Interfaith Youth Cafés

Twenty-four youth and ten adults gathered on Sunday, March 21, 2010, at the First Unitarian Society for an afternoon of interfaith dialog. The theme of this Interfaith Youth Café was, “Telling the Story of Your Faith.

The participants included young people from:

• Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue

• Islamic  Society of Milwaukee
• House of Peace (Christians)
• First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee
• Tippecanoe Presbyterian

As always, there was time for each of the faith groups to speak together about the discussion topics before beginning the multi-faith conversations.

The three rounds of conversation centered on these topics:

• Rituals that celebrate the story of faith
• The Responsibility of telling the story of faith
• Informal ways of telling the story of your faith

Continuous conversation and good eating could be heard and seen at every table.

Some of the comments made include these:

What we learned about others:

There are many different religions.

We celebrate a lot of the same and different holidays.

The Unitarian Universalists don’t have many rituals or set holy days.

The Unitarian Universalists say faith is up to the individual.

What we learned about ourselves:

We are brave. It took a lot of courage to come here and stay.

There are so many Christian stories.

Our thoughts and feelings are very much alike.

These prayers will give a flavor of the café:

Dear Lord,

Give us the courage to accept others.

Allow us to stay committed to our principles!

Help us to pass on our faith to future sons and daughters.

Amen

Love is the spirit of this church and service is its law.

• To dwell together in peace.
• To seek the truth in love.
• And to seek the truth in love.
• And to help one another.

This is our covenant.

(From the Unitarian Universalists)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Beneficent, the merciful. Master of judgment. You alone we worship and from you alone do we seek help. Keep us on the straight path, the path of those whom you favor. Not of those who went astray.

Amen

(from the Muslims at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee)

Leader: Who knows one?

Chorus: We know one. One is our God in heaven and on earth.

Leader: who knows two?

Chorus: We know two. Two are the Tablets of the Covenant

Leader: Who knows three?

Chorus: We know three. Three are the Patriarchs

Leader: Who knows four?

Chorus: We know four. Four are the Matriarchs

Leader: Who knows five?

Chorus: We know five. Five are the books of the Torah.

Leader: Who knows six?

Chorus: We know six. Six are the sections of the Mishnah.

Leader: Who knows seven?

Chorus: We know seven. Seven are the days of the week.

Leader: Who knows eight?

Chorus: We know eight. Eight are the days of circumcision

Leader: Who knows nine?

Chorus: We know nine. Nine are the months to childbirth

Leader: Who knows ten?

Chorus: We know ten. Ten are the commandments given at Mount Sinai

Leader: Who knows eleven?

Chorus: We know eleven. Eleven are the stars of Joseph’s dream.

Leader: Who knows twelve?

Chorus: We know twelve. Twelve are the tribes of Israel.

Leader: Who knows thirteen?

Chorus: We know thirteen. Thirteen are the attributes of God

(From the Jewish community at Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue)

A spontaneous prayer for enlightenment and personal support by the individual to God

(from the Christians at House of Peace)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory

Now  and forever Amen.

(From the Presbyterians at Tippecanoe)