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News and Programs 08.24.23
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 | Welcoming Interfaith and Spiritual Exploration (WISE) 2023
Emory Interfaith Center
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Celebrating the WISE Pre-Orientation Program 2023
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From August 14-18, 2023, the Emory University Office of Spiritual and Religious Life (OSRL) offered the third year of our WISE (Welcoming Interfaith and Spiritual Exploration) Pre-Orientation Program. The program is designed to welcome entering first-year students to Emory's Atlanta campus while providing an opportunity to learn about different faiths, interfaith work, and social justice, and to explore campus and the city of Atlanta.
We are grateful to our group of about 40 students and to our campus and Atlanta community partners for their participation throughout a full week of activities, which included:
- dinner at Glenn Memorial Church, the University Catholic Center, and Bread Coffeehouse;
- visiting the Temple (Buckhead) and learning about their interfaith collaborations from the Civil Rights Movement to the present;
- touring historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and the childhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;
- visiting the Hindu Temple of Atlanta and sharing a Langar Lunch at the Sikh Study Circle Gurdwara; and
- practicing meditation at Kim Cang Buddhist Monastery, joining in Jumu'ah Prayers at the Masjid Al-Momineen, and sharing in Shabbat dinner at Hillel at Emory.
We're excited to continue working with these interfaith student leaders and great community partners for years to come. To learn more about WISE, please visit our website here. For questions, please contact religiouslife@emory.edu.
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Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church
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Sikh Study Circle Gurdwara
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Spiritual Life Resouce Fair 2023 Recap
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Thank you to everyone who came out to the Spiritual Life Resource Fair on Tuesday, August 22 on the Cox Hall Bridge. OSRL chaplains, affiliates, and student leaders from about 25 student-led spiritual, religious, and philosophical communities were in attendance and shared information on gatherings, practices, and opportunities to get involved with spirituality and social justice.
We have also been able to meet students at resource fairs at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Candler School of Theology, Laney Graduate School, and Rollins School of Public Health, and the Emory School of Medicine. Our team is looking forward to participating in fairs at the Goizueta Business School and Emory School of Law in the weeks ahead.
If you missed us, please drop by the Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday, August 30 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. on McDonough Field. That is the night for religious and philosophical organizations.
You can also read more about our communities here.
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Emory Convocation 2023 Recap
On Saturday, August 19, Emory officially welcomed incoming undergraduate students and their families at the annual university Convocation ceremony. Dean of Religious Life Gregory W. McGonigle offered the invocation, and student leaders from five spiritual traditions shared benedictions, including the prayer below by Beloved Community leader Celi Byer:
Dear God,
Thank you for the safe arrival of our entering students. May they be comforted by your grace and guiding love as we welcome them to their new home at Emory.
God, bless them with courage to discover and develop their talents.
Bless them with gratitude for each other and for all creation.
Bless them with understanding so that they may live sincere, intentional lives.
And God, let them never forget that they are loved, and so desperately needed in our world.
Amen.
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Read more about Convocation 2023 here.
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Apply to Be an OSRL Student Worker (Undergraduates)
OSRL is hiring student workers for this academic semester. The student worker team supports the department’s mission through hospitality and communications support, data and record management, web and publications work, and special event staffing.
Training and mentoring will be provided through staff meetings and ongoing coaching to build knowledge and skills. Student workers will learn about multifaith and interfaith work and assist professional staff in supporting programs and services.
Positions are available for students with and without Federal Work-Study funding.
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First Year Students: Apply to Be a Flourishing Fellow
As part of Emory’s focus on Student Flourishing, the Flourishing Fellows program seeks to foster resilient, inclusive, and relationship-based communities on campus. This program will bring together a group of 12-15 diverse student leaders to be trained in the work of dialogue and community-building, and then actively engage their peers and their communities.
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World Religions Series at Glenn Memorial UMC “New Class”
Sundays, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 9:30-10:15 a.m., Glenn Memorial Church School Building 208
- 9/17: Brni. Shweta Chaitanya on Hinduism
- 9/24: Ven. Priya Rakkhit Sraman on Buddhism
- 10/1: Rabbi Jordan Braunig on Judaism
- 10/8: Dr. Isam Vaid on Islam
Join Glenn Memorial Church’s New Class for a series on world religions, taught by several members of Emory University’s religious life team. We will discuss topics such as concepts of God, sacred texts, and views on education, pastoral care, social action, and finding hope.
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Beloved Community Protestant Worship in Cannon Chapel
Sundays during the Term, 11:00 a.m. Service, Noon Free Lunch, Cannon Chapel
Emory Beloved Community is the weekly progressive ecumenical Protestant worship service for the campus community held Sunday morning in Cannon Chapel and followed by a free lunch. All are welcome. For more information, please contact Emory Christian Chaplain Rev. Maddie Henderson Herlong.
Preacher for August 27: The Rev. Maddie Henderson Herlong, Christian Chaplain, Emory OSRL
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Beloved Community: Fall Bible Study
Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. starting August 29, Interfaith Center Student Lounge
Beloved Community Fall Bible Study begins Tuesday August 29. Join us this semester as we study Jesus’ parables using Short Stories by Jesus. Each week, we’ll look at a parable and explore new ways of understanding these texts.
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Voices of Inner Strength Gospel Choir: General Interest Meeting
Friday, September 1, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wesley Teaching Chapel, Candler School of Theology
The choir open to all students across the university welcomes enthusiastic singers who want to explore or join in its ministry of music. The choir is led by OSRL Music Director Mr. Maury Allums. Rehearsals take place weekly during the academic year on Fridays from 6-8 p.m.
For more information, please contact Mr. Maury Allums, OSRL Director of Music, at mallums@emory.edu.
The Voices of Inner Strength Gospel Choir, Emory's longstanding and dynamic gospel choir, welcomes all who desire to praise God with song and serve as taught in God's Word. They occasionally sing at Beloved Community Worship, offer one campus concert each semester, and sing at university events and other occasions. View their website here.
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Buddhist Meditation in Cannon Chapel
Thursday, August 24, 6:00 p.m., Cannon Chapel Sanctuary
Join the Emory Buddhist community in guided meditation and discussion. Come to meditate, to make friends, and to learn about Buddhist life at Emory.
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MEOR: Sushi Social
Thursday, August 24, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Cannon Chapel Underpass
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Emory InterVarsity GCF: Welcome Back Dinner
Thursday, August 24, 7:00 p.m., Brooks Commons, Cannon Chapel
Welcome back to campus. The fall semester is starting, and we couldn’t be more excited. Join us on August 24 at Cannon Chapel as we gather to pray for each other and our campus this semester, and to enjoy food from Desta Ethiopian Kitchen.
The following Friday, September 1, also at 7:00 pm, will be our September First Friday Dinner. Stay tuned for more announcements on that.
RSVP for either or both events by visiting here.
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Muslim Jumu'ah Prayers in Cannon Chapel
Friday, August 25, 1:55 p.m., Cannon Chapel
Join Emory OSRL for Friday Prayers. For questions, please contact isam.vaid@emory.edu.
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Hindu Aarthi in Cannon Chapel
Friday, August 25, 5:00 p.m., Cannon Chapel Sanctuary
Join Emory's Hindu community for weekly prayers and community. All are welcome.
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Hillel at Emory: Shabbat with Hillel
Friday, August 25, Pre-Shabbat Social 6:00 p.m., Services 6:30 p.m., Dinner, 7:00 pm., Marcus Hillel Center, 735 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322
Our first Shabbat of the school year is this Friday. We can’t see everyone. Join us for a pre-Shabbat social at 6:00 p.m., optional services at 6:30 p.m., and dinner at 7:00 p.m. Comment on this post on Instagram to RSVP.
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Chabad at Emory: Welcome Back Shabbat
Friday, August 25, 7:30 p.m. services, 8:00 p.m. dinner, 1500 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA 30306
Join fellow Emoryites and experience Shabbat at Chabad. A perfect blend of gourmet food, spirited singing, friendly schmoozing, and inspired ideas. This is not to be missed.
RSVP A MUST: Text Shabbat Dinner to 404-999-7787
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Voices of Inner Strength at Culture Shock
Saturday, August 26, 7:30 p.m., McDonough Field
Come hear the Voices of Inner Strength Gospel Choir perform at Culture Shock this weekend.
The Voices of Inner Strength Gospel Choir, Emory's longstanding and dynamic gospel choir, welcomes all who desire to praise God with song and serve as taught in God's Word. The choir began with a concert on April 21, 1985 that included a homily by Civil Rights leader and minister The Reverend C.T. Vivian.
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University Catholic Center: Mass
Join the University Catholic Center for Mass. Please see the schedule below.
Sundays, 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Cannon Chapel, 515 South Kilgo Cir NE, Atlanta, GA 30322
Wednesdays, Noon, University Catholic Center, 1753 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA 30307
Thursdays, Noon, University Catholic Center, 1753 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA 30307
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University Catholic Center: Upcoming Events
Bring your friends and join us this semester starting with a free dinner at the Catholic Center after this Sunday’s 5:00 p.m. mass (note the time change). Excited to see everyone.
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Hillel at Emory: Welcome Calendar
August 18-31, 2023
Join Hillel at Emory for Weeks of Welcome. Learn more here.
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Orthodox Christian Fellowship: Upcoming Programs
Welcome back to campus. We’re beyond excited to kick off this school year with Orthodox Christian Fellowship.
- Student Involvement Fair
Wednesday, August 30, 8:00-10:00 p.m., McDonough Field
- Wednesday Bible Study
Theme: “In The Beginning”
Wednesday, September 6, Time: To Be Announced, Place: To Be Announced
- Fill out our New Member Form (linked in bio) to be added to our mailing list. That way, you won’t miss out on the details.
- Week of August 20, 2023
OCF Executive Board Application OPENS
Interested in applying to join our team? Send a message to ocfemory@gmail.com for more information.
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Emory InterVarsity: 3 Chapters, One Witnessing Community
What is InterVarsity? What is ECF?
To kick off the new school year, we want to introduce ourselves.
InterVarsity is a vibrant campus ministry that establishes witnessing communities of students and faculty. We host Bible studies, prayer meetings, worship nights, community events, and more.
At Emory, we have 3 Chapters that coordinate together but host separate weekly Bible studies. ECF is one of those chapters.
Stay tuned for our Bible study theme reveal and back to school events. Learn more here.
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International InterVarsity Fellowship
Welcome to Emory! If you don't receive our weekly email yet, please sign up with us. And we also are going to have a welcome dinner for you. Please sign up now. Everything is free.
PS. For welcome dinner: we charge $10 for keeping your spot, then you will receive it back at the welcome dinner.
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Bread Coffeehouse: Welcome Back Events
Back to School Beach Party
Thursday August 31, 7:15 p.m., Bread Coffeehouse, 1227 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30307
Free Chick Fil A Sandwiches. First 100 people get a free Bread shirt that we'll be tie-dying at the event.
First DBS of the Semester
September 7, 7:15 p.m., Bread Coffeehouse, 1227 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30307
Free Dinner, Band, and Storytelling
Contact: Bread Affiliate Alicia Marshall, alicia@breadcoffeehouse.org. Learn more here. Sign up for our Espresso Shot Weekly Email to stay in the loop for all things Bread with the below link.
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Reformed University Fellowship (RUF): Welcome Back Events
Welcome Cookout
Saturday, August 26, 5:30-8:00 p.m., Campus Life Pavilion.
More details: Come enjoy food, yard games, and hear a little more about RUF. Stop by or stay the whole time.
First Large Group
Wednesday, August 30, 7:30 p.m., Brooks Commons, Canon Chapel.
More details: Join us for worship and our sermon series on Galatians.
Labor Day Hike
Monday, September 4
More details: Come hike East Palisades with us. This is an Atlanta hike inside the perimeter that feels like it is in the mountains. We will visit the famed Bamboo Forest too.
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Collegiate Black Christians: New Student Mixer
Saturday, September 2, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Freshman Quad
Come fellowship with us and enjoy free food, games, music, and more.
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Meditation and Compassion: Cultivating an Altruistic Heart to Engage the World
Tuesday, August 29, 7:00 p.m., Julia Thompson Smith Chapel, Agnes Scott College
We are excited to welcome distinguished Tibetan Buddhist lama Tulku Migmar Tsering to Agnes Scott College on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. His talk is entitled "Meditation and Compassion: Cultivating an Altruistic Heart to Engage the World" and it is free and open to the public.
We hope to see some of our friends from the surrounding community at this event.
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Interfaith Atlanta: Interfaith Festival
Sunday, September 10, 2:00-5:30 p.m., Columbia Theological Seminary, 701 S. Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30030
We are so excited to present our 3rd annual Interfaith Festival. We look forward to celebrating 20 years of Interfaith Atlanta with the Atlanta community. Learn more here.
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Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration
Saturday, September 16-Sunday, September 17, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park, Macon, GA
Free to the public. Presented at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The event will showcase the traditional style culture of the Southeastern Indigenous Tribes.
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World River Day
Sunday, September 17, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Join Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, Ismaili Civic, the Boy Scouts of America, and Rivers Alive on #WorldRiverDay, September 17 to clean up eight sites across the metro-Atlanta area. You are encouraged to register early. Register here.
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Undergraduate Student Involvement Fair 2023
August 28-30, 2023, 8:00-10:00 p.m., McDonough Field
Interested in learning more about student organizations on campus. Nearly 100 organizations participate daily. Each day there will be food trucks, novelty activities, giveaways, and music. Come back every day for something new.
- Monday, August 28: Pre-Professional; Academic; Service, Philanthropy, and Civic Engagement
- Tuesday, August 29: Arts & Media; Recreation & Wellness, Club Sports, and Outdoor Activities; Student Government; University Offices, Departments, and Programs; and Sorority and Fraternity Life
- Wednesday, August 30: Cultural, Diversity, & Ethnic; Religious, Spirituality, Faith-based, and Philosophical; Political & Ideological
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The Morgan Forum: "re:Wording: The Past, Present, and Future of the Bible in Translation"
September 21, 11:05 a.m., 7:30 p.m., Candler School of Theology
This day-long event will celebrate Pitts’ new J. Michael Morgan English Bible and Psalmody Collection through worship, exhibition tours and demonstrations, a panel discussion, and the keynote Manfred Hoffmann Lecture by Timothy Beal 95G, Distinguished University Professor and Florence Harkness Professor of Religion at Case Western Reserve University. Learn more and register for the Morgan Forum. Learn more here.
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TAM Institute for Jewish Studies: Jewish Studies Welcome Dinner
Wednesday, September 27, 5:30 p.m., Jones Room, Woodruff Library
All are welcome. Come experience a catered kosher sushi dinner, meet fellow students interested in Jewish Studies and learn about an exciting, heavily subsidized summer study abroad opportunity in Poland.
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Opportunities and Resources
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Eagle Food Pantry Fall 2023
For the fall semester, the Eagle Food Pantry will be open on Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Address is 1227 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30307.
All are welcome. No appointments needed.
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Holistic Hub
Holistic Hub is a community organization that seeks to cultivate a nurturing community dedicated to fostering holistic wellness at Emory. At Holistic Hub, we value GRACE - gratitude, respect, acceptance, compassion, and energy. From soothing mindfulness practices to cathartic journaling sessions, we have a variety of events planned for the Emory community. We have open executive board positions available, and we would love for you to join.
Reach out to imaan.hasham@emory.edu or DM @emoryholistichub on Instagram if you are interested.
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Weekly Spiritual Gatherings
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There are a plethora of weekly religious and philosophical gatherings offered at Emory. Many of them are listed here and at the button below.
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Annual Major Religious Holidays List -- Academic Year 2023-24
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As planning begins for courses, programs, and meetings for the 2023-24 academic year, OSRL seeks to provide guidance for the Emory community regarding upcoming religious holiday observances that may impact large numbers in our community. These dates are provided to assist community members with avoiding potential schedule conflicts, and can be found below. Please give special attention to the bolded holidays, as they often require accommodation. In some cases, it is ideal to avoid assignments and programs on these dates to be most equitable.
Below are lists of major religious holidays observed by sizeable religious demographic groups within the Emory community.
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Upcoming Religious Holidays
These events are drawn from the multifaith calendar maintained by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at Harvard Divinity School. To see more upcoming religious holidays and festivals, please click here.
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Raksha Bandan
Wed., Aug. 30, 2023
Tradition: Hinduism
Also abbreviated to Rakhi, it is the Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. It is celebrated on the full moon in the month of Sravana in the lunar calendar.
Krishna Janmashtami (Sri Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami)
Wed., Sep. 6, 2023
Tradition: Hinduism
Celebrates the birthday of Krishna. According to the Hindu epics, Krishna was the eighth incarnation of the God Vishnu, opposed to the demon Kansa, who was responsible for the increase of evil in the world. Worship of Krishna is characteristically expressed in dance and song.
Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos
Fri., Sep. 8, 2023
Tradition: Christianity-Orthodox
Paryusana Festival
Mon., Sep. 11 – Tue., Sep. 19, 2023
Tradition: Jainism
Considered the holiest period of the year, these eight days are marked for Jains by fasting, meditation, prayer and public readings of the life story of Lord Mahavira. Observed especially by the followers of the Shvetambara sect, Paryusana concludes on Samvatsari, the most solemn occasion of self-scrutiny and forgiveness. On this day, Jains ask for forgiveness from their relatives and friends for any offense they may have committed by deed, word or thought.
Ghambar Paitishem
Tue., Sep. 12 – Sat., Sep. 16, 2023
Tradition: Zoroastrianism
Celebrates the creation of plants, the sowing of the winter crop and the return of herds from pasture
Rosh Hashanah
Fri., Sep. 15 – Sun., Sep. 17, 2023
Tradition: Judaism
The Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of the world, Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Awe (also known as the Ten Days of Repentance) that conclude on Yom Kippur. It marks the beginning of the holiest time of the year for Jews.
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Emory OSRL ENews is published weekly during term by the Emory University Office of Spiritual and Religious Life publicizing Atlanta-campus spiritual life programs. It is not a comprehensive listing. For Oxford College spiritual life, please click here. To submit information or to update your preferences, please contact religiouslife@emory.edu.
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