Each NAINConnect workshop has its own independent conversation, which you can follow by clicking on an individual workshop. Here, for ease of access and review, they are brought together. You can still view any particular workshop by selecting it from the display options, or by following its particular thread.

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No Subject Author Date Workshop Theme 1 Seeking Information cathy hamilton Tue, Sep 30 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring I have just recently joined an interfairth group and did not attend the NAIN conference, however I would like some more information. Would it be possible to receive the booklet that was handed out at the conference? Any sources would be appraciated. ... 2 Music videos Betsy Wiggins Mon, Jul 21 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Joy: I have shown these music videos to a lot of people. I get so tickled when they start 'jiviing w/the music. I had the occasion to show some of them to Jill Carroll who was in Syracuse from Houston talking about the Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue Project (www.amazingfaithsproject.org). She is deeply involved in interfaith work and said (paraphrasing), "This rocks! This is exactly what is needed in the interfaith community. Many people think of interfaith work as serious, stodgy stuff. These WTB videos show the dynamism of interfaith work." I agree. It's one thing to present a talk about the work of WTB, but your videos capture the joy and fun we have had over the years. I hope the folks at NAIN can better understand the enthusiasm and synergy WTB embodies. THANK YOU! Bets... 3 All Nature is Alive - Ralph Singh . . Sun, Jul 20 Sharing Spiritual Resources for Environmental Concerns View all Gifts We Bring Just back from 4 years in India, where I had lived originally from 1971 to 1976 - i will share wonderfully mystical lyrical revelations from Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji of our living environment and amazing experiences of how nature cooperates with positive development efforts to overcome poverty. All we have to do is learn to control our own "nature" and work positively and our home will heal quickly and provide abundance enough for everyone. From the contemplative to active community involvement, my new book, "A Path to Follow, A Life to Lead" speaks to connecting to the Voice which speaks within us all and lessons learned at the feet of one of the greatest spiritual Masters of our time, Baba Virsa Singh. please feel free to check out Gobind Sadan's website www.gobindsadan.org and my personal site - www.exploringspirituality.org... 4 Thank you Joy Danya Wellmon Sun, Jul 20 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Joy; thank you so much for posting the videos. You are a talented and compassionate woman and WTB is blessed with your presence and voice. I know you worked hard to get them ready for NAIN and for our up coming Sept events. I am looking forward to working closely with you on developing videos for our outreach projects. These videos will be a wonderful resource for Betsy at the conference. Danya Wellmon ... 5 Additional Women Transcending Boundaries music videos Joy Pople Sun, Jul 20 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Here are three more music videos about Women Transcending Boundaries activities: Monthly Conversations Bringing Women of Faith Together after 9/11 http://youtube.com/watch?v=a93jGQY5xM0 International Dinners http://youtube.com/watch?v=gWwiZ7HciAU Sharing hospitality at the Center for New Americans http://youtube.com/watch?v=wvQTw6XOXBQ... 6 A music video of WTB's Journey to the Tent of Abraham Joy Pople Sat, Jul 19 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Last October, Women Transcending Boundaries organized a joint journey to Christian, Jewish and Muslim places of worship in Syracuse, New York, ending up with a celebration at Hendricks Chapel on the Syracuse University campus. Here's a youtube re-creation of that pilgrimage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29oLX2M7svE... 7 evolution - co-creativity Bruce Schuman Mon, Jul 14 As 'Interfaith Community,' Who Are We? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face I appreciate your response, Theodore. These issues regarding evolution -- of an entire tradition, or of a personal religious interpretation -- are right at the essence of what is emerging today. *** Paul C: The reluctance to go create a faith that includes all faiths actually has to do with epistemological humility and having seen how much theological attempts at defining the truth for us all have been misguided and even destructive. Bruce S (previously): I agree with this. History gives us many failed examples. And yet -- there seems to be a fundamental and universal human drive towards doing exactly this. Is it some human weakness or innate tendency to prejudice or narrowness? I see the drive towards "syncretism" as an inherent and positive aspect of the human instinct to create solutions, to create answers. It should not be repressed, but instead, be seen as a vital and healthy and probably essential part of cultural and religious evolution. Theodore: I also agree with... 8 Convergence Versus Rodney King Bruce Schuman Mon, Jul 14 Beyond Theology View all Pre-Conference Offerings Yesterday I happened to see author Rev. Dr. Cindi Love being interviewed on C-SPAN's "Book TV", regarding her new book, "Would Jesus Discriminate?" Her interview is currently available online, in "Real" format http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=9616&SectionName=Politics&PlayMedia=Yes Cindi Love is a former corporate executive and marketing person who is now the Executive Director of Metropolitan Community Churches -- http://www.mccchurch.org. She has a lot to say regarding the spirituality inherent in religion, and her book cover illustrates a theme that should be right up our alley... Her quotation, from Galatians 3:28, points towards this emerging new theology of "Oneness". Some will say, of course, that her... 9 Moving forward Bruce Schuman Sat, Jul 12 Beyond Theology View all Pre-Conference Offerings Thanks for your comment, Dave. I was going to come back here today and post something in response to the introductory statement for this workshop, where someone suggests that "the spiritual traditions of the world are converging". That's a fascinating theme -- full of explosive possibilities for interfaith people -- and maybe pointing towards the "interfaith future we are embracing" -- and I will probably get into that.... As regards "integral" -- well, that's a big word for me. Of course, that theme has its own schools of thought -- the California Institute of Integral Studies, etc. -- plus, Ken Wilber has given that language some wide exposure. I have his recent book right here, "The Integral Vision". Sometimes, I think maybe the right way to see things -- to see everything -- is that all aspects and elements and details of reality and actuality and experience -- all should be, and properly must be -- viewed with an "integral" context -- or to put that in spiritual language... 10 Moving forward Dave Kendall Fri, Jul 11 Beyond Theology View all Pre-Conference Offerings Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed response to our series, Bruce. The person you've quoted in regard to "another great awakening" is Dr. James Forbes, Jr., senior minister emeritus at Riverside Church in NYC and founder of Healing of the Nations Foundation. I notice that you've used the term "integral" several times. Is there any particular reason that you've chosen that word? ... 11 education Theodore Timpson Tue, Jul 8 Appreciative Inquiry in Inter- and Intra-faith Contexts View all Gifts We Bring I work as a school teacher, and I have known for a long time the need to focus words on what we want (as distinct from what we DON'T want). With children in particular, the imprint of words is powerful, and the minute you name a behavior, it starts to take root in their minds, even if it's the behavior you're trying to eliminate! So we try to change the language around to focus on encouragement and support. From what I've read, this seems to be the main thrust of AI. I have to say, although I can repeat this principle very well, I often notice myself forgetting it! There is a kind of vigilance and self-study required to really move the pattern of our communication in a positive direction. I feel sometimes like I am predisposed to see problems, and it can be a hard struggle. I look forward to knowing more about this process.... 12 evolution Theodore Timpson Tue, Jul 8 As 'Interfaith Community,' Who Are We? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face Bruce, I like your response approach. I'll be less thorough, but here's mine. Paul C: The reluctance to go create a faith that includes all faiths actually has to do with epistemological humility and having seen how much theological attempts at defining the truth for us all have been misguided and even destructive. Bruce S: I agree with this. History gives us many failed examples. And yet -- there seems to be a fundamental and universal human drive towards doing exactly this. Is it some human weakness or innate tendency to prejudice or narrowness? I see the drive towards "syncretism" as an inherent and positive aspect of the human instinct to create solutions, to create answers. It should not be repressed, but instead, be seen as a vital and healthy and probably essential part of cultural and religious evolution. Theodore: I also agree with humility in the face of difference, and the danger of imposing or assuming agreement when it is not really there. I think evolution is som... 13 Moving forward Bruce Schuman Mon, Jul 7 Beyond Theology View all Pre-Conference Offerings I was pleased and happy to see this workshop, when it was announced a few weeks ago. I immediately went to the Beyond Theology web site, and began to explore the very interesting materials offered there. Now, as the conference draws near -- I feel that there is a lot to discuss, and a lot that could emerge... Just picking one tiny theme from among many, there is a quote I just picked up from one of the videos. Somebody says We are in desperate need of another great awakening. Regardless of the degree of desperation we may or may not be experiencing -- it seems that millions of people are feeling something like this. Out there at the cutting edge/fringe, where I tend to hang out -- people have been saying this for a long time. A careful review of the Beyond Theology series could lead to a solid outline of the many issues involved --who, how, why, what, where -- and maybe especially How... I guess for me, the big issue is -- how. How do thes... 14 Unity / Diversity Bruce Schuman Mon, Jul 7 As 'Interfaith Community,' Who Are We? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face Years ago, when we first started doing inter-religious discussion online (on Leonard Swidler's "Interrel" listserv, for example), we were experimenting with a form of "online dialogue". Of course, this written approach lacks many elements of an in-person discussion, and requires a sensitivity to context and intent -- but writing has some advantages. I thought I would try our little method here. We have sent literally hundreds, if not thousands, of email messages in this format. Maybe it can fit in here... ** Susan S: I have been wondering for some time about the role of tradition. Paul wrote: "Each tradition comes to the table bearing unique theologies, philosophical questions, spiritual practice, and cultural assumptions and values." But, while, some people in the interfaith movement insist that one must be grounded in one's own religious tradition, others say that is either not necessary or not possible (some have left a tradition or have never had one). Bruce S: ... 15 WTB connections Bruce Schuman Sun, Jul 6 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Betsy -- Yes, I will be very glad to send the message to your email address. I agree that this format can be a little awkward -- but I wonder if you have tried the "workshop blog" link (in the top section of links). That might be a little easier and more intuitive. http://nain.org/2008/blog.cfm Since I am the programmer that built this contraption -- maybe I will add a feature there that allows a respondent to optionally insert the message to which they are replying -- making the entire thing a little more like a forum or email discussion list. Plus, maybe a couple of other things -- like a way for an author to edit their own post, plus view it in a print format, plus show the full message to which they are replying.... * I am also hoping you will take a look at this link -- describing the supposed conjunction of "resonant" interfaith theology and the women's circle movement, and suggesting that the renaissance of glo... 16 WTB connections Betsy Wiggins Sat, Jul 5 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Bruce: I received your post and wonder if you could send it to my email address: bwiggins@twcny.rr.com so that I can forward it on to the WTB Council. I find it very difficult to respond with this set up because the whole post is not on the screen. if anyone has posted since the last post, my response to the post is merely sequential and not listed after the post. I can't get the whole thing to print out completely. Can this be changed? I'm sure this is the last thing you want to deal with 2 weeks out, so if it is a bother I will just hand write it out, retype it and send it to the Council. I do appreciate your thoughts and would like to convey them to the Council before the NAIN meeting. Hope you are having a good holiday weekend. Bets ... 17 WTB connections Betsy Wiggins Sat, Jul 5 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Gay: How beautifully you describe what so many of us have experienced in the sisterhood of Women Transcending Boundaries! We have indeed found many women looking for some way to make personal connections with those of other faiths. As you know it has been quite the journey, and continues to make WTB a safe place for women of all faiths to speak without fear of being judged and valued for her contribution to our knowledge. We are so grateful that Jennifer Crittendon continues to record all our meeting notes so that they are accessible at www.wtb.org for those interested at looking at the scope of topics we have discussed since 2001. I loved your description of becoming involved in WTB, "you cooked and enjoyed meals with sisters of many faith traditions, was welcomed into homes, established deep friendships, shared joys and sorrows, and planned for a better and more peaceful tomorrow." I think part of the success of WTB is that we engage in activities that most women do. ... 18 Women Transcending Boundaries Betsy Wiggins Sat, Jul 5 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Daryl: You are a great gift to WTB. You brought your experience in meeting planning to make our March International Dinner a great success. Your service work with InterFaith Works' Center for New Americans has been inspiring, not just to new refugees in our community, but to everyone involved in this process. I applaud all the WTB women who have participated in the "Knitting-Together" group that has been meeting weekly at the Center for New Americans for about three years. Women who are new to this country have bonded, mentored by volunteers from Women Transcending Boundaries and Rapha. Many refugees have spent years in camps and have experienced unspeakable hardships. This weekly respite offers them a time to laugh and learn life skills such as knitting, creating crafts, operating sewing machines, learning English, cleaning and food storage, and sharing customs - both from thir own cultures and from our American culture. I want to share with readers of this blog t... 19 WTB connections Bruce Schuman Fri, Jul 4 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring When I first saw the presence of WTB here in this NAIN context, I immediately got excited. I have been working with "women's circles" for some time now -- and, actually, have more or less had my general philosophy of interfaith revolutionized by that experience. We have been "meeting in circle" here in Santa Barbara since the late 1990's -- mostly through the "Conscious Evolution" community inspired by Barbara Marx Hubbard. These meetings have been cross-fertilized by relationships with these new women's movement organizations -- and for me, the idea of "resonance" began to form. Today, it seems to me that the core of our common human understanding is best known and experienced at that level that is indeed "beyond words" (and the divisive duality of interpretation they inspire). Thinking about this -- I started working on what I called "the theology of circles". This is just a tiny little project -- but the idea is: women's circles and the interfaith movement are two powerful... 20 Intimate video production in troubled areas Bruce Schuman Fri, Jul 4 Interfaith Communication in the Digital Age View all Gifts We Bring Just wanted to respond to these thoughts from Judy Trautman -- I have had some similar thoughts -- envisioning the wide dispersion of simple "media access" -- probably made feasible by this kind of video kit. What I was seeing -- was this potential spreading across troubled parts of the world -- like the Mideast. I have been impressed by peace-making groups that bring people together across borders -- like the women of "Beyond Words" -- who held a seminar here in Santa Barbara. They were Palestinian and Israeli, and they had bonded in profound and beautiful (and funny) ways, building the intimate personal channels of relationship that are the foundations of peace. http://globalresonance.net/passage.cfm?psg=100187 After I attended their seminar, I began envisioning a wide-spread network, where people could make simple clear videos of their personal lives and situations, and make them available across all... 21 What I find exciting about the Parliaments Helen Spector Thu, Jul 3 Parliament of the Worlds Religions & NAIN – the Opportunity View all Gifts We Bring Hello, Paul We have both the theme AND a new website: The new website--www.parliamentofreligions.org --includes all the information and registrtion possibilities for Melbourne. The theme of the 2009 Parliament, Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth, underscores the opportunity for religious and spiritual communities and all people of good will to act on environmental concerns and take responsibility for cultivating awareness of our global interconnectedness. The context of this Parliament provides a lens through which the world can focus on the struggles and spiritualities of indigenous peoples around the globe, particularly highlighting the Aboriginal communities of Australia.... 22 WTB connections gay montague Tue, Jul 1 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring My experience as a member of Women Transcending Boundaries has been invaluable to me on a personal level in terms of spiritual growth and connections with those of other faiths. For some time, I had been searching for a faith (actually, interfaith) community where everyone is welcomed without judgment and where each person is valued for her presence in the circle. The first WTB event I attended several years ago was an international dinner for which all food was provided by the Muslim sisters. I witnessed and felt instant connections among all the women who attended, as heart-to-heart conversations whirled around, commonalities were shared and threads of our diversity were woven together. I continued to attend meetings, became part of the service committee, cooked and enjoyed meals with sisters of many faith traditions (or NO faith tradition), was welcomed into homes, established deep friendships, shared joys and sorrows, planned for a better and more peaceful tomorrow, and repeatedly ... 23 Women Transcending Boundaries Daryl Files Sun, Jun 29 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Women Transcending Boundaries is an extraordinary group of women who care about each other unconditionally. They have opened their hearts to myself and hundreds of others in our culturally diverse community. WTB has blessed me personally with a gift. A gift of giving. For the past 3 years I have reconnected with a passion I had as a young adult. Working with the Center For New Americans and our refugee friends from many countries, has enabled each of us to bring laughter with these beautiful women. It is a joy to be in the company of women who respect and appreciate each other for who they are inside. Our world has been given a priceless gift called WTB.... 24 a member speaks Betsy Wiggins Sat, Jun 28 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Jennifer: Thank you so much for how honestly you described your thoughts about your experince with WTB. Initially, I know you came to a meeting with very little information years ago and chose to get involved in service in WTB. For 4 now you have held the position of WTB Secretary and have helped us keep the record of WTB meetings and events that can be found at www.wtb.org. which we consider essential documentation of where we started, what we have done, and imagining where WTB goes on from here, especially in celebration of our new 501 (c) (3) status. You have a very strong voice in WTB. Your years in education keep us focused on our missions, and clean up our meeting notes. More than the essential work you give to WTB, you understand "interfaith work," you bring new people into our projects, and ask the hard questions when we are planning projects. You are a great gift to WTB. Thank you Jennifer. Bets ... 25 Half Empty -- Half Full Bettina Gray Fri, Jun 27 Greening Our Lives & Healing the Earth View all Making a Difference Problems surround us. The news delivers surround-sound grief and disaster 24/7 direct to our homes. The sky is falling. And I'm not even kidding! It sure looks that way some days. Last week, in my first world western convenience home, the power was out throughout town because of an overload on the electricity, because of a heat wave (more global warming effects?). We also are on what I call "bucket brigade" because of water rationing in a severe drought in Northern California while the middle of the country is flooded out (global warming?). I have a bucket under every faucet to catch excess water to keep my plants out doors alive. I've even been hauling buckets of laundry rinse water (grey water) to water my apple trees. I'm muttering about all the wast in the design of our water use here. Why can't we have simpler ways to make use of grey water. Why do we have to use gallons and gallons of water to wash clothes? At times it is easy to find reasons for gloom and pa... 26 a member speaks Jennifer Crittenden Thu, Jun 26 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Women Transcending Boundaries has been a wonderful, transforming gift in my life. I have been interested in interfaith issues since college when I was my church's representative to the campus Interfaith Council. Unfortunately, that organization was simply a committee to bring academic speakers who made no attempt to connect with the various faith groups. For many years I followed the religion of my birth, but wished for more. My first WTB meeting was a revelation. Here was a diverse group of women who were warm and welcoming. They were eager to share their faith journeys, but did not try to promote their own paths as better. Believers in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Baha'i, Wicca, and Hinduism joyfully have illustrated the role of Light in their rites and ceremonies. Women from a range of cultures have sung, danced, drummed, shared their culture's food. We have related the stories of our paths, explaining why we treasure our family's religion, or why we have changed. We ar... 27 Video Links Judy Trautman Mon, Jun 23 Engaging Peace: A Case Study of Toledo’s Erase-the-Hate Youth Contests View all Making a Difference This page from our website now contains YouTube links to the Video Contest Finalists and Winners. http://208.68.104.120/multifaithcouncilorg/pages/VidFin08.htm Or you can connect directly to our MultiFaith YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/multifaithcouncil You may want to watch and see whether you agree with our jury. Last year's winners are on the Channel in Video Log 2. You might especially enjoy "Natural Born Enemies" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIkIsTsrwo&feature=PlayList&p=93857CBB19679B0C&index=0 Make sure that there is no space in the URL when you copy it in your browser. Poetry winners are posted at http://208.68.104.120/multifaithcouncilorg/pages/PoetryFin08.htm Posters are at http://208.68.104.120/multifaithcouncilorg/pages/PostFin08.htm The posters were on display at the Toledo Museum of Art Community Gallery. Many of them were also on display at Toledo's 21st Annual Interfaith Blood Drive.... 28 international interfaith starting to pay attention Paul Chaffee Sat, Jun 14 MDGs - Interreligious Community Sought in Helping End Poverty View all Making a Difference A pub called "Religious Intelligence" just carried a story about Religions for Peace (global, headquartered in NYC) and the Archbishop of Canterbury were convening an international conference of religious leaders to promote engagement with MDGs. You can read the story at: http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=2156 Just paste it into your browser. Those gathering will be leaders, archbishops, chief rabbis and so on. The work the rest of us are doing is much more grassroots. Happening in small in hundreds, now thousands of different places. My dream is that the hierarchs and the grassroots learn to work together on the issues. Till that happens our influence will be marginal. Joined together, the interreligious can be an important stakeholder. ... 29 Spirituality Paul Chaffee Sat, May 31 As 'Interfaith Community,' Who Are We? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face Thanks for your interesting discussion, Theodore. For me and many others, the issue of universal truth, or the definitation of absolutes, feels like a futile task. One can say, with the Hindus, God is neither this nor that. But giving up a meta-unity doesn't leave us all claiming that our particular truth is one and only truth. Unity versus exclusivism is a false dichotomy, seems to me. The reluctance to go create a faith that includes all faiths actually has to do with epistemological humility and having seen how much theological attempts at defining the truth for us all have been misguided and even destructive. And if such a unity were to take hold, a million details and understandings and stories would be lost, to all our detriment. An alternative is to depend on our own experience and tradition as a primary but not exclusive source of meaning and understanding, I can hold on to what makes most sense to me without making others wrong. I can practice within the boundaries ... 30 beyond empire Paul Chaffee Sat, May 31 Crafting a Just-Peace Theory for Iraq View all Multifaith Challenges We Face Being in the empire doesn't make me of the empire, which opens the door, seems to me, to take all sort of peacemaking steps. Moreover, the wonder of interfaith, interracial, international dialogue is that we are able to step out of the empire and become engaged in something constructive. I'll be interested to see what kind of construction you are proposing, Hal, because the notion seems complicated in the extreme, and much more academic than realpolitic. But would be delighted to learn otherwise.... 31 "Second Life" Woody Trautman Mon, May 26 Interfaith Communication in the Digital Age View all Gifts We Bring Another digital phenomenon whose potential for attraction and meaningful participation is seemingly boundless is the web-based SECOND LIFE. Google will provide all the info needed. In short, our local Bowling Green State University, has developed a digital virtual campus on Second Life and we would like to help it include a Multifaith Conferenc and Retreat Center. Such could attract thousands from all faiths worldwide who wish to share their faith journeys. We welcome experiences, suggestions and collabotations from others. Perhaps this would become another communications frontier for NAIN.... 32 More on the Women's Interfaith Movement!! Betsy Wiggins Fri, May 23 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Gail: Those of us in WTB have learned much from you and the sisters in WISDOM as well. I encourage readers to go to your website: www.interfaithwisdom.org to see the scope of your initiatives. Messages from your listserv are a continuing inspiration to us about projects we can do not just in WTB, but with other community organizations as well in Syracuse. I hope we have a long continuing relationship and that someday we might imagine a project WISDOM, SARAH and WTB will be able to participate in together. Thanks for your support! Betsy Wiggins... 33 The gift of Interfaith Dialogue and Service Danya Wellmon Fri, May 23 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring I have been blessed to work in the area of Interfaith dialogue and service for over 15 years; first as a convert to Islam from Christianity, building bridges of understanding between Muslims and Christians, and more recently in a much broader context as Co-Founder of Women Transcending Boundaries. The women of WTB and many other sister organizations around the nation, like SARAH and WISDOM are some of the most talented compassionate and positively movtivated women I have ever had the priviledged to know and work with. Interfaith dialogue compels us to search deep within ourselves; to a place where a higher consciouness exist. A spiritual place which gently nudges us to listen to one another without judgement and with compassion and care for all that we have in common. Taking this knowledge and positive energy forth into the world is our challenge. Helping to build communities where our common concerns and respect for each other outweigh our differences. Societies where pe... 34 More on the Women's Interfaith Movement!! Gail Katz Fri, May 23 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Meeting Women Transcending Boundaries (WTB) at Diana Eck’s conference at Radcliffe entitled “Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11” sponsored by the Harvard Pluralism Project in September 2007, was an inspiration for WISDOM (Women’s Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in Metro Detroit ). We bonded as soul sisters as both of our organizations felt the desire to bring women of different faith traditions together to make our individual communities places of increased understanding and respect. The energy and commitment of Betsy Wiggins and Danya Wellmon spurred us on at WISDOM to form our own non-profit and establish a board of directors to make an impact in the metropolitan Detroit area. We so admired WTB’s ability to stay focused and true to their mission, and we learned so much from their experience of making decisions based on long term strategy rather than short term gain. WISDOM gathered the strength to persevere by admiring what WTB had been able to accomplish in... 35 Hi Betsy Betsy Wiggins Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Profound apologies for my typo Mushim - trying to do too much too late. Thank you again for your support of WTB as well as your generous invitation to come and visit the East Bay Meditation Center. Would very much like to do that and may be able to extend our time to do so. Bets ... 36 Hi Betsy Mushim Patricia Ikeda-Nash Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Hi Betsy, My name is Mushim, not Mashim. Thank you. Mushim ... 37 Women of the Interfaith Initiative Heal the World Betsy Wiggins Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Sande: As Co-Founder of SARAH (Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope, based in Organge County), and participant in Diana Eck's symposium: "Women's Interfaith Initiatives Post 9/11," sponsored by the Harvard Pluralism Project, your thoughts about the word of women resonant profoundly with those of us in WTB. SARAH and WTB are indeed, on an empowering journey, and it is terrifically affirming to know we are on this journey together. Thank you too for your kind words about the model WTB has been developing over our years of development that you have found helpful as SARAH has blossomed so beautifully. I invite those interested to go to sarah4hope.org for more information about this amazing group and their myriad interfaith activities. I look forward to seeing you in July!... 38 Got AI? Sande Hart Thu, May 22 Appreciative Inquiry in Inter- and Intra-faith Contexts View all Gifts We Bring I have had the privilege to participate in Appreciative Inquiries facilitated by Kay Lindahl and they changed my life and empowered me to be a more effective parent, partner, daughter and leader. Dialogue is essential in creating a peaceful world and the actual rules for effective listening (and hearing) are not about being restrictive but being expandable and broadening. I have the opportunity to lead interfaith dialogue groups and using the skills that I learned from Kay about AI, the sessions were empowering, thought provoking and heart changing. AI is essential if we hope to find peace and reconciliation through dialogue. ... 39 Women of the Interfaith Initiative Heal the World Sande Hart Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring As women of the world, we can attribute our biological and innate behavior to create, protect, heal and sustain life all for the sake of preserving our future generations. Women all over the world heard and felt the calling to be a part of the solution to the pain and fear in our world and Women Transcending Boundaries rose to the occasion. As women, we seek each other out, we gather in circle, we vent and we find solutions together. When Dayna and Betsy found one another they were responding to their God given responsibility to live at the highest value of both of their faiths. Then they empowered other women around them to do the same, in a safe environment and serve as a model for other organizations. Both men and women are empowered to bring a feminine responsibility back into balance in our world. When you reach out in such a way, it is not difficult, often seamlessly simple, to attract heart centered people to share in your vision and goal of creating a more harmonious and s... 40 Congratulations to WTB Betsy Wiggins Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Dear Mashim, Your congratulations are quite special knowing you share the journey with other women involved in interfaith work. Thank you also for your warm invitation to all to visit the East Bay Meditation Center, a wonderful resource to those invested in social justice. I hope many accept your heartfelt invitation into conversation, especially those of color and LGBTQI communities. The East Bay Medition Center is indeed transcending boundaries bringing people together to examine social and justice-centered issues. EBMC is a community-based organization we can all learn from. Betsy Wiggins, Co-Founder, Women Transcending Boundaries... 41 Congratulations to WTB Mushim Patricia Ikeda-Nash Thu, May 22 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring Congratulations to Women Transcending Boundaries on the good work you are doing. While you're in the Bay Area for this conference, and at any time, please feel warmly invited to visit the East Bay Meditation Center (www.eastbaymeditation.org). We have a diversity and social justice-centered mission and are located in the heart of downtown Oakland near the 19th Street BART station. A special invitation is extended to people of color and members of the LGBTQI communities, and all are warmly welcomed. -- Mushim Ikeda-Nash, East Bay Meditation Center teacher and Center Coordinator ... 42 Women Transcending Boundaries Betsy Wiggins Tue, May 20 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring InterFaith Works has been a staunch supporter of WTB since inception and continues to be. WTB reciprocates in support of the missions of InterFaith Works... 43 Women Transcending Boundaries Jim Wiggins Tue, May 20 Women Transcending Boundaries View all Gifts We Bring From very close familiarity with this group, I recommend it to those attending the connect. WTB is a gift to our community in Syracuse.... 44 MILLENNIUM CONGREGATION Jonathan Denn Tue, May 20 MDGs - Interreligious Community Sought in Helping End Poverty View all Making a Difference HELP SPONSOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM VILLAGE IN RWANDA, MALAWI, AND EXPAND GHANA'S VILLAGES (Endorsed by DESMOND TUTU, MIROSLAV VOLF, JOAN BROWN CAMPBELL, SIR JOHN POLKINGHORNE, RABBI ARTHUR GREEN & JEFFREY SACHS) Congregations can join together for as little as $50 a month to sponsor a Millennium Village that will empower 5000 people to sustainably lift themselves out of extreme poverty, and achieve all eight Millennium Development Goals. Fifty congregations pledging $500 a month for five years can sponsor their own village. There are eighty Millennium Villages up and running in ten African countries. There is no model with a better metric. Please make your congregation a MILLENNIUM CONGREGATION, and help end extreme poverty—one village at a time. For more information please visit www.millenniumcongregation.org. ... 45 The Counting Prayer Jonathan Denn Tue, May 20 MDGs - Interreligious Community Sought in Helping End Poverty View all Making a Difference "The world now has the means to end extreme poverty, we pray we will have the will". Since 9/23/07 THE PRAYER VIGIL TO END EXTREME POVERTY has offered over 500,000 Counting Prayers, and pledged over 8,800,000 prayers through 2015. We invite every person, and every congregation in every faith in every country to join the historic St. Paul's Chapel at Ground Zero in NYC and countingprayers.org to offer The Counting Prayer everyday and/or at every service until the Millennium Development Goals are met. Hundreds of thousands of prayers will turn into millions then billions, and as the prayers are answered the repetition of words will turn into advocacy then action, and finally a miracle. Think of The Counting Prayer as a signpost to the entrance ramp of advocacy to the highway of action to end extreme poverty." It's how to involve your congregation in ending, to quote Miroslav Volf, "THE social scandal of our time." Please join us by making a prayer pledge at countingprayers.... 46 Water Rationing Bettina Gray Fri, May 16 Greening Our Lives & Healing the Earth View all Making a Difference We have just been put on water rationing here in the SF Bay Area by our local East Bay utilities district. I'm sure San Francisco will follow soon. See the article about it here: http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_9248908 It becomes an interesting test/challenge to our "green" commitments to conserve water this year. I remember last time this happened about 10 years ago, we got quite expert at saving water, reusing it when possible, watering our decorative plants with "gray water" (re-used from other washing). When you arrive here for the Connect you will likely encounter the water rationing in the form of a polite note about no daily laundry services except where really necessary of towels and bedding. But for all of us, in the long run, learning to conserve water, power, fuel -- is a skill and requires a learning curve. I think more than anything it is just that we have to rethink old habits and replace them with new, more careful ones. I have placed a bucket in m... 47 getting some clarity; and about CREATOR Peter Laurence Wed, May 14 How Can We Talk Theologically About the Big Issues We Face? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face Hi Theodore, Thanks for your comments. What you're looking for is exactly what this workshop is about. We're presenting one set of perspectives on these "big questions" and hope that the workshop participants will add their understandings to the mix. If we have a diverse group it should provide for a very stimulating conversation. We look forward to seeing you there!... 48 Exciting News! Rachael Watcher Wed, May 14 Sharing Spiritual Resources for Environmental Concerns View all Gifts We Bring We have just heard that Ralph Singh, whom many of you may know as a past NAIN board member, will be joining this workshop as a moderator for the discussion of models that we might use in the greening of the Earth. Ralph has helped reclaim land to set up farms, helping to produce food for those in need. His story is inspiring and I hope that you will all join us and add your voice to the rising tide of those who would live in closer harmony with the Earth.... 49 Spirituality Theodore Timpson Mon, May 12 As 'Interfaith Community,' Who Are We? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face I have also found a perplexing difference between interfaith dialogue and questions of universal truth. Many teachers have said that all religions lead to the same goal. Many other teachers would disagree! I think people who are ready and willing to perceive unity among religions must have learned to see their own path as metaphorical, pointing beyond itself to something larger. Meanwhile other people remain divided, insisting on the particular truth of their own path, exclusive of others. What's interesting to me is how much all of these attitudes depend less on one's religion and more on one's inner sense of reality. Is our fate governed by love or by cruel indifference? Does justice require punishment? Am I basically the same as you, or fundamentally estranged? I don't think dialogue can really resolve these questions, although it can demonstrate a lot of goodwill.... 50 getting some clarity; and about CREATOR Theodore Timpson Mon, May 12 How Can We Talk Theologically About the Big Issues We Face? View all Multifaith Challenges We Face My understanding of the Creator gained a lot from this conversation: "How can God be a personal being," a man asked, "when the universe is made of billions of galaxies? How can the individual have any importance?" "Your concept of God is too limited," Yogananda replied. "He is both infinitely large and infinitely small. He is more aware of you than you are of yourself." This kind of metaphysical inquiry is certainly appealing to me, but it is hard to fit within the context of traditional religion, which relies on particular texts and assumptions. I wonder if the workshop could focus on a few particular ideas, to engage multiple perspectives. What are the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. perceptions of evolution, for example? ...