Join Us in "Celebrating Gandhi" This Thursday

At 6:30 pm, this Thursday, October 3, BIC will celebrate the life and witness of Mohandas Gandhi in the Cooper Room of the Brookings Public Library.

Led by our local Hindu community, we will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (which is Oct. 2). Come prepared to share in some delicious Indian food, to watch a short film about the life of the Mahatma and to honor one who respected all of the world's faith traditions.

Our meal will begin at 6:30 with the program to follow.

Looking Ahead: Film Screening & Potluck in November

On Wednesday, November 20, BIC will screen "The Cup" in partnership with the Common Good Film Series.
 
We will begin the evening with a potluck at 6:30pm, Cooper Room, Brookings Public Library. The film will start around 6:50. Bring a dish to pass if you are able, or just show up. There will time for discussion following the film.

"The Cup" explores what can happen when an ancient religious tradition meets modernity. World Cup soccer fever sweeps into a remote Himalayan monastery, and centuries-old traditions are threatened. The young monks will do just about anything to watch the final match, posing a unique challenge to the venerable lamas in charge. It's an inspiring tale of colliding cultures, midnight escapades and daring secret plots. A true story, filmed on location at Chokling Monastery, India, this award-winning film was made by Bhutanese filmmaker Khyentse Norbu, who is also one of the most important incarnate lamas in contemporary Tibetan Buddhism.

Watch the film's trailer.

Join Us Thursday Night for Food & Dialogue

Our first BIC gathering of the season is this coming Thursday evening at the Brookings Public Library. Please join us for a potluck meal at 6:30 pm, with conversation to follow.

Our suggested theme for the evening is "race." This grew out of a conversation in the planning committee, especially as the George Zimmerman trial (being prosecuted for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin in Florida) was in the news at the time. On Thursday evening we might ask the question, "How does race impact relationships between faiths, for better or worse?"

The planning committee would also like to take some time to discuss the recent threat to bomb Syria. Is there a consensus in our group about how such situations should be handled? Would we want to go on the public record?

We will gather in the Cooper Room on the second floor of the library. We would enjoy your presence even if you are unable to bring a dish to pass. Please feel free to invite others.

Pray, Meditate with Other Community Members

You are warmly invited to participate in the Interfaith Prayer & Meditation Group, which has just reconvened after a summer hiatus.

With the exception of holiday weekends, the group meets each Saturday morning at the Brookings Public Library. The schedule is casual but the general format is as follows:

9:00 am to 9:15 Gathering time, checking in with one another
9:15 Bellsound, followed by silence, members praying/meditating in their own way
9:45 Bellsound, ending the time of silence, followed by fellowship
10:00 Leave-taking

Our leave-taking happily coincides with the opening of the library (and sometimes, even more happily, with the opening of Mango Tree).

Please join us!

If you have a question about the group, or wish to join its mailing list to receive scheduling updates, please contact Phyllis Cole-Dai, facilitator.

Could Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary Be a Model for Eastern South Dakota?

It has been suggested that perhaps we who live on the eastern side of South Dakota might explore the creation of a place of interfaith retreat similar to Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary (see blog post from earlier today).

If you have ideas that might help bring such a vision about, please contact us.

Plan a Visit to Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary

Next time you're headed to the Black Hills of South Dakota, consider a visit to Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary.

Pathways is a quiet place to spend time walking, sitting, contemplating, reflecting or healing in the natural landscape of an 80-acre private ranch in the sacred Hills.

A one-mile pathway through forest and meadow leads to inspirational sculptures, hand-hewn benches and a meditative labyrinth.

The theme of Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary is "Beyond Belief." The sanctuary is open for all who choose to come; a place that is beyond the diversity of beliefs, race, religion, cultures, personal histories and life experiences. It was founded on the virtues of love, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness. Within the Sanctuary all can walk as one and honor the sacredness of life and Mother Earth.

The Sanctuary will be open daily in 2013 from 8:00 am until dusk, through October 29th. There is no charge to visiting guests.

Welcome to Our New Website

The Brookings Interfaith Council (BIC) welcomes you to our new online home. We hope that it will become your home, too.

We invite you to sign up to receive updates to this blog by email (see the box in the navigation bar at right). You'll stay up-to-date regarding upcoming events, community concerns, recommended resources, and more.

To receive email reminders about BIC events, contact us. We hope that you'll join us for one of our discussions soon.

If you're looking for a local faith community to explore, or for a resource person from a faith other than your own to engage in dialogue, consider emailing one of the representatives listed on our contact page.

To close, we offer this food for thought from David R. Smock, author of Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding:

It is only when there is a deep understanding of one's own religious beliefs and commitments that progress can be made in achieving true understanding and respect for the religious values and beliefs of others. Engaging in interfaith dialogue does not in any way mean undermining one's own faith or religious tradition. Indeed, interfaith dialogue is constructive only when people become firmly grounded in their own religious traditions and through that process gain a willingness to listen and respect the beliefs of other religions.