​Events, Holy Days, and News (October - November 2016)

Welcome to the AshevilleInterfaith.org email newsletter. A copy of this newsletter can also be found at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/newsletter.html. While our ultimate model is to email monthly, we’re finding that we need to send out a little more frequently right now as we all get used to the schedule and because of the number of faith events at this time of year.

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 [email protected]. To be removed from future emails, please email [email protected] and we’ll do so immediately.

To submit a calendar event, use the form at http://www.ashevilleinterfaith.org/submit-event.html. For specific questions, suggestions, or corrections, contact Steve Hargadon ([email protected]) or Vicki Garlock ([email protected]).

Thank you!

EVENTS
  • Sunday, October 30, 2016 | 6:00pm, Sri Somesvara Temple
    Diwali Festival. Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals of the year. It commemorates the return of Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, from his fourteen year exile. To welcome his return, ghee lamps were lit in his honor. Sunday, Oct. 30, 6PM, Sri Somesvara Temple (Clyde, NC; see website for driving directions). http://shopping.srisomesvara.org/diwali-festival-maha-lakshmi-puja.html
  • Tuesday, November 1 | 7:00pm, Warren Wilson Campus, Log Cabin
    Queer(y)ing Religion: A conversation with Chris Stedman about intersections of LGBTQ+ and (non)faith identity.  A panel including Chris Stedman and Warren Wilson community members explores the intersectionality between panelists' sexual and gender identities and their faith/non-faith identities. Join us for an evening in the Log Cabin on Warren Wilson College's campus. Free and open to the public. All are welcome.
  • Wednesday, November 2 | 7:00pm, Warren Wilson College, Jensen Lecture Hall
    Chris Stedman, Author of Faitheist: How An Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious. Chris Stedman, author and Executive Director and Coordinator of Humanist Life at Yale University, speaks about his experience growing up in a non-religious household, becoming an Evangelical Christian, and then leaving the Church as he came out as a gay man. In his visit to Warren Wilson, Chris explores his narrative and what it means for an atheist to engage with people of faith in areas of dialogue and social justice. Event is free and open to the public. All are welcome.
  • Tuesday, November 1 | 7PM, Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism
    Mother Grove Goddess Temple - Samhain Ritual. Celebrate the ancient holy day of Samhain. A $5 love offering is suggested. Also, please bring non-perishable food items for the Mother Grove food pantry. Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7PM, Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism (Westwood Place in west Asheville). https://www.facebook.com/events/171721476356147/
  • Saturday, November 5 - Sunday, November 6, Asheville Shambhala Meditation Center
    24-hour Sit-a-Thon Fundraiser. Register as a fundraiser and secure donation pledges through your personal network or simply offer a donation through classy.org/ashevilleshambhala. We'll sit from noon on Saturday, Nov. 5 until noon on Sunday, Nov. 6. Asheville Shambhala, 60 North Merrimon Ave., Suite #113, Reynolds Village, 28804) http://asheville.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=267477
  • Monday, November 7 | 6:00pm, Pack Square Park, Asheville
    THE HEART OF COMMUNITY. Music and reflection on what creates community in a polarized world A gathering of citizens of differing political and civic convictions committed to working together after the election for our common life in Asheville and beyond. http://www.heartofcommunity.com
  • Friday, November 11 | 9am - 1pm. God's Closet
    We are excited to share that God’s Closets is coming soon to our area. God’s Closet is a non-profit organization that offers Free Children’s Clothes to parents of young children. We ask only that you pay a $1 Entrance Fee. Then you get to shop for free. This event will be held at the Mills River Seventh-Day Adventist Church located at 2142 Jeffress Road, Mills River, NC 28759. You find out more by visiting our website www..godscloset.com or by emailing to [email protected]. You can also call at (828) 712-2090 for more information. Come check it out and tell your friends about it. If you are interested in volunteering for these events please call us and let us tell you more about how you can help.

HOLY DAYS (taken from the Interfaith Calendar)
  • October
    • 24 Shemini Atzeret - Jewish
    • 25 Simchat Torah - Jewish
    • 30 Diwali - Deepavali - Hindu - Sikh - Jain
    • 31 All Hallows Eve - Christian
    • Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
    • New Year - Jain
  • November
    • 1 All Saints Day - Christian | Samhain - Beltane  Wicca/Pagan Northern and southern hemispheres | Birth of the Bab - Bahi
    • 2 All Souls Day - Catholic Christian | Birth of Baha'u'llah - Baha'i
    • 14 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib - Sikh
    • 15 Nativity Fast begins - ends Dec. 24 - Orthodox Christian
    • 20 Christ the King - Christian
    • 24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahdur - Sikh | Thanksgiving - Interfaith USA
    • 25 Day of the Covenant - Baha'i
    • 27 Advent begins through Dec. 24 - Christian | Christ the King - Christian
    • 27 Ascension of  'Abdu'l-Baha - Baha'i
    • 30 St. Andrew's Day - Christian

NEW ARTICLES (posted on the Facebook Group Page)
  • Urban Dharma to host an Evening of Spiritual Food by Thomas Calder. Mountain Xpress, October 3, 2016. There’s a lot of divisiveness in America, right now,” says Dr. Vicki Garlock, nurture coordinator at Jubilee Community Church and founder of Faith Seeker Kids, a nonprofit that offers Bible-based interfaith educational ideas for children. “We’re trying to create spaces where different faiths can come together and recognize what we have in common.
  • WORKING TO KEEP TANGIBLE HOPE ALIVE. URI. Vicki Garlock, founder of Faith Seeker Kids and childhood interfaith educator: I have the great fortune of being an interfaith educator for kids. My work is grounded in my beliefs that 1) faith development is a life-long process, 2) that each faith tradition offers a unique way of articulating and accessing the divine presence in our lives, and 3) that we should provide kids with the tools they need to walk their faith path.
  • The Day of 'Ashura by Huda. About.com, July 21, 2016. 'Ashura is a religious observance marked every year by Muslims. The word 'ashura literally means "10th," as it is on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. 'Ashura is an ancient observance that is now recognized for different reasons and in different ways among Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
  • Interfaith Group Asks US Government to Reject Report that Stigmatizes Religious Americans. The following letter has been sent to President Barack Obama, Sen. Orrin Hatch and House Speaker Paul Ryan in response to a report issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The letter is signed by a diverse group of faith leaders (including Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), representing tens of millions of Americans.
  • How Burkina Faso's different religions live in peace. BBC.com, October 13th, 2016. The Pope has invited Burkina Faso's president to the Vatican later this month to see what can be learnt from the West African nation's example of religious tolerance. BBC Africa's Lamine Konkobo is from Burkina Faso and assesses if this can continue in a region under assault from Islamist militant groups.
  • Jewish-Arab Women's Peace Group Delivers Political Message While Avoiding Politics by Judy Maltz (Barta’a), October 10, 2016. During the 'March of Hope,' Palestinian and Jewish women walk from northern Israel to Jerusalem in support of a peaceful solution to the conflict.
  • THE POWER OF A DRUM: Beating a Message of Peace in Uganda by Vicki Garlock. The Interfaith Observer, October 11, 2016. In a country often known for unspeakable violence and political strife, Buyondo Micheal offers a beacon of hope to those desperately seeking peace. As founder of Faiths Together Uganda (FTU), Micheal uses dance, music, and art to unify and delight. Inspired by global interfaith initiatives, he provides the funding and the energy for events that cross religious, cultural, and tribal divides. School kids are major players in those endeavors. Together, they offer a story of hope and perseverance that speaks to young and old alike.
  • A photo essay: Urban Dharma celebrates fifth anniversary in Asheville with sand mandala ceremony by Emily Nichols, October 14, 2016. Last week, Urban Dharma, the Tibetan Buddhist Center on Page Street in downtown Asheville, celebrated its fifth anniversary with a week-long schedule of programs, including the construction of a special Vasudhārā sand mandala. In Tibetan Buddhism, Vasudhārā is the deity of abundance, openheartedness, generosity and magnanimity.
  • Slideshow: A time of colorful festivals by Sally Morrow and Jerome Socolovsky. Religion News Service, October 17, 2016. Late October is a time of colorful festivals around the world. Some mark the harvest, others are festivals of lights. Now and in the coming weeks, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists and Yoruba are celebrating different holidays, explained here and shown in the photo essay below.