Interfaith Encounters Day 7

January 18, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

Our last time together was spent at the Germantown Jewish Centre. We had a bit of an orientation on Friday with Rabbi Reena and therefore were somewhat familiar with the building and what to expect in the morning Shabbat service. This particular day was important to this community, as they were remembering and honoring an […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 6

January 18, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Our Friday began with a visit to the Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge. We were greeted warmly by members of their community and also their Imam. We met in the original, smaller building where Muslims first gathered to pray and organize before they were able to build the current structure you see above. This […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 5

January 16, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

Thursday began with a visit to Upper Darby to visit a Sikh Gurdwara. There are over 20 million Sikhs around the world today. Sikhism began over 500 years ago in the Punjab area of South Asia, which now includes the vast territories of Northern India and eastern Pakistan. Guru Nanak, born in 1469, founded the […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 4

January 15, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

In the morning, the group returned to SHARE and loaded a LOT of food into the warehouse for distribution. In the evening, they returned to HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. This time, they interacted with the resident students who live in the dormitory. We participated in a square dance and had plenty of […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 3

January 14, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

The group’s morning began with another visit to the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Then, at lunchtime, they journeyed to the East Falls neighborhood of Philly to volunteer at SHARE. The SHARE Food Program is a nonprofit organization serving a regional network of community organizations engaged in food distribution, education, and advocacy. SHARE […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 2

January 13, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Today the group from Alvernia University participated in two service-learning experiences. First, we ventured to HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, HMS School serves children and young adults through age 21 who have complex, multiple disabilities usually resulting from cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury or other […]

Interfaith Encounters Day 1

January 12, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

All this week I will be with students from Alvernia University and their campus ministry director. We will experience 6 different religious communities and engage in service-learning with two organizations. Follow us on our journey! Today we went to the Church of Latter Day Saints in Center City Philadelphia. We met with 3 members of […]

The Love Answer

January 8, 2015.Reading time 11 minutes.

Luke 1:26-45 We don’t get many details in the Gospels about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. You would think that with all the fuss we make each year during December about a baby being born in the Middle East so many years ago that we would have more than just some sketchy details. But […]

josh blakesley

Month: January 2015