Welcome to our Winterfaith page! In January 2009, we completed our second annual Winterfaith festival, a series of winter, interfaith events held on 8 consecutive Sundays, as well as two non-Sunday events. The schedule was as follows:December 7: Special Guest Dr. Waheed Rana of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of St. Louis will speak to us on the meaning of the Hajj, the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca that Islam requires of all Muslims who can financially and physically make it. Dr. Rana is heavily involved in interfaith work in St. Louis. His interfaith connections, especially with local rabbis, played a key role in securing greater St. Louis’ acceptance of the building of the first mosque in the area. This Sunday falls within the four-day period of the Hajj. In addition to speaking to us about the spiritual importance of the Hajj, Dr. Rana will give a brief presentation on the cultural importance of the Hajj in Muslim lands. This is also the second Sunday of Advent. We will light the first two candles of our Advent Wreath to recognize this day
December 14: Special Guests Yo Presley and others from the Shawnee Dharma Group of Carbondale, Illinois. Members of this Buddhist meditation group will join us for the second time to recognize the place of Buddhism in Southern Illinois. Holidays recognized at this service will include the third Sunday of Advent, the Mexican Catholic tradition of Posadas Navidenas, and the Buddhist holiday Bodhi Day.
SPECIAL EVENT: Saturday, December 20, 7 pm: Drum Circle and Solstice Gathering. Please join us at the fellowship building for an evening of drumming and celebration of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night! Bring a drum or other instrument to play, or simply come to celebrate with us. Everyone is welcome to bring a snack or drink to share with others!
December 21: "A Rabbi’s Christmas Sermon," written by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation (Reform) in Atlanta, GA, will be read at this service led by MVUUF members. Known informally as "The Temple," this synagogue founded in 1860 is Atlanta’s oldest. In addition to its distinguished position in Jewish life in Atlanta, the Temple is the synagogue whose 1958 bombing is depicted in the movie Driving Miss Daisy. Rabbi Salkin respectfully looks at the meaning of Christmas for serious Christians while presenting a Jewish counterpoint to the holy day’s themes. Holidays recognized at the service will be: the fourth Sunday of Advent, for which we will light the candles of our Advent Wreath; Christmas, in honor of which we will open a Peruvian nativity retablo; Chanukah, in anticipation of which we will light the chanukiah, or menorah; and the Winter Solstice, perhaps the most ancient of holidays, in recognition of which we will unveil the mistletoe, a plant of this season held sacred throughout ancient Europe.
December 28: Special Guest Rabbi Randy Fleisher of the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis will preach on themes from Chanukah, the last day of which begins at sundown this Sunday. The temple, or synagogue, of Rabbi Fleisher’s congregation is directly across the street from the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis, which hosted Central Reform Congregation before the synagogue building was built. Rabbi Fleisher is heavily involved in interfaith and social justice work in the St. Louis area. This Sunday also falls within the seven-day period of Kwanzaa. We will recognize both Kwanzaa and Chanukah with music, lighting the chanukiah, and lighting the kinara.
SPECIAL EVENT: Thursday, January 1, 2009, 12 pm: MVUUF's 4th Annual New Year's Day Potluck. Please bring a dish to the fellowship building to share as we bring in the New Year together! Feel free to bring games or other activities as well!
January 4: "Get Lost ~ A Sermon for Epiphany" written by minister Tripp Hudgins of Community Church of Wilmette will be read during this service led by MVUUF members. Community Church is a Baptist congregation and member of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. MVUUF will celebrate the Christian holidays of Epiphany, Theophany, and 3 Kings Day, and the secular tradition of New Year’s.
January 11: Special Guest Swami Chetanananda from The Vedanta Society of St. Louis, Missouri. The swami will join us for Winterfaith again this year to speak about Vedanta, a religion based on the ancient Hindu texts, the Vedas (~4,000 B.C.). Vedanta recognizes that there is no single, right way to approach divinity, and that our true nature as humans is a manifestation of the Infinite Divine Reality or Godhead. The Hindu holiday Makar Sankranti will be recognized at this service.
January 18: Special Guests Roger Lutley and others of a Baha’i Group from Edwardsville, Illinois will speak to us for World Religion Day. World Religion Day was created by National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i in 1950 as an attempt to address the need for religious unity in the United States. The Baha’i believe that all of humanity is one family, and they will celebrate this holiday with our fellowship, leading a service that will include music, readings, and prayers from the Baha’i faith.
January 25: Special Guest Concert Pianist Zola Van will perform for our final Winterfaith service. Our Winterfaith faith season will end with a Celebration of the Arts. This year we commemorate the birth of author Virginia Woolf with selected readings from her works. Regional musicain Zola Van will perform songs from her recordings including Carol, Piano Bouquet, River to River Trail, and Paint the Forest Winter. She may also surprise us with some works that have yet to be recorded!
