Events, Holy Days, Opportunities, Needs, and News (October 2017)
Welcome to the AshevilleInterfaith.org email newsletter. A copy of this newsletter can also be found at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/newsletter.html. To submit items for this newsletter, or for the calendar items, use one of the forms at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/submissions.html.
The AshevilleInterfaith.org project is an effort to support and promote faith-based activities, events, connections, and conversation in the Asheville area. We focus on uplifting events that are open to the public and specifically intended to help bring together individuals from diverse faith-based communities.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might also be interested. Anyone wishing to also receive future newsletter emails may email newsletter@ashevilleinterfaith.org. To be removed from future emails, please email newsletter@ashevilleinterfaith.org and we’ll do so immediately.
For specific questions, suggestions, or corrections, contact Steve Hargadon (steve@hargadon.com) or Vicki Garlock (faithseekerkids@gmail.com).
Thank you!
UPCOMING HOLY DAYS / FAITH-RELATED EVENTS
Faith Communities on the Move – Literally
Healthcare for All: A Moral Obligation?
Thursday, October 12, 7 - 8:30 PM First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street
What does it mean to be "a good person"? Martin Luther asked that deceptively difficult question 500 years ago, and scholars still debate it today. Find out what an interdenominational panel of local theologians believes is the answer at our upcoming "Healthcare for All" symposium.
Hard Lox Jewish Food Festival
Sunday, Oct.15, 11AM-4PM, Pack Square
The best place in town for lox, blintzes, kugels, latkes, falafel, and more. Plus, great music on the sound stage. Always a big hit! For more info., go to http://www.hardloxjewishfestival.org/.
Samhain/Ancestor Vigil – Mother Grove Goddess Temple
Sunday, Oct. 15, 7-9PM @ Cathedral of All Soul’s (9 Swan St.)
Honor ancestors, the beloved dead, and those who have died in the past year. Open to all respectful people of any/no spiritual tradition. Please wear mourning colors of your tradition. Will also be interpreted for the Deaf/hearing-impaired. Donations appreciated. For more info., visit the FB Events page of Mother Grove Goddess Temple.
Diwali – Indian (Hindu, Sikh, Jain) Festival of Lights
Thursday, Oct. 19, 5:30PM-8PM, Sri Somesvara Temple, Clyde, NC
Join our Hindu friends as they celebrate Diwali. The puja begins at 5:30PM. Aarathi begins at 7PM and will be followed by prasad. Donations appreciated. For more info. or to caravan there, contact Vicki Garlock at vickig@jubileecommunity.org.
Annual Women’s Retreat – Great Tree Zen Temple
Friday, Oct. 20, 4:30PM through Sunday, Oct. 22, 11:30AM @ Great Tree Temple
The overall focus is simplicity, meditation, yoga, and dharma discussion. This year’s theme is No Self, No Other: Living with Compassion and Wisdom. For women (age 18 and older) only. Cost $175. For more info. or to register visit https://www.greattreetemple.org/event/annual-womens-retreat/?instance_id=4393.
Baha’i Community Events
Bicentenary Commemoration
Saturday, Oct. 21, 10:30AM-12:30PM @ Jubilee! Community Church
Learn a bit about the Baha’i faith and enjoy brunch catered by Green Opportunities. No cost but RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bicentenary-commemoration-tickets-37677879552?aff=erellivmlt.
Unity World Café
Sunday, Oct. 22, 1:30-6PM @ Stephens Lee Center (30 George Washington Carver Ave.)
Come join the conversation about unity and community. Global dinner and cultural music, too! Kids/Families welcome. No cost, but register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-unity-world-cafe-and-global-dinner-tickets-37678350962.
Visit wncbahai.org or bahai.us for more info.
Bodhinatha & Dr. Mamas - Day at Mount Soma
Saturday, October 28 at 10 AM. On Saturday, October 28, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami of Kauai joins Dr. Michael Mamas to give a joint public talk at Mount Soma, in Clyde, North Carolina. Join us for the day: recharge your spirit with meditation, and the deep peace and autumn mountain beauty of Mount Soma! Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is the spiritual leader of Kauai Hindu Monastery, and publisher of Hinduism Today. Dr. Michael Mamas is the founder and director of Mount Soma, home of Sri Somesvara Temple and the Center of Rational Spirituality.
https://www.facebook.com/events/130820500900936/
CROP Hunger Walk
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2PM @ First Baptist (5 Oak St.)
Join numerous faith communities (including Mother Grove Goddess Temple, One Jewish Asheville, and Jubilee! Community Church) as we help end hunger both locally and globally. Make an on-line contribution, or come out and walk! Just find the Asheville Interfaith sign. The short route is approx. 2.5 miles with water stops and bathrooms along the way. Register that day at 1:30PM or on-line at https://www.crophungerwalk.org/ashevillenc/Team/View/49228/Asheville-Interfaith.
OTHER UPCOMING HOLY DAYS (see Interfaith Calendar)
October
** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.
NEWS
What’s missing from our ‘evil’ debate. By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor. “But beneath the political debate lurk questions that seldom surface except in the aftermath of horrific events: What is evil? A malignant force, a moral category, or something else entirely? Where does evil come from? And what, if anything, can we do about it? The questions seem clear enough, but as writers and thinkers of every age have found, evil eludes easy answers.”
https://themuslimtimes.info/2017/10/08/290351/
Hindu festival chokes Indian waterways with flowers and idol debris. Michael Safi. “Sections of a major river in Delhi are choking with plastic, flowers and debris after an annual Hindu festival in which hundreds of idols were immersed in Indian waterways. The 10-day Durga Puja, which celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, concluded over the weekend with mass immersion ceremonies across the Indian subcontinent…. But in the days after the festival, waterways dense with debris, rubbish and flowers have become a regular sight, particularly in large population centres such as Delhi, whose main river, the Yamuna, is already one of the most polluted in India.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/03/hindu-festival-indian-waterways-flowers-idol-debris-yamuna-river
WHEN DOES SUKKOT 2017 START AND END? DATES AND FACTS ABOUT THE JEWISH HOLIDAY. BY STAV ZIV. “If it seems like this time of year is just one long string of Jewish holidays, that’s because it is. It doesn’t end after the High Holidays—Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur—though those are still the most important holidays of the season and arguably of the entire year. Next up is Sukkot (the Hebrew-derived pronunciation in English is Sue-COAT). Sukkot is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and gives thanks for the fall harvest and also commemorates the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering the desert and living in temporary shelters after leaving slavery in Egypt. A sukkah is a “booth” or “hut,” and sukkot is the plural form. The holiday also can be referred to by other names, such as the Festival of Booths, the Season of Our Rejoicing, and the Festival of the Ingathering.”
http://www.newsweek.com/when-does-sukkot-2017-start-and-end-dates-and-facts-about-jewish-holiday-677508
VOLUNTEER / SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Homeward Bound’s Welcome Home Program is looking for volunteers with a truck to go and pick up furniture from our community and then take the furniture back to Homeward Bound’s new donation center. Contact: Ashley Campbell at ashley@homewardboundwnc.org or call (828)777-1886. (Flyer at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/resources.html.)
The LDS Family History Center on Sweeten Creek Road in Arden is looking for genealogy / family history volunteers. Training is provided. A German speaker is also needed. Contact: Cynthia Rush at CynthiaRush170@yahoo.com.
DONATIONS NEEDED
The greatest needs for Homeward Bound’s Welcome Home Program right now are bed frames, side tables, coffee tables, lamps, small dressers, coffee pots and microwaves. These items can be new or gently used. An Amazon wishlist is at https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3IQSHZXPALDES/ref=cm_wl_list_o_1.
Welcome to the AshevilleInterfaith.org email newsletter. A copy of this newsletter can also be found at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/newsletter.html. To submit items for this newsletter, or for the calendar items, use one of the forms at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/submissions.html.
The AshevilleInterfaith.org project is an effort to support and promote faith-based activities, events, connections, and conversation in the Asheville area. We focus on uplifting events that are open to the public and specifically intended to help bring together individuals from diverse faith-based communities.
- Website: http://www.AshevilleInterfaith.org (basic information)
- Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ashevilleinterfaith (for article posting, conversations, and event listing)
- Join the Meetup.com Group: http://www.meetup.com/AshevilleInterfaith (specifically for organized, interfaith events)
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might also be interested. Anyone wishing to also receive future newsletter emails may email newsletter@ashevilleinterfaith.org. To be removed from future emails, please email newsletter@ashevilleinterfaith.org and we’ll do so immediately.
For specific questions, suggestions, or corrections, contact Steve Hargadon (steve@hargadon.com) or Vicki Garlock (faithseekerkids@gmail.com).
Thank you!
UPCOMING HOLY DAYS / FAITH-RELATED EVENTS
Faith Communities on the Move – Literally
- Urban Dharma
Urban Dharma, a local Tibetan Buddhist center has recently moved to its new downtown location. They are now at 77 Walnut St., and their entrance is through the gate just to the east of Zambra restaurant. - Beth Israel
After a very successful capital campaign, Beth Israel is ready to begin major renovations to their synagogue. They will be sharing space with Temple Beth HaTephila (43 N. Liberty St.) for the next year.
Healthcare for All: A Moral Obligation?
Thursday, October 12, 7 - 8:30 PM First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street
What does it mean to be "a good person"? Martin Luther asked that deceptively difficult question 500 years ago, and scholars still debate it today. Find out what an interdenominational panel of local theologians believes is the answer at our upcoming "Healthcare for All" symposium.
Hard Lox Jewish Food Festival
Sunday, Oct.15, 11AM-4PM, Pack Square
The best place in town for lox, blintzes, kugels, latkes, falafel, and more. Plus, great music on the sound stage. Always a big hit! For more info., go to http://www.hardloxjewishfestival.org/.
Samhain/Ancestor Vigil – Mother Grove Goddess Temple
Sunday, Oct. 15, 7-9PM @ Cathedral of All Soul’s (9 Swan St.)
Honor ancestors, the beloved dead, and those who have died in the past year. Open to all respectful people of any/no spiritual tradition. Please wear mourning colors of your tradition. Will also be interpreted for the Deaf/hearing-impaired. Donations appreciated. For more info., visit the FB Events page of Mother Grove Goddess Temple.
Diwali – Indian (Hindu, Sikh, Jain) Festival of Lights
Thursday, Oct. 19, 5:30PM-8PM, Sri Somesvara Temple, Clyde, NC
Join our Hindu friends as they celebrate Diwali. The puja begins at 5:30PM. Aarathi begins at 7PM and will be followed by prasad. Donations appreciated. For more info. or to caravan there, contact Vicki Garlock at vickig@jubileecommunity.org.
Annual Women’s Retreat – Great Tree Zen Temple
Friday, Oct. 20, 4:30PM through Sunday, Oct. 22, 11:30AM @ Great Tree Temple
The overall focus is simplicity, meditation, yoga, and dharma discussion. This year’s theme is No Self, No Other: Living with Compassion and Wisdom. For women (age 18 and older) only. Cost $175. For more info. or to register visit https://www.greattreetemple.org/event/annual-womens-retreat/?instance_id=4393.
Baha’i Community Events
Bicentenary Commemoration
Saturday, Oct. 21, 10:30AM-12:30PM @ Jubilee! Community Church
Learn a bit about the Baha’i faith and enjoy brunch catered by Green Opportunities. No cost but RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bicentenary-commemoration-tickets-37677879552?aff=erellivmlt.
Unity World Café
Sunday, Oct. 22, 1:30-6PM @ Stephens Lee Center (30 George Washington Carver Ave.)
Come join the conversation about unity and community. Global dinner and cultural music, too! Kids/Families welcome. No cost, but register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-unity-world-cafe-and-global-dinner-tickets-37678350962.
Visit wncbahai.org or bahai.us for more info.
Bodhinatha & Dr. Mamas - Day at Mount Soma
Saturday, October 28 at 10 AM. On Saturday, October 28, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami of Kauai joins Dr. Michael Mamas to give a joint public talk at Mount Soma, in Clyde, North Carolina. Join us for the day: recharge your spirit with meditation, and the deep peace and autumn mountain beauty of Mount Soma! Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is the spiritual leader of Kauai Hindu Monastery, and publisher of Hinduism Today. Dr. Michael Mamas is the founder and director of Mount Soma, home of Sri Somesvara Temple and the Center of Rational Spirituality.
https://www.facebook.com/events/130820500900936/
CROP Hunger Walk
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2PM @ First Baptist (5 Oak St.)
Join numerous faith communities (including Mother Grove Goddess Temple, One Jewish Asheville, and Jubilee! Community Church) as we help end hunger both locally and globally. Make an on-line contribution, or come out and walk! Just find the Asheville Interfaith sign. The short route is approx. 2.5 miles with water stops and bathrooms along the way. Register that day at 1:30PM or on-line at https://www.crophungerwalk.org/ashevillenc/Team/View/49228/Asheville-Interfaith.
OTHER UPCOMING HOLY DAYS (see Interfaith Calendar)
October
- 12 Shemini Atzeret * - Jewish
- 13 Simchat Torah * - Jewish
- 18 St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist - Christian
- 19 Diwali - Deepavali ** - Hindu - Sikh - Jain
- 20 Birth of the Báb * - Baha'i | Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth - Sikh | Jain New Year - Jain
- 28 Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
- 29 Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
- 31 All Hallows Eve - Christian | Reformation Day ** - Protestant Christian
** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.
NEWS
What’s missing from our ‘evil’ debate. By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor. “But beneath the political debate lurk questions that seldom surface except in the aftermath of horrific events: What is evil? A malignant force, a moral category, or something else entirely? Where does evil come from? And what, if anything, can we do about it? The questions seem clear enough, but as writers and thinkers of every age have found, evil eludes easy answers.”
https://themuslimtimes.info/2017/10/08/290351/
Hindu festival chokes Indian waterways with flowers and idol debris. Michael Safi. “Sections of a major river in Delhi are choking with plastic, flowers and debris after an annual Hindu festival in which hundreds of idols were immersed in Indian waterways. The 10-day Durga Puja, which celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, concluded over the weekend with mass immersion ceremonies across the Indian subcontinent…. But in the days after the festival, waterways dense with debris, rubbish and flowers have become a regular sight, particularly in large population centres such as Delhi, whose main river, the Yamuna, is already one of the most polluted in India.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/03/hindu-festival-indian-waterways-flowers-idol-debris-yamuna-river
WHEN DOES SUKKOT 2017 START AND END? DATES AND FACTS ABOUT THE JEWISH HOLIDAY. BY STAV ZIV. “If it seems like this time of year is just one long string of Jewish holidays, that’s because it is. It doesn’t end after the High Holidays—Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur—though those are still the most important holidays of the season and arguably of the entire year. Next up is Sukkot (the Hebrew-derived pronunciation in English is Sue-COAT). Sukkot is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and gives thanks for the fall harvest and also commemorates the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering the desert and living in temporary shelters after leaving slavery in Egypt. A sukkah is a “booth” or “hut,” and sukkot is the plural form. The holiday also can be referred to by other names, such as the Festival of Booths, the Season of Our Rejoicing, and the Festival of the Ingathering.”
http://www.newsweek.com/when-does-sukkot-2017-start-and-end-dates-and-facts-about-jewish-holiday-677508
VOLUNTEER / SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Homeward Bound’s Welcome Home Program is looking for volunteers with a truck to go and pick up furniture from our community and then take the furniture back to Homeward Bound’s new donation center. Contact: Ashley Campbell at ashley@homewardboundwnc.org or call (828)777-1886. (Flyer at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/resources.html.)
The LDS Family History Center on Sweeten Creek Road in Arden is looking for genealogy / family history volunteers. Training is provided. A German speaker is also needed. Contact: Cynthia Rush at CynthiaRush170@yahoo.com.
DONATIONS NEEDED
The greatest needs for Homeward Bound’s Welcome Home Program right now are bed frames, side tables, coffee tables, lamps, small dressers, coffee pots and microwaves. These items can be new or gently used. An Amazon wishlist is at https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3IQSHZXPALDES/ref=cm_wl_list_o_1.