Wednesday, May 22

Our Narratives: Seeking God, Finding Faith
While our culture offers many occasions to share our psychological selves, it is rare and beautiful to have an opportunity to share the stories of our spiritual journeys. Women's Interfaith Institute (WII), in conjunction with facilitators Ani Grosser and Wendy Rabinowitz, will be offering that chance to Berkshire women at our pot luck gathering this month.

The program, "Our Narratives: Seeking God, Finding Faith", will lead you through a reflection on your own spiritual life and invite you to connect with others with their stories and challenges.

We will specifically look at four aspects of one's spiritual evolution: 
1. The Discovery 
2. The Inner Journey and the Struggles 
3. How Your Faith Manifests in your Life and in the World 
4. Going Forth 

Wendy Rabinowitz

 
The program format includes guided meditation, the skills of deep listening from Communologue, and the connectivity offered by The World Cafe model. 
The evening will be facilitated by Ani Grosser, counselor and facilitator of empowerment groups, and Berkshire resident and Wendy A. Rabinowitz, an artist, workshop leader, and spiritual journeyer. 

Both Wendy and Ani are former members of the Board of Directors and dedicated friends of Women's Interfaith Institute. To learn more about these passionate and effective women please see their websites: Wendy's website: Living Threads Judaica 
Ani's website: The Center for Compassionate Relationships 

Ani Nadler Grosser

 




Time and Location:
5:45-8:45pm 
First Congregational Church
4 Main Street, Stockbridge MA 

SRI Kirtan Wednesday, April 17

                                SRI Kirtan
Ishwari - vocals, acoustic guitar; Sruti Ram – Vocals, Harmonium

The April program at Women's Interfaith will focus on the practice of kirtan. Kirtan is a devotional practice that involves singing mantras in a call and response style that leads to a calming of the mind and opening of the heart. 

Women's Interfaith is pleased to host SRI Kirtan for an evening of Bhakti Yoga, yoga of the heart.
With unsuppressed enthusiasm, SRI Kirtan unites their distinctive harmonies in joyful Mantra Music. Sruti Ram & Ishwari are regulars at Bhakti Fest, Omega Ecstatic Chant and travel worldwide chanting joyfully as their offering to their love of the Divine.  Their CD "Live Your Love"on Mantralogy records reached #10 on the Billboard World Music Chart. SRI Kirtan

Guests are asked to arrive at 5:45 pm and bring a dish to share for a pot luck dinner which begins at 6 pm; the kirtan will begin at 7 pm. Consider bringing lighter fare as a potluck dish in preparation for an evening of nurturing sound. Feel free to bring cushions or backjacks to sit on during the chanting should you prefer that over chairs.  WII’s monthly gatherings meet at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge MA. All are welcome; suggested donation for non-members is $5-10. 

The Women's Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires is comprised of women of different faiths, traditions and diverse backgrounds who practice their beliefs through dedicated action. For more information on the Women’s Interfaith Institute of the Berkshires, visit www.womensinterfaithberkshires.org  or call (413) 442-3604.

Illumination: Memoir Writing as a Path to Peace, with Laura Didyk ~ March 20, 2013

Writing about your own life means more than merely reporting on your past. When you bring the perspective of who you are today to bear on stories from your life, not only will the stories shine with new and surprising significance but you, the writer, will be transformed in the process. Approached in the spirit of discovery, memoir writing becomes a vehicle for illumination, insight, and wisdom that can bring the writer a sense of peace while inspiring and changing her readers. Writer and teacher Laura Didyk will lead memoir-writing exercises and give a short reading from her memoir in progress. Following the usual format of Women’s Interfaith events, the potluck dinner starts at 6 p.m., and the program will begin at 7 p.m. Please bring a dish to share.

Laura Didyk, MFA, published writer and former editor in chief of a national literary magazine, has earned a local reputation as an inspiring and inventive teacher. Her work has been published in the Comstock Review, Diagram, Post Road, Fence, the Sun, and New Orleans Review, among others. She has been awarded residencies at Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony, and her work has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes. lauradidyk.com

Guests are asked to arrive at 5:45 pm and bring a dish to share for a pot luck dinner which begins at 6 p.m.; Laura’s program begins at 7 pm. WII’s monthly gatherings meet at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA. All are welcome; suggested donation for non-members is $5-10.

WII event with Laura Didyk on Facebook 

 

Women's Interfaith is a proud supporter of the 
 Berkshire Festival of Women Writers

Facebook Listings for All BFWW events

read Jenny Browdy's article on BFWW in Valley Advocate

Let us know about your event.. 

  Friday, March 22nd at 2:30 pm                       

 at the Norman Rockwell Museum                                

TRUST                                                                                       

a collaborative and interactive performance created by JoAnne Spies, with songs and poems on the theme of trust, in a guided tour of the Rockwell Museum.

  TRUST at Norman Rockwell Museum

 JoAnne Spies TRUST event on Facebook                                                                      

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, March 27 
Wind and Rain: Poetry and Song 
Rosemary Starace, JoAnne Spies                                                                                          

The Lichtenstein Center, 28 Renne Avenue, Pittsfield, 7 p.m.
Suggested donation: $5

February 20th

        Celtic Spirituality with Jeanne Crane 

Thanks to Jeanne Crane for a wonderful interactive presentation on the 'thin places'!                Here's a link to her website celticspiritbooks.com/ and the place to share your experience of the thin places.

Women’s Interfaith Institute Celebrates Celtic Spirituality

The February program of Women’s Interfaith Institute will honor Celtic spirituality.  Jeanne Crane,  author of Celtic Spirit- A Wee Journey to the Heart of It All, will share her experiences on the power of some of the places in Ireland called ‘thin places’ that led her to a deeper level of spiritual practice.  These places, long home to Irish mystics and poets, are holy and sacred, a place of transcendence, where one can sense the Divine and feel lifted up. The term can also refer to a place where the veil is thin, where there is a gateway to the Other World or portal to the Fairy Kingdom. Still others use it to  refer to the notion of vortexes or sites where they experience a vibrational, mystical energy. Some thin sites are natural, some built by the Church, and still others made by ancient peoples who somehow knew how to channel the light of sun and moon and stars. All provide the visitor with an awesome sense of the mystery and wonder of the Universe.

Jeanne’s message will also integrate discussion about the energy of the Divine Feminine and its central role in the wisdom of the ancient mysteries, the worship of the Goddess, and Celtic Christianity.

Jeanne Crane (www.JeanneCrane.com) is a life coach, organizational consultant, and change facilitator.  She has been traveling to Ireland since her teen years, but experienced Celtic spirituality as the heart of her spiritual transformation decades later when she was introduced to the ancient sites, the dolmens, standing stones and beehive structures.  The inspiration for her book came in meditation at Glendalough, when she sensed the need to tell a story of the universality of Spirit.  Besides her Celtic practice, Jeanne’s spiritual home is Unitarian Universalism.

Guests are asked to arrive at 5:45 pm and bring a dish to share for a pot luck dinner which begins at 6 p.m.; Jeanne’s program begins at 7 pm. WII’s monthly gatherings meet at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA. All are welcome; suggested donation for non-members is $5-10.

Share a Prayer

Mokichi Okada

Board member AnnE O'Neil closed our January gathering with a powerful prayer about Paradise on Earth written by Mokichi Okada.
  

Great God of Light,

We behold your plan unfolding

Whereby all spiritual clouds are dispelled,

Impurity and error cleansed from the realms of spirit and matter.

The age of Light and joy is being born. 

Through your infinite compassion,

misguided forces waken unto truth and negative practices cease

while forces of Light unhindered restore the world to peace.

All of nature receives your loving influence and finds its rightful place.

Peaceful clouds move across brilliant skies and the fragrance of countless flowers floats upon the air.

Abundant harvests glorify the Earth, every corner filled with happy voices.

Boundaries between countries vanish and ancient conflicts disappear as if dreams.

All people are united,

encircled by your Light and guided by your wisdom.

Through service to humanity,

all are blessed with health, peace, and prosperity.

Great God of Light,

Strengthen us with courage and wisdom to follow your will

And realize Paradise on Earth. 

-          Prayer from the Johrei tradition

---

 
Okada was a Japanese man who lived from 1882-1955 and was the founder of the Johrei tradition. Okada was a poet, artist, mystic, visionary, businessman, husband, father, and spiritual teacher.

His vision was to create a world of peace, health, and prosperity for us all — a paradise on earth. 


What are some of your favorite prayers? 

Wendy A. Rabinowitz sent in...

i thank you god
for most this
amazing day for the
leaping greenly spirits
of trees and the
blue true dream of
sky and for everything
that is natural that is
infinite that
is yes

I who have died am
alive again today and
this is the sun's birthday
this is the birthday of
light and of love and
of the gay, great happening
illimitable earth

how should tasting touching breathing merely human being
doubt unimaginable you

now the ears of my ears
awake and the eyes of
my eyes are open

poem by ee cummings

Here's a resource for Sufi prayers written by Hazrat Inayat Khan.
One of my favorite prayers is Saum.

SAUM

Praise be to Thee, Most Supreme God,
Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-pervading, the Only Being. Take us in Thy Parental Arms,
Raise us from the denseness of the earth. Thy Beauty do we worship,
To Thee do we give willing surrender, Most Merciful and Compassionate God,
The Idealized Lord of the whole humanity.
Thee only do we worship; and towards Thee alone we aspire.
Open our hearts towards Thy Beauty, Illuminate our souls with Divine Light,
O Thou, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty!
All-powerful Creator, Sustainer, Judge and Forgiver of our shortcomings,
Lord God of the East and of the West, of the worlds above and below,
And of the seen and unseen beings,
Pour upon us Thy Love and Thy Light, Give sustenance to our bodies, hearts and souls.
Use us for the purpose that Thy Wisdom chooseth,
And guide us on the path of Thine Own Goodness.
Draw us closer to Thee every moment of our life,
Until in us be reflected Thy Grace, Thy Glory, Thy Wisdom, Thy Joy and Thy Peace.
Amen.

Please join us in supporting these two upcoming community events. Women's Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires is proud to be a co-sponsor of these events that celebrate our interconnectedness. 14thAnnual Interfaith Celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Interfaith Prayers, Readings, Music, Singing Featuring Youth from Local Community Groups: Greenagers, Multicultural BRIDGE Youth Corps, Railroad Street Youth Project Monday, January 21, 2013 Interfaith Service and Reception 12:00 Noon - 1:00PM First Congregational Church (Parish Hall) 251 Main Street, Great Barrington    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  Spiritual Views on Death and the Afterlife An Interfaith Forum This interfaith forum will present the spiritual beliefs and rituals related to the process of dying, death and the after-life as understood by many of our world religions. Presenters will include a panel of local clergy from the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Christian Community, Muslim and Buddhist faith traditions. Topics to be explored will include: customs surrounding care for the deceased; the journey of the soul after death; the relationship between the living and the dead; and what these traditions teach regarding preparation for this ultimate transition. Sunday Feb. 3, 2013 1:30 - 4:00PM  Fee: $10/person Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Great Barrington, MA Participants: The Rev. Mr. Charles Van Ausdall, Congregational Church UCC Ann-Elizabeth Barnes, Sacred Undertaking Sharon Coleman, PhD,  Zen/Vietnamese Buddhism Imam Salim Chishti,  Islam Sister Colette Hanlon,  Catholicism The Rev. Liza Marcato, Christian Community, Movement for Religious Renewal Rabbi Kaya Stern-Kaufman, Judaism Moderator: Deborah Golden Alecson, MS            Adjunct Faculty, School of Health Sciences,Excelsior College, Albany, NY For more information please contact: Deborah Golden Alecson  413 881-4065, DAlecson@msn.com                  Rabbi Kaya Stern-Kaufman  413-274-1034, info@rimonberkshires.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times Life, Death and Transformation in the Americas Huastec “Life-Death Figure” (A.D. 900-1250, Mexico), and “Wild Man Mask” (1970, Canada), by John Livingston, at the Brooklyn Museum. recent NYTimes article of interest: Life, Death and Transformation at the Brooklyn Museum sent in by K. Furlong ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quoting from the book of Job, Wendy Rabinowitz said: "Look to the earth, and it shall lead you." Former WII board member Wendy Rabinowitz weaves and hand-letters tapestries with roots in Jewish traditions. (Courtesy photo by Susan Geller) read article here: Berkshire artist Wendy Rabinowitz weaves ‘Shalom' exhibit - Berkshire Eagle Online   What: 'Shalom: Weaving the Threads of Peace' Where: Farber/Miness Gallery at the Ludwig Schenectady Jewish Community Center, 2565 Ballstown Road, Niskayuna, N.Y. When: Through Feb. 28. Wendy Rabinowitz will speak about her work on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. Admission: Free Information: living threads judaica1 Rabinowitz will also display weaving/mixed-media assemblage worrk, her work, ‘Lillith,' in ‘Growl,' the Women's Caucus for Art exhibit juried by Saisha M. Grayson from the Brooklyn Museum, at the Karl Drerup Art Gallery Plymouth, N.H., from Feb. 5 to March 15.

January 16 Annual Meeting and World Cafe

The Women's Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires will hold its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 16th starting at 5:45 pm. Prior to a pot-luck dinner, the board will present an update on the past year’s activities. The meeting will continue with a process called The World Café which will engage everyone in a lively and meaningful discussion.  

The World Café process, pioneered by leadership consultant Juanita Brown, is based on the understanding that conversation is the core process that drives personal, business, and organizational life. It is a powerful social technology that engages people in conversations that matter and offers a chance for people to slow down and reconnect with what is truly important to them as they are guided to move from one conversation to another. This process results in a cross-pollination of relationships, ideas and meaning as women learn about each other, explore possibilities in their own lives and envision new ideas for how Women’s Interfaith can continue to serve its members and grow in the years to come.

The evening’s dialogue will be facilitated by Analesa B. Rose, of The Lenox Center for Collaborative Leadership, a leadership consulting firm specializing in bringing innovative global practices to the Berkshires and beyond. Ms. Rose has used The World Café in a variety of settings to engage people in meaningful conversations worldwide.

Guests are asked to arrive at 5:45 pm and bring a dish to share for a pot luck dinner which begins at 6 pm; The World Café dialogue begins at 7 pm. WII’s monthly gatherings meet at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge MA. All are welcome; suggested donation for non-members is $5-10.