The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • January - April 2014 • Page 50
Ann Arbor’s Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth
Finding a Home at Interfaith By Joy Pendleton
Feature continued from page 49
Craig Harvey's Interfaith Path
Photo by Maureen McMahon
Photo by Maureen McMahon
I was raised Catholic, but I never felt like it meant much to me. I had friends who were Protestant and Jewish, and it never made any sense that one religion was the only right path to any kind of salvation. I was rather materialistic going into college — got a degree in mechanical engineering. But, while doing that, I also expanded my horizons a bit, indulging in certain substances and reading Carlos Casteneda books that my older brother got me started on (the books, not the other stuff). After getting my degree and moving to Ann Arbor, I spent about five years involved in Scientology, which was great for me, until it wasn't. Since then I have always had good close friends with whom I felt a spiritual bond, but I still had a desire for a larger spiritual community. I spent a few years attending the Unitarian Universalist congregation, enjoying services led by Ken Phifer and Eva Hochgraf, while occasionally attending Friends meetings.
“The original inspiration was to get a few hundred people from any and all faiths and meditation/healing practices to commit to an hour a week at various times in one location to allow an ongoing 24/7 world healing circle — sitting in silent meditation/prayer for inner and outer peace.” –Craig Harvey, facilitator of Interfaith’s 24-hour Peace Generator Then I met someone who told me about the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth. As I approached the door for my first Sunday service (then at Allen School), a very happy woman with outstretched arms greeted me saying, "Hi! Would you like a hug?" I considered this a very good sign. Since then I have attended almost every Sunday that I haven't been out of town. I've served a couple years on the Board during our transition to having our own (rented) building; helped on the construction/renovation needed for move-in; chaired at least one committee; run the grocery card donation program for many years; video recorded many services and other events; dared to sing in the choir (thanks to the incredibly accepting nature of the group); and even delivered a couple Sunday messages ("sermons") of my own. I love the openness of the group, that it encourages the public sharing of individual viewpoints and feedback on sermons, best shown by the standard open-mic time following every Sunday message. Since having our own space, the Interfaith Center has also been the home for the "Peace Generator" silent monthly meditation circle that I have been leading in various formats since early 2001(peacegenerator.org). The original inspiration was to get a few hundred people from any and all faiths and meditation/healing practices to commit to an hour a week at various times in one location to allow an ongoing 24/7 world healing circle — sitting in silent meditation/prayer for inner and outer peace. My first step in that direction was a one-hour weekly meditation at Crazy Wisdom. Eventually, I found a few churches around town where I could host a 24-hour gathering once a month (people coming and going throughout the 24 hours). I kept that up for two years. Now it is usually a twohour event on the third Friday of the month, except a couple times a year when I hold the space for 24 hours. The next 24-hour Peace Generator is 6:00 p.m. Friday, September 20 through 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21, in honor of the United Nations International Day of Peace.
My name is Joy Pendleton and I have been a member of the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth for 15 years, almost since its inception. My faith background goes back to Alaska when my family moved a lot to various small towns and we usually chose the only Protestant church in town. Even as a child, I had questions that didn’t have answers. Why, if God is love, were we told to fear God, or that if we did “bad things,” we were going to hell? I moved to Ann Arbor in 1982 and joined a Protestant metaphysical church, but soon I was objecting to many of the beliefs there. The church was going to have a reunion of all the past ministers and all were invited except one who was believed to have confiscated money. I asked, Why, if our church was forgiving, couldn’t he be invited too? My minister reacted in horror to my question. There were many other reasons, too, but I needed to forgive, forget, and move on.
“There are a lot of different beliefs here: people who identify with fairies, angels, and nature spirits, and those who are or were Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, and more… All are accepted and we learn from each other.” I started attending A Course in Miracles study group with some likeminded friends and decided that would be my “church.” No actual churches for me! A friend of mine kept calling me about this new center that was starting up and said that the associate minister from my previous church, Dave Bell, would be leading it. It would not technically be a church because it was more than Christian, incorporating all faiths. I decided to try it. The Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth started out at the New Center first. Once I started attending, I immediately realized I had missed the camaraderie of my old friends, many of whom had already joined Interfaith. I appreciated the wonderful like-mindedness everyone had — love was foremost. The Center has moved several times through the 15 years I’ve been a member and we now are situated in our own home on Airport Boulevard. It’s good to be home! Unless I am sick or out of town, I always try to attend Interfaith. The messages really speak to my heart. I have cried often in joy or from being very moved. Through the years, I have been on the Board and become active spiritually. I have facilitated the volunteers who greet people on Sundays for over 10 years, helped at fundraisers, belonged to the caring committee, read meditations and readings, and helped the needy — but always I was the one who was helped the most. I feel I am “evolving,” so I am so grateful to have a center like this. The Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth is not a middleman to God, like many perceive a church to be. There are a lot of different beliefs here: people who identify with fairies, angels, and nature spirits, and those who are or were Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, and more. We are all on a different path and/or have no path at all. All are accepted and we learn from each other. The congregation is now talking about interspirituality rather than interfaith. Wow, count me in! Let’s eliminate the different faiths and dogmas that might divide us and recognize our oneness together.