Baha"i

Numbers: About 6 million people claim affiliation with Baha'i and its predecessor, Babism.

Main tenets: Baha'is believe in the unity of all humankind, and therefore the unity of all religions. This means that Baha'i adherents believe that all religions teach the same truth. They therefore reject prejudice--racial, political, or otherwise--and stress ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality. Although they believe that God is completely unknowable, they hold that God's presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and the existence of the prophets, among other things. Important Baha'i prophets include Adam, the Jewish prophets, Jesus, and Muhammed, all of whom have been succeeded by Baha'ullah, the founder of Baha'i.

Founder: Baha'i was founded in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century by Mirza Husayn Ali (1817-1892). Better known as Baha'ullah, he believed that he was the prophet foretold by the Bab, a religious leader who was a direct descendent of the prophet Muhammad. Baha'ullah was persecuted and banished several times during his life, and he died as a prisoner in Palestine. After his death, one of his two sons set out on missionary journeys to Egypt, Europe, and America, establishing branches of the community.

Main sacred text: Among his many writings, Baha'ullah's Kitab al-Aqdas ("The Most Holy Book"), which contains detailed instructions for Baha'i life, is perhaps the closest to scriptures for Baha'is. However, there is no formal public ritual or priesthood. Local congregations hold informal devotional sessions.

Historical roots: Baha'i is an outgrowth of a religious movement known as Babism. Babism stemmed from the Twelver Shi'a sect of Islam, which holds that the twelfth of a series of great imams vanished from sight but is still alive and will return to institute an era of justice and peace.

Headquarters: Currently located in Haifa, Israel, near the graves of Baha'ullah and his predecessor, the Bab.

The Confluence of Sacred Times

| Written by Rabbi Arthur Waskow ... in October 2005 Both the Muslim and Jewish calendars are based on lunar "moonths," but the two traditions treat these months in different ways. Seven times in a 19-year cycle, the Jewish calendar adds an additional lunar "leap month" to bring the calendar back into the rhythm of a solar year. Counting from the month of spring, in which Passover occurs, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar is Tishrei - a sabbatical month in which every phase of the moon is honored through a unique festival: Rosh Hashanah at the new moon, Yom Kippur on the tenth day, Sukkot at the full moon, and Sh'mini Atzeret/ Simchat Torah at the waning of the moon. As a result of the constant solar readjustment, Tishrei always occurs in the fall. Since the Muslim calendar is purely lunar, the sacred month of Ramadan moves round the year from season to season. It occasionally, but rarely, coincides with the Jewish sacred month of Tishrei. In the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 of the Western calendar, the two months do coincide. (During 2008, the Jewish calendar adds its "leap month," and the paths of Ramadan and Tishrei then diverge for many years.) In 2005, Tishrei and Ramadan begin with the new moon on October 3-4. Other sacred times also coincide with those days. October 4 is the saint's day of St. Francis of Assisi, known as a proponent of peace and lovingkindness toward all human cultures and all life-forms on earth. October 2 is the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi. And because it is the first Sunday in October, October 2 is also, for Protestant Christians, Worldwide Communion Sunday. Yom Kippur falls on October 13. Since every day of ramadan is a fast day, that day both Jews and Muslims will be fasting. And October 13 is for Hindus Vijayadashami (the tenth day of victory). It comes after Navarathri (nine nights) where many fast, and others have religious observances of various sorts. Although the religious story is filled with images of war and victory (on the 10th day), it is often described as a spiritual struggle similar to jihad (in its proper meaning). Also for Buddhists, October 13 falls within a period of reflection or retreat called Vassa (rainy season). (It is sometimes called the Buddhist "Lent.") Oct. 18 is the full moon day on which this season ends, and is called Pavarana day in the Theravada tradition. At a moment in history when the world is experiencing an upsurge in religious hostility and war, when the blood-streaked strands in the fabrics of many religious traditions seem to win more attention than the peaceful teachings at the heart of all of them, the confluence of these dates seems a gift from God: Can we draw upon this gift to act in ways that honors the best in all our traditions and that reconnects them all with that Unity that calls us toward making peace, seeking justice, healing the earth?

Graditude

We thank Thee Lord, for happy hearts,
For rain and sunny weather.
We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food,
And that we are together.

Imagine

John Lennon

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one 

SACRED OFFERS OF PEACE

SACRED OFFERS OF PEACE

Hindu Prayer for Peace
Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.

Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May all beings swiftly attain Buddha hood.

Zoroastrian Prayer
We pray to God that understanding will triumph over ignorance, that generosity will triumph over indifference,
that trust will triumph over contempt,
and that truth will triumph over falsehood.

Jainism Prayer
Peace and universal love is the essence of all the Gospels.
Forgive do I creatures all,
and let all creatures forgive me.

Jewish Prayer
Oh come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
that we may walk the paths of the Most High.
And we will beat our swords into ploughshares
and our spears into pruning hooks.

Shinto Prayer
We earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away
all the clouds hanging over the tops of the mountains.

Native African Prayer
For you are one who does not hesitate to respond to our call, you are the cornerstone of peace.

Native American Prayer
Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect and to be kind to one another,
that we may grow with peace in mind.

Muslim Prayer
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe.
Who has created us and made us into tribes and nations
that we may know each other,
not despise each other

Baha'i Prayer
Be a breath of life unto the body of humankind
a dew upon the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

Sikh Prayer
Know that we attain God when we love,
and only that victory endures in consequence of which
no one is defeated.

Christian Prayer
Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
Blessed be the Peacemakers,
for they shall be called the Children of God.

Gaelic Prayer

Deep peace of the running wave to you,

Of water flowing, rising and falling,

Sometimes advancing, sometimes receding.

May the stream of your life flow unimpeded!

Deep peace of the running wave to you!

Deep peace of the flowing air to you,

Which fans your face on a sultry day,

The air which you breathe deeply, rhythmically,

Which imparts to you energy, consciousness, life.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you!

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,

Who, herself unmoving, harbors the movements

And facilitates the life of the ten thousand creatures.

While resting contented, stable, tranquil.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you!

Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Something good's bound to come

For out on the edge of darkness
There runs the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train
Peace train's a holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
This is the peace train

Get your bags together
Come bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
Soon it will be with you
Come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

I've been crying lately
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?

For out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

Come on, come on, come on the peace train...

"Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the diverse elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spiritu of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high aiming race and nation. "

~~ Abdu'l-Baha

from the Writings of Abdu'l Baha p. 27.

Serenity Prayer
GOD, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with
Him forever in the next. Amen
Rienhold Niebuhr

Children of Abraham

Children of Abraham, hear our call, heed our prayer.

Though we have drifted far from each other
And many, far from our land
The sounds and sights and smells of the past still echo in our hearts.

Let us carry our souls back to Al Quds, the holy city, Jerusalem, the
city of peace
And link hands once more.

Under the sheltering wings of shechina, the holy spirit, and the angels of love
The children of Abraham will find peace
If we meet each other, eye to eye, and invoke the spirit of our ancestor.

Abraham sat in his tent with sides open
Fearless and humble, he greeted all with open arms and heeded the words of God.
What would he say to us, his descendants, his family torn apart?

Turn your faces and hearts to each other.
Join hands.
See faces that look much like our own
And a tongue that sounds familiar too.
See your pain and anger reflected back at you
And the love and hope beneath it.
Reach deep and take the chance to trust again.
Fearless and humble, greet each other with open hearts.
For as God is one, we too are one.

Explore

I have added several new links and sites of interest. come on in and play and explore. Enjoy and learn. Please feel free to add comments.

Unitarian Universalist

The Heart Knoweth

We have a great deal more kindness

than is ever spoken.

The whole human family

is bathed in an element of love like

a fine ether.

How many persons we meet in houses,

whom we scarcely speak to,

whom yet we honor and who honor us !

How many we see in the street, or sit

with in church, whom though silently, we warmly

rejoice to be with !

Read the language of these wandering

eye beams.

The heart knoweth.

--------Ralph Waldo Emerson, UU

Purposes and Principles of Unitarian Universalism :

We, the members of the Congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Covenant to Affirm and Promote:

• The Inherent Worth and Dignity of every person;

• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations,

• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

• The right ot conscience and the usee democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The Living Tradition We Share Draws From Many Sources:

• Direct experience of that trascending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and openness to the forces that create and uphold life;

• Words and deeds of prophetic men and women which challenge us to confront powers and structiures of evilwith justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love ;

• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

• Humanist teaching which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.

• The Wisdom of the Earth Centered Traditions.

THE INVITATION

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for and if

you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,

for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,

if you have been opened by life's betrayals

or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,

without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers

and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic,

or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself;

if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every

day, and if you can source your life from God's presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,

and still stand on the edge of a lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or own much money you

have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief

and despair, weary and bruised the bone,

and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.

I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me

and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,

and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder

THE ARK OF HOPE

The Ark of Hope, a 49"(124.5cm) x 32" (81.3cm) x 32" (81.3cm) wooden chest was created as a place of refuge for the Earth Charter document, an international peoples treaty for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Visit www.earthcharter.org for complete information on the Earth Charter. The Ark of Hope also provides refuge for the Temenos Books, Images and Words for Global Healing, Peace, and Gratitude. Over 600 handcrafted 8" x 8" x 2" books have been made by artists, schoolchildren, and citizens around the world, expressing their individual and collaborative prayers and affirmations for Earth. The Earth Charter's 16 principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society are the guiding vision behind the creation of these books. The Ark was designed and painted by Vermont, USA artist Sally Linder, built by cabitnetmaker Kevin Jenness and lined by fabric artist Beth Haggart. It was crafted from a single plank of sycamore maple from a sustainable forest in Germany. The five painted panels that form the sides and top of the Ark each represent the flora and fauna of the world as seen through the images of the world's traditional artists. Each panel visualizes a season, a direction, an element, and a universal symbol. Symbols of faith from traditional religions and indigenous societies surround the top panel of "Spirit" that honors the children and young animals of the world. The 96" carrying poles are unicorn horns which render evil ineffective. Inside the Ark's lid is the Earth Charter handwritten on papyrus paper. The University of Cairo supplied Sally with instructions for making paper with papyrus - a plant known to have the ability to purify water of pollutants. The papyrus was harvested from the Living Systems, Inc. waste treatment plant in South Burlington, VT, soaked for two weeks in Sally's bathtub, then pressed using 90,000 pounds of pressure at Langdell Papers, a Vermont papermaker in East Topsham.

The Ark of Hope was created for a celebration of the Earth Charter held at Shelburne Farms, Vermont on September 9, 2001. The event, for love of Earth, featured keynote speaker Jane Goodall, global peace walker Satish Kumar, musician Paul Winter, and Dr. Steven C. Rockefeller, a member of the Earth Charter Commission. On September 11, 2001 volunteers were cleaning up from the September 9th event when news of the New York and Washington, DC terrorist attacks and tragedies was heard. Sally Linder's immediate, spontaneous response to the horror was to begin walking the Ark of Hope to New York and the United Nations. Joined by Andrea Morgante and Janet Fredericks, they carried the 200-pound chest across the meadows of the farm to Rt. 7 where they were joined by Susan Diehl Dufort.

Hundreds of walkers joined the pilgrimage to New York City, bringing with them hope and the vision of the Earth Charter to communities along the way. For two months the Ark of Hope was walked over 350 miles through four states. The last leg of the journey down the Hudson River was aboard the legendary sloop The Clearwater. Due to heightened security at the United Nations the Ark of Hope rested at New York's Interfaith Center upon arrival.

Recognizing that the United Nations is central to global efforts to solve problems which challenge humanity, the Ark of Hope carrying the Earth Charter and the Temenos Books was exhibited at the United Nations during the World Summit PrepComII in January-February 2002.

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Ark of Hope was ceremoniously offered to the world by the children of Diepsloot, an informal settlement in Johannesburg. Visit our NEWS and EVENTS section for stories and photographs of the walk to New York City and the journey to South Africa.

Bangalore, India was the next port of call for the Temenos Books. At the 2005 International Women's Conference hosted by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar , Sally Linder shared Temenos Books and introduced thousands of women from around the world to the Earth Charter.

Traveling on to Amsterdam in the Netherlands for the Earth Charter +5 conference the Ark of Hope and Temenos Books were exhibited at the Tropenmuseum in September - December 2005. Visit www.earthcharter.org for details of this important conference. By invitation of the Ark of Hope, Her Royal Highness Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands created a Temenos Book. Over 8,000 Dutch children were introduced to the Charter through the Tropenmuseum Junior, the international children's magazine samsam and the magazine Kidsweek. Thousands of Temenos pages were made by the children. Twenty-five winning pages were ceremoniously accepted by Queen Beatrix and placed in her Temenos Book which was gifted to the Ark of Hope at the Earth Charter +5 event. The remaining Temenos pages were bound into dozens of Temenos Books created by Tropenmuseum staff and volunteers. These books will travel with the other hundreds of books in the Ark of Hope. Visit our NEWS and EVENTS section for newspaper articles and photographs of Queen Beatrix with the Ark of Hope.

The Ark of Hope carrying the vision of the Earth Charter belongs to Earth and humankind. Its life grows when it is shared. It is hoped that nations around the world will bring the Ark to their people, continuing to introduce the Earth Charter to audiences globally, spreading hope and the recognition of the interdependence of justice, and economic and ecological integrity that together build a culture of peace.

Organizations, schools and universities, faith communities, museums, and international conferences have hosted the Ark of Hope since its creation in 2001. To invite the Ark to your community, institution or conference visit this website's CONTACT US section. To create Temenos Books or pages to add to the Ark visit the TEMENOS BOOKS section.

Spiritual Cinema Circle

The Spiritual Cinema Circle originally grew out of collaboration between film producer Stephen Simon and psychologists Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks. Stephen had produced many beloved movies with spiritual themes, such as "Somewhere In Time" and "What Dreams May Come," and had given hundreds of talks and seminars on the emerging genre of Spiritual Cinema. During that time The Hendricks had created a non-profit foundation dedicated to creating a new consciousness in mass media.

Stephen says: "I knew of Katie and Gay Hendricks through the books on relationships they'd written, like Conscious Loving, but I didn't meet them in person until around 1996. I was immediately impressed by how dedicated they were to helping build a new kind of consciousness in the world. We became good friends. The concept for The Spiritual Cinema Circle actually came to Gay during meditation one day in 2003. He meditates every day early in the morning, and one day I got an excited early-morning call from him."

Gay tells what happened: "In meditation that morning I had a flash of insight: I saw exactly how we could create a community of conscious movie-lovers who could change the world. The insight came in a split-second, and after meditation here's what I wrote down: 'There are wonderful, inspiring movies being made by creative filmmakers all over the world, but hardly anybody is getting to see them because Hollywood isn't distributing them. The Hollywood studios don't seem to think there's a market for movies with heart and soul. At the same time there are millions of us around the world who aren't going to the movies much anymore because we're tired of the violence and mindlessness of the typical Hollywood stuff. Why don't we scout the film festivals, find the great spiritual-themed movies Hollywood is ignoring, and bring them to people at home on DVD?'

"After I wrote it down I called Stephen and told him about the insight I'd just had. He agreed with me that there was a huge audience of people who wanted to grow and transform through the movies they watched, and they were frustrated because there weren’t more movies that really mattered. Right there on the phone we sketched out a plan. Even with paying filmmakers, duplication and postage charges, we saw that we could still deliver tremendous value to people for a very low subscription fee. I had read that two people spend $30 or so to go to a movie theater (with the popcorn, sodas and candy accounting for more than half of that sum). I figured we could bring a whole package of great features, shorts and documentaries to people every month for a lot less than that!"

"We asked publicist Arielle Ford and entertainment lawyer Cynthia Litman to join us in building the foundations of The Circle. None of us took any salaries in the early days—it was all done as a labor of love. Three months after we launched The Circle, we got an enthusiastic write-up in Newsweek Magazine, followed by dozens of stories in other media outlets. It seemed that we had struck a chord with people around the world, because we soon had members in more than 50 countries."

We're deeply grateful to our global community of conscious movie-lovers, who are indeed helping change the world… one movie at a time.

ABOUT STEPHEN SIMON

Born into a successful Hollywood family, Stephen Simon grew up during the big studio heyday of the late forties and fifties. His father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a sought-after producer/director who made films with the likes of Abbott and Costello and Red Skelton. He also produced the original version of BORN YESTERDAY. Every year on March 9, the anniversary of his birth, American Movie Classics devotes a day to showing his films. He was also a studio executive at Columbia Pictures under the legendary Harry Cohn. Stephen’s father died when he was only four years old. His mother remarried Armand Deutsch who was also a film producer at MGM where he produced films with stars such as Robert Taylor and Grace Kelly. His mother's closest friends were Nancy Reagan, Betsy Bloomingdale, and Fran Stark, the daughter of Fanny Brice and wife of legendary film producer Ray Stark. It was no surprise to anyone that when Stephen graduated from law school, he soon found himself drawn to the movie biz…as Ray Stark's protégé.

Mentored by Hollywood greats such as Stark (producer of STEEL MAGNOLIAS, THE GOODBYE GIRL, FUNNY GIRL) and Dino De Laurentiis (producer of over 150 motion pictures, including RED DRAGON, HANNIBAL, KING KONG), Stephen Simon became a highly regarded and well respected veteran producer and executive in his own right with over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, producing or being responsible for the production of over 20 motion pictures.

He has produced acclaimed projects such as the Academy Award® Winning WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (starring Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr.) , the classic SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour), ALL THE RIGHT MOVES (Starring Tom Cruise) and was an executive producer on fan favorite BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (starring Keanu Reeves).

An amazing career, yes? Depends on who you ask. While his resume reads like a dream career to some, Stephen will be the first to tell you that most of his Hollywood years were spent in frustration at not being able to make the spiritual films he so loved as a child and young man. Films such as IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, LOST HORIZONS, THE PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, and THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR. Ultimately, Stephen became so disillusioned with his inability to make story-based, spiritual films in Hollywood that he not only left the mainstream industry, he moved out of California altogether in 2001. Having relocated to Ashland, Oregon he finished THE FORCE IS WITH YOU: Mystical Movie Messages That Inspire our Lives, his seminal book on the genre he coined as “Spiritual Cinema.” He spent much of 2002 traveling the country on a speaking tour to support the book and to rally film lovers to help establish Spiritual Cinema as a genre.

In 2003, Stephen made his directorial debut, INDIGO, (starring Neale Donald Walsch) which was produced entirely in the State of Oregon with a $500,000 budget. INDIGO has since become a grassroots phenomenon with its one weekend worldwide release in January, 2005 grossing over $1.3 million. INDIGO is currently being widely distributed on DVD by Monterrey Media.

In 2004, Mr. Simon co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle (www.spiritualcinemacircle.com) with Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. The Circle, a monthly DVD subscription service that distributes 4 spiritually-themed films a month, became an immediate international success story and now has subscribers in more than 70 countries.

By late 2004, The Circle had become successful enough to venture into original film production so it acquired the rights from Neale Donald Walsch to make CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD into a movie. Directing and producing CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD was the culmination of a dream for Stephen who had wanted to make a film version of CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD since he first read the material in the late-90's, but couldn't find a financier to make a deal with Walsch for the rights. "My career has been marked mostly by my passion for three projects,” he says. “It took me 3 years to get SOMEWHERE IN TIME produced, almost 20 years to get WHAT DREAMS MAY COME made, and now almost 8 years to get CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD to the screen."

Stephen currently resides near Portland, Oregon.

Tonight I might share some of my favorite images with you.

The Children of Abraham

Reporting by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Religious Holidays Inspire Rare Interfaith Celebration in Piedmont

By Carmel Wroth, October 21, 2006 10:26 AM

PIEDMONT -- A slow, lingering melody floated down from the sanctuary as visitors entered the Kehilla Community Synagogue here on a recent Friday night. This wasn't the sound of some celebrated Jewish cantor warming up for services. It was the Muslim call to prayer, sung by Jafar Shenasa of the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California.

Later, in this same space, Rev. Karen Stokes led a congregation of Christians, Muslims and Jews in a dynamic Christian "body prayer," a song and dance celebrating the power of love.

And Rabbi David Cooper preached the story of Jethro and Moses, in which Jethro, a non-Jew, teaches the great Jewish prophet a thing or two about sacred law. It was a lesson, Rabbi Cooper said, in how religions can learn from one another.

This rare interfaith gathering was created by Kehilla, a progressive Jewish Renewal Synagogue, the Montclair Presbyterian Church and the Oakland-based Islamic Cultural Center. The occasion was the first night of Sukkot, the Jewish holiday of harvest and hospitality. These three religious communities in the Oakland area used the event to begin to forge long-lasting connections.

The event honored the coincidence of the Jewish month of Tishrei, the Muslim month of Ramadan, and World Communion Sunday, a holiday celebrated by certain Protestant churches every fall.

The Jewish and Muslim months intersect for three years about every 30 years, Rabbi Cooper explained.

"We want to take advantage of this convergence to act as a model for the world we're in, this world which has so much divergence," he said.

The evening started with Muslim prayers. A group of nine Muslims spread their carpets out, angled diagonally across the sanctuary to face due East, and quietly prayed, as Christian and Jewish guests looked on.

As they walked downstairs after, Nahid Farazian, a petite Muslim lady with a warm gaze, wiped tears from her eyes, and explained herself to another guest.

"I was crying when we finished our prayer," she said. "When you concentrate in a deep, quiet place, you feel it. You are getting in tune with the universe."

Downstairs, the Jewish candle-lighting chant burst out cheerfully, the smells of food tempting in the background. Kefilla song leader Julie Nesnanski led the singing, her blond curls bouncing out of place under a little black skullcap.

Reverend Stokes brought bread to the meal that had been blessed at her church. She explained there was an old tradition of blessing bread in church, after the communion and sharing it with family and friends. She said she offered the bread as a sign of "God's radical hospitality."

Sukkot was traditionally a holiday to celebrate all peoples of the world, and in ancient Jewish history it was celebrated with 70 animal sacrifices. Animal sacrifice may be a thing of the past, but Rabbi Cooper suspected there were 70 potluck dishes at the spread.

As they ate, guests struck up conversation with people whose faiths generally preach mutual exclusivity. It was an atmosphere of family reunion. With the help of name-tags, people were soon on a first name basis.

"We should do this more often. We should bring it to other synagogues, churches, mosques," said a man named Muhammad.

"Yes. I think it will happen, " said Judy, his Jewish hostess of the moment. "It will happen."

Between bites of a sweet date cookie, Muhammad had a thought to share about interfaith connections.

"It's like, we all want to go to LA. Maybe you decide to fly there and I take Highway 101, but we all want to get to the same place…we all believe in God—Jews, Christians, Muslims. We should get together more."

Ali Sheikholeslami, the imam of the Islamic Cultural Center, quoted passages from the Koran promoting tolerance and cooperation between religions. He explained parts of the Koran that seem to advocate sectarian violence have been taken out of context by radicals.

Then he recited two poems from Iranian Sufi poet Rumi, including a line: "All religions, all this singing, one song." And the audience replied, ‘Amen!'

At the end of the evening, Rabbi Cooper led guests out to the courtyard where the synagogue had built a succah, a traditional hut for celebrating the harvest meal.

Under a roof of palm leaves, the Rabbi showed volunteers how do a blessing with a fragrant bundle of myrtle, citron, palm and willow. As they shook the bundle in six directions to bless all peoples around the word, Rabbi Cooper urged them to take a moment for reflection.

"Give consideration to the past," he said. "And reflect on the future, which we are making right here."

Gnosis

An Act of Gnosis (EG)

We know Thee
Thou eternal thought
immovable, unchangeable, unlimited and unconditioned
remaining unchanged in essential essence
while forever thinking the mystery of the universe
manifesting three extensions of cosmic power
creation, preservation and destruction -
Thou, Lord of all.

We know Thee
Father
Thou secret, supreme and ineffable Maker
unchanging in essence
yet ever-changing in appearance and manifestation
visualizing as an act of consciousness the mystery of creation
and by an act of will absorbed into life -
Creator.

We know Thee
Son
Thou Word, Thou Logos
divine manifestation of the Lord
alone-begotten of the great stillness
begotten by an act of consciousness alone
coming to the flesh to destroy incarnate error-
Sustainer.

We know Thee
Holy Spirit
Thou giver of life and goodness
principle of love, beauty and compassion
remaining here on earth to guide and care for us
Thou, with the Father and the Son
art the wholeness upon which the manifested universe is erected -
and Destroyed.

We know you
Messengers
custodians of the essential wisdom of the race
Preachers of the great Law
containing within yourselves spiritual insight and courage
living and laboring unselfishly
mediating between the supreme source and its creation
dedicated to the advancement of all.

We look to the union of the self
with the Fullness
and thus liberation
from the infinite chain of attainment.

Amen.

Quote

Lee R. Clancey, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in a Proclamation promoting diversity & tolerance:

"...tolerance is a personal decision that comes from an attitude that is learnable and embraceable - a belief that every person in earth is a treasure, vital to the health and prosperity of all..."

Welcome

I have always been a spiritual seek from as long as I could remember. My earliest memories are attending church with my Southern Baptist Grandmother. I felt something stir within my soul during the singing and the reading of the Bible . While my first grounding was in a number of Protestant Christian churches, I have always known that God or the Creator is more than what I learned in Sunday school.

The name of the site I have taken from Islam. While Islam numbers 99 names or attributes to God or Alla, there are many more names than one can count. And there are as many paths to any one of those names.

So I invite all spiritual seekers to join me here to share their thoughts and ideas. but first there are a couple of rules.
1. Treat all participants and posts with respect. Bad language will not be allowed.
2. No slamming of other beliefs and ideas outside your own. It's ok to disagree, but putting down others or other beliefs are not.
While not required and not the intent of this site, any scholarly references are welcome.

So Mote It Be