As Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahamatullahi Wa Barakatuhu. Ramadan Mubarak.

May the blessings of this most blessed month be with you. Today we are on the third day of Ramadan, as we anticipate the fourth night of this blessed month. We are already experiencing the melodious recitations of the glorious Qur'an that fill our ears albeit virtually. This is a month where good deeds and good actions, including charitable works are rewarded manyfold. This is the second social distancing Ramadan, so we will observe this blessed month in safe and social distancing ways amidst the challenges of our time. Our students continue to be resilient, creative, and remarkable in how they have approached this academic year. 

Do remember that while we fast from food and water, the challenges of Ramadan will push us and surprise us about ourselves. As we engage this master class in self-discipline and mind over body, it has the strong potential to uplift the spiritual self and elevate it from wherever it is at the moment. In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, “O you who believe! Fasting was decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those before you that you might become God-conscious.” (Al-Quran, 2:183). I look forward to connecting or reconnecting virtually or in person (in a socially distancing manner) during this special, month-long observance. Feel free to reach out to me in the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life at isam.vaid@emory.edu. 

Dr. Isam Vaid
Muslim Religious Life Scholar
Emory University Office of Spiritual and Religious Life

During the month of Ramadan, the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) will be played from the Cox Hall carillon on Fridays after the 1:45 p.m. chimes. It has been a tradition for several decades at Emory during the Muslim sacred month of Ramadan to play the call to prayer on Fridays, which is the Muslim day for communal midday prayer (Jumu'ah).

The call to prayer is a general statement of Islamic belief and a summons to communal prayer. Traditionally, it is recited from mosque minarets five times per day to call Muslims to obligatory prayers. We are continuing this longstanding tradition in honor of all those gathering for midday prayers at home. Emory University wishes all those celebrating a meaningful and blessed Ramadan.

Preacher: Krystyna Jordan

Scriptures: Matthew 13:5-9, 31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Romans 8:14-17, 26-27, 37-39

Sermon: Where is My Mustard Seed? Hope in the Presence of Spiritual Fatigue

As an alumnus of Emory University, I feel a special connection to the Emory student body. While in undergrad, I majored in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies and became a strong believer that social justice is not an abstract concept but an attainable future. As someone who greatly benefited from support resources at Emory as a student, it brings me great joy to help students obtain academic, mental and social support. I currently work in Belonging and Community Justice in Emory Campus Life as the program coordinator for the 1915 Scholars Program, and the Mariposa Scholars Program. In these capacities, I hope to be an example for Emory students as well as other young professional seeking to make a difference.

During the summer of 2020, I decided to embark on a journey of personal and professional fulfillment through theological education. At present, I am pursuing a Masters of Theology with a focus on Public Spaces at the Interdenominational Theological Center or ITC. My goal is to explore and practice philosophies of social justice that engage the spirituality as foundational to the holistic wellbeing of persons and communities.

The Office of Spiritual and Religious Life sends a special thank you to all who donated to OSRL on this year's Emory Day of Giving on March 24. We received almost $5,000 from 70 gifts. These gifts strengthen our community and enhance spiritual life on campus and in the many communities we serve. You can contribute to OSRL anytime at our website here.  

Join us as we commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Buddha. The program will include meditation, chanting, Dhamma talks, and student reflections.

For more information, please email Buddhist Chaplain Venerable Priya Sraman. Join here.

30 Days of Climate Action Eco-Faith From Home
Ongoing through Thursday, May 13

The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement and Glenn's Environmental Committee’s 30 Days of Climate Action Eco-Faith from Home is Sponsored by Georgia Interfaith, Power & Light (gipl), the Ray Anderson Foundation, and Drawdown GA,.

These 30 days are sure to provoke discussion and provide inspiration in the fight against the environmental crisis we are currently in.

Glenn's Environmental Committee invites you to sign up for free. Sign up here and attend as you are able. Sponsored by Glenn Memorial Church. 

Hindu Students Association Weekly Aarti
Fridays, 5:00 p.m., Zoom

Join the Hindu Students Association (HSA) this Friday at 5:00 p.m. for Aarti facilitated by the Emory HSA and Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya. All are welcome to attend. Click here for the Zoom link.

Aarti is a form of worship in which a lamp, typically an oil lamp, is circled around a symbol, image, or deity while singing prayers of veneration. The various icons towards which the Aarti is performed hold unique significance across different Hindu traditions, although the atmosphere of joy and upliftment is common to all. Whether performed alone in one’s home or in a communal setting like a temple, Aarti is a ritual by which Hindus connect devotionally to their spiritual and religious principles.

For more information, please contact Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya. More about the Emory HSA and their activities can be found on their Facebook page.

Who to Obey: The Law or the Prophets?
Thursday, April 22, 7:00 p.m., ET, Webinar

This webinar will explore questions related to lay participation in governance and the ordination of women as deacons.

The speaker, Dr. Phyllis Zagano is an internationally acclaimed Catholic scholar who has lectured throughout the United States, and in Canada, Europe and Australia. Her many awards include the 2014 Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice from The Paulist Center Community in Boston for “her prolific body of work that has constantly echoed the cry of the poorest of our society for dignity and for justice both inside and outside the church, specifically the dignity of all women.”

Her groundbreaking work on women in the diaconate led to her appointment to the Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women in 2016. She has taught at Fordham, Boston, and Yale Universities, and currently holds a research appointment at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. Her newest book, Women: Icons of Christ (Paulist Press, 2020) examines the historical and theological evidence for the ministry of women ordained as Catholic deacons.

Webinar Registration here.