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NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF BOULDER
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JANUARY 1997
(A little gift from Wise Ones of the East for the warming of our mid-winter souls.)
"The light principle returns, thus the hexagram counsels turning away from the confusion of external things, turning back to one's inner light. There in the depth of the soul, one sees the divine, the One. It is indeed only germinal, no more than a beginning, a potentiality, but as such clearly to be distinguished from all objects. To know this One means to know oneself in relation to the cosmic forces. For this One is the ascending force of life in nature and in humankind." (From The I Ching; Hexagram 24, "The Turning Point", the Richard Wilhelm translation)
Note from the President: The central concern and passion of our various religious communities is "to know oneself in relation to the cosmic forces"; to be connected to the 'ground of being', to borrow Tillich's striking phrase, which he of course in turn borrowed from the mystical tradition. Our central and holy calling is to live out of that deep connectedness at the core of things. Often, for me, our work together in the Interfaith Council seems "only germinal, no more than a beginning, a potentiality". Yet, perhaps in some sense that is all that it needs to be. One ongoing function of our work together is to simply and humbly serve as a reminder of our broader connectedness as religious people in this rather mythless and disconnected age. It is like gathering around some central and ancient fire in the midst of winter to stave off the cold. Or like celebrating a collective warmth as the pitch and tendency of the planet, as well as the pitch and tendency of our culture, seems away from any sun. I wish you the warmth and joy of sacred fire in the midst of your winter experience, certainly in the outer world, if not also and occasionally the inner. May the new year bring you peace and good cheer. (Stan Grotegut)
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NEXT INTERFAITH COUNCIL MEETING: Our annual reports and planning meeting will be held Thursday, January 23rd, 7:00pm at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 3700 Baseline Rd. We will take stock of the past year, elect officers, approve our budget and plan our future course. Your presence is even more than normally desired. (Call Stan with questions - leave a message 443-2291.)
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COMMUNITY TABLE: Share a hot meal and community - Designed for families and seniors in need, Community Table strives to provide a safe, nurturing and friendly environment where people can improve their nutrition and meet and mingle with new friends. At First Christian Church of Boulder - 950 28th Street (directly east of the CU Events Center) 442-1861. Meals are served 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. every Monday in January, and every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday beginning February. This is jointly sponsored by the Boulder Interfaith Council and First Christian Church of Boulder.
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INTERFAITH DIALOGUE SERIES: The next meeting of the ongoing dialogue series, 'Bridges to Understanding', will be Sunday evening, February 2nd 7:00PM at the Quaker Meeting House, 1825 Upland (north Boulder between 19th and Broadway). The theme of this month's dialogue will be 'Integrating Sexuality and Spirituality'. It will be moderated by Susan Hubbard, a long time Boulder psychotherapist, with a panel made up of Jewish, Christian and Buddhist leaders. All are welcome. Upcoming topics include:March 2 - 'The Nature of Evil', April 6 - 'Ressurection or Reincarnation- where do we go from here?', May 4 - 'Who or What is God?'
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SOUPER BOWL WEEKEND - TO BENEFIT COMMUNITY TABLE -
January 25-26, 1997 Whether you are rooting for the Packers or for the Patriots or if you could care less about footfall we invite you to participate in the Souper Bowl weekend. Here's how it works. Faith communities are asked to make announcements to their people prior to souper bowl weekend asking them to make a $1 donation on the morning of worship that weekend. Youth from your community will be asked to collect the money after the service in large soup bowls. We ask that contributions then be made to Community Table to help out our hungry neighbors. For addition information, call Steve Rohrbach, project director, at (303) 823-9303. The mailing address is, Community Table, c/o First Christian Church, 950 28th St. Boulder, CO 80303.
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WEAVING TOGETHER COMMUNITIES OF FAITH - an ecumenical symposium: including topics such as: Black and white churches working together in solidarity; Ecumenical churches: how do they work?; Worship - Why Bother?; and Classism / Diversity / Collaboration. Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1 at First Plymouth Congregational Church, 3501 S. Colorado Blvd., Englewood. Sponsored by Church World Service and Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. Symposium includes presentations by leaders of the Colorado and National Council of Churches, the Parish Resource Center, and other local leaders. Registration deadline Jan 24. For more information call 367-4980
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Please share this newsletter and Council information with your community of faith.
Interfaith Council of Boulder, 3700 Baseline Rd., Boulder, CO 80303
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