Category: Uncategorized

Debra Landwehr Engle
Author of The Only Little Prayer You Need
With Randy Adams, Annabelle Nesbit and Dr. JoAnn Tully

Saturday, December 2, 9 a.m. to noon (registration at 8:30)
Meredith Hall, Drake University

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) includes a text, workbook and manual that have been described as “spiritual psychotherapy.” Designed as a self-study course, the Course was first published in 1975, has been translated into more than two dozen languages and is studied worldwide.

While the Course uses Christian language, it is metaphysical and ecumenical in nature. It teaches that we have two minds: one based in fear and the other based in love. By consciously choosing love, we undo guilt and heal our relationships with ourselves and others.

This half-day conference will explore key teachings of the Course, including healing the mind and body, dealing with anger and attack, choosing love over fear and gaining a new perspective on life events by making small changes in your thinking.

The event will include an introduction to the Course, breakout sessions and a plenary Q&A with the conference leaders and ACIM students.

Debra Landwehr Engle has studied A Course in Miracles for more than 30 years. She is the author of The Only Little Prayer You Need, which is based on Course principles and has been translated into four languages. Deb leads A Course in Miracles classes, workshops and study groups in person and online, and she offers one-on-one mentoring based on ACIM.

Randy Adams has studied A Course in Miracles since 1995. He owns his own accounting and tax preparation business and teaches classes to other tax preparers. Randy believes that sharing kindness and joy is a simple and effective way to extend the ACIM message.

Annabelle Nesbit is an ordained interfaith minister and student/teacher of A Course in Miracles. Twenty-five years ago, she began a committed meditation practice, which inspired a life of learning about and practicing spiritual philosophies. She shares the gifts of the Course through a weekly ACIM group.

Dr. JoAnn Tully, D.C., uses principles from A Course in Miracles to help her clients release negative thoughts, emotions and beliefs that are sabotaging their energy, health and life. She works with clients who have been struggling with chronic illness, unexplained or unresolved health issues, or who are dealing with everyday fatigue and overwhelm.

Please join us on Saturday, November 4^th, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, for the next open house in our Meet My Religious Neighbor series.

This open house is hosted by the Islamic Center of Des Moines, which is located at 6201 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines.  At 5:00 pm, there will be an introduction to the community, their mosque, and their practices in the prayer hall.  After that, the community will be praying their evening (maghrib) prayers.  Finally, there will be a potluck meal served in the fellowship hall.

Guests are encouraged to bring a potluck dish to share.  Women should bring a scarf to cover their heads; arms should also be covered to the wrists, legs, to the ankles.

Our next “Meet My Religious Neighbor” open house is on Sunday, October 8th from 10am – 12pm. It will be held at one of the Lao Buddhist temples in Des Moines, Wat Phothisomphan, which is located at 2560 SE 14^th Street.

The service will include Tak Bat, the offering of food to the monks at the temple, as well as chanting meditation, a dharma talk (“sermon”), and lunch.

Meet My Religious Neighbor is a monthly open-house series. Each open house allows the public the opportunity to tour a sacred space, learn how religion is practiced in it, and meet the congregation who worships there.

Our next “Meet My Religious Neighbor” open house is on Saturday, September 2nd, from 6-8pm. It will be held at the home of one of the members of the Hindu Cultural and Educational Center at 2513 E. Porter Ave in Des Moines.  (This Hindu community does not yet have its own temple.)

From 6-8pm the community will perform bhajans (devotional hymns), accompanied with music and dancing.  (Participants will have the opportunity also to dance!) At the end of the bhajan service, a light meal (prasad) will be served.

NOTE THAT WE HAVE PUSHED THIS BACK ONE WEEK TO SAT, 8/12

“Meet My Religious Neighbor” continues on Saturday, August 12th with an open house at the Sikh Temple in Johnston, Sikhs of Iowa Khalsa Heritage, Inc. (SIKHI). The open house will last from 10am until 1pm.

From 10am – 12pm visitors can tour the Temple and learn about Sikh beliefs, practices, and culture. From 12pm – 1pm visitors can join the members of the Temple for their congregational prayer (aardas) and meal (langar). The meal is free vegetarian meal that is served to all regardless of caste, class, or creed.

Visitors are advised to dress modestly and bring a head covering (scarves for women, kerchiefs for men). There are some kerchiefs and scarves available at the Temple.

SIKHI is located at 4820 NW 59th Ave in Johnston.

Join us on Sunday, July 2nd between 12:30 – 4:00 pm for the next open house in our Meet My Religious Neighbor series. This open house will be held at Tu Vien Hong Duc, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple at 5906 SW 9th Street in Des Moines.

The open house begins at 12:30 with a Vietnamese meal. After that, we will have an opportunity to tour the temple and its statue park and to talk to the temple’s head monk. Participants are then invited to remain for the dharma talk (“sermon”) at 2:00 and chanting meditation at 3:00.

Join us on Saturday, June 3rd at 8:30 pm for the next open house in our Meet My Religious Neighbor series. This open house will be held at Ezan: Islamic & Education Center, a Bosnian mosque at 6202 Douglas Ave in Des Moines.
Participants can watch the congregants of Ezan perform their sunset prayer (maghrib) around 8:30pm and their night prayer (isha’a) around 11:00pm. In between, we are invited to join the congregation in their Ramadan break-of-the-fast (iftar).

Parking at the mosque is limited. Participants should instead park across the street in the Merle Hay Mall’s SW lot.

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For the final event of its 2015-2017 series on death and dying, four scholars will offer their comparative philosophical reflections about death and dying in the religions of the world, especially with regard to the influence of the medicalization of death on traditional theologies and rituals.

• Timothy Knepper is a professor of philosophy at Drake University, where he directs The Comparison Project, a public program in global, comparative religion and local, lived religion.
• Lucy Bregman is a profess of religion at Temple University and is the author of several books on death and dying, including Death in the Midst of Life, Beyond Silence and Denial, and Preaching Death.
• Mary Gottschalk has served as an adjunct instructor at Drake University for the last two years, teaching courses on death and dying.
• Dr. Allen Zagoren is Associate Professor of Public Administration in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University, where he teaches in the areas of health education in health policy and bio-ethics.