Date: May 31st 2009

June 2009

Graduations, weddings, Fathers' Day and the beginning of Summer— June is a favorite time for many people. Some interesting religious observances also come our way this month.

Litha or Midsummer's Eve at the Summer solstice, is the Wiccan celebration of the energy of the God being poured into the service of life. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yule is observed.

On June 16, Sikhs commemorate the martyrdom of the Fifth Guru, Arjan Dev in 1606. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was the compiler of the Adi Granth ("First Book"), the Sikh scriptures.

New Church Day is observed on the Sunday closest to June 19 to recall the revelation of the Lord's Second Coming to Swedish theologian Emmanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). Swedenborg's teachings became the basis for the Swedenborgian Church, which describes itself as " an open-minded, forward looking Christian church drawing its faith from the Bible as illuminated by the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg" [website]. The Swedenborgian House of Studies studies is today located at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, part of the Graduate Theological Union.

Ghambar Maidyoshem (Great Feast of Maidyoshem) is the second of six great feasts in Zoroastrianism. It celebrates the creation of the waters, sowing of the summer crop, and harvesting grain.

Juneteenth is not a religious festival, but rather a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, news reached Galveston that the war was over and that slaves were now free. This was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which the Texans had ignored.

 

Send your news! Let the community know about events that are open to the public and are either interfaith or offer an opportunity for others to learn about your faith community. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.

 

 

 

 

June Religious and Cultural Observances

• 7 Pentecost (Orthodox Christian)
• 7 Trinity Sunday (Western Christian)
• 11 (14) Corpus Christi (observed on June 14 in the US)
  (Roman Catholic)
• 14 All Saints (Orthodox Christian)
• 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Sikh)
• 19 Juneteenth (Cultural)
• 19 Sacred Heart of Jesus (Roman Catholic)
• 21 First Nations Day (Native American)
• 21 Litha, Alban Heruin, Midsumarsblot (Summer Solstice)
  (Celebrated as Yule in Southern Hemisphere) (Wiccan /Pagan)
• 21 New Church Day (Swedenborgian)
• 24 Birth of St. John the Baptist (Roman Catholic, some Protestant)
• 29 Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul
  (Roman Catholic, some Protestant)
• 29 Ghambar Maidyoshem (through July 3) (Zoroastrian)

[Interreligious Calendar events are taken from the Silicon Valley FACES Interfaith Calendar and the Multifaith Action Society Multifath Calendar 2008. See also the Online Interfaith Calendar] NOTE: Jewish Holidays begin at sundown the day before. Buddhist holidays are observed on many different days, according to local tradition.

Upcoming Interfaith Opportunities

"Interfaith Opportunities" focuses on specifically interfaith events; "Take Action" offers opportunities to take action on issues of concern with people from other religious traditions, and "Meet Your Neighbors" includes events that are sponsored by a specific religious group but which are open to the wider community. Items for the calendar can be sent to calendar@interfaithspace.org

Click on highlighted links below for more information-

Mondays, June 8 & 22, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, San Francisco

Joseph Campbell Film Series  

June 8 – From Goddesses to God: Betty DeShong Meador; June 22 - The Mystical Life: Don Frew

Saturday, June 6, 2009, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, San Jose

Courageous Communication:
Meetings and Conversations that Build Hope and Engagement

Join us as we explore deep listening and mindful speech as a spiritual practice that can positively influence the groups we are in.

Sunday June 7, 2009, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, San Jose

CommUnity Resource Fair

The Annual CommUnity Resource Fair is a free family event designed to highlight many neighborhood services and resources provided by the City of San José, County of Santa Clara, and many local non-profit agencies.

Sunday, June 7, 2009, 1:15 to 3:30pm, Los Altos

Women's Interfaith Dialogue Encounter

Seeking a safe space for women to experience mutual sharing across our differences of culture, religion and life experience.

Thursday, June 11, 2009, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm

SVFACES Religious Leaders
InterfaithDialogue

Religious leaders are invited to take part in this ongoing dialogue group.

Sunday, June 14, 10 AM – 12 Noon, Palo Alto

Bagels, Lox, and Learning:
“Living Our Faiths in Contemporary Times”

We are delighted to bring to Keddem Congregation the Interfaith Speakers Bureau, representing a variety of faith traditions.

Meet Your Neighbors

Public events sponsored by specific religious groups that seek to help others understand their tradition and concerns more fully.

May-August, Sunnyvale

English Meditation Classes at the Zen Center

The Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale is beginning their Summer series of meditation classes for all levels.

Wednesday Evenings, June 3 – 17, 2009, 7:00- 9:00 pm, San Jose

Kriya Yoga for Radiant Living: Preparation and Initiation

Kriya Yoga prepares the spiritual practitioner for higher states of consciousness, skillful living and ultimate liberation.

Saturday - Sunday, July 11-12, San Jose

San Jose Obon Festival

Traditional dance, food, music and games for the whole family at this Japanese Buddhist festival.

Take Action

Events that address issues of public concern with an alliance of people from different religious traditions.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 7:00 pm, San Jose

Neighborhood Safety Candle Light Vigil

In an effort to honor and mourn the loss of crime victims everywhere, community leaders will be holding a Neighborhood Safety Candlelight Vigil.

Friday- Saturday, June 26-27, Palo Alto

"Torture is a Moral Issue"
Panel & Conference

With the April release of the Department of Justice "torture memo's" followed by the recent Pew Forum poll claiming more than half of Americans who worship regularly support torture, it is urgent that as people of faith we be well informed and able to give thoughtful voice to a moral witness for justice.

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And more...

News and Notes from Interfaith Space is an occasional blog with information and commentary on issues related to interfaith relations in the South Bay, the Nation, and around the world.

You can find News and Notes by going to the Interfaith Space website (www.interfaithspace.org) and clicking on "Notes," or simply going to www.revdak.com/wordpress/. I invite you to add your comments or responses; together we can create an online "dialogue on dialogue"!

Help us share your good news! If you know of interfaith opportunities that are coming up- please let us know so they can be included on the Interfaith Space Calendar. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.