The Buddhist/Christian InterSpiritual Community Celebrates Pluralism
As we gather together from differing faith perspectives (Buddhist, Christian, and various others), we remain rooted in our own traditions without the compulsion to force common ground.
Yet, without the need to defend out own turf, we are profoundly challenged by one another's wisdom, delighting in mutual enhancement. Maybe more importantly, we always move beyond words as we share sacred silence.
Groups
The InterSpiritual community would like to invite you to participate
in our Prayer Shall Group or Virtual Sangha groups.
To learn more please click here for more information.
Stained Glass Window Project
To learn more about the Stained Glass Window Project click
here.
Kindly Donate
The Sunday Meal Program and Health
Kits for Haiti are in need of donations.
For More information click here.
February/March 2010
MEDITATION, LECTURES, CONVERSATIONS
Childcare provided for the Sunday Service
* Read More About the Ongoing Presenters at the BCIC *
To see what happened last month, click here.
5pm Sunday Services & Events
Sunday, February 7th |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speaker: Dr.
Bob Mischke Bob will present the convergences of spirituality in the teachings of Jesus and Buddha that cultivate a deepening awareness of ultimate reality that opens us to the eternal. |
Sunday, February 14th |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speakers: Meredee and David Vaughn, Laughter Yoga Instructors Brighten your spirit during the dark days of winter with Laughter Yoga, a technique created by a physician who believed that laughter is the best medicine to heal can heal the body and the world. These exercises will require no yoga poses, and can be done in a chair. Please bring a mat or blanket to lie on the floor. |
Saturday, February 20th |
|
| 10am-Noon |
3rd Saturdays of the Month Teacher: Don
Morreale The classes are good for both beginners and longtime practitioners. Don is a very engaging and interactive teacher. For more information please click here. |
Sunday, February 21st |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speaker: Toni
Cook
Music and Reflections will be woven into silence as we meditate on St. Teresa of Avila’s teaching of Entering Your Interior Castle. |
Sunday, February 28th |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speaker: Ven.
Claude d’Estree Claude will instruct us in the ancient Buddhist Metta Practice. In Metta, we direct our strong intention for welfare and happiness towards the self, then in a sequence of expansion, towards all others. |
Sunday, March 7th |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speaker: Dr.
Bob Mischke Bob will present the convergences of spirituality in the teachings of Jesus and Buddha that cultivate freedom. |
Sunday, March 14th |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speakers: Imam
Ibrahim Kazerooni, Shiite Cleric & Scholar of the Holy Qur’an
|
Saturday, March 20th |
|
| 10am-Noon |
3rd Saturdays of the Month Teacher: Don
Morreale The classes are good for both beginners and longtime practitioners. Don is a very engaging and interactive teacher. For more information please click here. |
Sunday, March 21st |
|
| 5:00pm |
Speaker: Father
Tom Nelson Last month, Father Tom did an introduction to the ancient meditation practice developed by St. Ignatius. It is a practice that engages the imagination and invites us to enter the sacred stories. This evening, Father Tom will lead us through an Ignation Meditation on a Parable of Jesus. |
Sunday, March 28th |
|
| 5:00pm | Speaker: Professor
Vincent Harding, Ph.D. Professor Harding wrote the original draft of this famous speech delivered at Riverside Church. It has great meaning for us as a warring world both today and in the future. There will be a PBS Special on this with Dr. Harding and others to be broadcast March 31. Dr. Harding will engage us in sacred conversation and meditation on the meaning of peace in our lives. You may read a copy of the
M.L. King speech at: |
Sunday, April 4th |
|
| 5:00pm | Buddhist Christian Interspiritual Service BCIC will not meet on Easter |
Saturday, April 17th |
|
| 10am-Noon |
3rd Saturdays of the Month Teacher: Don
Morreale The classes are good for both beginners and longtime practitioners. Don is a very engaging and interactive teacher. For more information please click here. |
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Touching the Eternal:
Wisdom of Buddha & Jesus ”
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Laughter Yoga Exercises:
Deep Breathing, Deep Relaxation, and Laughter” 
Meditation
Class
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service with Celtic Harp: “An
Evening of Celtic Harp and Meditations on Teresa of Avila” 
Music: Christine
Tulis (harpist/soloist)
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Buddhist Metta Practice:
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Muslim/Christian Dialogue:
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Ignation Meditation
Practice”
Buddhist
Christian Interspiritual Service: “Reflections on the
Peace Speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”Kindly Donate
THE SUNDAY
MEAL PROGRAM
The Sunday Meal Program at St. Paul
Church is now in its 23rd year of providing a free, hot meal every Sunday morning
to the homeless and others who are hungry! In the last two years, we have seen
a steady increase of meal guests. In 2009, we served over 8,000 meals. But
financial support is decreasing even as demand is increasing. Your support
is needed to continue the program. Please contribute to the Sunday Meal Program.
You can place your donation in an offering plate or mail it to St. Paul Church,
1615 Ogden, Denver, CO 80218 (mark in the memo: SMP). We can do this together!
Thank-You!
HEALTH
KITS FOR HAITI
UMCOR—the United Methodist Committee on Relief – is in Haiti providing food,
comfort, and assessment of long-term recovery needs. Health Kits are needed.
All items must be new. Please bring to St. Paul by March 14. Each kit includes:
▪ 1 hand towel (15" x 25" up
to 17" x 27", No kitchen towels)
▪ 1 washcloth
▪ 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
▪ 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
▪ 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
▪ 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child-size brushes)
▪ 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
▪ $1.00 to purchase toothpaste
▪ place these items inside a sealed one gallon plastic zipper bag
Project
Stained Glass
Window Project
St. Paul’s 100 year old windows are showing their age. We are planning a restoration
and repair project, and have received a $5000 grant from the National Trust
for Historic Preservation to begin our fund raising drive. If you are interested
in helping, please call the church office at 303-832-4929.
Groups
*MEDITATION CLASS*
Teacher: Don Morreale
Buddhist Insight Meditation Instructor and
Author Complete Guide to Buddhist America
Don will teach a Meditation Practice, meaningful for both beginners and those who have been meditating for a while. He will provide interactive teachings and practices. This will be a 4 part series on the 3rd Saturdays of the month.
Jan. 16 Introduction & Practice
Feb. 20 Breath Practice
March 20 Insight Practice
April 17 Putting Together Your Own Practice
For more information please click here.
* PRAYER SHAWL GROUP *
Several individuals from the Sacred Activists group of the Buddhist Christian
Interfaith Community at St. Paul Church have started a "prayer
shawl" group. The group meets once a month to work on a knitted or crocheted project
to give to a person in need (can be someone known or not). Ability to knit
or crochet is not a requirement - lessons are provided. It is a simple way
to get to know people in an interfaith gathering of sitting in conversation
while doing something of service. There is a short "generic" reading/meditation/service at the start of the gathering and an offering of
prayer for the person for whom something is being made.
Please contact Rena at AJARZ5@aol.com if you are interested.
* VIRTUAL SANGHA*
For those of you looking for a chance to raise the bar on your
meditation practice, please join our "virtual
sangha" (sangha - community). We "meet" via conference call every morning, participating in a prayerful silence together,
each in our own space, some even participating from different
parts of the country.
We begin at 6:15 a.m. Denver time Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, beginning with a call for prayers, a short reading, then about a 20-minute silent meditation, ending our call in silence, respecting the peace we have shared.
If you are interested in enhancing your daily practice by sitting in silence with this community - without having to migrate to a prayer center - please consider joining this phone meditation community.
At 6:15 (M-F), 8:00
(S-S) Mountain Time, dial 1-218-339-3600.
1. You will be prompted to enter a code. The group's
code is 934902#.
2. Feel free to identify yourself, but if it's after
6:20, it is asked that you remain silent as the meditation
will
likely have started. 3. PLEASEMUTE YOUR PHONE by entering
* 6 after
the bell has been rung in order to avoid the sound of rustling
clothes, coughs, sneezes, inquiring spouses/children, etc.
4. NOTE: The conference call is free but the long-distance
call isn't, so use your free minutes for this.
If you have any other questions about the group or this
practice in general, or if you would like to be on our
mailing list,
please contact Val atvonstep@ecentral.com. Peace to you,
and blessed
open-heartedness on the silent part of your journey.
Parking for BCIC
Parking is available in the following locations:
• St. Paul’s Lot (adjacent to west side of church)
• Case Management Lot - across alley west of the church along
16th (alley access)
• Montview Tower Lot - the northeast corner of 16th & Downing (Sundays & Evenings)
Purpose of the InterSpiritual Community
The Buddhist Christian InterSpiritual Community fosters exploration and understanding of diverse spiritual paths. Together we cultivate the Sacred within ourselves and the world around us.
Sponsors
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
The Shambhala Center of Denver
The Thomas Merton Center for Creative Exchange
The Iliff School of Theology
The Denver Zen Center
The Denver Buddhist Temple
Founders of the B/C community
Rev. Dr. Toni L. Cook, Pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist
Church.
Professor Jose Cabezon, Ph.D., The Iliff School of Theology.
Sister Mary Luke Tobin, Sisters of Loretto, Director Emeritus
of The Thomas Merton Center for Creative Exchange.