Monday, July 2, 2012

Religious events in Louisville July 2-9

Church:  Strathmoor Presbyterian Church 
Address:  2201 Hawthorne Avenue Louisville Kentucky 
Date:  7/3/2012 
Time:  Noon 
Description:  Bibles and Brown Bags Summer Series
The Prophets: Let the Waters Flow 

Phone:  502.451.5185 
Website:  strathmoorpresbyterian.org 
Church:  Beads On One String 
Address:    none Louisville KY 
Date:  7/15/2012 
Time:  1:30 - 5:00 PM EDT 
Description:  Local Spiritual Pilgrimage. Join others in traveling by bus across Louisville Metro to "centers" representing the five major world religions. To learn more about the purpose of the pilgrimage, the time and place to board the bus, what will be done at each "center," what to wear and bring, how to reserve a seat, etc., please send an email tobeadsburnett@gmail.com and/or visit the website,www.beadsononestring.org.
Beads-On-One-String is a new international non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of the unity of all life and whose abiding interest is in humanity's common endeavor to understand, experience, and creatively express the Oneness that lies at the heart of all. This search is independent of existing traditions yet actively appreciates and connects people from all religions, backgrounds and cultures, sacred and secular. We intend through education, pilgrimage, film and media, arts, sciences, and companionship to invite opportunities to explore and experience this unity. 

Phone:  000-0000 
Website:  www.beadsononestring.org 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Holidays in World Religions July 1-7

Religious Observances for Week of
July 1st Through July 7th, 2012
F
Friends,
  

Tuesday, July 3rd
Asslha Puja (Buddhist) 

 
One of the most important festivals of the Thervada Buddhists, the Asalha Puja Day or the Dhamma Day celebrates the first teaching of the Buddha. Elaborating on this, the Buddha gained enlightenment on the full moon of Vesakha - the sixth month. After this, He was not too keen to teach, but on the insistence of His friends who had spent several years journeying the Gangetic plains with Him, He decided to go to Benaras. From Gaya, the distance to Beneras where His friends were staying was around 150 miles and it took Him around two months to reach there. On reaching Beneras, He delievered His first discourse which consisted of the essence, of all the future teachings. At the conclusion of His discourse, one of His five friends Kondañña, exclaimed his understanding of the Truths just preached and urged the Buddha to accept him as a disciple. This was followed by an extremely simple ordination process that gave birth to the order of monks. The preaching delievered by the Buddha is quiet often referred to as "setting into motion the wheel of dhamma," It comprises the four noble truths - life means suffering (dukka); origin of suffering is attachment (tanha); cessation of suffering is attainable and finally, the way to cessation is via the eightfold path. Throughout the world, whatever school of thought a Buddhist might belong to, the central doctrine of Buddhism for him still remains the four noble truths. The festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month, Asalha, of the old Indian calendar. Asalha is also the month of the starting of the monsoon. During this period the Buddha and His monks and nuns would hold their wanderings. Even today, monasteries keep a three-month long 'rains retreat' which commences on the Dhamma day and concludes on Pavarana. For all those who desire to join the order but just cannot renounce their present life, ordination as short term monks is also possible in this period. Yet another significance of the Asalha is that it was during this month that the Buddha's son Rahula was born. It was after this that Buddha gave up all His royal worldly pleasures to attain spiritual enlightenment and the truth of life.
num Sint


Wednesday, July 4th
 
Lailat al Bara'ah (Islam)

 
 Lailat al Miraj (Muslim) means the Night of Ascent. It marks the night when Prophet Mohammad attained a very high spiritual level and was spiritually transported to heaven. The Ascent took place on the 27th day of Rajab (seventh month of the Hijra or Muslim lunar calendar). This festival is also known as Lailatul-Miraj, Isra Miraj, Miraj al-Nabi, Isra, Me'raj and Laylat al-Mi'raj. To mark the day of the Ascent (Miraj), mosques and houses are decorated during the day with colorful pennants and buntings, and during the night, with oil-lamps, candles, electric lights, etc. As evening approaches, devotees assemble in mosques and engage themselves in glorifying the Lord and the Prophet through devotional hymns.Public spiritual meetings (satsangs) are held after Isha prayer (a prayer usually said before going to bed at night) in larger mosques, where the details about the Ascent are discussed. These satsangs conclude with everyone partaking of sweets distributed at the end. This night is an also an opportunity for Muslims to engage in good/meritorious deeds, such as donating money to charity, distributing food among the poor, etc.

Peace,
 
Al  
 
Al Klein
 

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Louisville Religious Events June 30-July 6

Below are the religious events posted by the Courier Journal web site.   Feel free to add your event for your church if you'd like on their web site.  To go directly to the link click here :

Church:  St. Frances of Rome Church 
Address:    2119 Payne St. Louisville KY 
Date:  6/30/2012 
Time:  4:00 PM 
Description:  St. Frances of Rome Church is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its dedication in 1887 with a number of special events.
An all class school reunion will be held for students of the former St. Frances of Rome School on Saturday, June 30, 2012. The Reunion will begin with Mass at 4:00 pm. A brief program and dinner will follow. The cost is $25 per person. Reservations are required. For more information please call Sharon Davidson at 502-896-2109 or send email to SFRreunion2012@insightbb.com 

Phone:  502-896-8401 
Website:  stfrancesofrome.org 
Church:  John Knox Presbyterian Church 
Address:  9104 Westport Rd Louisville KY 
Date:  7/1/2012 
Time:  11:00 AM 
Description:  Communion will be celebrated Sunday at the 11 a.m. worship service. Non perishable food items will be collected for Eastern Area Community Ministries' Food Pantry. 
Phone:  502 425-6770 
Website:  http://home.insightbb.com/jkpc/ 
Church:  Unity of Louisville 
Address:  South Brook Street Louisville KY 40203 
Date:  7/1/2012 
Time:  11:00 AM 
Description:  Sunday Worship Service featuring speaker Gerry Boylan, whose topic is "What Do You Want?" Guest Musician is John Gage. At 10:00 AM a Course In Miracles based class is facilitated by the Rev Jack Poole and Gerry Boylan. Course is based on "The Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament" by Regina Dawn Akers. 
Phone:  502-583-5559 
Website:  www.unityoflouisville.org 
Church:  Strathmoor Presbyterian Church 
Address:  2201 Hawthorne Avenue Louisville Kentucky 
Date:  7/3/2012 
Time:  Noon 
Description:  Bibles and Brown Bags Summer Series
The Prophets: Let the Waters Flow 

Phone:  502.451.5185 
Website:  strathmoorpresbyterian.org 
Church:  Beads On One String 
Address:    none Louisville KY 
Date:  7/15/2012 
Time:  1:30 - 5:00 PM EDT 
Description:  Local Spiritual Pilgrimage. Join others in traveling by bus across Louisville Metro to "centers" representing the five major world religions. To learn more about the purpose of the pilgrimage, the time and place to board the bus, what will be done at each "center," what to wear and bring, how to reserve a seat, etc., please send an email to beadsburnett@gmail.com and/or visit the website, www.beadsononestring.org.
Beads-On-One-String is a new international non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of the unity of all life and whose abiding interest is in humanity's common endeavor to understand, experience, and creatively express the Oneness that lies at the heart of all. This search is independent of existing traditions yet actively appreciates and connects people from all religions, backgrounds and cultures, sacred and secular. We intend through education, pilgrimage, film and media, arts, sciences, and companionship to invite opportunities to explore and experience this unity. 

Phone:  000-0000 
Website:  www.beadsononestring.org 
Church:  St. Thomas Episcopal Church 
Address:  9616 Westport Road Louisville KY 
Date:  7/16/2012 
Time:  Daily 
Description:  "Summer in the City" - St. Thomas Reading Camp with students from Zachary Taylor Elementary School - the week of July 16, 2012. 
Phone:  502-425-3727 
Website:  www.stthomaslouky.org 
 

Compassionately yours,
 

Al Klein
Interfaith Paths to Peace

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Vipassana meditation retreat on Sat. June 30

Don't forget to register for
Vipassana Meditation Retreat with The Venerable Nanda this Saturday
Call or email now!

     
Friends,

Interfaith Paths to Peace invites you to take part in a one-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat this coming Saturday led by The Venerable Nanda, a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk. The retreat is free but donations are welcome.

Please plan to join The Venerable Nanda on Saturday, June 30 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at Louisville's Baha'i Center

The Center is located at  3808 Bardstown Road (next to the Ratterman Funderal Home).

To reserve your spot please call (502) 650-0812  or email embilipitiye@yahoo.com

Here is a personal invitation from The Venerable Nanda:

"We would like to invite kindly to you and your family, friends to participate for this great event. This would be a great opportunity to learn and practice Vippassana and Zen meditation techniques. Also, discuss about the problems related to family and self - and practicing as well get answers for that. There would be video presentation and exercises related to teaching. This would be a friendly gathering open for all."

About Vipassana Meditation

Vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (विपश्यना, Sanskrit) in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi (vipasya).     

Vipassana is one of Asia's most ancient techniques ofmeditation, attributed to Gautama Buddha. It is a way of self-transformation through self-observation andintrospection. In English, vipassanā meditation is often referred to simply as "insight meditation".

In the Theravadin context, this entails insight into the three marks of existence. In Mahayana contexts, it entails insight into what is variously described as sunyata, dharmata, the inseparability of appearance andemptiness, clarity and emptiness, or bliss andemptiness.

In a broader sense, vipassanā has been used as one of two poles for the categorization of types of Buddhistmeditation, the other being samatha (Pāli) or śamatha (Sanskrit). Samatha is a focusing, pacifying and calmingmeditation, common to many traditions in the world, notably yoga. It is used as a preparation for vipassanā, pacifying the mind and strengthening the concentration in order to allow the work of insight. This dichotomy is also sometimes discussed as "stopping and seeing." In Buddhist practice it is said that, while samatha can calm the mind, only insight can reveal how the mind was disturbed to start with, which leads to prajñā (Pāli: paññā, wisdom) and jñāna (Pāli: ñāṇa, knowledge) and thus understanding, preventing it from being disturbed again.

The term is also used to refer to the Buddhist vipassanamovement (modeled after Theravāda Buddhism meditationpractices), which employs vipassanā and ānāpānameditation as its primary techniques and places emphasis on the teachings of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. The primary initial subject of investigation in that style ofmeditation is sensation and feeling (Skt: Vedanā).

Friday, June 22, 2012

Religious events in Louisville June 22-29

Friends,

Below are the religious events posted by the Courier Journal web site.   Feel free to add your event for your house of worship  if you'd like on their web site.  


To go directly to the link http://www.courier-journal.com/interactive/article/99999999/FEATURES10/110930012/Religion-events?nclick_check=1
Church: Canaan Christian Church
Address: 2840 Hikes Lane Louisville KY
Date: 6/24/2012
Time: 5:00pm
Description: Joe Leavell w/1Purpose will celebrate their 2nd year annviversary with a free concert. All are welcome and invited to come worship with us
Phone: 502 459-5578 ext. 117
Website:
Church: First Unitarian Church
Address: 801 S 4th Street Louisville KY
Date: 6/24/2012
Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
Description: Unitarian Universalist Social Justice of Louisville presents �The I in Immigration�, a Sunday worship service on issue of immigration. Facilitated by Rev. Dawn Cooley and members from First Unitarian, Thomas Jefferson Unitarian, and Clifton Universalist Unitarian Churches, the service will highlight different issues present in immigration, including human trafficking, relations with law enforcement, and refugees.
Phone: (812) 987-5141
Website: http://www.firstulou.org
Church: Louisville Japanese Christian Fellowship c/o Christ Lutheran Church
Address: 9212 Taylorsville Rd Louisville KY
Date: 6/24/2012
Time: 14:30
Description: 1) Presentation from 16:00-16:30 about "Christianity in Japan" presented by Mr. Akimasa Nakano, one of the most renowned Christian journalist in Japan. He is the chief editor of the Gospel for the Million, the most
subscribed Christian Magazine in Japan. English translation will be available.
2) The launching ceremony for the Volunteering Tour to Japan starting on 27th, Wednesday. 22 people members will travel to Japan to bring the 300 patchwork bags to the temporal houses in Northern part of Japan where the Tsunami and the Earthquake hit. All Nippon Airways, a Japanese airplane company offered us the special discount ticket for this trip. Those patchwork bags were made and sent by many individuals throughout the U.S. and it symbolizes the supports and prayers of American Churches to Japan. We also help the building project of the first Church ever build in a disastered city.

Phone: 502-657-9643 (Cell)
Website: http://louisvillejcf.org/index.html
Church: Highland United Methodist Church
Address: 1140 Cherokee Road Louisville Kentucky
Date: 6/26/2012
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Description: VBS 2012: Operation Overboard: Dare to Go Deep with God. June 26-27-28, Vacation Bible School each night at 6-8 p.m. Register at http://highlandumc.squarespace.com. No charge. On Friday, June 29, we will have a community movie night 6-8 p.m.
Phone: 502-451-3838
Website:
Church: Strathmoor Presbyterian Church
Address: 2201 Hawthorne Avenue Louisville Kentucky
Date: 6/26/2012
Time: Noon
Description: Bibles and Brown Bags Summer Series
Prophets: Let the Waters Flow

Phone: 502.451.5185
Website: strathmoorpresbyterian.org
Church: Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church
Address: 2231 Payne Street Louisville KY
Date: 6/29/2012
Time: 5:00pm-9:00pm
Description: Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church presents the 6th Annual Louisville Sustainable Living Fair. The fair promotes sustainable practices by introducing attendees to local businesses, technologies and organizations that empower individuals to make better environmental and economic choices. The fair will be held on South Rastetter Avenue between Frankfort Avenue and Payne Street (next to the Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church) and coincides with the Frankfort Avenue Trolley Hop.
Phone: (502)895-7993
Website: http://www.cliftonuu.org
Church: St. Frances of Rome Church
Address: 2119 Payne St. Louisville KY
Date: 6/30/2012
Time: 4:00 PM
Description: St. Frances of Rome Church is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its dedication in 1887 with a number of special events.
An all class school reunion will be held for students of the former St. Frances of Rome School on Saturday, June 30, 2012. The Reunion will begin with Mass at 4:00 pm. A brief program and dinner will follow. The cost is $25 per person. Reservations are required. For more information please call Sharon Davidson at 502-896-2109 or send email to SFRreunion2012@insightbb.com

Phone: 502-896-8401
Website: stfrancesofrome.org
Church: Strathmoor Presbyterian Church
Address: 2201 Hawthorne Avenue Louisville Kentucky
Date: 7/3/2012
Time: Noon
Description: Bibles and Brown Bags Summer Series
The Prophets: Let the Waters Flow

Phone: 502.451.5185
Website: strathmoorpresbyterian.org
Church: Beads On One String
Address: none Louisville KY
Date: 7/15/2012
Time: 1:30 - 5:00 PM EDT
Description: Local Spiritual Pilgrimage. Join others in traveling by bus across Louisville Metro to "centers" representing the five major world religions. To learn more about the purpose of the pilgrimage, the time and place to board the bus, what will be done at each "center," what to wear and bring, how to reserve a seat, etc., please send an email to beadsburnett@gmail.com and/or visit the website, www.beadsononestring.org.
Beads-On-One-String is a new international non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of the unity of all life and whose abiding interest is in humanity's common endeavor to understand, experience, and creatively express the Oneness that lies at the heart of all. This search is independent of existing traditions yet actively appreciates and connects people from all religions, backgrounds and cultures, sacred and secular. We intend through education, pilgrimage, film and media, arts, sciences, and companionship to invite opportunities to explore and experience this unity.

Phone: 000-0000
Website: www.beadsononestring.org
Church: St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Address: 9616 Westport Road Louisville KY
Date: 7/16/2012
Time: Daily
Description: "Summer in the City" - St. Thomas Reading Camp with students from Zachary Taylor Elementary School - the week of July 16, 2012.
Phone: 502-425-3727
Website: www.stthomaslouky.org

Peace,

Al  
Al Klein