April 2010 Interfaith Connection Newsletter, Interfaith Works

8/8/2019 April 2010 Interfaith Connection Newsletter, Interfaith Works

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INTERFAITH CONNECTION

Published Monthly by Interfaith Works, P.O. Box 1221, Olympia, WA [email protected] (360) 357-7224 www.Interfaith-Works.org

Interfaith Works is an association of congregations, affiliatednon-profit organizations and individuals. Our purpose is topromote interfaith understanding, and serve the community through

charitable, social and educational endeavors.APRIL 2010

BUDDHIST 12-STEP GROUPKobai Scott Whitney, Plum Mountain Refuge

2010 WORLD SACRED

MUSIC FESTIVAL EVENT

Plum Mountain Buddhist Community has joinedseveral other Buddhist groups in the Northwest insponsoring a Buddhist 12-Step Study Group. Theroots of the 12-Step movement are found primarilyin a theistic Christian tradition, says Kobai Scott

Whitney, facilitator for the new group, which meetsin Olympia, WA.

Whitney says there needs to be a comfortablespace for non-Christians to pursue the spiritualelements of their recovery from addiction. Therehas also been an issue within Buddhist groups

where members feel they have to keep their historyof addiction or their current participation in 12-Stepgroups a secret from their teachers or fellow com-munity members. Even though there is a long his-tory of Buddhist leaders going into treatment orseeking out self-help fellowships for their addic-tions, its a topic thats still not quite out of the

closet, Whitney says.There is increasing attention being paid to this is-sue and new Buddhist addiction recovery titles aresprouting like dandelions on a spring lawn. Possiblythe most popular is Kevin Griffins One Breath at aTime, in which this Bay Area musician and Vipas-

(Continued on page 2)

Coming Sunday, April 11 to the Capitol Theatre,the first in a concert series that will comprise Inter-faith Works 2010 World Sacred Music Festival: Al-

Andalus Ensemble in concert. The ensemble willbe joined onstage by a traditional Spanish dancer.

This contemporary chamber trio of oud, violin andguitar moves with grace between the classical andthe modern, subtly weaving tradition with sophisti-cated innovation into an energetic musical tapestryperformed with a freshness and originality that hasearned the Al-Andalus Ensemble a devoted inter-national audience. They have performed in cities all

over the world, including Madrid, Tangier, Gent,Paris, Seville, Victoria B.C., Abu Dhabi, andWash-ington D.C.

Historically, Al-Andalus refers to Spain from 711-1492 AD. During these eight centuries, AndalusianSpain witnessed a cultural melding between Africa,

the East and the West, as well as among Chris-tians, Muslims & Jews. An outstanding model ofinclusion and tolerance. "Andalusian music" is thecourtly music of Medieval Islamic Spain(Andalusia). Preserved and developed by the de-scendants of Muslim and Jewish refugees after the



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April 2010, p. 2

sana teacher recounts his struggles with addic-tion, as well as his grappling with the HigherPower (always referred to as He) that the 12-Stepprograms insist that their members must find andsurrender to.

Writing on the changeable nature of the HigherPower concept, Griffin writes, As you work with

the Steps, your understanding of a Higher Powermay change many times. It can be helpful to knowthat you dont have to commit yourself to one con-cept for life. In fact, oftentimes the change in un-derstanding is a developmental process thatmoves from a more external Higher Power to aninner one.

Other recent publications include: 12 Steps onthe Buddhas Path, by Laura S., The 12-Step Bud-dhist by Portland author Darren Littlejohn andCool Water: Alcoholism, Mindfulness, and Ordi-nary Recovery by William Alexander. Noah Le-vine, of Dharma Punx fame, has also inspired

many younger Buddhists to combine their searchfor recovery with their Buddhist path.

There is a Web site for the Buddhist RecoveryNetwork at www.buddhistrecovery.com. This or-ganization has a listing of 12-Step Buddhist StudyGroups around the world, including three in Port-land, one in British Columbia and another four in

Washington. Kevin Griffins Web site is also veryhelpful: www.kevingriffin.net.

The new Buddhist 12-Step Study meeting inOlympia is at the First Christian Church, 701Franklin St. SE Thursday evenings from 7:00 to8:30 p.m. It includes reading and discussion of

Buddhist 12-Step literature as well as a 25 minutesitting meditation designed for newcomers.

Buddhist 12-Step(Continued from page 1)30TH ANNUAL CROP WALK

We Walk Because They Walk

Sunday, May 2, 1:30 pmBegins at State Capitol Steps

Interfaith Works helps to feedthousands of hungry people inour community by sponsoringthe CROP Walk every spring onthe first Sunday in May. CROP

stands for Communities Re-sponding to Overcome Poverty.

Since our first Walk in 1980, Thurston CountyCROP Walk has raised over $1,000,000 for hun-ger relief! May 2, 2010, the 30th Thurston CountyCROP Walk, is cause for celebration.

CROP Walk, 10K (6.2 miles) in length, was thevery first walking fundraiser in Thurston County. Inrecent years, 400-500 walkers have participated inour CROP Walk. The motto is We walk becausethey walk, and it reminds us that millions of peo-ple around the globe walk great distances everyday just to get clean water, food, and fire wood for

cooking. We walk in solidarity with those we hopeto help.

Those who will benefit from this years Walk arevictims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chili, andeight local hunger-relief agencies; First BaptistChurch Sunday Dinner Feeding Ministry, Out ofthe Woods, Sacred Heart Emergency Outreach,

Salvation Army /Olympia Community Kitchen,Senior Services for South Sound/ Meals onWheels, St. Benedicts Community Dinner Pro-gram, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and ThurstonCounty Food Bank.

There are several ways YOU can participate. You

can be a walker, a sponsor, a team leader, or acommittee member. You can volunteer to helpregister walkers, serve refreshments or sell tee



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Reconquest, it is considered one of the longest con-tinuous traditions of art music in the world.One performance only:

Al-Andalus EnsembleSunday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.

Capitol Theatre, 206 5th Ave SE,

downtown OlympiaSo, plan to attend and get ready to be amazed.Tickets are available on-line at buyolympia.com orat the door; $25 general admission, $15 low-income.

For more information visit www.olysacredmusic.org.

VOLUNTEER CENTER SEEKS

SKILLED VOLUNTEERS

We are looking for volunteers who have experiencein planning, marketing/communications, fundraising,nonprofit management and other skills that wouldhelp nonprofit organizations in Lewis, Mason, andThurston Counties better serve the community. Thiswould be a six month commitment with an averageof 10 hours a month spent with the group. Here is a

list of the groups that need help: SOCK (Save our Countries Kids) YMCA

WA Youth legislator Capital Kids Connection Bread and Roses Growing Places

The volunteer would be matched up with one of thegroups. We need at least 6 and preferably 12 volun-

teers. Is this something you might like to do or knowsomeone that would?

Thank you for considering this opportunity,

Celina McKenneyVolunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties(360) 741-2607

www.volunteer.ws

Sacred Music Festival(Continued from page 1)

April 2010, p. 3

shirts on Walk Day. And you can make a financialdonation to the Walk. And with Walk-on-the-Web,its easier than ever to donate, and collect supportfor your walk, because you can do so on-line atwww.cropwalkonline.org/olympiawa

If you would like to volunteer to help or walk, con-tact Interfaith Works at 360-357-7224 Monday Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., orChairman Wayne Gruen at 352-9703. For lots

more information about CROP Walk 2009, visitour website:www.oly-wa.us/interfaith/CropWalk.php

Get involved. Hunger is a huge and growing prob-lem in our community.Please, help make this themost productive Walk ever.

Help CROP stop hunger!

CROP Walk (Continued from page 2)

ITS

BLINTZAPALOOZA

TIMEAGAIN!

Sunday, March 21

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Temple Beth Hatfiloh

8th & Washington

Blintzapalooza, the spring event

that combines blintzes, bagels and the

best used book sale in South Sound!


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April 2010, p. 4

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(commonly called the Mormon Church) is a Chris-tian church with approximately 13.5 million mem-bers worldwide. In Thurston County, the Churchhas 19 congregations that meet each Sunday forservices. These weekly services are held in chap-els, but the Church also has temples, which are

special buildings where members perform sacredordinances such as marriages and baptisms forthose who have passed on.

Anyone, regardless of religion, may enter a Latter-day Saint chapel and attend services. However,because of the sacredness of temples, only mem-bers of the Church who are in good standing areallowed to enter the temples. A member must beobserving the basic principles of the faith and pro-fess such to his or her local leaders once every twoyears in order to enter a temple. The temple is opento members throughout the week. Members of theChurch go to the temple as often as possible, typi-cally once a month where temples are easily acces-sible.

Temples were built in ancient times as mentioned inthe Old Testament. The Tabernacle was carried bythe Israelites, which was effectively a portable tem-ple. Later the Temple of Solomon was used as theholiest place of worship and a place of instruction.

The temple was a symbol of devotion to God andthe faith of the people.

Modern temples are places of beauty and peacemeant to inspire those who visit. The temple is aplace of tranquility where the cares of everyday lifecan be set aside. Members can go to the temple toreflect on their life and to meditate. Those who at-tend are taught about the purpose of life.

In temples members perform sacred ordinancessuch as marriage. Marriages in the temple arecalled sealings because they seal a family to-gether for eternity. When a man and a woman aremarried in the temple, their children born thereafteralso become part of their eternal family. Coupleswho have been married civilly can be sealed later.

Once a member has performed ordinances for himor herself, the member returns to the temple to per-form these ordinances as proxy for someone whohas already passed on who did not receive the ordi-nances while living. Members of the Church areencouraged to do genealogy for their ancestors. Asa result of members work, the Church operates thelargest genealogical library in the world the FamilyHistory Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Churchalso operates branch libraries throughout the worldincluding one in Olympia at 1116 Yew Ave NE.

The Church has 130 temples throughout the world.Another 22 temples are under construction or are in

planning stages. In Washington there are threetemples located in Bellevue, Spokane and Richland.

NEW TEMPLE OPEN HOUSEA new temple is being built in Vancouver, BC. Thistemple will serve members of the Church in BritishColumbia and parts of northern Washington. TheVancouver, BC temple will have an open house

April 9 April 24 (except Sundays). Details can befound at www.lds.org. During the open house thepublic is invited to take a tour of the building. Par-ticipants can reverently walk through the buildingand have an opportunity to ask questions beforeand after the tour. After the open house the templeis dedicated and open only to members of theChurch.

MORMON TEMPLESTom Nelson, Director of Public Affairs, Olympia Washington Stake


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April 2010, p. 5

Ive been executive director (E.D.) of InterfaithWorks (IW) for 9 years. It has really been morethan just a job; perhaps an obsession; certainly apassion. Before agreeing to fill the position, I hadalready been participating in IW as a volunteer for14 years. Now, I am preparing to retire. As I lookback on these 23 + years, Im amazed at the variety

of experiences Ive had, the events, activities andprograms Ive been blessed to participate in, andthe huge number of amazing people Ive workedwith and come to love.

When I first became involved as a delegate from myown faith community in 1986, IW was called Associ-ated Ministries of Thurston County. The executivedirector at that time, and for 17 years, was NancyHoff, a member of St. Michael Catholic Parish.Nancy was an amazing woman with a vision of localcongregations working together to serve the greatercommunity. She had a gift for empowering others toserve, and to lead. I immediately wanted to be likeNancy.

Another person I met back then was Lois Parker,then the Vice President for Social Concerns. Loiswas a real inspiration, and mentored me as, to-gether, we planned and directed programs for social justice and social change. Lois continued to volun-teer with IW until 2003, and continues to be a friend

and supporter.After Nancy Hoff retired, she was succeeded asE.D. by Keturah Brown, then Ken Schwilk, both ofwhom served as director for about two years, andthen Cheri Gonyaw. Cheri was executive directorinto 2000. In September of 2000, I was asked toserve as interim director, but by several twists offate, I was hired to the permanent position that De-cember. So, here I am, over nine years later, pre-paring to retire, and getting ready to welcome the

next new executive director of Interfaith Works.People and programs have come and gone from IWover the years; many have had incalculable influ-ence on me. The first IW program I became in-volved in was Day of Awareness, an annual day-long event that brought together scores of people todiscuss a pressing social need, and to discoverways to meet the need. Days of Awareness ad-dressed such topics as affordable housing, advo-cacy for the mentally ill, human diversity, feeding thehungry, and conflict resolution. A number of thoseDays resulted in the institution of lasting programsand organizations, such as Campus Ministries,Capitol Hospice, Jail Ministries, Food Bank, ProjectHand, and Dispute Resolution Center.

In 1990, I was IWs Vice President of Social Con-cerns. That winter, my committee began to admin-ister one of IWs longest running programs, theEmergency Overflow Shelter program, now in its20th year. It was conceived by Community of Christ,

which brought the idea to IW, asking for administra-tive assistance. It began sheltering homeless peo-ple in the churchs building in January of 1991, end-ing its first season March 31. The next winter,Westminster Presbyterian Church and St. JohnsEpiscopal Church joined in the program, and soon itgrew to involve 12-14 congregations annually, oper-

ating from November 1 to March 31 every winter.Since that time, the program has provided about25,000-30,000 bed-nights for homeless people inour community. (One night for one person is a bed-night.)

In addition to programs of social justice and humanservices, Interfaith Works has always conductedprograms that promote dialogue among people ofdiverse faiths. For many years we facilitated an


A RETROSPECTIVEKathy Erlandson, Retiring Executive Director of Interfaith Works


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April 2010, p. 6

annual Easter Sunrise Service in the rotunda of theState Capitol Building. Another long-running pro-gram was Pulpit Exchange, in which ministers wouldtrade off preaching at one anothers churches.From 1993 -2000, we presented AM FM: Associ-ated Ministries Festival of Music; an evening ofmusic presented by a variety of congregations andculminating in the performance of a major musicalwork by a mass choir made up of several choirscombined. Our Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration,first started in 1983, still continues to be presentedevery year. Interfaith Expressions was a goodname for a program that presented panel discus-sions, video presentations, and guest speakers on awide variety of subjects, such as faith and health,sacred art, and the use of Psalms in the Abrahamictraditions.

Dick Hinkle was a strong example for me in the90s. Dick was on more community boards, commit-tees and task forces than I could imagine. MaryFarrington, who passed away only recently, was

another seemingly tireless volunteer with whom Iworked for years. Shirley Ranck, once an interimpastor at Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congrega-tion (OUUC), had a profound influence on my ownspirituality. Mark Dowdy, pastor at The UnitedChurches of Olympia, Rev. Ron (McCullough) ofTumwater United Methodist, Howard Ullery pastor

at Lacey Community Church, and Arthur Vaeni,pastor at OUUC, have been supporters and rolemodels to me. Sister Monika Ellis, Barbara Gibson,Carol McKinley and Connie Walker are just a few ofthe many wonderful people who have helped me,led me, and cheered me on as we have all engagedin the life of Interfaith Works. Anise Ahmed,

Mohamad Ayub, Linda Blustein, Rabbi Seth Gold-stein, Barnett Kalikow, and Mustafa Mohamedali,among others, have all been friends and guides as I

learn what interfaith really means. I wish I couldname everyone who has been an important part ofmy time with IW, but they are countless.

I was brought up as a Christian, but since becominginvolved in Interfaith Works, my life has be enrichedbeyond measure by my association with people ofmany other Christian denominations, and with peo-ple of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Bahai, UnitarianUniversalist, and many other faiths. As I leave theemploy of Interfaith Works, Ill take with me a wealth

that has nothing to do with money. (This is a non-profit organization, after all.) Ill miss some of theexcitement and challenge of being Executive Direc-tor of this wonderful organization. Im very proudand grateful for my long association with InterfaithWorks. But Im ready to take a step back. It will beexciting to see Interfaith Works grow and change

under new leadership. Thank you. Thank you, eve-ryone who has been a part of my life at InterfaithWorks!

Retrospective (Continued from page 5)

You Are Invited to

Kathys

Retirement PartySunday, April 252 p.m.4 p.m.St. Placid Priory

500 College St. NE, Olympia


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COMMUNITY CALENDARA listing of some of the activities and events of Interfaith Works members, affiliated organizations, and of general interest.

IW does not necessarily endorse these events. More details and events at www.Interfaith-Works.org.

April 2010, p. 7

March 19Friday6:00 pm

Evening of Compassion: Benefit for Haiti featuring music, short stories and a Dinner ofCompassion. Unity Church of Olympia, 1335 Fern St SW, Olympia, WA 98502. Reservationsrequested. 360-943-5757 or [email protected]

March 20-21Sat, 9:00 am-Sun.3:00 pm

Women in Midlife: A Time of Spiritual Deepening. Conversation and experiences onchanges in body, mind, emotions, and energy. Yearning and discerning an authentic path.St. Placid Priory Spirituality Center, 500 College St. SE. $170. 360-438-2595. stplacid.org.

March 21Sunday10:00-2 pm

Blintzapalooza! 22ndAnnual Book, Bagel and Blintz Sale fundraiser for communitycharities. Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia. Book donations and volunteersneeded. More information at www.bethhatfiloh.org/

March 24Wednesday6:00 pm

Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century (Documentary). One hour film on theorigins and effects of this ancient Chinese health care system integrating postures, breath-ing and focused intention. All Souls UU Community, 6326 Martin Way E, #103, Lacey.

March 29Monday7 pm

Ethical Eating Film Series #3 Buyer Be Fair. This months movie in the series lookingat some of the biggest issues in ethical eating focuses on fair trade. Olympia UnitarianUniversalist Congregation, 2300 East End St NW, Olympia, 98502.

March 21Sunday5 pm

BahaI New Year Celebration (Naw Ruz)Planned Potluck Dinner with Program andDancing. The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie, 8383 Vicwood Lane, Lacey, WA, 98516. Opento the public, no charge. For questions, contact Rich or Melissa Young, 360-264-4954.

Mar 29-Apr 1Mon-Thur Holy Week Noon Organ Concerts at The United Churches, 11th & Capitol, Olympia.Concerts are from 12:10-12:45, with a different organist playing the pipe organ each day.

Mar 31-May 19Weds & Sats6:30 pm

Thurston County Master Composter Training. Receive 14 hours of free training on avariety of composting topics including kitchen and yard waste, worm bins, maintainingpiles, and more. Info: Cori Carlton, [email protected] or 867-2162.

March 31

Wednesday79 pm

Pastoral Skills Class. An experiential lab incorporating head and heart. Offered monthly.

Also suitable for non-pastoral students wanting to hone listening skills. All Souls UnitarianUniversalist Community, 6326 Martin Way E, #103, Lacey. Call 481-2379 or 456-5697.

April 1-April 4Thur-SundayVarious

Holy Week at First United Methodist Church, 1224 Legion Way SE, Olympia.Maundy Thursday Service, 6:30 pm; Good Friday Organ Concert, 12:10 pm and Vigil Ser-vice at 6:30 pm. Saturday Vigil, 7 pm; Easter Sunday Services Sunrise 7:30 am at For-est Cemetery, 8:45 am at First United Methodist, 11 am at Washington Center for the Per-forming Arts with No Inhibition Jazz Band. More information at www.fumcoly.org

April 9-24Mon-Sat

Temple Open HouseChurch of Jesus Christ o f Latter Day Saints. The public is in-vited to tour the new Vancouver, B.C temple before its dedication. www.lds.org

Continued on next page


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COMMUNITY CALENDARA listing of some of the activities and events of Interfaith Works members, affiliated organizations, and of general interest.

IW does not necessarily endorse these events. More details and events at www.Interfaith-Works.org.

April 2010, p. 8

April 2Friday7:00 pm

Good Friday Combined Service at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1925 BoulevardRd SE, Olympia. A presentation of Joseph M. Martins The Weeping Tree Cantata byarea Presbyterian choirs.

April 9Friday6:30 pm

Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead, a 2009documentary on the unlikely friendship betweena death row inmate and Blecker, a law professor and death penalty advocate. Post-filmdiscussion with Sarah Craft of Equal Justice USA. Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE

(www.olympiafilmsociety.org). Sponsored by Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation.April 11,12Sun, Mon1 pm, 6 pm

Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century (Documentary). One hour film on theorigins and effects of this ancient Chinese health care system integrating postures, breath-ing and focused intention. All Souls UU Community, 6326 Martin Way E, #103, Lacey.

April 11Sunday

7:30 pm

World Sacred Musical Festival Event #1 with Al-Andalus Ensemble. This chamber trioof oud, violin, and guitar is joined by Basque Flamenco dancer Laura Dobroka as they

move gracefully between the classical and the contemporary. Capitol Theater, 2065th Ave SE, Olympia. Tickets: $25 general, $15 low-income. www.olysacredmusic.org

April 14WednesdayNoon~~~~~~~~7:00 pm

Interfaith Works Earth Stewardship Committee. Connect with others in local faith com-munities around environmental concerns. Noon, second Wednesdays at Traditions.

EARTH CARE SERIES #7: The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community(DVD).David Korten, well-known economist and author, presents on his book of the same name.

Discussion follows. Traditions Caf, 300 5th Ave SW. Free, donations accepted

April 17Saturday

Circulation Day Give-away Event at Unity Church o f Olympia, 1335 Fern St. SW,Olympia. 8 amNoon. Hundreds of quality items!

April 19Monday7:00 pm

Ethical Eating Film Series #4 Beware Food. This months movie in the series lookingat some of the biggest issues in ethical eating focuses on eating locally. Olympia UnitarianUniversalist Congregation, 2300 East End St NW, Olympia, 98502.

April 25Sunday24 pm

Retirement Party for KATHY ERLANDSON, Interfaith Works Executive Director.Come wish Kathy farewell as she steps down after over nine years.St. Placid Priory, 500 College St. NE, Olympia, WA 98516.

April 30 ++Friday ++9:30-4:30

Hospice Volunteer Training with Providence SoundHome Care and Hospice. 30hours of training. Volunteers provide support to families and those who are dying. For reg-istration and information contact Volunteer Coordinator Debe Edden at 360-493-4689.

May 2Sunday1:30 pm

30th Annual Thurs ton County CROP Walk for Hunger Relief. Walk,pledge, or volunteer to raise funds for local and global hunger projects!

Contact Wayne Gruen at 352-9703. More information on our websiteat www.oly-wa.us/interfaith/CropWalk.php

Continued from previous page


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Interfaith WorksPO Box 1221Olympia WA 98507

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. PostagePAID

Permit No. 325Olympia, WA 98501

RETURNSERVICEREQUESTED

SupportInterfaithWorkswitha

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World Sacred Music Festival

Al-Andalus EnsembleSunday, April 11, 7:30 pm

Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE, Olympia

Tickets: $25/$15 low-incomeAvailable through buyolympia.com and at the door

Oud, Flamenco guitar, Violin, Multi-lingual vocals,

and Basque flamenco dance with Laura Dubroka

April 2010 Interfaith Connection Newsletter, Interfaith Works

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