Three Village Interfaith Clergy Association

"Think of a a time in your life when you experienced a moment of holiness".  This was an exercise often used by a teacher and colleague of mine, Rabbi Bob Abramson at various seminars and gatherings of educators and spiritual leaders.  He purposely left the words 'moment of holiness' undefined, leaving it up to the participants to define for themselves.  I was a participant a few times in this activity, and adopted it myself in various programs and sessions I have led.  It is always powerful and thought provoking. People give widely differing responses to this charge.  Some are simple and elegant; such as the hush of a morning dew, or the smile on a child's face.  Others list crucial moments- birth of child, a wedding, or sunrise at the Grand Canyon.  But all share something in common.  All of these moments help transport the individual out of the ordinary into the extraordinary.  The experience is transformative, if even for a moment, and ...

‘A Memory of Assisi’ Rev. Steven Kim, Pastor of Setauket United Methodist Church In January 2020, my wife and I made a trip to Italy along with another couple who are my colleagues. We stayed the first two nights in Rome and drove to our second destination in the Tuscany area. On our way to the world-wide famous winery region, we stopped by the medieval town of Assisi. It is built on the slope of a mountain which boasts a picturesque scenery. Especially the sunsets, they were breathtakingly beautiful which was a bonus to us.  Our primary goal in Assisi, however, was to trace the remnants of St. Francis. I guess you are familiar with the life story of the saint. We walked about 10 minutes from the mouth of the old town to the Assisi Monastery or Basilica, which is located at the northwestern corner of the town. It consists of three different sanctuaries on three floors. Unlike many other magnificent cathedrals in the country, the Assisi Monastery is not commercialized. Tour...

Journey by Frank Kotowski      In the religion I follow, Spiritualism, there is often talk about each person’s journey to the next world, the World of Spirit, where we go after physical death, since we believe that life continues for us as spiritual beings devoid of physical matter.   It is in this other world, called the Summerland, that our souls reunite in a more intimate way with God, what we call Infinite Spirit or Infinite Intelligence.       This is not to say that there is little emphasis on the life here on this physical plane. Spiritualists strongly believe in and emphasize personal responsibility. We “make our own happiness or unhappiness,” as stated in our 7 th Principle.   Life is to be embraced with joy and courage and interconnectness with all beings and with the Earth itself.   Understanding those of other faiths and beliefs is an ethical and humanitarian necessity.   Spiritual progression and attune...

The first hymn in our Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition, is “May Nothing Evil Cross This Door ."  It is a hymn that easily brings tears to the eyes of those who have found in our sanctuaries a place and a people and a faith we can count on to salve our wounds and salvage the wreck we become, and even save our lives. In that hymn we sing of security, faith, warmth, peace, sacrament and laughter. We ask that these walls, thin as they are, “be strong to keep hate out and hold love in.”  Would you recognize evil if it “crossed the door” of your church or synagogue or masjid? A man with a gun hidden inside a guitar case and the intent to kill hidden in his heart? That happened in a UU congregation I know. A charismatic member of the congregation with a special gift for welcoming newcomers and connecting lonely people who is arrested and convicted of child pornography? That’s happened in a UU congregation I know. Might a man who beat up his wife last...