Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap
INTERFAITH Council 

A ‘Dear Santa’ letter from the rabbi | Interfaith | Dec. 3 

2010 — By Rabbi Mark S. Glickman, who leads Congregation Kol Shalom

Dear Santa, Shalom! I know that this is a very busy time for you, and I send these words with the heartfelt wish that, despite the tumult, you, Mrs. Claus, and your loved ones are finding time to enjoy the Christmas season. You may have noticed from the return address on this letter that I am a rabbi…

Hebrew language is perfect for ‘dream time’ | Interfaith | Nov. 19 


2010 — By Joan Cowan, member of Shir Hayam Chavurat

In the Jewish calendar we are approaching the month of Kislev, the month of dreaming and of dreamers. The root of the Hebrew word Kislev has to do with covering or concealment. Kislev occurs at the time of year (usually November in the Julian calendar) when the sun is concealed as the days grow short in a gathering of darkness. So too, in the Jewish psyche, we turn inward as if our souls are enveloped in our prayer shawls like a cocoon…

Faith at Ground Zero
(Submitted for September, but not published)

2010 — By Pastor Paul Stumme-Diers, Bethany Lutheran Church

With 9/11 approaching and the recent debate over the expansion of a Muslim Center near Ground Zero, I have been reflecting on the proximity of the faith community with the brokenness of our world.  How perfectly outrageous and how extremely right it is that such might be held together physically and theologically.  This is something that applies to the island of Manhattan and the island of Bainbridge...

Seek clarity when bombarded by negativity | Interfaith | Aug. 20

2010 — By Michael Lisagor, member of the SGI-USA, a lay Buddhist organization

Lately, I’ve been feeling bombarded by the steady stream of national and local bickering and partisanship as well as awful disasters. Instances of groups working together to find common solutions have been few and far between. Coupled with this was the sudden relapse of my wife’s multiple sclerosis (MS). All of these things have been filling me with a sense of futility and an underlying sadness…

July is a reminder of those who have made sacrifices | Interfaith | July 9 


2010 — By The Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, rector of Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church

July is largely defined by one day – Independence Day.  We remember the declaring of our independence by holding barbeques, shooting fireworks, and not going to work.  In our part of the world, it brings the beginning of summer in most years.  What we often forget is the revolutionary nature of those actions taken so long ago…

God is still speaking to us in a variety of ways | Interfaith | June 25 


2010 — By Rev. Dr. Dee Eisenhauer, senior pastor of Eagle Harbor Congregational United Church of Christ

“God is still speaking.” This simple affirmation is the cornerstone of an identity campaign for my denomination, the United Church of Christ. It is part of a slightly longer affirmation borrowed in part from comedienne Gracie Allen: “Never put a period where God has put a comma... God is still speaking.”…

Hitting top can be as dangerous as rock bottom | Interfaith | May 21 


2010 — By Michael Bogar, Director and Teacher at the Spiritual Enrichment Center of West Sound

This culture is familiar with the phrase, ‘hitting bottom,’ referring to the addict who has sunken into the depths of their destructive habit, becoming ready to rise up to wholeness. But we need to recognize that there is also something called ‘hitting the top,’ the addict who has achieved so much success and wholeness that he is ready to fall apart. Both are necessary for spiritual growth…

Spiritual lessons for the Common Good | Interfaith | April 30 


2010 — By Jaco B. ten Hove, co-minister at Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church

After celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, it has become obvious that what all Earthlings have most in common is the planet itself. But a controversial theory, called “The Tragedy of the Commons” by ecologist Garrett Hardin in 1968, suggests that human short-term selfish interests are often at odds with long-term care of the Common Good…

Interfaith: Rolling waters and ever-lasting streams | Opinion | Feb. 19 


2010 — By The Rev. Cheryl A. Wuensch, pastor of Seabold United Methodist Church

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”– Amos 5:24 NIV. This is the first Bible verse that I was moved to commit to memory. I was 18 at the time. The eloquence of the imagery expressed by the Hebrew prophet, Amos, captivated my imagination and awakened my heart to the conviction that God desires social justice for all…

Unlike war, shared ideals give us faith | Interfaith | Feb. 5 


2010 — By Senji Kanaeda, a monk and member of the Nipponzan Myohoji Temple

Last summer, 50 people in all participated in the annual Interfaith Pilgrimage for peace and abolition of nuclear weapons. Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Native Americans and others walked together in four Western states…

Interfaith Reflections