Thank you for visiting my new blog project, A Servant of Two Faiths. After a successful maiden voyage into the world of blogging during February 2010, I am excited to embark upon a new social experiment. This project will maintain similar structure of "28x1x1" in that it requires social interaction, community involvement, and documention via blogging. It will not require a daily activity, and it does not include financial contraints although I don't expect I'll need to spend a whole heckuvalot.
So, what is it already??
Between March 1-April 5, 2010, I will explore the differences and similarities of Jewish and Christian celebrations of the Spring season. This includes (but isn't limited to) Purim, Lent, Passover, Easter and anything else that fits within that description which I may have inadvertantly left out because I am very ignorant on this subject. I am ethnically Jewish but was raised agnostic with Judeo-Christian traditions. I currently reside with my Catholic dad and step-mom and am greeted each morning by the cross on the livingroom wall. I have dedicated many hours of my life to self-improvement and self-awareness and yet none of it has included faith. Because I don't know how to have faith.
The purpose of this project is not to "find myself" or "find God." I also don't have any unrealistic expectations of resolving my religious confusion within a few short weeks. I hope to spend each Friday attending Shabbat services at different synagogues (hopefully with a Jewish friend). I plan to go to Sunday morning church services with friends or relatives representing different branches of the Christian faith including (but not limited to): Catholic, Methodist, Episcopalian, Baptist, and Lutheran. After each service, I hope to discuss with my "spiritual date" the lessons and messages of the service. I don't intend to be particularly scholarly about this because I am clearly a novice in the ways of organized religion. New to this project, I will allow phone conversations with out of town friends and family to count as "spiritual dates."
If you want to participate - just let me know by commenting on this blog, sending me a message on Facebook, or you can email me. Obviously my Fridays and Sundays will fill up first, but keep in mind that prayer groups, Bible study, shul, or any other time you recommit yourself to your faith will aid me in my project. As long as you promise not to get annoyed at my bazillions of questions or judge me for my lack of religious knowledge, I'd love to share my project with you.
Goals for week one:
- determine visiting hours and rules at synagogues
- schedule my Shabbat and church services for March 5th and 7th
- dig up my college text books on Judaism and interfaith celebrations
- finish reading Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
- start dialogue: Kind of believing in Jesus is like being kind of pregnant. I just don't think it's possible.
I'll be seeing you....
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do you know my friend rabbi eric? he does a service (shabbat) at temple israel every friday night at like 6ish or 630, cannot remember. you should try to schedule one there. i went once and it was really interesting.
ReplyDelete-kacie
sounds perfect kacie! thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteOf course I'd love to participate and help. I was raised Catholic (13 years of parochial school), but my mom is and remains Baptist (her dad was a Baptist minister).
ReplyDeleteSo on the Catholic lines of things, I'd throw out stations of the cross, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday (obviously), fish fries (huge cultural part of Lent in Omaha) and Girl Scout cookies (because they always arrive during Lent--boo!), Lenten practices like reconciliation, milk boxes, giving up meat on Fridays, etc. I could go on and on!
lest you forget St. Patricks Day is also in March; meet you at Clancy's at, say, 6:30 a.m. before I report to my job as a school bus driver??
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to attend a childrens mass, my kids participate through school every week. Let me know.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading about your spiritual adventures this month! and on a side note... did you know that "heckuvalot" does not yet have a definition in wiktionary?! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in for March 14th at my church at 10am. THen if you are interested you can join my daughter Taylor and I on our trip to Lincoln for her Ballet rehearsal from 12-4. Then we can catch up!
ReplyDeletewendella, not sure how much you'd get out of it in terms of comparison (since the service is pretty much all quiet, without a "leader" (read: pastor/rabbi/officiant)...and people just talk or sing if they're driven to, but if there's a quaker meeting house, i would recommend making that one of your christian trips. i really enjoyed my time as a quaker...
ReplyDeletealso, one of the girls from my graduating class is iowa-catholic and married a lovely metropolitan jew, she's one of my best friends to have deep, intellectual conversations about (even about religion), and never take it personally. i could "introduce" you as FB conversants, if you don't officially know sara...see what things you have in common, or if you run into a wall.
i'm sorry we didn't get to be 28x1 people, i would have loved to sit and spend time with you. next time we're both unemployed...let's live closer. at least kelly braved the miles. go coe! :)
with love, rhubarb
Interesting blog idea. I've been a Christian for more than 30 years, have a masters degree in Theology, and grew up a Pastor's son and even I don't know how to have faith sometimes!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see how this adventure turns out.
Some reading for you: The Good Book by David Plotz and The Year of Living Biblicaly by A.J. Jacobs. Both may help you with more insight into your journey if not a good laugh by having a shared journey.
ReplyDeleteHave fun.
Please let us know if your studies lead to any personal or spiritual conclusions.
ReplyDelete