Interfaith Programs
With Boston Avenue
Interfaith Concerns Committee
The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church Interfaith Concerns Committee meets monthly and works to promote respect, cooperation, and understanding among differing faith groups in the Tulsa area. The committee works to support Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice (OCCJ) programs, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry (TMM) programs, the Open Tables ministry, and special interfaith activities connected with Boston Avenue UMC.
Explore our initiatives
Interfaith for all ages!
Children and youth often have friends and classmates from different faith backgrounds. At Boston Avenue, we have age-appropriate resources and opportunities for children to learn more about other faith expressions. From children’s books purchased by the Interfaith Concerns Committee to the Youth Interfaith Tour with OCCJ, we seek to help our children and youth be good neighbors to those of other faiths.
These experiences help all grow in understanding and respect for people of other beliefs, gain a broader perspective on the world, and strengthen their own faith.
Interfaith Programs and Events
From book studies to speakers to dinners, the Interfaith Concerns Committee has offered various opportunities to learn about and build relationship with our neighbors of other faiths. Recently, Boston Avenue’s interfaith committee has partnered with the Turkish Raindrop Center to offer an opportunity to “break fast” with our Muslim neighbors during Ramadan.
An educational program is presented, followed by a free dinner. If you’re interested to learn more or particpate, please contact the office at 918.583.5181.
Interfaith Handbook
Boston Avenue’s Interfaith Concerns Committee interfaith handbook was created to promote better understanding among the faiths living in the Tulsa area. It is our belief that when we know more about each other, including each other’s religion, lives are enriched and faiths are strengthened.
This handbook outlines 11 religions, with a brief description of the basic beliefs and answers to commonly asked questions. It is not intended to be a comprehensive study. As people’s lives cross paths with those from other faiths, may this handbook encourage respect, understanding and appreciation.
Open Tables
The purpose of Open Tables is to build relationships and better understand persons of differing faiths. We believe that through potluck-style meals, we are feeding and being fed by our neighbors. This is a significant step in beginning a relationship with those who may have been outside our circle of experience. At interfaith tables, we hope everyone will begin to see each other not just as symbols of our religions, but as real people who are neighbors and fellow citizens of the world. While understanding is not agreement, we believe that open, honest discussion can improve our relationships and help us to better understand our own values and beliefs. Each dinner is held on a Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Vicky Langston at 918.232.5332 or revguyo@cox.net.
“Living in Unity” or the Interfaith Statue in the Park
This work of art was commissioned to honor Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr. on his 25th anniversary at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, and was dedicated on October 15, 2006. During his tenure as Senior Pastor at Boston Avenue, Dr. Biggs was a tireless advocate for dialogue to increase mutual understanding and respect among differing faiths and nationalities.
Statue artist Phyllis Mantik stated, “I chose youth to express that they are our hope for the future when we consider unity and tolerance. I placed them in a circle to show that the work of unifying is continuous, and on an angled surface to suggest that this work can be a delicate balance. My desire is that it will express the heart of the people of Boston Avenue, and be a symbol of their love in action to the extended community.”
The bronze sculpture sits on a four-foot, sloped limestone base. Full-sized clay figures were created and then transported to Bronze Horse Foundry near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where the bronze was cast through a “lost wax” process.
May Dr. Biggs’s example of mutual understanding and respect inspire and guide not only his great congregation but each of us to eliminate from our lives all manner of oppression and discrimination. May the spirit of faithful sharing, which Dr. Biggs exemplifies, help us create a community where every person matters, where institutions are dedicated to compassion and justice, and where all are guided by the words of the Psalmist, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is, when all God’s children dwell together in harmony and peace.”
Rabbi Charles Sherman
A work like this has the capacity to mediate the deeper dimensions of our lives in ways that invite us to rethink what we think we know, and that challenge us to live up to the ideals that nurture our lives. It lifts up that reality as an ideal to be sought and served … a public reminder of what is possible in our midst. This statue is both a work of art and a symbol of special commitments that bind the children of Abraham together in a transformed world. The statue, the park, the occasion that this gift marks, all come together to declare the sacred in a unique configuration as, among other things, a gift for the children it represents and a commitment to them … It serves as a symbol of mutual obligation, a witness to the sacred dance it embodies and the commitments on which that dance depends.
Dr. Henry F. (Hank) Knight
I believe with all my heart that the clearest revelation of God ever delivered was Jesus of Nazareth, whom I acknowledge as Lord and Savior. I believe that. I’m committed to that. But, I honor the faith of other people who feel God has been revealed to them in other ways.
Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr.
Affirms everyone as a beloved child of God
Sees spiritual growth as a life-long journey
Cultivates music, architecture & the arts
Embraces a reasoned approach to faith
Nurtures ambassadors for reconciliation
Develops partnerships as Christ’s love in action
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