FAITH HOUSE Manhattan

A Sabbath Poem (Bass)

PRAY FOR PEACE
~ by Ellen Bass

Pray to whomever you kneel down to:
Jesus nailed to his wooden or plastic cross,
his suffering face bent to kiss you,
Buddha still under the bo tree in scorching heat,
Adonai, Allah. Raise your arms to Mary
that she may lay her palm on our brows,
to Shekhina, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
to Inanna in her stripped descent.

Then pray to the bus driver who takes you to work.
On the bus, pray for everyone riding that bus,
for everyone riding buses all over the world.
Drop some silver and pray.

Waiting in line for the movies, for the ATM,
for your latte and croissant, offer your plea.
Make your eating and drinking a supplication.
Make your slicing of carrots a holy act,
each translucent layer of the onion, a deeper prayer.

To Hawk or Wolf, or the Great Whale, pray.
Bow down to terriers and shepherds and Siamese cats.
Fields of artichokes and elegant strawberries.

Make the brushing of your hair
a prayer, every strand its own voice,
singing in the choir on your head.
As you wash your face, the water slipping
through your fingers, a prayer: Water,
softest thing on earth, gentleness
that wears away rock.

Making love, of course, is already prayer.
Skin, and open mouths worshipping that skin,
the fragile cases we are poured into.

If you're hungry, pray. If you're tired.
Pray to Gandhi and Dorothy Day.
Shakespeare. Sappho. Sojourner Truth.

When you walk to your car, to the mailbox,
to the video store, let each step
be a prayer that we all keep our legs,
that we do not blow off anyone else's legs.
Or crush their skulls.
And if you are riding on a bicycle
or a skateboard, in a wheelchair, each revolution
of the wheels a prayer as the earth revolves:
less harm, less harm, less harm.

And as you work, typing with a new manicure,
a tiny palm tree painted on one pearlescent nail
or delivering soda or drawing good blood
into rubber-capped vials, writing on a blackboard
with yellow chalk, twirling pizzas--

With each breath in, take in the faith of those
who have believed when belief seemed foolish,
who persevered. With each breath out, cherish.

Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace,
feed the birds, each shiny seed
that spills onto the earth, another second of peace.
Wash your dishes, call your mother, drink wine.

Shovel leaves or snow or trash from your sidewalk.
Make a path. Fold a photo of a dead child
around your VISA card. Scoop your holy water
from the gutter. Gnaw your crust.
Mumble along like a crazy person, stumbling
your prayer through the streets.

(from Human Line)

It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian (Book Podcast)

~by Samir Selmanovic

I have been posting 5-8 min podcast episodes leading to the publication date of my new book It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian (Sept 8, 2009, by Jossey-Bass). Podcasts are produced by my daughter Ena (that's her voice at the end of each episode). If you are interested, please take a L I S T E N. And let me know what you think. You can also visit Author's Website (for more information about the book) and/or join Facebook Group (for anyone interested in publication and promotion of the book). Thank you for listening.

It's Not All About Today

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Every morning as I step out of my apartment in Manhattan, I grab two free daily newspapers from the stand at the street corner. I then walk four city blocks to the subway station, reading while navigating my way through the crowd, and by the time I arrive six minutes later, I have read them both! It is a skill I have honed over time that integrates fast reading, selective attention, finger dexterity and navigating the traffic around me with peripheral vision only, never lifting my eyes. But this is becoming dangerous. I might knock down an elderly person, step into a construction site or get hit by a taxi cab.

And if I stop taking time to watch people, sensing their presence, and imagining where they are coming from and where they are going, I might lose my love for the city. When I come home I find my wife’s and two daughter’s heads buried in their laptops, checking their emails, text messages and Facebook accounts. I am beginning to think this diligence about knowing today’s news is not worth it.

We are continually urged to get the most from the present moment. The past is left behind and the future is unreal. And it is not only about our individual lives and families. Our economies have been oblivious to the lessons form the past and severed from the concern for the future, and have crashed as a result. But is the same self-sufficiency plaguing our religions threatening them with their own crash?

While a thoughtful critical tension with our religious traditions is a wise way to hold on to one’s past, the disdainful neglect of the tradition is not. G K Chesterton wrote these words of warning: “Tradition is only democracy extended through time. . . . Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by accident of death” (G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy).

In 25 years of religious life, I have picked up plenty of stories and personal experiences about how silly, broken or downright toxic tradition can be. It has hurt individuals, destroyed communities and alienated institutional religion from society. I once heard Christian speaker Tony Campolo quoting reformer Martin Luther quoting St Augustine who said, “The church is a whore, but she is our mother.” This statement seems painfully brash. A whore is something no one wishes to be called—or have their mother called. But the second part of the statement matches the first with its exquisite tenderness. My church is my parent who gave me life and loved me to where I am. It echoes the commandment of God, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12).

Our fathers and mothers don’t have to be perfect for us to honor them. They are to be respected, cared for, forgiven, healed and loved despite their apparent faults. Without those who came before us, without their love and hard work, none of us would be here. Our frustration with the past must be paired with forgiveness and our bitterness must be tempered with gratitude. We are not better. Our time to make mistakes is here and the more we fashion ourselves in reaction to the mistakes of the past, the more likely we will be reacted against by future generation.

Our disdain for the past has been matched by our disconnection from the future. After watching the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, my 11 year old asked me, “Dad, what have you done?” When I asked what she meant, she said, “When you grown ups were making all these decisions in the past, what were you thinking?” She meant, “I am scared and disappointed. Why weren’t you thinking of us, of me?”
We are leaving to them not only a planet in shambles but other things, including religion. By and large, religion today has grown impotent or destructive instead of potent and constructive. We are leaving religions that do not know how to work together to make the world a better place. Religions replicate a civilized market, peacefully and politely coexisting in competition. But like toddlers playing separately, there is no synergy.

Furthermore, much of religion has had a death-wish approach to the future of the world, counting on a Cosmic Fixer to redo the whole thing after the end of the world. Such religion has spurred—or at least failed to resist—society’s plunge into ecological disaster. More importantly, however, religion has been failing to stir human imagination about the future.

I recently spoke with Jeffrey Sacks, an author and spokesperson on issues of poverty and sustainability. He asked, “Did you notice we don’t have Ethics of the Future?” Thinking back to graduate school, I realized there was no ethical systems that asked, “How will this decision affect people who might live 200 years down the road?” People of the present are always the only consideration. Chesterton’s “democracy extended through time” has started after our past and before our future. Our locus of concern has narrowed to nothing but today—another way of saying we have become self-centered and therefore ultimately self-destructive.

But there is a way forward. First, we can live our religions in a place larger than today and for community larger than ours if we can pay tribute to our ancestors and their faith, stamina, vision and integrity. Any good we do, we do because of those who have gone before us. And if don’t know how to name and forgive the past, we will become the kind of people who will make it harder for the coming generation to forgive us.

As we pay tribute to our ancestors, we are also to bless our successors. We don’t have to understand everything they are doing, let alone control it. A new kind of Christianity by definition requires a new kind of thinking. And such innovation begins with questioning the thinking that went before. Those who are emerging will break the rules we have constructed, and produce their own theology and expressions instead of indiscriminately mimicking ours. They will take the vision to places we could not imagine and in the context we cannot understand. Yet they must be released from our expectations and given the holy burden of blessing and hope we have for them.

If God can believe in us, respect us and work with us, why can’t we do that with each other? Our boasting about the self-sufficiency of the present has taken a blow and we are yearning to have a more responsible and meaningful role in the story of God. This story did not begin only when we came on the stage and will not finish when we leave.

We have to regularly lift our eyes from the news of today and look where we are walking. Without perspective, we tend to hurt ourselves. Where we come from and where we are going is as important as where we happen to be now. In the world where economy, politics and popular culture have enthroned the opportunity of the present moment, religions can provide a conversation about our stories, ways to remember where we have been and imagination for where we want to go.

(adapted by the author from Signs of the Times, Australia)

A Sabbath Poem (Tagore - 2)

YOUR NAME
~ Rabindranath Tagore

I will utter Your Name, sitting alone
among the shadows of my silent thoughts.
I will utter it without words;
I will utter it without purpose.
For I am like a child that calls its mother
a hundred times, glad that it can say, "Mother."

(from The Heart of God, Prayers of Rabindranath Tagore,
selected and edited by Herbert F. Vetter, Tuttle Press, 1997)

Newark in the 80’s: My Memories of Michael Jackson

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

In the days, weeks and months to come, we’ll hear more about how Michael Jackson died and the meaning of his life.  But tonight, just finding out that he’s dead at 50, memories of the King of Pop come back to me…

I was five years old and living in Newark, NJ, in the House of Prayer rectory when Thriller came out.  I remember my favorite babysitter, Mimi Jordan (now Rev. Emma Jordan Simpon), bringing over a copy of the record on vinyl and playing it on our turntable.  We were all dancing, laughing and celebrating life. 

It was 1982, and Newark had the highest child poverty rate in the country.  In the 1970’s it had been called “the most decayed and financially crippled city in the nation.”  We lived down the street from the Columbus Homes, one of the oldest public housing experiments in the country.

"No human should ever have to live that way, no animal should ever have to live that way," a senior Federal housing official, James E. Baugh, said after he toured the Columbus project in the early 1980's.

Michael Jackson’s songs were about street problems and gave a voice to struggles on the street: “Beat It” about a street fight, “Billy Jean” on telling your baby mama’s papa that you’re not the one, and later, “Thriller” with its amazing synchronized dance number on a dark, empty street, and bad things that happen late at night –

It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You’re paralyzed

Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You know it’s thriller, thriller night
You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

You hear the door slam and realize there’s nowhere left to run
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination
But all the while you hear the creature creepin’ up behind
You’re out of time

I remember learning that Michael was child star… a superstar when he was just a little older than I was at the time.  I wonder what happened to him during those early years to scar him so and keep him in a cyclical trap of trying to recapture boyhood.

My parents were committed to being Christians in the inner city and we lived there until I was nine, almost seven years.  It was tough living in Newark, but there were always crowds of happy kids at our church looking to have fun, skip rope, tell stories, and dance!

I remember my brothers and I pooling our change together in 1985 to buy “We Are the World” on cassette tape.  This was a serious purchase for a seven, five and three year old!  We listened to it in the van on our way to school, over and over again.  I think we knew the whole song by heart. 

Michael Jackson was the international King of Pop, but to us as kids on the street … he was the one who said to us, and with us: “We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.”

My prayer is for all the children of this country.  May God grant them what they need – safe shelter and places to play, daily bread and nourishing food – but most of all – love, a happy childhood, a brighter day, music and dancing!

My prayer is for Michael Jackson, may his soul rest in peace.

A Sabbath Poem (Howe)

HEAVEN HAS BEEN MY NATION-STATE
~ by Fanny Howe

Heaven has been my nation-state
safe sanctuary from the law
or else the production of hate and bread is not increasing

At least I know my tradition is among the contradictions

And rests upon a time
as close to never-was as anything can be

but still a story of something that almost came to be
the never-quite-but-hinted-at
attention of a Thee

(from Fanny Howe: Selected Poems,
University of California Press, 2000)

Our Latest Newsletter (June 23, 2009)

Cheers to the Faith House Family!

Faith House Manhattan's online presences (in the plural) have proliferated and blossomed this year! For example, 1800 of you are receiving this newsletter. The links below will give you an additional information about what is happening on this island called Manhattan, and provide ways for you to participate!

WEBSITE IS 2 ½ YEARS AWESOME

www.faithhousemanhattan.org is now 2 ½ years old, with Sabbath Poems, articles going back to January 2007, and even better content in the works. In addition, a new page listing all our Living Room Gatherings includes some titles linking to full outlines of that day's program. 

Participate! We invite you to engage our Living Room ideas online and adapt them for your local community ... or create new ideas and share them with us. Please comment on website articles and send Sabbath Poems or ideas for articles (and authors) to samir@faithhousemanhattan.org

WEEKLY UPDATE, FACEBOOK GROUP & MEETUP CALENDAR

Three easy ways to find out what's happening at Faith House: 

1) Keep up with our community gatherings. Subscribe to the NYC Weekly Update (along with 900 others!).  Each week, we send out a colorful email with upcoming Living Room gatherings and other events. 

2) Join our Facebook group (currently 123 members) to get invited to all Living Room gatherings, post and view photos and make comments on the Wall.

3) Find out about other wonderful, interfaith events in NYC on a Meetup calendar.  Anyone can view these events, or you can join Meetup and our group. You can also send events for the Meetup Calendar to info@faithhousemanhattan.org.

220 PHOTOS IN FLICKR GROUP 

Take a peak at Faith House in action.  There are 220 photos in our flickr group online.

Participate!  Are you a photographer? If you would like to take photos at one of our events, please ask a staff member before the event begins, then join our flickr group and add your pics.   

Photo above: Rabia leading Sufi Ceremony of Dhikrullah
Photo left: Jill and young people in a Sukkah they built, by Alvin Poblacion
Below: Postcard designed by Mairim Pina

ONLINE GIVING & OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT FAITH HOUSE

If you are already giving to those who are exploring the boundaries of your own religion and building bridges with "the other" in our interdependent world, keep up the good work! They need your support. If you are not investing into an interdependent future this way, join those who support Faith House with gifts of $5 to $200 placed in a basket at a Living Room, people who have made one-time gifts online from $10 to $1,000, and those who pledge 1%, 2 ½ or 5% of their annual income. During the recession we have paired down our budget more than 60% determined to come out alive and well on the other side!

Here are specific ways to support Faith House through tax-deductible contributions, and two ways to support Faith House online:

1) Our Facebook Cause has 171 members and 11 donors, who have contributed $1,260 to Faith House.  Join the cause and invite your friends.

2) Give directly through our Adventist Metro Ministries (AMM) website.  We are currently in the process of becoming our own 501c3, but are thankful that AMM has taken us under their umbrella in these early years of getting started. On the donation page, select "Faith House" for "My gift to go towards."
 
3) Support us offline by making an offering at a Living Room in our baskets or "snail mail" a check for Faith House Manhattan to P.O. Box 552, New York, NY 10028.  

4) If you are thinking about making a significant contribution, please talk to a member of the staff or our treasurer, Rod Colburn, or consider creating a legacy for Faith House by providing a tax-advantaged long-term support such as endowements or trusts.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Faith House staff is available to get together with you for tea and to hear your dreams, concerns, or answer your questions.  Email us samir@-, bowie@-, rabia@faithhousemanhattan to set up a time or share your thoughts with us in writing.   

You can also help us learn what your hopes and prayers are for Faith House by filling out a short questionnaire.

We believe God cares more about building a loving human community on earth than about anything else. We hope you will participate in building and growing Faith House. 

In faith,

Bowie Snodgrass & Samir Selmanovic
Faith House Manhattan

Living Room Gathering - Song of Songs: A Ritualized Reading of the Sexiest Book in the Bible

Last Saturday evening (June 13, 2009) the Faith House Living Room gathering was focused around an exquisite little treasure of literature integral to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and all people who love Love. Check out the pics. Over the years, our director Bowie Snodgrass has become an expert in this piece of literature and has developed an amazingly simple way to experience the seductiveness of God. Here is the outline that she has created and we utilized, which includes the entire text of the book. I hope you will catch another opportunity to hear Bowie leading this ritual. The second best would be to do it yourself in your synagogue, church, mosque, local library, or with friends! The story of the Universe is a love story and your own experiences of love with people around you (your lovers, friends, children, parents, neighbors) are all retelling that story of the Universe. To the intoxication! (~ Samir Selmanovic)

PRELUDE – Play music inspired by the Song of Songs while people gather

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION – Bowie Snodgrass (5-10 min)

OPENING TOUCH & SMELL – Pass around Frankincense & Myrrh or Pomegranate scented Lotion for people to put on themselves

BACKGROUND ON SONG OF SONGS – Poet Harry Ellison on importance of Song of Songs in Jewish history and as a source of inspiration for spiritual lovers of God, artists, poets, and in his own life.  (5 min)

MOMENT OF SILENT ANTICIPATION (1 min)

RITUALIZED READING – See script below (20-25 min)

COMMUNITY SHARING – People share around their table or in small groups (10 min) then share with whole group (10 min)

CLOSING – Smell spices (like in a Havdalah service)

POSTLUDE – Play recorded music inspired by the Song of Songs

Approximate Running Time: 1 hour

* * *

The Song of Songs

5 Females
4 Males
1 Royal Messenger (male or female)

Supplies

•    Script with full text of Song of Songs for readers.  Recommended that people listen to readers, rather than read text in a bulletin. We used the JPS Translation, with selections from a translation by Union Theological Seminary professor, David Carr
•    Posters, or projections, or leaflets with activities and verses everyone reads together
•    Scented lotion, preferably with scents from the Song, e.g. Pomegranate or Myrrh
•    Drinks to sip, wine and/or milk & honey and/or pomegranate juice
•    Fruits to eat, fresh or dried, e.g. apples, apricots, grapes, dates
•    Images, e.g. prints of paintings inspired by the Song of Songs; we used images of flowers by Sadie Rosenthal
•    Fragrant spices, e.g. cloves, cardamom
•    NOTE: The place we met did not allow candles or incense.  I recommend adding them somewhere below if allowed. 

SCRIPT

MALE 1:    
The Song of Songs, by Solomon.

FEMALE 1:    
[speaking to male]    

Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth,
For your love is more delightful than wine.
Your ointments yield a sweet fragrance,
Your name is like finest oil—
That’s why the young women love you.
Draw me after you, let us run!
Bring me, O King, to your chambers.
Let us delight and rejoice in your love,
Savoring it more than wine—
Like new wine they love you!

My Dad, and Thank You

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Last Thursday, May 28, my father Sead Selmanovic unexpectedly passed away at age 72. The funeral was held on Monday, June 1, in the main cemetery of the city of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.  Several hundred people attended.  An Imam from the main city mosque conducted a simple and meaningful ceremony.  Before our walk to the grave, standing next to the casket, I gave a short talk addressing those present.  I have translated it into English for you below.  After the ceremony, we all went to the mosque to celebrate my father's life. The next day, I went to the grave one more time.  Here are two pictures I took with my mobile phone, one from the city mosque, and the other one from the grave.  My deep felt gratitude to many of you for your condolences and words of love and care.

_________________________

Dear Respected Friends,

We have gathered here because we loved, cherished, and honored my father.

He was truly one of a kind. 

Dad, from you I learned to love. Love passionately: life, myself, others, and Allah, the Gifter of Life. Without your persevering and deep fatherly love, I would not understand or experience God's mercy and love. Without your trust in me, I would not know how to trust in others.  Our relationship was not simple, but it was strong, sincere, and always nourished with your love and care.

You did not talk or care very much about another world. You gave your attention to this world — goodness, justice, honesty, and the beauty of this world. It seems you have decided to live in one world at a time. And now you are at the threshold of a new future.

We are all travelers here. We come to this world and leave.  "Grandfather dies. Father dies. Son dies."  Although we think that this order is right and a part of a good life, our parting is always so unexpected and painful. I am left with some life before me, and my prayer is that I will love and raise my daughters the way you loved and raised my sister Bisera and I, and that I will love my spouse the way you loved mom. I would like to do at least a part of the good that you have done for others. Thank you. Not only from me, but also from the multitude of people here, your friends who came to say farewell. Thank you also in the name of many who will be touched by you through your influence in our lives.

My father remains in our lives not only as a memory, but as inspiration and a guide.

Let's give the last honor in our thoughts, or our prayers, to common humanity and Goodness that sustains life. (SILENCE)

My father, you were a great lover of life and therefore a faithful friend of God. Our hearts are torn, because although we are parting from you and although our sorrow runs deep, your example of love towards life is higher and stronger still. Following your example, we are united in celebration of life, as Mevlana Rumi, one of the great teachers of Islam has thought us:

"Call the drummers and tambourine players. May your steps to my grave be dancing steps. Be drunk with love, and clap, so that people may know that friends of God go happy and with a smile to the place of meeting."

Dear Dad, see you beyond the threshold of this life!

Dear Faith House Family (May 2009)

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

June 1st will mark Rabia and my one-year anniversaries of working for Faith House. I was originally engaged as Christian Co-Leader for Faith House, and as Samir shared last month, am now completing my third month as Director. This year has been a blessed adventure in functionally developing and actively listening for what God is calling forth for this community.

This time last year, I had not yet met Rabia, our Islamic Co-Leader, or any members of her Sufi order, the Nur Ashki Jerrahi community (www.nurashkijerrahi.org). Two weeks ago, I went to their Thursday night ceremony of Dhikrullah and was amazed to see a dozen people there I had already met at Faith House. These relationships made me feel comfortable participating, as a novice and Christian, in their worship. To use a summer-time analogy, I mostly stayed close to the shore, feeling privileged to watch people I call friends swim out into the ocean!

This Saturday, for our twenty-forth (!) Living Room since our launch last September (see whole list HERE), Rabia and members of her Sufi community will be leading us in an "instructed" Dhikrullah, where we will be invited to learn why they do what they do and to participate, as we feel comfortable. This Living Room will prepare us for participating in the ceremony with the whole Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Community on Thursday, May 28th with Shaykha Fariha al-Jerrahi.  All details are in our NYC Weekly Update.

These events reveal the heart of Faith House: a safe space to experience another person or community's loving relationship with the divine. The more I expand into the breadth of inter-religious discovery, the more deeply God calls me to delve into the treasures of my own tradition. This is true for many of us at Faith House.

What is the Faith House moment that touched your heart most deeply this year? Please share it with us in an email to info@faithhousemanhattan.org or in a comment on our website.

I would also like to introduce our Summer Intern, Leah Versano, who will be with us for the months of June, July and August.

"Leah grew up in a college town in Western Massachusetts. She attended a performing arts high school where she spent most of her time doing theater, but she also played violin in a klezmer band at her Reconstructionist synagogue. She is currently a rising senior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, majoring in Religion with a minor in Asian Studies.  She is the Social Action chair for the Vassar Jewish Union, and is a Jewish representative on the college's Inter-Religious Council. She also volunteers with a nation-wide campus organization called Challah for Hunger. Leah recently spent five months in India, living with a host family and studying Hindu traditions and temple life. She was attracted to Faith House because of their emphasis on faith-based and community-oriented interfaith work. She's looking forward to spending the summer learning about other religious traditions, meeting new people and exposing herself to new ideas, and helping Faith House get ready for the launch of their second year!"

May God continue to bless us and lead us,

Bowie Snodgrass
Director, Faith House Manhattan

A Muslim Response to a Bombing Plot This Week

~ Sammer Aboelela, one of the leaders in Faith House community of communities and contributor to this website, is Community Organizer with the NYC Community of Muslim Progressives. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Muslims for Progressive Values.

Sammer just left for Cairo, Egypt to visit his family. Couple of days before he left, he and I (Sammer and Samir) met in a coffee shop on the West Side and spend some time discussing the latest in Middle East and then dreaming, hoping, reminding one another why we are doing this community organizing thing. Soon after arriving to Cairo he heard the news about the bombing plot in New York and emailed this letter to us, his Jewish and Christian friends in New York sharing his personal thoughts. Some of the people who live near Riverdale Temple synagogue have been our guests at Faith House and we both met many of our caring and concerned Jewish friends through Marcia Kannry and The Dialogue Project.

Dear friends,

I’m sitting in Cairo now as I write this letter, at the home of relatives with whom I was reunited yesterday after nearly a decade of separation.  I went to sleep last night with a feeling of peace that I haven’t felt in a long time, and woke early this morning to the sound of the Azhan, the Islamic call to prayer, as it sung its way across the neighborhood and through the open window over my bed.

But as I was sharing hugs with my Muslim family here in Egypt, four very disturbed Muslim men were planting bombs in an effort to tear apart Jewish families in New York.  Early news reports suggest that these men were “upset about the war in Afghanistan,” so with a deranged rationale of misanthropic nihilism they somehow concluded that planting bombs in front of two Bronx synagogues and recreating the atmosphere of bloodshed, fear, and loss we experienced during and after 9/11 would provide some personal cathartic release.

I want my friends in the New York Jewish community to know how deeply I sympathize with the emotional anguish that is sure to pervade in the wake of this failed plot.  While we’re all concerned for the wellbeing of our families in this period of economic insecurity, none of us should carry the additional burden of being potential targets of violent acts of hate and terror.  You have no idea how relieved I am that you are all safe from the will of these would-be terrorists, and how concerned I am for your (and our collective) ongoing health and safety.

In all honesty, it is times like these that I wish Islam had some mechanism for excommunication.  I wish that my non-Muslims friends and acquaintances would see me, my family, my Muslim friends, and the American Muslim community as representative of Islam rather than the headline grabbing sociopaths who act in our name.  I’m so sick of finding myself ashamed of something I didn’t do, by someone I do not know, with motives I do not share, against people for whom I care.

Please know that you are not alone in the shock of this news… that good everyday people whom you have never met, and will likely never meet, as far away as Egypt are also distressed by this story.  My thoughts and their thoughts are with you.  My prayers and their prayers are for you.

Peace,

Sammer Aboelela
Organizer, New York Community of Muslim Progressives

A Book Review: A Puzzle, But the Pieces Fit

~ by Melody Tan

Nathan Brown is a writer and editor, based just out of Melbourne, Australia. He has written for a wide variety of publications in Australia and around the world, and is a regular contributor to the Faith House website.

Nemesis Train could simply have been a notebook filled with the journey of the author’s ponderings and explorations of various people’s lives. But what makes it a compelling read is the fact that the reader not only joins the ride as a mere commuter, but becomes a participant in a very real way as well.

This is not a book in the old-fashioned sense of the word, as chapters often appear unstructured and the flow of the book will take most readers by surprise. However, like Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller, readers of Nemesis Train will find themselves unwittingly and inexplicably drawn into a story that makes them want to find out more, if only to discover how all the characters fit into the story.

Nemesis Train provokes thought and, more often, encourages the reader to ask questions rather than provides any real answers. Brown chooses to dwell deep in the thought processes of the characters, paying a lot of attention to their state of mind and what spurs them to do what they do.

Brown has a real talent in seeing details that may have been missed by most writers, and certainly by people going about their normal everyday life. Because he takes the time to pause and study the surroundings, he succeeds in painting a clear and real picture in the mind’s eye. The reader is drawn into the world that Brown has created and becomes a part of the book. The interesting, and sometimes quirky descriptions are also often unique and unexpected.

There is often an overarching sense of loss and loneliness present in the book, a sense that life may be a waste of time without any real meaning. However, there are also rare glimpses of wry humor and, through the character Jed Hill, the reader sees hope.

A book that makes a strong statement against war and the detrimental impact it has on war veterans and perhaps the world in general, it also offers grace and understanding to all those involved. But perhaps, it also offers these gifts to everybody, encouraging patience and kindness to those we come in contact with.

And what makes Nemesis Train a rare treasure is the fact that the surprise ending not only helps everything fall into place for the reader, it makes you want to go back to the platform and board the train all over again with your newfound piece of puzzle.

To learn more about Nathan Brown and Nemesis Train, click HERE.

A Sabbath Poem (Alexie)

DANGEROUS ASTRONOMY
~ by Sherman Alexie

I wanted to walk outside and praise the stars,
But David, my baby son, coughed and coughed.
His comfort was more important than the stars

So I comforted and kissed him in his dark
Bedroom, but my comfort was not enough.
His mother was more important than the stars

So he cried for her breast and milk. It's hard
For fathers to compete with mothers' love.
In the dark, mothers illuminate like the stars!

Dull and jealous, I was the smallest part
Of the whole. I know this is stupid stuff
But I felt less important than the farthest star

As my wife fed my son in the hungry dark.
How can a father resent his son and his son's love?
Was my comfort more important than the stars?

A selfish father, I wanted to pull apart
My comfortable wife and son. Forgive me, Rough
God, because I walked outside and praised the stars,
And thought I was more important than the stars.

(from Dangerous Astronomy, Limberlost Press, 2005)

A Sabbath Poem (Arnold)

A WISH
~ by Matthew Arnold

I ask not that my bed of death
From bands of greedy heirs be free;
For these besiege the latest breath
Of fortune's favoured sons, not me.

I ask not each kind soul to keep
Tearless, when of my death he hears;
Let those who will, if any, weep!
There are worse plagues on earth than tears.

I ask but that my death may find
The freedom to my life denied;
Ask but the folly of mankind,
Then, at last, to quit my side.

Spare me the whispering, crowded room,
The friends who come, and gape, and go;
The ceremonious air of gloom -
All which makes death a hideous show!

Nor bring, to see me cease to live,
Some doctor full of phrase and fame,
To shake his sapient head and give
The ill he cannot cure a name.

Nor fetch, to take the accustomed toll
Of the poor sinner bound for death,
His brother doctor of the soul,
To canvass with official breath

The future and its viewless things -
That undiscovered mystery
Which one who feels death's winnowing wings
Must need read clearer, sure, than he!

Bring none of these; but let me be,
While all around in silence lies,
Moved to the window near, and see
Once more before my dying eyes

Bathed in the sacred dew of morn
The wide aerial landscape spread -
The world which was ere I was born,
The world which lasts when I am dead.

Which never was the friend of one,
Nor promised love it could not give,
But lit for all its generous sun,
And lived itself, and made us live.

There let me gaze, till I become
In soul with what I gaze on wed!
To feel the universe my home;
To have before my mind -instead

Of the sick-room, the mortal strife,
The turmoil for a little breath -
The pure eternal course of life,
Not human combatings with death.

Thus feeling, gazing, let me grow
Composed, refreshed, ennobled, clear;
Then willing let my spirit go
To work or wait elsewhere or here!

Living Room Gathering - Moonwalk: A Mythological Perspective

April 25, 2009 | 5 PM at Intersections, 274 5th Avenue

Prelude Music: Cat Stevens “Where Do The Children Play?”

Opening Song: “Dreamer’s Song” by Phil Robinson

Welcome & Family Time

Reading: excerpt from “The Moon Walk – the Outward Journey” by Joseph Campbell (Campbell, Joseph.  Myths to Live By. Arkana, AR: Penguin Compass, 1993.)

Picture: Earthrise – William Anders, 1968

~~~
Context for Reading:
1543 – Heliocentrism! Copernicus advances theory of sun-centric system, displacing Earth
1968 – Earthrise!  William Anders takes photo of Earth rising over moon during Apollo 8
1969 – Moonwalk! Neil Armstrong sets foot on the moon
~~~

The only really adequate public comment on the occasion of the first moon walk that I have found reported in the world press was the exclamation of an Italian poet, Giuseppe Ungaretti, published in the picture magazine Epoca.  In its vivid issue of July 27, 1969, we see a photo of this white-haired old gentleman pointing in rapture to his television screen, and in the caption beneath are his thrilling words: "A different night from all other nights of the world".

For indeed that was "a different night from all other nights of the world"!  Who will ever in his days forget the spell of the incredible hour, July 20, 1969, when our television sets brought directly into our living rooms the image of that strange craft up there and Neil Armstrong's booted foot coming down...?  ..."All humanity," Buckminster Fuller once said..., "is about to be born in an entirely new relationship to the universe."

Sabbath Poem (Hafiz - 5)

POSITIONS OF LOVE
~ by Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz (c. 1320-1389)

There are so many positions of love:
each curve on a
branch,

the thousand ways your eyes can hold us,
the infinite shapes each mind
can draw,

the spring orchestra of scents and sounds wafting through the air,
the currents of light combusting like
passionate lips,

the revolution of the universe’s skirt, whose folds
contain other worlds,

our every sigh that falls against
His inconceivably close,
omnipresent,
divine
body.

Living Room Gathering - Between Death and Resurrection: Where Did Jesus Go?

Between Death & Resurrection: Where Did Jesus Go?

Faith House Living Room, April 11, 2009

Follow the program online at home or feel free to adapt it for your local community. 

Welcome & Announcements

1st Silence – 1 Minute

What does the Bible tell us? 
Ephesians 4:4-10
Mark 15: 25, 33-39
1st Speaker –  Reflections from John Snodgrass
2nd Silence – 2 Minutes

What about Christians who follow Jesus’ way and don’t believe in the resurrection?

Reading from an Ikon Service from How (Not) To Speak of God, by Peter Rollins

It has been said that on the day Christ was crucified a group of followers packed their few belongings and set off to find a new home.  They were so distraught that they could not bear to stay in the place where Jesus had been executed.  So they left, never to return, and after travelling thousands of miles, they set up an isolated village far from civilization.  Once settled, they each took an oath to protect the memory of Jesus and live by his teaching.

Then one day, after 300 years of solitude, a small band of Christian missionaries reached the isolated settlement and were amazed to find a community of people living the sacrificial way that Christ had taught, yet who possessed no knowledge of his subsequent resurrection and ascension.  Without hesitation the missionaries called the entire community together and taught them what had occurred after the crucifixion.

That evening, there was a great celebration in the camp.  Yet, as the night progressed, one of the missionaries noticed that the leader of the community was absent.  This bothered the young man and so he set out to look for the community elder, whom he eventually found in a small hut on the fringe of the village, praying and weeping. 

‘Why are you in such sorrow?’ asked the missionary in amazement.  ‘Today is a day for great celebration!’

‘A day for great celebration and great sorrow,’ replied the elder, who was all the while crouching on the floor.  ‘For over 300 years we have followed the ways taught to us by Christ.  We followed his ways faithfully, even though it cost us deeply, and we remained resolute despite the fear that death defeated him and would one day defeat us also.’

The elder slowly got to his feet and looked the missionary compassionately in the face.

‘Each day we have forsaken our very lives for him because we judge him wholly worthy of the sacrifice, wholly worthy of our being.  But now I am concerned that my children and my children’s children may follow him not because of the implicit value he has, but because of the value that he possesses for them.’

With this the elder left the hut and made his way to the celebration, leaving the missionary to his thoughts.  

2nd Speaker – Pastor Samir Selmanovic

3rd Silence – 3 minutes

God Is Not a White Man

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Here is the video that is as comforting as it is challenging. Any thoughts? Thank you Rev. Vince for sending this to us.

Becoming a Modern, Urban, Mystic

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

I bought my copy of Mark Scandrette’s Soul Graffiti: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus (Jossesy-Bass, 2007) on August 1, 2008.  That date and “Church Basement Roadshow” are scribbled on the front page of the book; underneath it says, "Finished March 2, 2009".  This is book I read slowly and savored for seven months, as I settled into a new apartment in Harlem, a new ministry with Faith House Manhattan, the arc of a historic election, and the maturation of my still-new marriage.

Mark opens up his journey to us and in doing so invites us to delve deeper into our own.  Much of the best of this book shares stories of people (and characters!) Mark has met through his life, ministry, and “experiments.”  The author’s straight-through, authentic, probing,compassionate voice was what kept me coming back.  For the forum of this blog, I’ve selected seven little segments that I underlined over the course of the last seven months to share… pebbles on the path to becoming a modern, urban, mystic.

1… there is more than a little irony in the fact that we sat passively in a regal sanctuary listening to messages based on the adventures of a homeless bearded prophet who wandered the cities and countryside caring for the poor and healing the sick and inviting people to follow his example.  How exactly were we seeking his kingdom by gathering like this?  For me these environments functioned like museums displaying spiritual realities as exotic specimens in a cabinet of curiosities… The context conveyed more about the dogmas of tradition and region than the revolutionary life of the master.  (Page 25)

2 Pilgrims always have a lot to talk about.  There are stories to tell, advice to exchange, and plans to make about the best way to reach the next vista.  Revolutions are often planned in cafes and begin with talks among friends.  Great social and spiritual movements germinate when a few isolated people find one other, share deeply, and dream out loud about a different and better future.  Through generative friendship a collective voice becomes stronger, and what was once timidly whispered in private emerges to become the topic of public discourse and reform.  Dialogue creates resonance that fosters grass-roots energy and initiative.  Conversation at its best is never just talk; it is the means by which we kindle imagination and gain the courage to take action together.  (Page 47)

3 … a quest for continuity: between what we have been taught about God and what we may have yet to learn; and between what we say we believe and how we actually live.  By examining our windows to God and by learning to embrace all of life as a gift and sacred trust, we take steps to navigate making a life in the Way of Jesus. (Page 103)

4 Jesus was a mystic in the sense that he lived in conscious awareness of the transcendent reality of God.  Everything we admire about the life of Jesus – his compassion, wise teaching, mighty acts, and sacrifice – were funded by the private disciplines of his inner life – how he learned to be tuned into the presence and power of God’s song. He demonstrated that the transforming power of God’s kingdom is accessed through receptivity, mindful surrender, study simplicity, silence, and solitude.  Through the example of his life, we are invited to follow the path of a mystic.  (Page 207)

5 My good friend Darren Prince, who is part of an urban order among the poor, is fond of saying, “The spiritual life is more about subtraction than addition. Most of us don’t need anything more added to our lives to be fulfilled. It is more likely that what we really need is to subtract from our schedules and possessions to have more space for God and people.” The quest for simplicity and contentment, rather than being legislated by rules, can be guided by a question: “How can I manage my life to be the most free to hear the voice of love?” You will find the best rhythm of simplicity through careful experimentation. (Page 215)

6 “Mark, my impression is that you are more Buddhist than Christian.” “What do you mean?”  I asked. “Well, your spirituality seems so much about awareness and practice – embracing all of life as sacred.  Those aren’t things I associate with Christianity.” (Page 237)

7 I want to experience the goodness that money cannot buy, resisting internal and external forces that pressure me toward greater security, control, and conformity.  I will remember that life is ultimately about risk and adventure and that we die a certain death when we resign ourselves to propriety and convention.  I will affirm, perhaps only in symbolic gesture, the spirit of the wandering Messiah-prophet, spreading the propaganda of hope, like soul graffiti, on the canvas of Earth and eternity.  (Page 245)

A Sabbath Poem (Cohen)

BY THE RIVERS DARK
~ by Leonard Cohen
      
By the rivers dark
I wandered on.
I lived my life
In Babylon.

And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
In Babylon.

By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me.

And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart.
So I could not drink
From the river dark.

And he covered me,
And I saw within,
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring,

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me.

By the rivers dark
I panicked on.
I belonged at last
To Babylon.

Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force,
And he said, 'this heart:
It is not yours.’

And he gave the wind
My wedding ring;
And he circled us
With everything.

By the rivers dark,
In a wounded dawn,
I live my life
In Babylon.

Though I take my song
From a withered limb,
Both song and tree,
They sing for him.

Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone,
If I forget
My Babylon.

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me.

By the rivers dark,
Where it all goes on;
By the rivers dark
In Babylon.

(from album Ten New Songs, 2001)

New Life

~ by Samir Selmanovic

This has been the longest winter in New York that I can remember. It is officially Spring now ... and soon we will see the blooms and blossoms. We look forward to seeing signs of life in many other ways, like being a better country, better believers, and a better humanity. New ideas, energies, and movements are still under the ground but the seeds are moist and will sprout in their time. Life always finds a way. Blessings to those of you who are Christians observing Lent and are waiting for Easter morning to break in!

Changes and new life are also underfoot in Faith House.

   1. After serving as Faith House Director I am transitioning to the role of Christian Co-Leader. This will better fit my gifts and skills, needs of my family, and my ability to work on the publication and promotion of my upcoming book this September.

   2. Bowie Snodgrass, after serving as Christian Co-Leader is now transitioning to the role of Faith House Director. She has been the heart and hands behind much of what we have done since our launch last Fall. I will assist her by working shoulder to shoulder with other co-leaders as we forge a diverse network of friends in the city.

   3. Jill Minkoff, our Jewish Co-Leader has to attend to her full time Rabbinical studies and her work at the Board of Jewish Education in New York City, so she is not staying with Faith House in this capacity. She will assist us as a supporter and advisor.

   4. We have a new face and passionate heart joining our team. Rabbi David Ingber from Romemu Congregation will serve as an acting Jewish Co-Leader. We are thrilled to sit at his feet and learn! Read his bio HERE.

   5. Rabia Gentile, a hub of kindness and calm for our team burning with the fire from above, will continue to serve as our Islamic Co-Leader.

Our seeds are in the ground. Thank you for watering us, and warming our soil by watching and praying over us.

Jewish Blessing of the Sun

~ by Rabbi Justus Baird. Rabbi Baird is Director of the Center for Multifaith Education at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York and serves on the Advisory Council of FaithHouse.

According to Jewish tradition, the Sun was in a certain place in the heavens at the exact moment when the world was created.  And every 28 years the Sun returns to that exact location. On April 8, 2009, just before the first night of Passover, the Sun will arrive again at that place, and Jews around the world will mark the moment through various prayers, rituals, and learning that we call Birkat Hahammah, the blessing of the Sun.

It is a time to think about creation, about how creation was not only a single moment - but is rather a continual process.  In the Jewish daily liturgy of the Shema blessings, we read, 'uvtuvo mehadesh bekhol yom tamid ma'aseh v'reishit,' "You renew the works of creation, continually, day by day.  Yes there was a beginning, but creation is actually a continual process of renewal.  It is a time to reflect on the question, "What is God asking you to create at this moment?"

For those interested in learning more, consult some of the excellent resources online, or visit a local Blessing of the Sun event.  For listings of both, see http://www.blessthesun.org.

A Sabbath Poem (Orr)

THIS IS WHAT WAS BEQUEATHED US
~ by Gregory Orr 

This is what was bequeathed us:
This earth the beloved left
And, leaving,
Left to us.

No other world
But this one:
Willows and the river
And the factory
With its black smokestacks.

No other shore, only this bank
On which the living gather.

No meaning but what we find here.
No purpose but what we make.

That, and the beloved's clear instructions:

Turn me into song; sing me awake.

(from How Beautiful the Beloved, Copper Canyon Press, 2009)

Cute and Sad

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Recently I got one of the regular mailing I receive from Tanenbaum Center, a vocal proponent of the Golden Rule. Enclosed was a card that would shake any believer who still lives with an illusion that the heart of his/her religion is in its center.  It has moved to the edges, where one's religion touches the world and the other.

Interreligious Prayer: Suggestions from Catholics

~ by Father Francis V. Tiso. Father Tiso is Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he serves as liaison to Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikhs, and Traditional religions as well as the Reformed confessions. A New York native, Father Tiso holds the A.B. in Medieval Studies from Cornell University.  He earned a Master of Divinity degree (cum laude) at Harvard University and holds a doctorate from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary where his specialization was Buddhist studies. He translated several early biographies of the Tibetan yogi and poet, Milarepa, for his dissertation on sanctity in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.  He has led research expeditions in South Asia, Tibet and the Far East, and his teaching interests include Christian theology, history of religions, spirituality, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. Father Tiso has written and lectured widely. He is the recipient of grants from the American Academy of Religion, the American Philosophical Society, the Palmers Fund in Switzerland, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, CA.  He is a musician and paints in acrylics and watercolors.

Samir Selmanovic: When people ask me how to begin an interfaith ministry I usually direct them to their family members, neighbors and friends (where life is), and then to Interfaith Youth Core (where action is). Here is another way to begin. Where prayer is. I meet wonderful Father Tiso at our regular gatherings of National Council of Churches (Interfaith Relations Commission). Following are suggestion for churches (and other faith communities) that want to organize a meaningful interfaith prayer service.These suggestions were drafted by Father Tiso with consultation from a large number of theologians, practitioners, and diocesan officers for ecumenical and interreligious relations. They have been published in Walking Together series by USCCB.

- Interreligious ceremonies grow out of and reflect respect for all traditions present.  This respect should find expression in collaboration in the planning as well as in the actual event.  If it is not planned interreligiously, it is not a genuinely interreligious event, but a service planned by one group with others invited as guests.-We advise in any interreligious worship event that each group present clearly distinct and separate moments of prayer, meditation, or reflection.  Those preparing the event should communicate clearly the amount of time allowed for each contribution to those who are invited to lead the different parts of the service.

-We advise careful attention to those prayers that come from one tradition, but which refer in some way to other traditions, present or absent.  Only those prayers that refer to other traditions in a respectful way should be used.

-Presentations should avoid proselytizing or "advertising" one's religion to the attendees.

-Ritual gestures that are alien to the presenters and/or to the congregation should be avoided.  Whereas some groups have the practice of using silent prayer at interreligious events, long periods of silence at a large public event might evoke distraction rather than unity.   Music is an integral part of prayer for many religious communities, but not for all.  Therefore, musical contributions should be agreed upon in the planning process by all participating groups.

-Participants should be informed before they arrive about dress requirements such as head coverings, shawls, or whether they are to remove their shoes. 

-Key positive beliefs of the traditions present are allowed (Christians can mention Jesus as God, Trinity; Jews and Muslims can speak clearly but non-polemically about the unity of God, etc.) as long as others who do not so believe are not singled out for disagreement, etc.  Some prayers express particular, creedal beliefs with which some participants may not agree.  However, such prayers may also offer valuable insights into the worldviews of the various traditions present.

-In the use of symbolic objects, there needs to be sensitivity to traditions that avoid iconic forms; this is particularly true of the house of worship in which the event is held.  The house of worship does not need to change its configuration, but the groups hosted by a particular house of worship should respect the sensitivities of the host community.  The treatment, handling, and position of sacred books or scrolls are important to many religious traditions.  Care should be taken to see that scriptures are handled only by those authorized to do so. 

- A printed order of service is recommended because the content and sequence of the celebration will most likely be unfamiliar to many of the attendees.  Translations of prayers said in languages other than English should be provided.

- Attention to political repercussions, through consulting with leadership.

-There is to be respect for people who have chosen freely to convert to another religion, but there is also to be a sensitive "reserve" towards them in dialogue and public events.  Normally persons who have changed religious affiliation do not lead ecumenical or interreligious prayer events, nor do they represent their communities in dialogue with representatives of their former community of religious adherence.

-Inclusive language is acceptable only if the participating religious bodies are in agreement on this concern; no one should be required to use inclusive language in violation of religious beliefs or liturgical norms.

-If there is a reception after the event, those preparing the refreshments should assure that the dietary regulations of different communities are respected and, if necessary, that the foods be clearly labeled so that their contents are known.

-Whenever possible, the Catholic portion of an interreligious prayer event should make use of the approved liturgical resources.  Some interfaith prayers are given in the Book of Blessings, sections 570-573.  The Orders for the Blessing of Pilgrims (Book of Blessings sections 590 – 616), the Liturgy of the Hours, and the votive Masses for Peace and Justice are recommended resources. 

A Sabbath Poem (Service)

A GRAIN OF SAND
~ by Robert W. Service
 
If starry space no limit knows
And sun succeeds to sun,
There is no reason to suppose
Our earth the only one.
'Mid countless constellations cast
A million worlds may be,
With each a God to bless or blast
And steer to destiny.

Just think! A million gods or so
To guide each vital stream,
With over all to boss the show
A Deity supreme.
Such magnitudes oppress my mind;
From cosmic space it swings;
So ultimately glad to find
Relief in little things.

For look! Within my hollow hand,
While round the earth careens,
I hold a single grain of sand
And wonder what it means.
Ah! If I had the eyes to see,
And brain to understand,
I think Life's mystery might be
Solved in this grain of sand.

Faith House Helps Build a House

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Habitat for Humanity has built, get this, 300,000 homes so far. Last Sunday, March 8, nine people from Faith House (Kimberly got sick, "we missed you Kimberly!") participated in the Habitat for Humanity project, along with ten thousand people who helped build this largest complex of apartments that Habitat has ever built. New York City donated the land, 8,000 people applied for 41 units (imagine the need) at this site in Brooklyn. Sammer organized us to come, we glued, caulked, painted, and carried things around. And took some pictures! 

 

The crew came from Romemu Synagogue, Community of Progressive Muslims, and CityLights, from left to right: Noah Goldstein, Nazly Aboelela, Sarah Figueroa, Sadie Rosenthall, Rosemary Poblacion, Sammer Aboelela, Rafael Candelaria, Samir Selmanovic, and Sam McCash

For the entire set of pictures taken by Sadie, you can go to Flickr. To keep you posted about opportunities for service like this one, please subscribe to NYC Updates (above).

Hallellujah, Praise the Lord, Alhamdullilah, and Cheers!

A Sabbath Poem (Schneider)

THE PATIENCE OF ORDINARY THINGS
~ by Pat Schneider

It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they're supposed to be.
I've been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?

(from Another River: New and Selected Poems)

List of All Living Room Gatherings - Now Online

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

A full list of our past (and a few upcoming) Living Rooms are now posted on our website (see column on the left), including the three previews last summer, fourteen gatherings in 2008, and bi-monthly Living Rooms since the start of 2009. Our Mission, Vision, and Principles say: "At this weekly gathering, we learn from others, share our stories, and organize our community to serve the common good. Together we explore human experience, holy days, spiritual practices, current cultural and societal issues, and the lives of inspirational people from the past and present."

Our regular attendance ranges from 30-45 people per week, of all ages, usually about 1/3 Muslim, 1/3 Christian, and 1/3 people of "all faiths or no faith at all," and all are welcome! Our "living room" ethos means that you are never asked to leave who you are at the door and are welcomed into a comfortable space where common courtesy creates "room" for us to share our treasures, struggles, stories, and traditions in community so we can all delve deeper into our shared reality of "living" together in a wonderful world of many faiths.

Currently, Living Room Gatherings are every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 5-6:30 pm in Intersections (274 Fifth Ave, between 29th and 30th St.). Please sign up for the Weekly NYC Update to hear about upcoming Living Rooms and other outings. 

A Sabbath Poem (Rumi - 5)

LOVE STORY
~ by Jalaludin Rumi (1207-1273)

The minute I heard my first love story
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.

(translated by Coleman Barks)

Living Room Gathering: LENT - 40 Days for Learning to Let Go

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

On February 26, in our regular space at Intersections, we participated in an interactive and experiential Living Room gathering, designed to introduce the Christian season of Lent to non-Christians and Christians who do not observe Lent.  Members of the community came early to help set up the space, practiced singing the hymns beforehand, read the scripture readings and litany, participated in the stations, and shared afterward. The program lasted about an hour and 20 minutes, including prelude, followed by time for socializing around food and conversation. You can follow the program below as an online Lenten mediation at home or adapt it for your local community.

Prelude Music: David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes” and J. Snodgrass “If My House Burned Down”
(or select other modern songs or music from your community with Lent-like themes)

Welcome & Family Time
(announcements, new people introduced themselves, overview of gathering, etc)

Song: “The Glory of These Forty Days” 

Mathew 3:13-17; 4:1-11 (this was read by three youth: one read words of Jesus, one read John the Baptist and the devil, and the third was narrator)

Psalm 19:7-14

Lent 101 - Bowie Shared About the Forty Days of Lent & Learning to Let Go (there is good, basic info on Wikipedia) followed by personal stories and insights from things I’ve given up in past Lents…including going Vegan in 10th grade, giving up processed sugar in 12th grade, allowing myself a final 40 days to finish “getting over” an ex-boyfriend in my mid-20s, and quitting cigarettes (with a lot of preparation, will power, and nicorette gum) the Lent before my 30th Birthday. What are we called to give up to create new space in our lives for God and Love? 

Interactive STATIONS

* LISTEN Psalmi poenitentiales: VII. Domine, Exaudi (Psalmus 142)
Composer: Orlande de Lassus, 16th Century
(or select 15+ minutes of some other meditative music to play during Stations)

* ASHES Meditate on the words “Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Ask someone to mark an ash cross on your forehead or you can put ashes elsewhere on your own skin.

* LETTING GO Take a stone, imagine the pressures, cares, and worries you are carrying.  Drop the stone in the water as a way of letting go of them and offering them to God.

* OFFERING Support this Faith House community by giving a financial offering.  No amount is too small or too large.  Take a small sandalwood soap Bowie brought from India as a tangible gift back . . .  

* PROSTRATE In the designated area, prostrate in the Eastern Orthodox style.  Feel free to kneel, do salat, assume the Yoga “child’s pose,” etc. or to ask someone to show you what they are doing.

Community Sharing – reflections on what you’ve heard or done today

Litany from Alternative Worship: Resources from and for the Emerging Church

Jesus you fasted alone for 40 days
You pushed yourself to the limits
You faced your demons and
met  your angels
We ask you to be in our fasting
Jesus give us courage
Jesus give us courage   

Jesus you feasted with outcasts
You broke down the barriers that
divided people
by sharing food and drink
We ask you to be in our feasting
Jesus give us courage
Jesus give us courage   

Jesus you had a passion for a life of extremes, you taught us that to live we have to be prepared to die, to eat we have to be prepared to fast, to love others we have to learn to be alone.  We ask you to be in our living
Jesus give us courage
Jesus give us courage

Closing Song: “Forty Days and Forty Nights”

A Sabbath Poem (Rilke - 5)

TRANSITION
~ by Rainer Maria Rilke

You are not surprised at the force of the storm
—you have seen it growing.
The trees flee. Their flight
sets the boulevards streaming. And you know:
he whom they flee is the one
you move toward. All your senses
sing him, as you stand at the window.

The weeks stood still in summer.
The trees’ blood rose. Now you feel
it wants to sink back into the source of everything. You thought
you could trust that power
when you plucked the fruit;
now it becomes a riddle again,
and you again a stranger.

Summer was like your house: you knew
where each thing stood.
Now you must go out into your heart
as onto a vast plain. Now
the immense loneliness begins.
The days go numb, the wind
sucks the world from your senses like withered leaves.

Through the empty branches the sky remains.
It is what you have.
Be earth now, and evensong.
Be the ground lying under that sky.
Be modest now, like a thing
ripened until it is real,
so that he who began it all
can feel you when he reaches for you.

Answering Christian Critics of Faith House (Part 3): Great Commission or Great Invitation

~by Samir Selmanovic

A thought experiment: let’s imagine the whole world has converted to Christianity. Every group professes the Apostle’s Creed, the classic statement of Christian belief. There are no mosques, synagogues, temples, or altars of any kind—just churches. Governments are run by Christians, corporations are run by Christians, all art is Christian. Every teacher of every school is Christian, every politician of every party is a Christian, every owner of every business is a Christian, every book, every movie, every event—all Christian. A question: “How does that make you feel?”

I suspect increasing numbers of Christians feel as scared about such a possibility as everyone else would. But to be a Christian should mean to strive to make this scenario a reality. The Christians’ mandate to go to the world and convert it is based on the last words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. Standing on a hill with a handful of His disciples, frightened and disoriented by the swirl of events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, before leaving them, Jesus finished His call with the precious words of comfort, “Go and make disciples of all nations … baptizing them … and teaching them … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age” (Matthew 28:19,20). Christians have dubbed this call of Christ the Great Commission. No commandment can be more important. Why then inside many of us who love Jesus does something recoil against the fulfillment of this mandate?

The most obvious hesitance comes from history. Christians have had the chance to organize communities, nations and even empires, and have been found wanted. But there is a reason that goes deeper. The world is interdependent. A multiplicity of atoms and variety of life forms are necessary for our world to exist and function. Nobody has life independently. Without the intrinsic and intricate complexity of all life, there would be no life. Reality itself is interdependent diversity.  None of us simply “exists;” we all “exist with.” Cut off the “with,” and there would be no existence for anyone one of us.

Every once in a while I go to Christian conferences, places where Christian leaders explore, evaluate, and equip each other for “impacting the world.” These days, my friends and I leave these conferences increasingly empty. I think it is because we are living under the assumption that while the world needs Christians, Christians don’t need the world. There is no reciprocity or interdependence. We don’t expect to be impacted. The world and its religions have been left out of God’s consideration to give them any significant commission to us. 

Something feels utterly wrong with a claim that we Christians are in charge of God. When Jesus told His disciples “And surely I am with you always,” did He also mean “And surely I am not with anyone else”? Does my mother’s love for me depend on her withholding love from my siblings? Does God’s saving presence among us have to mean God’s saving absence among them? For Christianity to be true, does every other religion have to be wrong?

Christians and Christian churches are not exempt from the dynamics of all known existence that allows nothing to be—let alone thrive—in isolation. Instead of designating the call of Christ as the Great Commission that establishes us as brokers of God to the world and Christianity as a form of God-management system, perhaps we should embrace the call of Christ as the Grand Invitation. 

Christians are sent to the world with an extraordinary message: the self-giving God calls humanity to self-giving love! However, instead of having a commission to bring God to the world, we are invited to the world where God already is, expecting us to bless the world with our teaching about Christ, as well as receive the blessing from Christ that is already in that same world. Not only to go, but to welcome; not only to teach, but to learn; not only to give, but to receive; not only to change, but to be changed. In a Great Commission, the world needs us and we don’t need the world. In the Grand Invitation, we humbly embrace our creaturehood. The Great Commission demands conversion from them; the Grand Invitation demands transformation from us all.

In an interdependent world, truth cannot be captured, portioned and delivered, it must be experienced relationally. Christianity is a religion, a window into the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of God itself. Jesus has repeatedly called us to enter this kingdom and sit at the large table, as Ananda K. Coomaraswamy says, “not to preside—for there is Another who presides unseen—but as one of many guests.” God is greater than us! For me, the Good News just got better!

(adopted by the author from Signs of the Times, Australia, June 2008)

Changes and Transitions

Change is in the air. It is a part of life. New births, life transitions, and growing pains are all around us. We have a new President of our nation. Our families, friends and communities are facing unprecedented challenges. It is during times like these that we are asked by life, by God, to find peace, to offer peace and to fortify our communities. Faith House Manhattan has also been going through a challenging period and I feel we have risen to the occasion and continue in our pledge to uphold and build an inter-dependent community.

Over these past few months we have moved our "home" to a new space, Intersections, a smaller and more intimate space filled with natural light and accessible to the street at 274 5th Avenue. At Intersections we will hold our Living Room gatherings every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month. Every 1st & 3rd week, we will venture out to serve and learn from the larger community of New York City, through visits to various communities or sacred sites and by finding opportunities to serve.   

We have experienced staffing changes when our beloved Rabbi Jill Minkoff transitioned from her role as our Jewish Co-leader, as she continues her rabbinical school and takes on increasing responsibilities at the Jewish Board of Education. We were also honored to welcome into our circle the beautiful and inspired Rabbi David Ingber, who will very soon join us as our Acting Jewish Co-leader. Some of you may already know him as he has lead and participated in past Living Room gatherings, as well as organized the Hanukkah party this past December. You can learn more about Rabbi David on his website.  

With so much positive change and growth we feel blessed, though we have also been met with increasing financial challenges. In a recent interview, former President Bill Clinton beseeched the American people to continue to give to charitable causes. At Faith House Manhattan, we know first hand that with this economic downturn, charitable giving has decreased. While this is understandable, still many feel that in such a time of uncertainty, charitable giving is needed now more than ever. As you may know Faith House functions entirely on personal donations given from the community and we continue to appeal to you for your support. No amount is too small or too great. Thank you.

Love and prayers from Manhattan,

Juliet rabia Gentile
Muslim Co-leader, Faith House Manhattan

A Sabbath Poem (Herbert)

MATTINS
~ by George Herbert
 
I cannot ope mine eyes,
But thou art ready there to catch
My morning-soul and sacrifice:
Then we must needs for that day make a match.

My God, what is a heart?
Silver, or gold, or precious stone,
Or star, or rainbow, or a part
Of all these things or all of them in one?

My God, what is a heart?
That thou should'st it so eye, and woo,
Pouring upon it all thy art,
As if that thou hadst nothing else to do?

Indeed man's whole estate
Amounts (and richly) to serve thee:
He did not heav'n and earth create,
Yet studies them, not him by whom they be.

Teach me thy love to know;
That this new light, which now I see,
May both the work and workman show:
Then by a sun-beam I will climb to thee.

A Sabbath Poem (Stern)

CHARCOAL
~ by Sarah Stern

Find a place where your line
wants to take a journey,

where the leaf pushes
up against the window,

some curve in any direction
in the moment after sex

before the air around you settles
and the language names,

a place where skin meets light,
meets shadow, mother's mouth,

young, in the camera
as if she knew what you would become.

Let your hand tell you--
begin there, on the boat,

the woman leaning over the deck,
looking.

(from This Full Green Hour, Sonopo Press, 2008)

Thank you Alvin Poblacion for introducing us
to Sarah Stern and this anthology.

From my Whirling Cousin In Istanbul

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Following is an email and pictures I have received from my second cousin Bekir Yenerer who lives in Istanbul, Turkey, and is following Faith House on the web. This is published with his permission.

The first picture, I took last year in Istanbul at the 800-year celebration of the birth of Rumi Mevlana. It was published in the newspapers here in Turkey. The others are from Yalova, taken during the yearly meeting of an international Mevlana organization, including people from 44 different countries and religions. The meeting went on non-stop for 40 days. I went for four days and we all felt like brothers and sisters there. In this prayerful whirling dance, all the incidents and details of life disappear and the only thing left is God's love, everything else, including me, disappears. The whole cosmos is God's shadow. Enjoy the pictures. I am so glad we have connected again.

 

A Sabbath Poem (Bishop)

ONE ART
~ by Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

(from The Poetry of Our World, ed. Jeffery Paine, Perennial, 2000)

Bless Your Pharaoh

~ by Amichai Lau-Lavie, Faith House Advisory Council member, and founder, executive, and artistic director of Storahtelling Inc.

"God Bless You"– this common post-sneeze sacred invocation that has gone completely secular is uttered endlessly and mindlessly around the world. Just like 'God Bless America,' this is often simply a polite figure of speech, a civic, civil nicety. In Hebrew you say "La'brioot" – "to health."

The cultural differences are interesting but either way, these are expressions of empathy, and I've been intrigued by this word/concept--empathy--for about a week now. How come there is no word for "empathy" in Hebrew? No exact translation, that is – Israelis say "empatia," one of many foreign words that migrated into Modern Hebrew and stuck. It's a telling fact, though, that words like 'empathy' or 'pluralism' or 'text' do not have an Israeli life of their own. These days, I wonder not only about the missing word in Hebrew but also about the collective ability to exercise the word's imperative: to feel empathy towards others, esp. others in distress, and esp. others in distress who are very much 'the other.'

Ten days since the ceasefire in Gaza, and many efforts at rehabilitation take place– physical, emotional, political and diplomatic. But for many here in Israel, the anger remains. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Merely suggesting the expression of empathy towards the people of Gaza, alongside support for the IDF soldiers and the people of Sdeort, gets many Israelis – including family members and close friends – furious. Calls for empathy and care for the estimated 20,000 Gaza residents who are now homeless is met with pursed lips: "let Hamas help them, its their own fault." Empathy, generally recognized as "the ability to sense and understand someone else's feelings as if they were one's own," seems to take a backseat to her fierce and frugal sister -- survival. "I just can't afford to be thinking about them right now" M. tells me. I get this approach but it drives me nuts. ‘You’ve been in NY for too long’ B. tells me ‘this is how we roll here, remember?’ This isn’t helping either.

There are, thankfully, other voices, and other initiatives that think and do otherwise. L., for instance, a 27 year old student from Jerusalem who teamed up with another student and organized within 5 days a 7 truck convey of emergency supplies to Gaza, thousands of Israeli donations of clothes, food, blankets and personal letters from Israeli citizens to the families beyond the border. I met L. at the weekly Zohar class we attend at the Hartman Institute – who knew she was such an organizer? She didn't sleep for a week and offered many of us a way to be really helpful. I helped by carrying boxes. The story hit the media two days ago -- even Al Jazeera wanted to interview her…

And meanwhile, I've been asking people for Hebrew translation for 'empathy' – heads are scratched, options offered, all admit that there is no one single perfect Hebrew word for it. Yet. How long has it been missing? How come there isn't one?

"In essence," L. tells me, mid-carrying-boxes, "'love your neighbor as you love yourself' is the root of empathy – and Judaism's core concept – but I guess it got lost in translation. isn’t this in the Bible somewhere?"

So I turn to search for empathy in Exodus and check the tale out this week's Torah reading. It’s got the Prime Time coverage of the actual moment of the Exodus – the last midnight in Egypt. The firstborn of Egypt are slain – and there isn't a home in the land that has not been struck by death. Amid the screams, the king relents – demands that they leave the land – and offers the most audacious invitation for empathy:

"Take both your flocks and your herds and be gone; and bless me also" (Ex.12:32).

He's asking them for a blessing?

How can he expect Moses and his people to have anything but hatred in their hearts towards him? And yet he asks. And we are invited to consider, seriously, his request. Can we bless the enemy – then, now?

And let's say we do decide to grant him a blessing – let's pretend that empathy swims in our veins – what blessing would he receive? What blessing would you offer the ruler who has ruled over your misery?

This past Sunday evening, right after the Zohar class (in which L. updates us that the convoy of trucks, courtesy of the UN, made it into Gaza and that the supplies have already been delivered) I walk over to my parents’ house to have dinner. it’s a 10 minute walk, the evening is cold and crisp, and on the way I ponder this question – who is my Pharaoh? Would, could, should I bless him? I recall the psychological/mystical reading that the Zohar offers the Exodus saga – this is all a description of our inner drama. The oppressed slaves are within me – yearning for more freedom, for more autonomy, for more self expression, Moses is my inner drive for growth, my connection to the Higher Self, and sometimes this inner Moses will resort to strange tricks or fierce strikes to get its point across. And Pharaoh – Freud would call him ‘ego’, and I see him as that part of me that refuses to change, yet knows he – I – have to change in order to grow. Can I have empathy towards my inner resistance? Can I have empathy towards my fellow Israelis who have no empathy?

After dinner with my father (my mother is out at some lecture) I sit with him and open a Torah and read the verses with him and ask – what blessing would you have given the king?

My father, who is no Pollyanna, may or may not be thinking of his Nazi jailers, or the Hamas fighters or any other mythic or historical 'Pharaoh' as he quietly, and with great empathy, offers this version of a blessing to the King of Egypt: "May your river continue to flow."

God Bless him.

(And, If you were to bless the Pharaoh – what would your blessing be?)

A Sabbath Poem (Baal Shem Tov)

ONCE A PERSON KNOWS
~ by Baal Shem Tov

It is therefore written: "Hide, I will hide my face."
That is, God will be hidden
so that they do not even know God is there.
But once a person knows God is hidden,
God is not really hidden.

(from The Path of Blessing, by Rabbi Marcia Prager, Jewish Lights, 2003)

Answering Christian Critics of Faith House (Part 2): God Our Stranger

~ by Samir Selmanovic

Throughout the history of human interaction, we have been faced with the problem of the stranger. For every “us” there has to be “them.” To describe ourselves, we have to differentiate ourselves—me and you, kin and non-kin, friends and enemies, neighbors and foreigners. Without dividing the world, we would have no identity. Since the beginning of humanity, belonging to a group has been a matter of survival and, over the ages, multiple identity boundaries have been drawn—gender, tribe, race, religions, nations, possessions, political parties. The stranger is different from us.

We are engaged with strangers in inverse proportion to the distance that separates us. With globalisation, however, the distance between “us” and “them” has been rapidly vanishing. Through the media, in our workplace and in our families, the stranger has come close. Now, the other is not only “out there.” They have moved into our physical, intellectual and emotional neighborhoods. The distance that used to separate us is being abolished and our perspectives are changing.

In this new relationship, we are confronted not only with a new view of those we used to consider “outsiders” but with a new view of ourselves. They see in us what we could not recognize in ourselves and, when we let them, they tell us what we cannot tell ourselves. They have arrived into our daily lives with their beauty, wisdom, and vulnerabilities, as well as their suffering, grievances and aspirations. Like an uninvited company consultant who can see what the company cannot see, the stranger reveals. And that’s the problem of the stranger. To survive we need to protect ourselves from the stranger; to survive we need the stranger to help us see.

In the Scripture, this problem has been inversed and transformed into one of the most potent commandments for God’s people. While the Hebrew Bible commands, “you shall love your neighbor” only once, it commands no less than 36 times to “love the stranger.” For example, it demands, “When a stranger lives with you in your land, do not ill-treat him. The stranger who lives with you shall be treated like the native-born. Love him as yourself” (Leviticus 19:33). In the New Testament, Jesus insists the ultimate judgment of our acts will come from the way we treat the stranger (see Matthew 25:31-46). In the Muslim world, informed by the Quranic texts, one is expected to take a stranger into one’s home and treat him with honor and care no less than three days, even when one is considered an enemy. This may seem as nothing but a simple invitation to a virtue of neighborly love, but there is far more to this insistent call of God.

Abraham, the father of three monotheistic faiths, was ordained by the priest Melchizedek, an outsider to the covenantal family. Although a stranger, he was called “the priest of the Most High.” We have no idea where and how he became a priest before Abraham was called to follow God. Later, Abraham and Sarah were visited in their tent by three strangers to whom they offered hospitality, only to discover they were God’s angels. In what is generally known as the Christmas story, “wise men” from the East who look to the stars for answers—outsiders to the race and religion of Israel—after following an unusual star to Bethlehem, visited baby Jesus to confirm the identity of Jesus as Messiah. The entire history of people who follow God has been held together by the visits, wisdom and care of strangers, people who were not “us” but “them”—the other. Why the other? Why does God insist on speaking to his followers through strangers?

Because understanding our relationship and life with the Divine Other—the Holy One who will always confound us—is inextricably intertwined with our relationship and life with the human other—humanity that also confounds us. God comes in the form of and works through a stranger because the otherness of a stranger is akin to the otherness of God. The human other is a trace of the Divine Other in whose image the stranger has been made. The challenge God poses to us is to see God’s image in one who is not in our image. The less strangers we know the more truncated out vision of God will be.

The blessings and corrections of God come to us from the outside of the boundaries we have made for our groups, through those who can tell us the truths we cannot tell ourselves.  If we could know these truths on our own, they would not be strangers. Strangers bring not only danger to us, but also advice, solutions, beauty, opening for us new vistas into understanding the humanity, the world and God. But the blessing of the stranger goes deeper. When encountering another, we also encounter ourselves in a new way. Each encounter challenges our isolated and ingrown ideas and helps us become our better selves. And this is where the grand invitation of God to humanity lies: without knowing and caring for the other, we cannot know neither God nor ourselves.

Religion has been one of the most potent identity-forming mechanisms. It has bound people together in common purpose, joy and action as well as contributed to the prejudice, exclusion and violence toward the outsider. Now when globalization has turned our societies into societies of strangers, every religion has a chance to transcend its own limitations. We live in a society where relativism—claim that no differences really matter—is too weak to stop the aberrations of religious or anti-religious fervor. Mere tolerance of the other will not do. As Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of England, points out, “Only an equal and opposite fervor can do that. Healing . . . must come, if anywhere, from the heart of the whirlwind itself.”

We are all part of a larger web of life in which “the other” is part of our own life. Those not in our image are, however, in the image of God. In the past, the whirlwind of religious passion came from our experiences of being visited, corrected, and blessed by God. Today, God has not withdrawn Himself. He is calling us to a profound experience of meeting Him in a stranger. For those open to the strangers, the whirlwind never stops.

(from Signs of the Times, Australia, adapted by the author)

The Story of "God In the Other"

~ by Sheryl Fullerton (article from www.readthespirit.com)

It seems everywhere I look these days, there is talk of interfaith this or that, for or against. The impulse either to strengthen boundaries or breach them seems intense, maybe because of the general feeling that change is in the air, that an era is ending and we need new ways forward—or, as some feel, we need to do everything in our power to resist the changes.

It’s from such times of tension and uncertainty and passionate discussion that books are born. And that is the case with a new book we’re publishing next fall by Samir Selmanovic, tentatively titled for now “God in the Other.”

I remember when I first opened up Samir’s proposal. His opening statement hit me right between the eyes: “For years I’ve been talking about three monotheistic religions to nonbelievers. And here is what I hear: ‘At best, Jews, Christians, and Muslims look like three religious stooges in a slapstick comedy. At worst, they look like three brothers with hands clasped in prayer and soaked in blood.’ We have littered history with incredible amounts of stupidity, injustice and suffering. The world has simply had it with us. They are not listening anymore… Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have painted a picture of God that is difficult to admire, much less worship….Either monotheism will die, or evolve.”

When I read that, I nodded.

To continue reading The Story of "God In the Other" click HERE.

A Sabbath Poem (Alexander)

ARE WE NOT OF INTEREST TO EACH OTHER?
~ by Elizabeth Alexander (2009 presidential inauguration laureate)

Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry

is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said

"Every 'I' is a dramatic 'I'")
digging in the clam flats

for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.

Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,

overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way

to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)

is not all love, love, love,
and I'm sorry the dog died.

Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,

and are we not of interest to each other?

(from Ars Poetica #100: I Believe)

Live Words: The Way the World Is Structured

No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone, and anyone who feels that he can live alone is sleeping through a revolution. The world in which we live is geographically one. The challenge that we face today is to make it one in terms of brotherhood....

Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood. But somehow, and in some way, we have got to do this. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God's universe is made; this is the way it is structured.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

(from A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration From the
Great Sermons of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

A Jew's Prayer for the Children of Gaza

This past Friday, I (Samir) went to welcome Sabbath and worship with our Jewish brothers and sisters of Romemu community on the Upper West Side. It was four hours of singing, dancing, food, tears, laughter, hugging, wisdom and compassion. Here is a prayer by Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman of Kol HaNeshama, Jerusalem, that we prayed together. You might want to read it in your churches, mosques, or synagogues. Imagine, you can have Christians reading a Jewish prayer for Muslims. God will hear.

If there has ever been a place forsaken, Gaza is that place.

Lord who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day. God whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza, that they may know your blessings, and your shelter, that they may know light and warmth, where there is now only blackness and smoke, and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin.

Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles, make an exception of the children of Gaza. Shield them from us and from their own. Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety. Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief. Deliver them from us, and from their own.

Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven.

Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael, who is the father of all the children of Gaza. How the child Ishmael was without water and left for dead in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba, so robbed of all hope, that his own mother could not bear to watch his life drain away.

Be that Lord, the God of our kinsman Ishmael, who heard his cry and sent His angel to comfort his mother Hagar.

Be that Lord, who was with Ishmael that day, and all the days after. Be that God, the All-Merciful, who opened Hagar's eyes that day, and showed her the well of water, that she could give the boy Ishmael to drink, and save his life.

Allah, whose name we call Elohim, who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life, send these children your angels. Save them, the children of this place, Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned.

In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war, seizes our hearts and patches them in scars, we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace:

Bless these children, and keep them from harm.

Turn Your face toward them, O Lord. Show them, as if for the first time, light and kindness, and overwhelming graciousness.

Look up at them, O Lord. Let them see your face.

And, as if for the first time, grant them peace.

The Invitation Home (Part 2)

~ by Juliet rabia Gentile

(This is a continuation of the last week's article. To read Part 1 click HERE.)       

 Konya is a small industrial town set like a dusty jewel in the crown of Central Anatolia. It is famous and widely visited only due to the fact that it holds the tomb of Mevlana Jelaladdin Rumi. Over the years since Mevlana Rumi’s death on December 17th 1273, a mystical order based upon his teachings called the Mevlevi order grew. The ritual practice called Sema that one associates with Mevlevis or whirling dervishes – think spinning figures in generous white gowns with funny tomb stone shaped hats whirling for hours - developed out of an incident in a marketplace right there in the town square in Konya. Everything that we know about Rumi has been preserved by his students and family members and can be found in the landscape or in the hearts of the people of Konya.

My flight from Istanbul touched down several hours late due to a burgeoning fog that wrapped itself around Konya’s empty streets like an old friend. Soon after my arrival the phone began to ring and plans mounted up. The celebrations in Konya were well under way despite the cold and fog: there was no time to rest!

It is tradition that Sufis gather together from across the globe every year for seventeen days leading up to the Shebi-Arus celebration which culminates on December 17th. This event known as the “wedding night” commemorates the time when Mevlana Rumi went to join his Beloved. The anniversary of his death is celebratory rather than somber. In fact Rumi wrote in one of his poems, “if you harvest the wheat growing over my grave and bake bread with it, it is sure to intoxicate!” So strong was Mevalana Rumi’s love for God that his fragrance still attracts lovers of all walks of life, religions and nationalities, some 800 years after his death, like bees to honey.

My first stop in Konya was the informal headquarters of the trip: Dervish Brothers Center. DBC was the place of beginning and ending of all journeys and adventures and was visited by many dervish sisters despite its name. It was a place to make and break plans, listen to music and poetry, sip endless cups of tea and have intimate discussions extending into the morning. Before long I had lost track of the number of dhikrs, impromptu musical gatherings, meals and endless prayer vigils I had attended. One highlight of historical importance was a Sufi dhikr held at the tomb of Shems i Tabriz (the mystic thought to be responsible for the full flowering of spiritual wisdom in Rumi’s adult life). This beautiful prayer ceremony which somewhat spontaneously coalesced after the afternoon prayer in the Mosque of Shems was well attended and miraculously accepted by the Mosque authorities, a quiet, though great victory for Sufi activity in Turkey.

One of curiosities of traveling to Turkey is that everywhere you go you encounter people and businesses selling Sufism and Sufi paraphernalia (not always authentic) to tourists, even while its practice is illegal under Turkish law. You may ask yourself why, at a time when Islam is weighed down with fundamentalisms of various stripes and colors, would anyone want to suppress an interpretation of Islam based upon the principle of universal love? Well, despite changing public and political opinion in favor of Sufism, its practitioners are still vulnerable to law enforcement, therefore making the beautiful that day a great triumph towards further opening the gates of understanding and tolerance. 

Perhaps more than any other lesson this journey to Konya taught me the importance of tolerance and understanding, even when I fell short. When you are in a strange country, speaking a new language the importance of open heartedness and true understanding become crystal clear. You become acutely aware of your utter dependence on the kindness of others and their willingness to cover your faults. It takes truth, sincerity and perseverance to navigate cultural divides and find common ground with the other in often difficult or awkward circumstances.

At home, surrounded by the comfort of “my family, my city, my country” it is easy to become complacent and intolerant. It is harder to extend a hand of guidance, friendship, or love. We think our lives don’t depend on it.

In a rapidly shrinking global world colored by increasing violence and polarization, perhaps now more than ever we are challenged to open, rather than shut down, to question and learn, rather than judge. This realization, which I experienced directly rather than ‘thought about’ was one of the most precious gifts I received from Mevlana Rumi and my journey to Konya. In the shadow of His light I witnessed the power of personal connection. The soul stirring invitation afforded by a warm glance, a smile, a prayer – signals that reach across language, race and religion.

In the airport on the way home we encountered that divine fog once again, hemming us in as we waited for hours in the small Konya airport. In the huddled masses there were various fellow pilgrims from England, Pakistan, South Africa and Iran. As the hours wore on and we shared stories, fruit, tea and tears it became crystal clear that we were all drawn to Konya from our various far-flung destinations for one reason: love.

Despite what shade our skin was, what language we spoke or what lives we were returning to, we were all, in our essential natures, one. In those hours of listening to the stories of my fellow pilgrims, the inner meaning contained in Rumi’s famous verses - the importance of extending the invitation of love to others, despite what we think of them - was revealed. This is true Godliness, this is the invitation Home.

"Come, come again
Whoever you are.
Pious one, infidel, heretic, fire worshipper.
Even if you promised a hundred times
And a hundred times you broke your promise,
This door is not the door
Of hopelessness and frustration.
This door is open to everyone.
Come, come as you truly are."

The Invitation Home (Part 1)

~by Juliet rabia Gentile

Since July my colleagues at Faith House Manhattan; Samir, Bowie, Jill, Lauralea and I have put much energy and thought into building a brick and mortar Home for people of all traditions or faiths, or of no particular faith at all. In early December, following a successful Faith House Living Room gathering entitled, Holy Journey: Hajj and Eid ul Adha, where we hosted various leaders from the Muslim Community in New York City, I departed to Turkey for both a personal, spiritual journey and a ground-laying expedition for an International Conference of Sufi women.

On the lengthy plane ride it dawned on me: Istanbul is my spiritual Home. Home is a laden word. For some it conjures happy memories and warm feelings while for others, like victims of violence or exile, the word signals profound grief and longing for what once was. Growing up in and around New York City, a place forever in flux and transition, the word has meant many things to me at different times. Over time I learned not to settle into one set notion of home. Therefore this thought came as a surprise. Perhaps all of us have at one point or another felt a longing for a physical home-land and similarly have felt a pull inward, a longing to find a personal sanctuary, a spiritual home to bring peace, balance and rooted-ness to our life.

Being a student of mysticism I have been taught to seek and find this center in the locus of my “heart.” Called qalb in Arabic and gunul in Turkish, the heart I speak of is not the physical heart but your emotional center where your soul resides, where one’s true essential humanity is to be found. The door to this home is always open, the entrance always immediate.

Despite this fact, on this bitterly cold day in early December I was decidedly on an outer journey into space and time. I was set to arrive in Istanbul, Turkey for a few days and then make my way to Konya, in Central Anatolia, for the Shebi-Arus (literally, wedding day) festival in honor of the poet Mevlana Jelaladdin Rumi, known as “Rumi” in the west. This trip was a long anticipated pilgrimage which I had dreamt of for years.

Islamic tradition relates that the Awliya or (Saintly friends of God) never spiritually die and therefore old cities like Istanbul and centers of spiritual learning, like Konya –places where many Awliya lived and died, are potent places to visit. Therefore I always prepare spiritually and mentally to receive whatever teachings these visits have to offer. You could say I use these travels as litmus tests or sign posts for my own spiritual journey. Spiritual pilgrimage in all traditions is like a continual Sabbath, a state in which your mind and heart are at peace and open to receive the treasures placed before you by God. In this state of openness, every person you meet, every place you visit has something to teach you.

When I arrived in Istanbul, the city was windswept and subdued by rain. The streets were virtually empty as people took a much needed rest after a week of Eid ul Adha (feast of sacrifice) celebrations. That first morning I met up with a young dervish (spiritual initiate), Kemal, who is a life-long member of the Halveti-Jerrahi Sufi order (a Sufi order founded in the 17th century in Istanbul). That day Kemal took me around to some of the sights of Istanbul including Topkapi Palace, which holds Holy relics of the Prophet Muhammad and my favorite Tea garden, the ‘Mystic Water Pipe.’ I ask you where else one can sip Turkish ‘cay’ and smoke a ‘narguila’ (a popular water pipe for scented tobacco in flavors ranging from rose to mint) all the while surrounded by floor to ceiling carpets, lamps and stray kittens cozying in warmth? This is perhaps the best way to adjust to a slower pace of life and to take in the ambience of the old world. After a few days of paying my respects and sending salams to the various Sheikhs of different Sufi orders and branches, it was time to prepare for the real adventure. I was soon to depart to that blessed city, Konya that I had long heard about and longed to visit. What I would find there, of course, defied my expectations and proved to be a memorable and life-changing experience.

(for Part 2 click HERE)

Advent Conspiracy

Thank you Alvin for sending us this link!

Living Room Gathering - Season of Waiting: Advent

~ by Bowie Snodgrass

Yesterday we had a wonderful, meditative Living Room based on Advent, the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Christmas.  In American consumer culture, the Christmas shopping season begins after Thanksgiving (or even before!), but in the Christian calendar, Christmas begins on December 25 and the feast continues for twelve days.  The four weeks of Advent are a time of preparation, penitence, expectation, anticipation, pregnancy, darkness, quiet, silence, and listening… 

You can go through the service we did yesterday by yourself at home.  You just need a computer with internet, speakers or headphones, and a couple of candles to light.  In this modified “Lessons and Carols", you will read the first chapter of the gospel of Luke (the silence of Zacharia, the song of Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, etc.), selections from Isaiah (a prophetic vision of social justice), a psalm and the beginning of the gospel of Mark.  Interspersed are verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel, which you can sing aloud or read along, and “anthems” you can watch or simply listen to on YouTube. 

Enjoy!

Instrumental Prelude: Isaac Everett
[at home: listen to “Incarnation” at www.isaaceverett.com/listen]

Welcome  [at home: think about what this time before Christmas means to you]

“O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

Luke 1:1-25

Isaiah 11:1-10
* Note: we used the JPS translations for the Hebrew Scripture readings in the service, but this translation is not available online

Young@Heart Sing Coldplay

A Sabbath Poem (Goethe)

CONTEMPLATING DESIRE
~ by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

In the calm water of the love-nights,
where you were begotten, where you have begotten,
a strange feeling comes over you
when you see the silent candle burning

now you are no longer caught
in the obsession with darkness,
and a desire for higher love-making
sweeps you upward...

(from Wicker Park Grace church newsletter, www.wickerparkgrace.net)