Newsletters

This month's newsletter highlights 2 current students: Mark Estes and Molly Miller.

Enjoy this month's newsletter as we highlight ChI Founder, Rev. Gina Rose Halpern! This month, she offers a piece titled "Reflection on My Calling." We also happily highlight the good work of Rev. Sharon Mooney.

During the Protestant Christianity module of our Interfaith Ordination program, Rev. Megan Wagner, Co-Provost, taught students sacred Christian chants. If you click on the image below, you can listen to 2 chants recited by students. You can also read about her collection of sacred chants and Tree of Life Teachings in this month's faculty spotlight! Additionally, read about clergy member, Rev. Huslage and her work in North Carolina.

This month, we spotlight clergy member: Rev. Elizabeth McCain and Guest Faculty member: Rev. Dr. Polly Moore of the Center for Progressive Christianity.

This month we feature the following community members: Faculty Spotlight - Rev. John Mabry, Director of Interfaith Spiritual Direction; In Memory - Rev. Teri Hood; and Supporter Spotlight - Rev. Dr. John Robinson

Sufism is often referred to as 'the path of the heart.' The month of May was a most joyous and heartfelt time at the Chaplaincy Institute. We were honored to have Dr. Esin Çelebi Bayru (22nd generation granddaughter of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi) co-teach a course with Dr. Ibrahim Farajeje on "The Spirituality of Sufism." Several alumni were in attendance for this special course offering. Last month we launched a new format for our monthly newsletter. You will now regularly see content on our Alumni/Students, Faculty, Supporters and Events.

This month, we launched a new format for our monthly newsletter. On a regular basis, ChI will spotlight alumni, faculty members, supporters, and upcoming community events. In April, you can read about core faculty member, Rev. Jeremy Taylor; Rev. Rebecca Senoglu, a graduate of our Interfaith Ordination program, and an accomplished Community Minister; you'll also have a chance to hear from Rev. Patrick Curtin, a ChI clergy member and supporter.

This issue includes sermons from the Catholic & Orthodox Christianity module that took place in January of this year. Below you'll find sermons that were delivered by students.

This issue includes sermons from the Islam and Hinduism modules: "The Golden Rule", "Walking through the Spiritual Fire", "Understanding Islam", "Mirror, Mirror...", and "Extraordinary Allies."

This issue includes the Ordinands' sermons from the September 2010 Ordination: "Prisoner of Love", "A Window on Interfaith", "Raising the Sparks", "Crossing Oceans in the Dark", "'How Amazing Are All Your Forms'", "'God in My Pocket'", and "The Heart of the Matter".

This issue includes: "Reflections on My Jewish Theology"; "Healing the Gulf Inside Ourselves"; "Articulating My Faith: A Seminary Journey"; "Thoughts on the Nature of Sufism"; and "Revealing the Spiritual Wisdom of People with Mental Illness".

This issue includes: "Sweet Surrender"; "The Evolution of Sacrifice"; "Reflections on the Afterlife"; "Unmasking the Divine Within"; and "Gems from 'Advice' by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov".

This issue includes: "A Prayer for Those Who Minister"; "Embodying Divinity"; "Angels of Grief"; "Spirituality and Mental Illness"; and "Pain as the Portal".

This issue includes: "Surrender to Divine Revelation"; "Cultivating Compassion for Life on the Street: A Short Tonglen Meditation"; "Meditations from the Heart"; "The Enlightened Elder in the Twenty-First Century"; "We Are the Village"; and "Quotes from The Drowned Book, by Bahauddin, the Father of Rumi".

This issue includes: "The Heart of Interfaith"; "Common Threads in the World's Religions: The Ethic of Reciprocity"; "The Center of the Fire"; "Ordination, October 2009"; "Go Ahead, Spend it ALL!"; "Sabbath: The Holy Practice of Rest"; and "Consciousness as a Revelation of Heaven on Earth".

This issue includes: "Offering Yourself to the World", “What is Your Vision for ChI’s Role in the Interfaith Movement?”, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep", "Midlife Mantra", "Aging as a Transformation of Consciousness", and ""Return All to the Void": Quotes from 'The Roots of Wisdom - Saikontan' by Hung Ying-ming".

This issue includes: "A Witness to Change"; "Aging as Spiritual Awakening"; "Clergy Renewal and Circles of Trust"; "Touch Drawing: The Art of Grief"; "Insecurity, Intimacy, and Calling"; and "Eternal Seed of All Beings: Excerpts from The Holy Geeta".

This issue includes: "Alone Among the Shining Stars"; "Icons in Orthodox Christianity"; "Polishing the Heart"; "The Long Loneliness of Loss"; "Tarot Archetypes and the Soul’s Path"; "Bring Your Own Numinous Self! Remembering Thomas Berry"; and "Selections from the Sayings of Hazrat Inayat Khan".

This issue features sermons of the April 2009 Ordinands, and more: "Answering the Call"; "You Are Divine"; "What Do We Really Need?"; "Lowering Barriers"; "From Agony to Ecstasy"; "Finding Heaven In Crisis and Loss", "Liminality"; "Apology for Atheology"; "Remembrance: The Women of Terezin"; and "Photos from Ordination, April 25, 2009".

This issue includes: "Encountering the Divine: Quotes from the World's Religions"; "Visiting the Sick or Afflicted: Guidelines from Judaism"; "God Lives Behind Razor Wire: Ministering to Women in Prison"; "Exploring World Religions Through Art and Symbol"; "The 'Sacred Messiness of Life' "; "The Transformative Power of Grief", and "Holy Sparks: Bead Blessings from the Mystical Judaism Module".

This issue includes: "Blossoming in the Dark"; "The Seeds of Becoming";" 'Prayer of the Prophet': Moving from Mystic to Prophet"; "A Meditation on the Lord's Prayer"; "Grace"; " ' The Unnamed Light': Quotes from 'Fireflies' by Rabindranath Tagore"; and "If It Weren't for ChI".

This issue includes: "Interfaith Adventures in Hospital Chaplaincy," "Religion, Religious Wounding, and War: An Interfaith Inquiry," "God Is Light," "Trauma Chaplaincy and the Gift of Presence: Notes from Father Jayson's Class," "Our 'Spiritual Slinkies,'" "Supporting Others Through Grief," "Song of My Self," "'To Dust We Shall Return': Ash Wednesday Reflections," and "Meeting Death."

This issue includes "Uncovering Your Own Spiritual Wisdom," "Navigating Grief," "Peering Through the Veil Between the Forever and the Now," " 'Yes We Can': A Call to Right Action" "Falling Fruit," "Hinduism and Embracing the Darkness: A Garland of Blessings," and " 'Cause of All Causes, Beginningless Truth': Hindu Devotional Song-Poems from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna."

This issue includes "Nurturing 'Spirituality Without Borders,'" "Finding the Holy Face of God in Our Communities," "Flowing in the River of Spirit," "Poetry By Surprise," "25 Bible Passages for Spiritual Care and Comfort," and "'Where Do I Fit?' The Discovery of Personal Wisdom and a Place in the Universe."

This issue includes "Personal Reflections on Interfaith Theology,""Judaism, Heritage and Family", "An Interfaith Approach to Reclaiming the Divine World," "A Journey of Inter-Faith," " 'Memento Mori'," " 'Light Upon Light!': 25 Passages from the Holy Qur'an," " 'Soulstice' Midwifery," "Amorphia Was Her Name," "The Train Station and the Way Home," and "A Mosaic of Blessings from the October Islam Module."

This issue includes "Psalms, the Ten Commandments, and an Examination of Conscience," "Art as Social Action," "Growing a Relationship with Jesus: My Story," "Stop the Words Now," "An Interfaith Feast," "Creating a Dream-Inspired Collage Series," and "The Still Small Voice."

This issue includes "Interfaith Basket of Blessings: An Artistic Exploration of 'Interfaith'," "Experiments with Psalms," "The Story of the Hope Wall: A Community Arts Project," "Professionalism, Mystical Communion, and Sacred Work," "From Mother to Minister," "Devotion and a Prayer," "Spiritual Weightlifting,"Faith Intersections," and "Shedding Our Skin."

This issue includes "Practicing the Art of Illumination: An Artistic Exploration of Protestant Christianity," "In Search of God, Not a Religion," "Joy Unconfined," "Ordination Speech," "Spirituality—A Prescription for the Medical Profession," "Exploring the Inner Landscape of Islam and 'Otherness' ", and "Art, Sisters, and Buddhism: A Journey of Opening-to-What-Is."

This issue includes "Love Notes to the Divine: Explorations in Sufism," "The Mystical Journey: 'Sculpting Light' ", "The Broken Mirror and the Divine Ocean," "At the Bedside of Mother Earth: A Call to Eco-Chaplaincy," "A Teacup Meditation for Interfaith Healing," "A Vision of Interfaith Spiritual Care," and "Searching for Sufism in Art, Music and Dreams."

This issue includes "Chesed: 'Unconditional and Unmotivated Lovingkindness' ", "India, the Trip of a Lifetime," "Into the Mist and Mystery," "A Ritual for Caregivers," "Sufism, the Universality of Religion, and the Questioning Mind," "From Rust’s Seed," ""Sage of All Creation, Mentor of All Souls' ", "A Memorial Service Homily: 'Remembering the Love' ", "The Creative Impulse in Dreams," and "Poem to the Beloved ... Paintbrush in Hand."

This issue includes "Interfaith Prayer Liturgy," "The Golden Chai: A Creative Meditation on Life and Jewish Mysticism," "12-Step Sobriety Over Ego," "Working with Dreams in Pastoral Counseling," " Homily for Vows Renewal Ceremony for Eco-Chaplaincy," "Minister of Arts," "Reflections After a Teen Suicide," and "20 Quotes from the Ancient Scriptures of Hinduism."

This issue includes "A Mystery Larger Than Any Answer We Could Ever Know," "Psalms (Tehillim) Excerpts, from the Hebrew Bible," "What Is Interfaith?," "Personal Theology: Explorations of a Spiritual Eclectic," "Being in the Presence," "Artful Blogging," "Dreams and Dreaming in the World's Religions," "Sermon on the Mountain of Inter-Spirituality," " 'The Heart Starts Singing': Ode to Hafiz," and "Interfaith Spirituality: A New Paradigm for Our Times."