read more, The Interfaith Alliance can be reached at www.interfaithalliance.org.  Rev. Gaddy did a broadcast about the Tri-Faith Dinner in Abraham’s Tent in April.  The replay is available on their website.

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Jul
15
2009

From our friends at Common Tables:

 

 

 
Lailat al Miraj – Muslim  

 

 
In the Islamic faith, the holiday Lailat al Miraj (Lailätu ‘l-Mi‘r??), also known as Shab-e-Miraj (Šab-e Mi’râj), commemorates the Prophet Mohammed’s miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night around the year 621 and his subsequent ascension to heaven. During this journey, the two parts of which are known as Isra and Miraj, it is said that Mohammed met earlier prophets (including Jesus, Moses, and Abraham). Muhammad met Allah (God) and received the command for the five daily prayers, called Salat.  
 
Nature of the Journey: While orthodox sentiment preserves the belief that the journey was a physical one, many Islamic scholars consider it to have been a dream or a vision. There are also some who argue that the journey was a type of metaphor – a revelation for Muhammad in symbolic form for the guidance of the Muslim nation. Many Sufis (Muslim mystics) claim that the story of the journey describes the soul’s leap into mystic knowledge.

In 2009, Lailat al Miraj is on Sunday, July 19th. The holiday is observed on 27 Rajab – which is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. Lailat al Miraj is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar (a lunar calendar); however, the date on the Gregorian calendar (a solar calendar) varies from year to year.
 
Note: In the Muslim calendar, the day begins at the sunset of the previous day. Observing Muslims will celebrate Lailat al Miraj on the sunset of Saturday, the 18th of July.
To read more about this and receive direct alerts of special days and holidays for all faiths, go to www.commontables.org.
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