Religion: Unity not uniformity: U.S. religious freedom
The Interfaith Community of South County offers hope to thousands in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, especially those who may otherwise feel lonely or vulnerable. The kind of trust and respect members of our community have for one another encourages us to love our neighbor,...
Religion: Gratitude in difficult times
These are difficult times. The world has seen worse, but there is no denying the fear, the sadness and the general feeling of desperation that has become so prevalent these days.
In a recent article in The Atlantic, David Brooks writes that the “percentage of...
Religion: Six senses mindfulness
As I taught in my Religion article in April, “True and lasting happiness is not distant. It is within us; we must just allow oneself to sit still, to let go of all thoughts and be quiet in the present moment.”
Meditation is the path...
Religion: Transformation and reconciliation through action and grace
More than 20 different Houses of Faith are part of the Interfaith Community of South County (ICSC). All denominations and individuals who are not affiliated with a faith community are welcomed and encouraged to join ICSC.
As participants in ICSC, we have shared in programs...
Religion: Stopping violence in God’s name
There has been too much senseless violence caused by firearms in this country. Recently, three nine-year olds were killed at a Nashville Christian school and an unarmed African-American teenager, Ralf Yarl, was shot in Kansas City because he rang the wrong doorbell. Here in...
Advent Lutheran celebrates 50th anniversary
“I needed a place to be with God again. I watched the services on YouTube for a few weeks and decided I was ready. I loved how the service was so clear to me and helped me understand how the community works together. It...
Religion: Obligating ourselves to do good things
I am fascinated by etymologies, the origins of words. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about the origin of our English word “thank.” It comes from the P.I.E. (Primitive Indo-European) root tong, to think. Thank is related phonetically to think, as sang is to...
Religion: The Golden Rule
World religions have more in common than most people imagine. A very basic tenet of every religion is what we call The Golden Rule. It is so well known, that even some who claim no religion at all know it: “Do Unto Others As...
Rabbi Mendel Liberow: Celebrate Chanukah
We’re about to celebrate one of my most favorite Jewish holidays: Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, which begins Dec. 18 and runs through Dec. 26.
It’s my favorite because more than any other Jewish holiday, Chanukah is all about celebrating our freedom to live proudly...
Religion: Prayers of the faithful
Prayer takes on different forms in different religious expressions. Prayers are chanted, spoken or sung. Prayers are spoken aloud or uttered more silently.
One of the notable expressions of prayer in Christianity is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked, “Lord, teach us to...