2008
2008 March
2008 April
2008 May
2008 June
 Religious
Holidays Calendar
a
calendar of holy days in the world's faith traditions
Thanksgiving Sunday Interfaith Liturgical Meal
SAMPLE PROGRAMS
this list under construction
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World Religions Series (5 parts)
"He who knows one religion knows none," it
has been said. So to better understand our own faith journey, we examine
the world's religions as they ask and answer the key question, "What gives
meaning to your life?" By comparing and contrasting the various traditions,
our own paths may be deepened and enriched.
1: Pieces or Pattern? -- Three Sacred Dimensions
The confusing details of the world's faiths
can fit into a rough and ready scheme which suggests wisdom for our environmental,
personal, and social troubles.
2 Primal Faiths -- The Sacred in Nature
Ancient and still-living traditions have honored
and ceremonialized the world in which humans participate, rather
than seeking to change it. From ancient Egyptians to American Indians,
meaning emerges from the order in nature.
3 Asian Faiths -- The Sacred in Personhood
The great religions of India and China, with techniques
such as yoga and meditation, delved deeply into personal spiritual development.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism present "therapies"
to recover from the trance of selfishness.
4 Monotheistic Faiths -- The Sacred in Community
The Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam (and other monotheistic religions) find revealed in the history
of covenanted community a power moving toward justice. This involves a
critical view of society and a duty to improve it.
5 Comparative Methods and Questions -- The Sacred
in Mutual Encounter
What effects can mutual
encounter among the faiths have on each of them? What various attitudes
do folks bring to religions other than their own? And how can we as individuals
and a community apply the wisdom of the various faiths to solve the problems
that afflict our age?
The instructor is the Rev Vern Barnet, DMn, known to many in Kansas
City through his Wednesday "Faiths and Beliefs" column in The Star. He
founded the KC Interfaith Council in 1989 and does interfaith work through
his organization, CRES. He has taught world religions at Ottawa University,
Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Saint Paul School of Theology, and
elsewhere. He is a frequent lecturer in area churches and has received
honors from Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, and other organizations.
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Faith Figures Series (4 parts)
This survey of Muslim, Buddhist, Confucian, and Sikh figures presents
their lives and insights for their times and ours. They are not dusty figures
in history but speak to us today about the issues that perplex us.
1. Muhammad: Why He is Loved. How do we align ourselves with a power
moving in history toward justice? -- In the life of Muhammad is the discovery
of a transcendent Power which makes society work.
2. The Buddha: The Guy Who Woke Up. Why is there suffering and what
can be done about it? -- In the life of the Buddha there is compassion
and the wisdom to free ourselves from the trance that keeps us from seeing
reality as it is.
3. Confucius: Say What? How can society be ordered for peace and prosperity?
-- In the life of Confucius the argument between the Legalists and the
Idealists found resolution.
4. Guru Nanak: An Accountant's Truth. Do the differences in religion
really matter? In the life of the first Sikh Guru mysticism and monotheism
were joined. |
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Exploring Spirituality
Spirituality arises from experiences of the
Holy as we seek to understand, honor and share them. This class includes
readings from many sources and practical exercises for learning.
Week 1: What is spirituality? Learn how and why others have answered
and develop your own response.
Week 2: What is the holy and how do I find it? Bring a “sacred” object
to class, an object that has special significance to your personally because
it reminds you of an important occasion, power, connection, relationship,
peak experience or way of understanding.
Week 3: Looking for the holy: What is a pilgrimage? What is a ritual?
Bring to class a chart, map, or diagram of your life’s spiritual journey.
What are the steppingstones and the milestones? The guideposts? The crucial
crossings, the detours, the retracings? The heights and depths? In what
directions have you aimed?
Week 4: Talking about the holy: How do stories and scriptures reveal
their messages? Prepare to tell the class a story that reveals a spiritual
meaning for you (Cinderella, the Tortoise and the Hare, Davey Crockett,
Oedipus Rex, Star Wars, the Prodigal Son, Spider Woman, Hercules, etc).
Week 5: Understanding the unholy: What is the source of evil? Why is
there so much suffering? What does death mean? Describe the greatest evil,
injustice or suffering you know about personally.
Week 6: What is the nature of holy love? What is the spiritual dimension
of sexuality? Write a personal ad to attract or keep your ideal mate.
Week 7: What is the nature of God or the gods, if any? How do we know?
What is our life purpose? What is the destiny of the human race? Prepare
your obituary or write your funeral or memorial service.
Mondays 6:30-9:30 except Labor Day
Ottawa University - Kansas City 913.451.1431
4370 W 109 #200, Leawood, KS 66211
Call for audit or credit (four undergraduate
hours) fees.
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The World's Faiths:
Similarities and Differences
Whether there are more similarities than differences among the faiths depends
on your point of view and how you count. I'll explain. And I'll also say
we probably can learn more from differences than from how we might be alike.
We need to overcome our fear of differences because differences are real
and valuable and life-saving. |
Annual Programs
this list under construction
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The 23nd annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Sunday
Family Ritual Meal, always the Sunday before Thanksgiving
When: 2007 Nov 18 Sunday 6-8 pm
Where: Immanuel Lutheran Church Fellowship
Hall, 1700 Westport Rd, near State Line
Cost: $25 per adult, $20 child
For more information: 913-649-5114 or staff@cres.org
Reservations accepted after Nov 1. email
staff@cres.org
if
you wish to be on the waiting list.
FOR A POSTER-TYPE ANNOUNCEMENT, VISIT
www.cres.org/thanks
Members of more than a dozen faiths gather and
three local interfaith leaders will be honored at the 23nd annual Interfaith
Thanksgiving Sunday Family Ritual Meal Nov. 18. It is the region's oldest
continuing interfaith tradition.
HONOREES this year are the Rev David E Nelson,
DMin, past convener of the Interfaith Council, and Mahnaz Shabbir, a Kansas
City Muslim leader with national prominence.
The full Thanksgiving feast will begin with greetings
from American Indian, Bahá'í, Buddhist, Christian (Orthodox,
Protestant, Roman Catholic), Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Sikh, Sufi,
Unitarian Universalist, Zoroastrian, and Freethinker participants. The
evening celebrates the American heritage and recognizes our shortcomings.
It demonstrates our commitment to expanding the American ideals to include
the religious adventure of the entire human family.
The ceremony was created by CRES (the Center for
Religious Experience and Study) and is hosted at different facilities each
year. This year the two-hour meal is held at B'nai Jehudah, 12320 Nall
Ave.
"The dinner commemorates the Pilgrims’ exodus
from religious tyranny with narrative, songs, prayers, readings, and feasting.
To their story is added repentance for the violence brought to this land
and to its native peoples, for importing enslaved peoples and denying them
freedom, and for the prejudices which still mar America," explained the
Rev. Vern Barnet, CRES minister emeritus, who created the ceremony.
Each participant receives a booklet with readings
for dinner participants. The children ask questions about the symbolic
foods that are part of the full dinner.
The most recent honorees are Gayle Krigel and
Nancy and Gordon Beaham (2006). Previous awards have gone to former Kansas
Attorney General, the Honorable Robert Stephan, and former Chancellor George
M Noonan of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph (2005), Marc
Wilson, Director and CEO of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Laurence
Sickman, his deceased predecessor, (2004), Congressman Dennis Moore (2003),
Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks (2002), Arthur S Brisbane and Bill Tammeus of
The
Kansas City Star (2001), Mayor Kay Barnes (2000), and the Hindu and
Muslim members of the Kansas City Interfaith Council, Anand Bhattacharyya
and A Rauf Mir, MD (1999), who had served the decade from the Council’s
beginnings in 1989.
In addition to the foods of the traditional Thanksgiving
meal including (1) cranberry sauce and (2) turkey, which have become symbolic
of this holiday celebration — there are small portions of foods on each
table with special meaning: (3) salt water (4) bitter herbs (5) maize (6)
charoses (7) cheese and (8) bread. Their meanings are conveyed in the text
with the meal. The glasses of (9) wine or fruit juice are filled at intervals
during the service and sipped together after the blessing is said in one
voice. (10) A vegetarian option recognizes that some Americans choose not
to eat meat.
Over the years, the ceremony has been hosted by
the Grand Avenue Methodist Church, Rockhurst University, the Village (Presbyterian)
Church, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Saint James Lutheran Church,
Unity Temple on the Plaza, Shawnee Presbyterian Church, Grace and Holy
Trinity (Episcopal) Cathedral, Temple B’nai Jehudah, Central Baptist Theological
Seminary, Congregation Beth Shalom, the Community Christian Church, St
Monica Catholic Church, and St Andrew Christian Church, and the Rime Buddhist
Center and Monastery.
History of the Convocation.-- Dr John Hayward,
then professor at the Meadville Theological School at the University of
Chicago, wrote the original version of this service with the help of his
family. It was first used publicly in 1965. This version was arranged and
edited by Dr Vern Barnet, expands the number of children’s questions, and
places Thanksgiving in a world-wide religious context. It has been revised
and reprinted a dozen times from 1974 to 2004.
This Interfaith Convocation has been sponsored
by CRES since 1985. It has been hosted in the greater Kansas City area
by Grand Avenue Methodist Church, Rockhurst University, the Village (Presbyterian)
Church, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Saint James Lutheran Church,
Unity Temple on the Plaza, Shawnee Presbyterian Church, Grace and Holy
Trinity (Episcopal) Cathedral, Temple B’nai Jehudah, Central Baptist Theological
Seminary, Congregation Beth Shalom, Community Christian Church, St Monica
Catholic Church, St Andrew Christian Church, and the Rime Buddhist Center.
Awards were begun with the 1999 reorganization
of the CRES Board chaired by David Stallings.
The dinner begins at 6 and lasts two hours.
A PDF flier will be available for downloading
at http://www.cres.org/thanks.pdf
For reservations ($25 adults, $20 children)
mail your check (we cannot process credit cards)
to
CRES
Box 45414
Kansas City, MO 64171.
For questions, email contact staff@cres.org. |
FOR REFERENCE--
LAST MONTH
2008 May
May 2 Fri 7:30-8:45a
The Center for Spirit at Work Breakfast Club
Ethic Issues of an Aging Population with Myra Christopher, President
and CEO, Center for Practical Bioethics.
reservations@centerforspiritatwork.org
816.268.1078
Westin Crown Center Hotel, 1 East Pershing Road.
May 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
John Brown by Kirke Mechem, world premiere by the KC Lyric Opera;
see www.kcopera.org for resources
and tickets.
Much of the opera’s action is placed in Lawrence.
In one of the most electrifying arias, Brown, who as a child, “too small
to help,” had witnessed another boy, his friend, a slave, beaten ferociously
by his master, tells of reading in the Bible about “Moses who had seen
a brutal beating of a slave — and Moses killed a man! Moses! Moses himself
took a human life to defend a helpless slave.” The opera raises the question,
“Is violence ever justified?”
May 4 Sun 9:30-10:30a
The Cosmic Tree-- Vern's subject for the LifeBuilders Class
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission
From the Garden of Eden to the Buddha's Tree of Enlightenment
to the May Pole, the tree in many religions has symbolized abundant life,
but also warnings. What can we learn today from the tree? A slide show
is included.
2008 May 5 Mon 7p - 8:30p
Greater KC Interfaith Council Book Club
Christain Science Center, Red Bridge Shopping Center, Red Bridge (111th
and Holmes), south side, 913-268-8212, pcpeck99@hotmail.com, www.kcinterfaith.org
In view of world focus on China
for the summer Olympics, the club will read The Analects of Confucius,
translated and annotated by Arthur Waley, ISBN 9780679622960. Dr.
Shu-Dong Chen, professor of humanities and eastern studies at JCCC will
be a guest.
May 11 Sun 9:30-10:30a
Was Augustine a Saint or a First Class Jerk?—Vern's subject for the
LifeBuilders Class
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission
No early Christian theologian has had more lasting influence
on Christianity than the Fifth Century Bishop of Hippo. Does he merit admiration
for his strengthening of the church or questioning for his repressive doctrines?
*May 14 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: All But My Life by
Gerda Weissmann.
Gerda is a Polish survivor of the forced labor system.
The MCHE representative who will be facilitating the talk is Ronda Hassig.
She is a member of the Isak Federman Holocaust Teaching Cadre and the library
media specialist at Harmony Middle School in Blue Valley.“Gerda Weissmann
Klein moves you, and not just because the story she can tell is so horrific.
It is the passion with which she looked through the horror and found a
heart-felt and basic goodness in humanity. All But My Life is filled
with wonderful acts of decency and normalcy, even as she describes three
years in labor camps and three months of a forced winter march from Poland
to Czechoslovakia.” --The Boston Globe
May 16-18
KC Symphony
Program includes: Verdi, Requiem
Visit http://www.kcsymphony.org
May 18 Sun 9:30-10:30a
The Logic of Reality-- Vern's subject for the LifeBuilders Class
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission
It is hard to get your head around all of reality, but
theologians like to try. And in the last 100 years, hopes cherished for
centuries have been shown impossible; but with this new proof comes a way
of understanding why we cannot understand.
May 18 Sun 1:30p
Diversity in the Media -- with Lewis Duiguid
of The Kansas City Star, Kathy Quinn of FOX-4 television, and Sylvia Maria
Gross of local NPR station, KCUR
Plaza Library, 4801 Main Street
Free, but reservations are requested -- call the library at 816-701-3407
to reserve seats or register online at http://www.kclibrary.org/rsvp/2008/culturalconversations/
Sponsored by the Plaza Library and Cultural Crossroads, Inc
Media reflects our society, but, to do so, media must
be a mirror of that society. How much is our popular media a reflection
of our society? What has been the experience of those within the
media industry and how have their personal experiences both shaped and
been shaped by the media industry?
Media representatives includewho
will be sharing their experiences and ideas in an “engaged dialogue” with
the audience.
This is the fourth installment in
the five-part series of Cultural Conversations, co-sponsored by Cultural
Crossroads, Inc. and the Plaza Library, and designed as an interactive
participatory experience, not a lecture.
2008 May 23 Fri 7p - 8:30p
The Yoga of Jesus
Unity Village Conference Center, 1901 NW Blue Parkway, Unity Village
816-512-6205, Coordinator@kcmeditation.com, www.kcmeditation.com
Free; Kansas City Meditation Group of SRF.
The Kansas City Meditation Group of Self-Realization
Fellowship is holding a free public lecture to be given by Brother Prafullananda,
a monk of the Self-Realization Fellowship order for 25 years. Brother Prafullananda
has lectured on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda throughout the United
States, Europe, and South America.
The lecture, entitled "The Yoga
of Jesus,” is based on Paramahansa Yogananda's revelatory exposition on
the hidden yoga of the Gospels, which is explained in his book, The
Second Coming of Christ, and in the more recently published book The
Yoga of Jesus. Copies of these books will be available following the
lecture and are also available in bookstores.
May 30-31
International INMED Exploring Medical Missions Conference (THEME: LAUNCHING
INTO MEDICAL MISSIONS)
UMKC University Center, 5100 Rockhill Road
OBJECTIVES -- At the completion of this conference participants
will understand:
* How to prepare themselves for international
service with professional, cross-cultural and personally skills
* How to choose a sending organization
and select a community to serve
* The greatest issues in world health
today
* The diagnosis and management of
common diseases of poverty
* The principles of cross-cultural
adaptation and communication
* The health interventions that are
most appropriate for resource-poor nations
Most health professionals contemplate international service
and are inspired by the prospects. Yet few are confident about where to
begin. This year's Conference will equip health professionals with the
necessary professional, cross-cultural and personal skills. It will also
provide guidelines for career decisions, including how to select a sending
organization and a community in which to serve. Participants will have
ample chance to network with medical mission organizations about specific
opportunities.
Hosted by the Institute for International
Medicine, St Luke's Health System, Healthy Mothers - Healthy Babies, Research
Medical Center, University of Kansas School of Medicine Department of Infectious
Diseases & the University of Missouri School of Medicine International
Medicine Program
Conference brochure:
http://www.inmed.us/inmed_conference_08.pdf
May 31 Sat 5-6:30 p Symposium / 7-9 awards banquet
The Abrahamic Faiths: continuing the faith legacy of our father Abraham
in the 21st Century.
With Imam WD Mohammed, president of Mosque
Cares
Benefit for Al-Inshirah Islamic Center and Award banquet honoring outstanding
individuals from the Abrahamic faiths.
Camelot Ballroom, 6635 W. 151street Overland Park, KS 66223
2008 April
Apr 2 Wed 9:30-11a or 7:30-9p
An Overview of Buddhism
Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W 47
National Council of Jewish Women-Greater KC Section, 913.327.8108;
$15 for Apr 2, 9, and 16
Apr 2 Wed 7p
"Women and Islam" with Dr Mounira Soliman, Cairo University
Johnson County Community College Hudson Auditorium, 2nd floor of the
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art; free.
Apr 3 Thu 11:30-11p Harmony Spring Luncheon with Leonard Pitts
Muehlebach Tower, http://www.kcharmony.org
.
Apr 3 Thu 11 a-12:20 p "Middle Eastern Literature" with Dr Mounira Soliman,
Cairo University
Johnson County Community College Craig Community Auditorium, second
floor of the General Education Building; free.
Apr 4 Fri 7:30-8:45a
The Center for Spirit at Work Breakfast Club
Translating Core Values Into Real Business Value with Matt Anthony,
President and CEO, VML.
reservations@centerforspiritatwork.org
816.268.1078
Westin Crown Center Hotel, 1 East Pershing Road.
April 4-6 Friday Night Lecture, Saturday Morning Lecture/Discussion
-- Details to be announced
The Rev. Dr. Brian Blount, President, Union Theological Seminary and
the Presbyterian School of Christian Education,
speaks on “Fighting for God’s Future in the Here and Now”
The 2008 Visiting Scholar Event by the Presbyterian Women of Village
Presbyterian Church
Info: http://www.villagepres.org/vs/index.htm
Apr 4-6
KC Symphony
Program includes: Holst, The Planets
Visit http://www.kcsymphony.org
Apr 5 Sat 8p
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
http://www.chambermusic.org
Apr 6 Sun 2p
What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow and Lise de la Salle, piano
The Folly Theater
http://www.chambermusic.org
*Apr 7 Mon 1:30p Vern speaks about the Hindu Religion
Johnson County Community College GEB 233 (Craig Community Auditorium),
free
Hinduism.-- Hindu terms like yoga, reincarnation, and
karma are now popular in the West, but what have they meant in the long
and varied history of India? Was Hinduism "invented" by the British? How
did the ancient tradition change from being a "nature" religion to become
a "psychological" faith? How did their faith shape Gandhi and other modern
Hindu leaders? This interactive lecture deals with the history, art, scripture,
theologies, and modern character of the world's third largest faith.
JCCC's Brown and Gold Club (membership over 4,300) provides special
programs designed to benefit persons over 55+ living in Johnson County.
*Apr 9 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Cloudsplitter by Russell
Banks, a novel about John Brown, one of several Vital Conversations
leading up to the world premiere of John Brown, the opera at Kansas
City Lyric Opera this May. A triumph of the imagination and a masterpiece
of modern storytelling, Cloudsplitter is narrated by the enigmatic
Owen Brown, last surviving son of America's most famous and still controversial
political terrorist and martyr. Russell Banks's remarkable novel
brings Brown back to life, not to teach history, but as the narrator of
a morally questioning novel about fathers and sons and fanaticism and how
madness is measured when the sane have fled. The booklet about the opera
"John Brown" by Kirke Mechem will also be discussed.
Topic: John Brown is a
controversial figure in our American story. The Opera “John Brown”
is presenting a snapshot of that story and inviting us to ponder our experience
and beliefs in the light of it. We each bring our own life story
and our diverse political and religious opinions to this art form conversation.
We can all benefit when we listen to another person’s story and truth.
We can also benefit when we do the listening.
Questions for conversations
1. Share your current understanding
of John Brown. Was he a “martyred saint” driven by his Christian
faith to do the will of God or was he a “murdering madman”? Or would
you place him somewhere in-between?
2. Is violence ever justified?
If so, in what circumstances might a person of faith resort to violence?
3. What issues or causes are
you willing to take a strong public stand on?
4. “There are some things I
am willing to die for, but there is nothing I am willing to kill for.”
How do you feel about this Buddhist teaching?
You may bring other questions
and comments about John Brown. This promises to be a great vital
conversation.
"The purpose of a vital conversation is not to win an argument, but
to win a friend and advance civilization." Vern Barnet.
Apr 9 Wed 9:30-11a or 7:30-9p
Exploring the Mennonite Religion
Rainbow Mennonite Church, 1444 SW Blvd
National Council of Jewish Women-Greater KC Section, 913.327.8108;
$15 for Apr 2, 9, and 16
*Apr 9 Wed 4:30-5:15p
CRES Board annual meeting
Plaza area
Apr 12 Sat 8p
Dubravka Tomsic
The Folly Theater
http://www.chambermusic.org
*Apr 14 Mon 7:30p --
"God, the Bible, and Human Suffering"
Scholar of early Christianity Bart Ehrman from Univ of N Carolina speaks
at the annual KU Religious Studies spring banquet.
Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont, Lawrence
http://www2.ku.edu/~rstudies/
Bart Ehrman is a noted scholar
of early Christianity, Lawrence native, and the James A. Gray Distinguished
Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His most recent publications include
Peter, Paul and Mary Magdelene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend
(2006) and Misquoting Jesus: The Story of Who Changed the New Testament
and Why (2005).
The annual Religious Studies
lecture is preceded by the catered annual student awards ceremony. All
attendees are asked to make reservations through the Religious Studies
office (864-4663 or a4ashe@ku.edu) by 12 noon, Monday, April 9. Friends
of Religious Studies donors and Religious Studies students are guests,
the cost for others will be $12 per person.
Professor Ehrman will be in
residence for three days leading community workshops on Saturday. On Sunday
evening Davis will give the King lecture at Washburn University in Topeka,
KS. For information about the workshops
please call ECM (Ecumenical Christian Ministries) at
846-4933 or go to www.ecmku.org.
The Theologian in Residence
is sponsored by the following: Peace Mennonite Church, Ecumenical Christian
Ministries (Presbyterian Church (USA), Lutheran Campus Ministry (ELCA),
United Church of Christ, Religious Society of
Friends (Quaker), and Church of the Brethren) at KU,
First Presbyterian Church (USA), Plymouth Congregational Church (UCC),
Trinity Episcopal, Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of United Church of Christ,
Presbyterian Synod of
Mid-America (Kansas-Missouri), KU Religious Studies Department,
Baker Philosophy and Religion Department, Washburn Department of Religion,
Presbytery of Northern Kansas, Episcopal Diocese of Kansas and First Congregational
Church (UCC) in Topeka.
Apr 14 Mon 6p GKCIC Interfaith Council (open meeting)
All Souls UU Church, 4501 Walnut
Apr 15 Tue 5:30p reception, 7p dinner
16th Annual Dinner for the Center for Practical Bioethics
with Lee Woodruff, keynote address, and her husband, Bob Woodruff of
ABC-TV News, authors of In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and
Healing.
Marriott Muehlebach Tower
Info: http://www.practicalbioethics.org/cpb.aspx?pgID=1041
The best-selling book chronicles their family's difficult
journey during Bob's critical injury in Iraq while anchoring a broadcast
for ABC News. Joan and Bert Berkley are honorary co-chairs of the event.
Beth Smith and Bill Colby will be honored with the Center's Vision to Action
Award.
April 16 Wed 7-9p
Vital Conversation about the Lyric's May opera John Brown.
Park University Jenkin and Barbara David Theater (Alumni Hall),
free but register at http://www.park.edu/interfaith/rsvp.shtml
.
Over 150 years have passed since the abolitionist John
Brown arrived in the Kansas territory and became a focal point in the fight
to make Kansas a free state. Passionately committed to the goal of
emancipating the slaves, John Brown also fiercely believed in the absolute
equality of the races. He was motivated by a deep faith in a God
who would not compromise on the issue of slavery. John Brown’s unwavering
commitment to his ideals sometimes led him to use violent means to achieve
his goals. Kansas born composer Kirke Mechem’s new opera JOHN BROWN
brings the life and times of this historic figure to life on the stage
of the Lyric Theatre in the world premiere production opening May 3.
At this Vital Conversation we
explore the many facets of John Brown, and give audience members an opportunity
to discuss the issues which his story raises for all Americans today.
Jonathan Earle, associate professor of history at the University of Kansas,
will set the historic framework for the evening. Singers from the
Lyric Opera will share some of the music of the new opera. The Reverend
David Nelson will guide the audience through a series of participatory
one-on-one discussions about the many questions surrounding John Brown,
saint or sinner.
Apr 16 Wed 9:30-11a or 7:30-9p
Fundamentals of Mormonism
7100 Hadley
National Council of Jewish Women-Greater KC Section, 913.327.8108;
$15 for Apr 2, 9, and 16
Apr 17 Thu 8-9:30 bkfst
The Balance of Pulpit and Public Ministry with the Rev Wallace Hartsfield
Colonial Church Social Hall lower level, 7039 Mission Rd, RSVP 913.649.3326.
MAINstream Voices of Faith Clergy Breakfast
Apr 19 Sat 8 pm
Gerald Trimble performs
Aquarius, 3936 Washington; 816-931-6303 or 877-531-1046
Gerald Trimble Pirate Voyage of Exploration - 3rd in
the Spring Concert Series - 8:00 pm - England Swings! Henry Purcell and
the Pirates. Celtic roots music from England, Scotland, Ireland and beyond,
performed on original 18th century instruments.-- Musical alchemist and
master of ancient instruments, Gerald Trimble, will present an evening
of baroque and Celtic music with eastern influences - classics that swing
like jazz. Featuring pieces by 17th century composer Henry Purcell as well
as jigs, reels, and other dances, the material will focus on improvisational
techniques that were used by virtuosi of the time, updating them to emphasize
their connection to contemporary forms, and imagined as if the entire scene
was a part of a pirate voyage of exploration. Advance tickets are $15.
At the door $20 with 10% discount for period clothing.
Apr 20 Sun 2-5p Conference (free); 6-9p Banquet ($30)
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America
is the guest speaker at the Washburn University, Topeka. Sponsored by Islamic
Center of Topeka, Interfaith of Topeka and Washburn, (785) 608-5879.
Apr 22 Tue 6:30
Human Family Reunion
William Jewell College
HateBuster Ed Chasteen 816-803-8371, hatebuster@aol.com.
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VITAL CONVERSATIONS --
2nd Wed of the month, 1p
led by CRES associate minister David Nelson (humanagenda@juno.com)
at the Mid Continent Library, 6060 N Chestnut, Gladstone. Vital
– that which creates life and hope. Conversations – intentional
moments of listening and talking. A collaboration with the Greater
Kansas City Interfaith Council. "The purpose of a vital conversation is
not to win an argument, but to win a friend and advance civilization."
--Vern Barnet. |
|
2008
June
June 6 Fri 7:30-8:45a
The Center for Spirit at Work Breakfast Club
Matt Anthony, President and CEO of VML, on "Translating Core Values
into Real Business Value."
reservations@centerforspiritatwork.org
816.268.1078
Westin Crown Center Hotel, 1 East Pershing Road.
2008 Jun 8 Sun 10:30a - noon
Swami Nishpapananda will speak on "The Halo of God."
Vedanta Society of KCMo, 8701 Ward Pkwy, KCMo 64114
816-444-8045, info@vedantakc.org, www.vedantakc.org
No charge.
Swami Nishpapananda is a monk
of the Ramakrishna Order of India and assistant minister at the Vedanta
Society of St Louis.
*June 8 Sun 1:30p
Vern moderatess a panel on "Diversity in Religion" concluding the at
the Cultural Crossroads-Plaza Library series, Cultural Conversations
Plaza Library. The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council has agreed
to be a cooperative partner, and members of the Council are expected to
participate.
Religion transcends culture
and, yet, all religions arise from and are rooted in particular cultures.
Which elements of religion are attributable to culture and which are ‘beyond’
that culture? How do those cultural elements affect those born into
the religion and those who would convert? How do those elements affect
the religion itself?
The goal of this event is to
provide an opportunity for members of the public to meet with the representatives
of different faith traditions for open dialogue and educational information.
It also presents a unique opportunity for Council members to meet and talk
directly with members of the public who are actively interested in religious
diversity.
See www.culturalcrossroads-kc.org/
1. Which elements of [your] religion
are attributable to culture and which are 'beyond' that culture?
2. How do those cultural elements
affect those born into the religion and those who would convert?
3. How do those elements affect the
religion itself?
4. What is the greatest gift your
faith can offer to those of other faiths?
5. From the loss of the sense of the
sacred, we face three great crises, in the environment, in knowing our
own true natures, and in how to get along with one another. What wisdom
does your faith offer for us to recover a sense of the sacred and how does
the sacred instruct us about these three crises?
6. What are the issues people of your
faith are concerned about that affect the political season we are entering?
7. None of the panelists represents
Christianity, the majority tradition in America. What are the difficulties
and the blessings of practicing a minority faith? How do others treat you?
What are typical misunderstandings about your tradition? What would you
like others to know about your faith?
8. How have interfaith experiences
changed you? Why are interfaith relationships important? What misunderstandings
do you encounter about interfaith work? How does interfaith work make Kanas
City a better place? What are your personal interfaith goals and interfaith
goals for Kansas City?
American Indian: the Rev. Gary Langston and the
Rev. Lee "Stumbling Deer" Slusher
Baha'i: Barb McAtee
Buddhist: Lama Chuck Stanford
Jewish: Susan Choucroun
Muslim: Prof. Syed Eqball Hasan and Dr. A. Rauf Mir
Sikh: Karta Purkh Khalsa
UU: the Rev. Kathy Riegelman (panel status uncertain)
Jun 8 Sun 6p social hour; 7 dinner
More2 Third Annual Banquet with Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics
and The Great Awakening
Downtown Marriott Tower, 12th & Wyandotte
$40 to MAINstream Education Foundation, 5350 West 94th Terrace, Suite
103, Prairie Village, KS 66207.
Visit more2.org.
*Jun 11 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: The
Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right
America by Jim Wallis.
The old politics has failed
to solve the biggest issues of our time. While Washington offers
only the politics of blame and fear, Jim Wallis has traveled the country
and found the sparks of a new movement promising great change. A
revival of faith is under way – a spiritual awakening that is bringing
people together round common values for the common good. In “The
Great Awakening”, Jim Wallis reminds us how spiritual revival has led to
dramatic social change before, and how it can do so again.
Jim Wallis will be in Kansas
City for the "Living Out Our Faith in 2008" Banquet sponsored by MORE2
June 8 Sun--see above listing and visit .more2.org
*June 12 Thu 11-noon
Interfaith in Independence, a panel moderated by CRES community chaplain
Josef Walker for the Independence Ministerial Alliance; St Mark’s Roman
Catholic Church, 3736 Lee’s Summit Road, Independence
Jun 14 Sat 7:00p - 8:30p
Movie--Seekers of the Truth
Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 West 47, classroom D
816-753-1871, info@gurdjieffkc.org, gurdjieffkc.org
Love Offering
Seekers of the Truth was
produced in 2007 by the Institut G. I. Gurdjieff in Paris France. The movie
introduces the life and work of G.I. Gurdjieff, a world renowned philosopher
of Armenian origin. Coffee and Discussion follow. Donations to offset
the cost of the facility are accepted. The film is available only through
the Gurdjieff Foundation.
The members of The Gurdjieff
Foundation of Kansas City have been working together for over twenty years
in the Metropolitan Area. We are a registered non-profit corporation, sanctioned
by the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York.
Background.-- Georgi Ivanovitch
Gurdjieff was born c.1866 in Armenia of a Greek father and an Armenian
mother. In his youth he studied science, medicine, and the ministry, but
found that these disciplines could not answer his questions about the essential
nature of humanity and our possibilities. He embarked on a search for ancient
wisdom that took him to remote regions of the Middle East, Africa and Central
Asia. He reappeared in Russia c.1912 with a distinctive, internally
consistent teaching rooted in Asian and Western spiritual traditions.
He eventually settled near Paris and established the Institute for the
Harmonious Development of Man. He continued to teach in Paris and New York
until his death in 1949.
The original Gurdjieff Groups
were established in Paris, London, New York, and Caracas. The teachings
radiated from those centers and can now be found in most metropolitan areas
around the world.
Jun 15 Sun 3:00p - 4:30p
A Sermon From the Mountain (Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
in word and song); Westport Presbyterian Church, 201 Westport Road, 816-931-1032,
info@westportcenterforthearts.org,
westportcenterforthearts.org; $5.00
Acclaimed New York City tenor
Robert Hughes performs African-American Spirituals, accompanied by Marian
Thomas. Alice Parker's "A Sermon From the Mountain" will be presented by
the Westport Presbyterian Church Choir, directed by Marian Thomas, with
Sam Wisman, drums, Stephan Casurella, organ, Ron Brown, piano, and soloists
Robert Hughes, Paul Davidson, Pam Gregory and Christine Schneider. -- This
program, originally scheduled for February 15, was postponed until June
15 because of bad weather.
Jun 19 Thu 7p-Jun 22 Noon
Ecumenical Women's Gathering
Community of Christ International Headquarters, 1001 West Walnut, Independence,
MO 64050
800-825-2806, ext. 2247, gathering08@cofchrist.org, www.gathering08.org,
$175. including meals.
Church Women United, Inc. is sponsoring
a national women's conference June 19-22, 2008. Outstanding speakers
and presenters are listed on the electronic registration website www.gathering08.org.
You can also see more about Church Women United at www.churchwomen.org.
All women are encouraged to
attend this event. The main objectives of this gathering will be to experience
vibrant worships, noted speakers, small group communities, and motivating
workshops. Contemporary issues will be addressed including peace
and justice, diversity, racism, reconciliation, ecology, health issues,
family, theological perspectives, trafficking, domestic violence, violence
in teen relationships, and outreach opportunities and more.
The conference provides a unique
opportunity to hear and interact with top rated presenters. For example,
we will hear from Kikanza Nuri Robbins, of the Robins Group, dedicated
to “Facilitating Processes that Heal and Transform.” Dr. Nuri Robbins,
a trustee of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, also serves as Presbyterian
pastor. Her focus is helping congregations that are seeking to become whole
and healthy communities of faith.
We will have the opportunity
to hear from Dr. Glory E. Dharmaraj, who is the Director of Spiritual Formation
and Mission Theology for the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global
Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Dr. Dharmaraj is the Administrator
of the United Methodist Seminar Program on National and International Affairs
at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York.
Kansas
City's own Josef Walker presents a workshop, "Diversity of Faith Groups:
How to find and Understand the Diversity of Your Community."
Rev. Cynthia L. Hale (D.Min)
is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in
Decatur, Georgia. Beginning with only four persons meeting for Bible study,
over 8,500 persons have joined Ray in the last 21 years. Dr. Hale has received
many honors and awards. She was inducted into the African-American Biographies
Hall of Fame and the Martin Luther King’s Board of Preachers in Atlanta,
GA.
Gillian Martin Sorenson – formerly
the Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations, now Senior Advisor
at the United Nations Foundation, is a national advocate on matters related
to the United Nations and the United States.
The Rev. Dr. Trinette McCray
– Member of the General Board of American Baptist Churches, Dr. McCray
serves as a preacher, teacher, retreat and workshop leader, and spiritual
life counselor. In June 1999, she was elected president of the American
Baptist Churches and served in that position until 2001. Dr. McCray’s current
work is primarily focused on providing housing, education, and social empowerment
support for fighting against the impact of systemic poverty.
Dr. Marie M. Fortune – Founder
and Senior Analyst at the Faith Trust Institute in Seattle, Washington.
The work of the Institute focuses on education and advocacy related to
the prevention of sexual and domestic violence. Dr. Fortune was a recipient
of the Community of Christ International Peace Award.
Sally Rymer – A young woman
who felt a call to research modern day slavery of women. As she uncovered
more and more about the horrors of female slavery today, she decided she
had to become a modern day “abolitionist.” She has done some really “cool”
things to organize a growing number of teens to fight slavery.
We are hoping that 3000 women
will want to be part of this Gathering and you are encouraged to make your
plans early and register online at www.gathering08.org. If possible
please register online since the electronic registration will be very helpful
to the volunteers managing the registrations, while offering all a very
secure site for credit card payments. If you prefer, you may request
the printed form and mail your registration.
June 22 Sun 5-9p
Crescent Peace Society Annual Picnic,
free to all, members and nonmembers
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs supplied by CPS
Indian Creek Recreation Center, 103rd & Marty - just west of Metcalf
near the Tennis Courts)
(Grills fired up only between 6:00-7:00PM)
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs supplied by CPS
Bring your favorite dish or One Dessert Dish last names A-M; Salad
or Chips last names N-Z
Jay Zaidi 913-220-2094, Nina Zaidi 816-942-6591, Shaheen/Iftekhar Ahmed
913-491-5509,
Please call for information and reservation RSVP by June 15, 2008 at
816-942-6591
Mission--“To enhance the understanding of Muslim cultures
through educational and cultural activities involving the exchange of ideas
and experiences among peoples of diverse cultures.” crescentpeace.org
June 23 Mon 2p
Imams from Italy -- private meeting
Hosted by the Rev Stan Runnels, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
with the courtesy of the International Vistors Center
Jun 26 Thu 7:00p - 8:00p
Talk: Prayer and Politics: Spiritual Solutions for Creative Government
Plaza Library, Truman Auditorium, 4801 Main, KCMO 64112
816-931-1832, alamar48@sbcglobal.net, christiansciencekc.com
Free.
Speaker, Ron Ballard, of Ashland
Oregon, is an international speaker and a practitioner and teacher of Christian
Science healing. With a degree in political science, he formerly
worked a a campaign consultant and had clients on both sides of the aisles
in Congress, the White House and some state houses.
Jun 21 Sat 10:30a -noon
A talk on 'Realization'
Vedanta Society of KCMo, 8701 Ward Pkwy
816-444-8045, info@vedantakc.org, www.vedantakc.org
No charge.
Swami Chetanananda is a monk
of the Ramakrishna Order of India and minister of the Vedanta Societies
of St Louis and Kansas City.
*Jun 29 Sun 4:45p
A Jihad for Love is the world's first feature documentary
to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality.
Director
Parvez Sharma enters the many worlds of Islam by illuminating multiple
stories as diverse as Islam itself. The film travels a wide geographic
arc presenting us lives from India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, South
Africa and France. Always filming in secret and as a Muslim, Parvez makes
the film from within the faith, depicting Islam with the same respect that
the film's characters show for it. Tivoli Cinema with OpenCircle and CRES
-- panel discussion following the 81-minute film in English & Arabic,
Farsi, Undu, Hindi, Turkish, French w/English subtitles
INFO: 816 931 0738; see opencircleonline.com
and firstrunfeatures.com/jihadforlove_synopsis.html.
Kansas City
Star column
CAMP
column
Panelists: Josef Walker (Christian), Ahmed
El-Sherif (Muslim), Lynn Barnett (Jewish), moderated by Vern, will respond
to questions such as "What most surprised you about this movie?" and "How
does the jihad (struggle) you see portrayed in this movie compare with
struggles you know about that people in your own faith have dealt with?"
For background, we recommend
Islamic
Homosexualities (edited by) Stephen O Murray and Will Roscoe, NY University
Press, 1997, ISBN 0-8147-7468-7.However, no advance study is necessary
to benefit from the movie. What we want to explore are thoughts and feelings
about seeing the film, not a scholarly commentary.
2008 July
*Jul 9 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Keeping Faith,
a novel by Jodi Picoult.
When the marriage of Mariah White and her
cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year-old
daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of
a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression – and suddenly Faith,
a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts
reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous
healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center
of controversy and into the heat of custody battle – trapped in a mad media
circus that threatens what little stability the family has left.
*Jul 20 Sun 10:30a
"Art and Religion," a sermon by Vern Barnet
United Church of the Good Shepherd, 913-432-0404
3500 Dodson Avenue, KCKS
Art breaks through the narrow and tortuous enclosure of the finite
and provides us a window on the infinite. --adapted from Pope Pius XII
(1952 Apr 8)
2008 August
Aug 4 Mon 7:00p - 8:30p
Interfaith Book Club
Christian Science Center, Red Bridge Shopping Center, (south side),
Red Bridge Rd.(111th) and Holmes; 913-268-8212, pcpeck99@hotmail.com,
kcinterfaith.org; free.
Topic: Politics and Religion.Book
suggestions: Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture,
and Stragegic Choices, by Fowler, Hertzke, Olson and Dulk; For an international
focus, Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective: The One, The
Few, and the Many, Ted Jelen and Clyde Wilcox; The Great Awakening:
Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post Religious Right America, by Jim
Wallis.
*Aug 13 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Fed Up with
Fundamentalism: A Historical, Theological and Personal Appraisal of Christian
Fundamentalism by Leroy Seat.
Seat is a member of Vital Conversations. Forthrightly,
but without rancor, in this book the author elucidates the major weaknesses
of and problems with Christian fundamentalism. Rather than condemning
or rejecting fundamentalism, though, the book forwards a theological understanding
of the Christian faith that is truer to the message of Jesus – and one
that will be more appealing to readers who are “fed up” with the faults
of fundamentalism.
"TASTE THE WORLD"
Aug 15 - 17
Taste the World: The 29th annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival
Swope Park
Friday (August 15), 6-10 pm
Saturday (August 16), Noon-10 pm
Sunday (August 17), noon-6 pm
Adult admission is $3.00 and children 12 and under are free. Parking
is free.
The festival is located around the Swope Park
bandstand, near the park's main gate at Meyer and Swope Parkway.
This event, one of the largest
and longest-running of its kind, annually attracts more than 35,000 visitors.
2008 September
Sep 6 Sat 8-9:30a
MAINstream Voices of Faith Clergy Breakfast
Rob Boston- September 6, 2008
Colonial Church- Social Hall lower level
*Sep 10 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Discovering the
Real America: Toward a More Perfect Union by Lewis, W. Diuguid
Discovering the Real America examines
the often-overlooked history of white privilege, racism and discrimination
in the United States. The text explains how the media have played a big
part in maintaining the status quo. The book offers solutions to overcoming
the obstacles of bigotry so that people can finally discover that the richness
in the real America is in the long-overlooked diversity of this nation's
multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multinational, multitalented people.
Lewis will be present to assist in facilitating this conversation.
Sept. 11-21 Eleven Days of Global Unity -- A Season of Interfaith Celebration
Sep 18 Thu -- time to be announced
Arun Gandhi speaks on “Lessons My Grandfather (Mohandas K Gandhi, the
Mahatma) Taught Me,” followed by an interfaith panel discussion on “Religion
and Nonviolence.”
Unity Village
Sep 22 Mon 2p Vern speaks about Islam
Johnson County Central Library, 9875 West 87, free.
JCCC's Brown and Gold Club (membership over 4,300) provides special
programs designed to benefit persons over 55+ living in Johnson County.
"Dr. Barnet will enhance our
understanding of Islam, a religion of peace and surrender, and how it is
practiced by ordinary people in their daily lives. It is the fastest growing
religion today. This interactive lecture deals with the history, art, scripture,
theologies, and modern character of Islam."
Sep 25 Thu
55th Annual Harmony Humanitarian Awards Dinner
Honorees include CRES Board member Mahnaz Shabbir, Peter Levi and Samdra
Lawrence
Hyatt Regency Crown Center
Harmony: 816.333.5059
Sep 27 Sat 10:00a - 4:00p
Independence Heritage Festival
McCoy Park, 24 Hwy at Spring Street, 64050
(816) 410-8348, josefwalk@aol.com,
independenceheritage.org
Free, Young children are welcome
The Independence Heritage Festival is a free event with
fun for everyone, especially families with younger children. The day features
music, dance, storytelling, food, games, and booths. The nationally-known
"Wild Women of Kansas City" bring their smooth sounds to the stage as one
of our featured performances. The festival celebrates the rich heritage
of Independence as well as the vibrant diversity we find in today’s neighborhoods.
The Mid-Continent Public Library and other organizations offer special
activities throughout the day. The Festival is held in McCoy Park, across
the street from the Truman Library. “Come on in, Neighbor!”
2008 October
*Oct 8 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Mitakuye Oyasin
“We Are All Related” by Dr. A.C. Ross.
America before Columbus based on the oral history
of 33 tribes. During the past twenty years, American Indians have
experienced a renaissance of their language, culture, and religion.
Many tribes have become conscious of their original names which, when translated
into English, mean “The People.” The fact that we are all one people
is the wholistic view that is presented in this book. Adding to our
Vital Conversation will be Gayl Edmunds, the Native American Spiritual
guide for the Life Connections Program at United States Penitentiary at
Leavenworth, Kansas.
*Oct 14 Tue 2p
Vern speaks about Buddhism
Johnson County Central Library, free.
JCCC's Brown and Gold Club (membership over 4,300) provides special
programs designed to benefit persons over 55+ living in Johnson County.
"Dr. Barnet will guide us to
an understanding one of the oldest religions in the world. Buddhism is
known as a religion of infinite compassion. A philosophy as well as a religion,
its practices have application to the dilemmas of modern life. Included
will be the art, ritual, and character of this ancient religion."
2008 November
*Nov 7-23 Festival of Faiths, events
to be announced, concluding with the CRES Interfaith Thanksgiving Sunday
Family Ritual Meal.
*Nov 3 eve
Dialogue on God with the Rev Paul Hasselbeck and Vern
beginning "Lyceum 2008" with Bishop John Shelby Spong, Nancy R Howell,
and Bart D Ehrman
Unity Village, $299 all sessions, $249 through Aug 31.
*Nov 2 Sun 9:30-10:30a
TBA-- Vern's subject for the LifeBuilders Class
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission
*Nov 9 Sun 9:30-10:30a
TBA -- Vern's subject for the LifeBuilders Class
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission
*Nov 12 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: Muhammad by
Karen Armstrong and “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet” video.
In a meticulous quest for the historical Muhammad,
Armstrong first traces the West's long history of hostility toward Islam,
which it has stigmatized as a "religion of the sword." This sympathetic,
engrossing biography portrays Muhammad (ca. 570-632) as a passionate, complex,
fallible human being--a charismatic leader possessed of political as well
as spiritual gifts, and a prophet whose monotheistic vision intuitively
answered the deepest longings of his people. We will have in attendance
Murad Karriem and his daughter Ms. Khadijah. Karriem has been a part
of both the Nation of Islam and our Muslim community here in Kansas City.
*Nov 23 Sun 6p
CRES 24th annual Interfaith Thgvg Sunday Family
Ritual Meal
St Paul's Episcopal Church, 40th and Main
See Thanksgiving Sunday Interfaith
Liturgical Meal for information from last year's festivities (left
column, yellow, of this page)
2008 December
*Dec 10 Wed 1p
Vital Conversations: In Search of the
Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky.
Since its original publication in 1949, In
Search of the Miraculous has been hailed as the most valuable and reliable
documentation of G. I. Gurdjieff's thoughts and universal view. This historic
and influential work is considered by many to be a primer of mystical thought
as expressed through the Work, a combination of Eastern philosophies that
had for centuries been passed on orally from teacher to student.
Gurdjieff's goal, to introduce the Work to the West, attracted many students,
among them Ouspensky, an established mathematician, journalist, and, with
the publication of In Search of the Miraculous, an eloquent and persuasive
proselyte. Ouspensky describes Gurdjieff's teachings in fascinating
and accessible detail, providing what has proven to be a stellar introduction
to the universal view of both student and teacher. A local student
of Gurdjieff, Mark Esping, will be present.
2009 January
2009 February
*Feb 3-Mar 29
A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People
Union Station Arthur Stilwell Room, free
Feb 3 free lecture
This exhibit has been an overwhelming national success
since its inaugural opening in 2005. It has been exhibited in many major
cities, attracting thousands of visitors. Locations have been consistent
success, even in areas with minimal Catholic and Jewish populations.
This state-of-the-art exhibit
includes 105 free-standing wall panels with 350 secondary images and text
panels, 18 flat panel LCD monitors displaying historical footage, an 8-foot
replica of Krakow Ghetto gate and wall, 20-foot long replica of Jerusalem's
Western Wall and so much more.
Exhibit Web Site: http://www.blessingexhibit.org/
Arranged through Avila University, http://www.avila.edu/blessing/
*Feb 20 Fri - Feb 21 Sat
Vern lectures on world religions at the Sophia Center in Atchison for
those training to become spiritual directors.
2009 March
2009 April
Apr 26 Fri 11a
Tour of the Nelson-Atkins
Private, for national ADL conference
2009 May
2009 June
tentative
June 18-22 NAIN conference
June 19 Fri eve -21 Sunday
Gifts of Pluralism II
Awaiting entry in the Calendar proper
| Topics-To-Go is delighted to announce two very exciting upcoming speakers,
Father Richard McBrien on Saturday, October 4, 2008, and Sister Joan Chittister
on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Yes, these dates are a long-way off, but we hope that by giving you
lots of advance notice, you will be able to attend. Both events will be
held at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Kansas City.
Richard Peter McBrien is the Crowley-O'Brien professor of Theology at
the University of Notre Dame. He is a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese
of Hartford. He is the author of several books and articles discussing
Catholicism. His stated scholarly interests are ecclesiology, the relationship
between religion and politics, and the theological, doctrinal and spiritual
facets of the Catholic church. He has written a syndicated theological
column for the Catholic press. He also served as president of the Catholic
Theological Society of America from 1974-1975. He was the awarded the John
Courtney Murray Award for outstanding and distinguished accomplishments
in theology.
He has been a controversial figure in the American Church, and is often
considered to be a dissenter from Church teachings. His two volume work,
Catholicism, has been a source of this controversy. In Catholicism, however,
defenders argue that McBrien does not actually dissent from church teaching,
but rather presents both Church teaching and dissenting opinions in order
to teach students doctrine, the ideas of those who criticize some Church
doctrines, and the reasons why the Church maintains a certain theological
position.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Pocket Guide to the Popes, 2006
The Pocket Guide to the Saints, 2006
Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII
and Mother Teresa, 2006
101 Questions & Answers on the Church, 2003
Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from Saint Peter to John Paul II, 2000
(revised in 2006)
Responses to 101 Questions on the Church, 1996
The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, 1995
Inside Catholicism (Signs of the Sacred), 1995
For the Inquiring Catholic: Questions and Answers for the 1970's, 1973
Who is a Catholic?, 197
Church: The Continuing Quest, 1970
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sister Joan D. Chittister, is a Benedictine nun, and an international
lecturer.
In her more than 50 years as a nun she has authored 35 books, including
recent books such as: Welcome to the Wisdom of the World; The Ten Commandments,
Laws of the Heart; The Tent of Abraham - Stories of Hope and Peace for
Jews, Christians and Muslims; In Search of Belief; Called to Question;
and The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible. She has
won seven Catholic Press Association Awards for her books. Her latest book,
The Gift of Years will be released in spring 2008.
She writes a weekly web column for the National Catholic Reporter called
From Where I Stand. In 2007, Sr. Joan appeared at the "First Emory Summit
of Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding" at Emory University as a responder
to the Dalai Lama. She also spoke in Spain, Scotland and was on a two-week
lecture tour in New Zealand and Australia. In 2006 she was an invited panelist
on Meet the Press with Tim Russert. In 2004, she was a guest on Now with
Bill Moyers and during the funeral of Pope John Paul II and in April 2005
she was a commentator for the BBC from Rome for the election of Pope Benedict
XVI as John Paul II's successor.
She is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania, where
she served as prioress of the community for 12 years.
Sister Joan is the founder and current executive director of Benetvision,
a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality that is also
located in Erie. She is co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women,
a UN-sponsored organization of women faith leaders, working for peace,
especially in the Middle East.
Sister Chittister earned her master's degree from the University of
Notre Dame and her doctorate in speech-communication theory from Penn State
University. She also served a year as an invited-fellow at Cambridge University.
In 2007, Chittister received the Hans Küng Award from the ARCC
and the Outstanding Leadership Award from the LCWR. She has also received
eleven honorary doctorates and numerous awards, including the US Catholic
magazine award for Furthering the Cause of Women in the Church, the Thomas
Merton Award by the Merton Center, the Distinguished Alumni Award from
Penn State University, and the Thomas Dooley Award from the alumni association
of the University of Notre Dame. |
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