Moving Beyond (Interfaith) Fear

February 5, 2020Leave a comment

Moving Beyond (Interfaith) Fear with Wendy Goldberg

Tri-Faith Initiative is a unique and ambitious project in the field of interfaith relations in design, scale, and scope. It brings together into permanent residency a synagogue, church, mosque, and interfaith center on one 38-acre campus in the middle of America’s heartland. This unique model for peaceful co-existence, builds on America’s promise of religious freedom and a desire for understanding. In working together, their vision is to build bridges of respect, trust and acceptance, to challenge stereotypes of each other, to learn from one another, and to counter the influence of extremists and agents of hate.

[Click Here to Listen]

Wendy Goldberg is a fourth generation Omahan and a founding member of the Tri-Faith Initiative. She served on the Board of Trustees of Temple Israel for 10 years, including a two-year term as President of the congregation and was on the Temple Israel staff for seven years as Program Director. Wendy played a key role in communications, volunteer engagement, and the capital campaign during Temple Israel’s transition to the Tri-Faith Commons in 2013.

In 2016, Wendy earned a Master’s of Art in Communication and graduate certificate in Creative Writing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha after which, she joined the staff at Project Harmony as Project Manager where she partnered with agency stakeholders to custom build and implement client management software, identify program goals, measurable outcomes and build the correlating reports.

Wendy has served as Tri-Faith Communication Chair for a decade helping to develop communication policy, procedure, and plans for traditional and social media materials. She leads a communication task force initiatives to set brand guidelines, create a speakers bureau, and create video stories archives.

As a champion of interfaith efforts that build community and foster trust, Wendy will contribute to the management and implementation of the initiative’s strategic plan including fundraising, communication, and stakeholder engagement.

Wendy loves practicing and teaching yoga. She serves on the Board of Directors for Fontenelle Forest. Wendy and her husband, David, have three adult children.

Indigenous Wisdom for Spirit-Based Change

June 13, 2018Leave a comment

Indigenous Wisdom for Spirit-Based Change with Sherri Mitchell

Indigenous Attorney and Activist, Sherri Mitchell, says we all come into this world with a set of instructions. These instructions guide us toward our highest purpose. They lead us to the essential truths that live deep within us. This truth is encoded in our DNA. It is embedded in our genetic memory. It vibrates within us on a cellular level. Every element of life carries this vibration. Every living being has its own vibrational tone. When these tones are combined, they form the voice of creation. If we learn to listen closely, we can begin to hear that voice and allow it to guide our steps through life. Then we can begin to attune our daily actions with our higher purpose and become who we were meant to be.

[Cick Here to Listen]

Sherri Mitchell was born and raised on the Penobscot Indian reservation. She received her Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Indigenous People’s Law and Policy from the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law. She is an alumna of the American Indian Ambassador program, and the Udall Native American Congressional Internship program. She is the Founding Director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the global protection of indigenous rights and the preservation of the Indigenous way of life. Sherri has been deeply committed to cultivating and renewing the traditional and ceremonial practices of her people. She has worked in many capacities over the past 30 years helping to highlight and advance the position of Wabanaki peoples. Sherri has been a longtime advisor to the American Indian Institute’s Traditional Circle of Indian Elders and Youth and was a program coordinator for their Healing the Future Program. Sherri is also the co-host of Love (and revolution) Radio, a syndicated radio program that highlights stories of heart-based activism and revolutionary spiritual change. She is the author of Sacred Instructions.

Celebrating Human Unity

January 31, 2018Leave a comment

Celebrating Human Unity Across All Cultures, Creeds, Colors, and Countries with Kurt Johnson

Many around the world are weaving threads of unity within the colorful diversity of our Human Family. It is time to shift our collective consciousness and belief that “peace and unity are possible; a better world is possible.” Honoring all traditions and lineages, we can harvest the collective wisdom of humanity to foster community, connect cultures and cultivate peace. Join us as we explore interfaith harmony with Kurt Johnson.

[Click Here to Listen]

Dr. Kurt Johnson of Unity Earth has worked in professional science and comparative religion over 40 years. A prominent figure on international committees, particularly at the United Nations, he is author of the influential book The Coming Interspiritual Age (Namaste, 2013) and two award-winning books in science: Nabokov’s Blues (McGraw-Hill 2000) and Fine Lines (Yale Univ. Press, 2015).

Kurt has served on the faculty of New York’s Interfaith Seminary for 12 years and, for 25 years was associated there with the American Museum of Natural History. In 2016 he became host for Unity.Earth’s Convergence radio series at VoiceAmerica, a series featuring global change-makers. He serves on the Executive Committee of the United Nations NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns.

Originally monk in the Christian contemplative tradition, Kurt has extensive training in philosophy and comparative religion and also a PhD in Evolution and Ecology. He is author of over 200 scientific articles and seven books, along with further articles at Kosmos Journal, The Contemplative Journal, Evolution Institute, Integral Life with Ken Wilber and peace studies with Philip Hellmich of the SHIFT Network.

Kurt is a member or founder of The Evolutionary Leaders, the international Contemplative Alliance, the Gaiafield and Subtle Activism Networks, the Self Care to Earth Care network, the UN NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, the NGO Forum 21 Institute, and the UN Committee for International Yoga Day, and is President of the Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

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My Colorful Greek Garbanzo Bean Prayer

April 18, 2015Leave a comment

I love to make up my own recipes. I was in the mood for a Greek salad with “substance.” That called for my famous Greek garbanzo bean concoction: a colorful celebration of nature’s most delicious flavors beautifully combined in a visual pallet that is sure to please the other pallet. I opened my new jar of Calamata olives and popped one into my mouth. Ugh, they were not pitted! How was I going to make my Greek salad without Calamata olives? I was not! More importantly, how was I going to pit them? Cutting them off the pit was not efficient. And then I noticed: when I smashed them, they naturally separated from the pit. Then I could squeeze the pit out one end. It was messy, but appeared to be the solution. As I stood smashing and squeezing, the juice ran freely through my fingers and onto my cutting board. The smell was heavenly Greek. When I was done, I chopped them so no one would ever know I smashed them.

Vibrant hues filled my glass bowl as I added bright yellow peperoncini, regal red peppers, stately green cucumbers, those deep purple olives, and finely chopped red onions to my pallid garbanzo beans. Next, the aromatic mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, basil, sea salt, and my favorite pepper blend. Oops, I almost forgot the Feta Cheese. Yum… it was calling my name! I stirred it all together with love and lifted my spoon to my lips. Disappointment! It tasted like nothing special. In fact, I would say it didn’t taste like much of anything at all. The secret ingredient of many good things is time. And, like fine wine, my gregarious Greek medley deserved a moment to merge, mingle and unite in melodious glory; time to transform – imbued with delightful new succulent flavors.

Ah, yes… a little time proved to be the answer! It was delicious. As I looked at the beautiful salad I wondered if there was a way to imbue peace, harmony and unity in a world of many colors, races, religions, beliefs, and politics. Stirred with LOVE, maybe time will tell. That is my colorful Greek garbanzo bean prayer.

A Declaration of Hearts

March 24, 2015Leave a comment

We are unity consciousness, consciously embodied. For the peace that passes all understanding is ours. Together, we weave all separation into a sacred expression of whole — for the Good of the Whole. We use our creative power to consciously express a life and world of harmony, beauty, and love. This is our sacred communion. This is our moment.

With this joining, we say yes to a life of divine purpose and cosmic alchemy. Infinite love transforms our lives and the world around us as we express from the heart and consciously generate truth, compassion, joy, and freedom. As a collective force, we develop clarity of knowing to consciously unleash an expanded vision and an inconceivable reality. It is ours.

In our being and becoming, we experience harmony and unity with Creation herself and fully activate the heart. We heal and transform our relationships, community, the earth, and ourselves. We deepen into the conscious embodiment of wholeness and navigate a higher-level existence based on an interdependent and co-creative universal design. In our precious communion, we realize resonance, enlightened choice and abundant joy in this and every moment.

Herein lies the peace.