Not to throw cold water on this love-fest but in following these “inter-faith” parties, I have yet to see the Islamic Center of Rochester ‘host’ or allow priests or rabbis to preach in their mosque…just sayin’

Faith shared to give and receive, to teach and to learn

Faith Shared ­ To Give and Receive; to Teach and to Learn

On Sunday, January 30, an extraordinary event will take place at two Rochester churches. As part of the traditional readings on a typical Sunday, a member of the Jewish faith will include a lesson from the Prophets and a member of the Muslim faith will include a lesson from the Qur¹an. And both will receive a lesson from the Gospels.

What¹s going on here? No Qur¹an burnings, no vilifications of other beliefs. Afraid not. No inflammatory pictures or shouts; no TV cameras rolling to see who can get the most outrageous quote. All that¹s going on is a demonstration of what America is all about ­ the ability of persons of all faiths and creeds to speak to God in a fashion that goes beyond mere tolerance. It will be a service that welcomes the ³other² ­ not for the purpose of conversion, but for the purpose of sharing ­ of learning from what another faith has to say and letting others take away the important lessons of your own faith.

We will be thus affirming the religious truth that what is helpful to us as Christians, as Jews, as Muslims, will also be found in the writings, practices, and beliefs of persons who do not share our specific faith. What we all share, though, is our belief that we worship the same God and that, indeed, others may have insights and wisdom about that God from which we can benefit.

The two churches, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and the Lake Avenue Baptist Church, have stepped forward to participate in the Faith Shared project of the Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First. From this simple act, it is hoped that other opportunities for shared service and learning will emerge. The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester, the local affiliate of the national organization, and the Interfaith Forum, a major interfaith umbrella in the Rochester area, recruited the participating churches.

The recruiting was not hard. Both the Rev. Dr. Denise Yarbrough, Priest-in-Charge of Ascension and the Rev. Gordon V. Webster, Pastor of Lake Avenue, have been involved in interfaith affairs for decades and are well aware of the benefits that such a program can bring to the community.
Following on the heels of Martin Luther King Day, it builds on the spirit of strength in our diversity. Lake Avenue Baptist boasts a congregation which includes about 66 percent of its members from Burmese refugees, 4% from the Republic of Congo (not the Democratic Republic), and the balance made up of English speaking Euro-Americans, African-Americans, and Latin-Americans.

Come join either of these two welcoming churches on the 30th. Both churches begin their service at 10:00 am.

The authors are the Rev. Dr. Denise Yarbrough of The Church of the Ascension; the Rev. Gordon V. Webster of Lake Avenue Baptist Church; and
Nathan L. Jaschik of The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester