Next week, in a spin on Bill Maher’s controversial talk show extravanganza, representatives of different religious persuasions on campus will come together for “Spiritually Incorrect,” a discussion on spirituality and its integration into daily life.
Spirituality Week, which begins Sunday, aims to engage Washington University students, faculty and staff in discussions of spirituality through special programs and greater publicity of regularly scheduled events.
One of the unique aspects of Spirituality Week is the interaction between the InterFaith Campus Ministers’ Association (IFCMA) and the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness.
According to Dan Pascucci, an organizer of Spirituality Week and an assistant health educator with the Office of Health Promotions and Wellness, the health office hopes that by coordinating with the IFCMA to put on the “Spiritual Nature Walk” and the “Yoga and Spirituality” event, students will be able to learn about the connection between spirituality and health.
“We are sponsoring events that deal with spirituality’s relationship to a person’s total health and well-being,” Pascucci said. “Our office believes that whole health includes one’s spiritual journey. I personally believe that spirituality is one of the major, if not the most important components of my health.”
Spirituality Week will feature a special edition of “Missionary Positions” on WUTV, a two-hour nature walk through Forest Park, and an InterFaith Progressive Dinner, which will begin with appetizers at the Episcopal and Lutheran Campus Ministry Houses, move to Hillel for the main course, and end with dessert at the Catholic Student Center.
“Spirituality Week provides various campus faiths and traditions a forum for dialogue and an opportunity to tell others about their faiths,” said Pascucci.
Brittney Hart, a member of Galleros, the Catholic Student Center’s student council, said such dialogue is important to the university.
“I think [Spirituality Week is] a really good idea because I don’t think it’s too often that everyone can sit down together and talk about how much we all have in common,” Hart said.
Leslie Limbaugh, the Baptist Campus Minister and an organizer of the week’s festivities, said that discussion is one of three objectives of Spirituality Week.
“I think the goals of Spirituality Week are to help students and staff see that spiritual life is alive and well at WU, to provide positive publicity for spiritual life and health, and to promote interfaith awareness and dialogue,” Limbaugh said.
Sarah Geimer, a member of Campus Pagans and an organizer of the Progressive Dinner, said she hopes that participants in the dinner take the time to get to know people of different religious backgrounds.
“We want to expose the people who attend to different religious traditions in a more integrated way where they can sit at a table and just ask questions,” Geimer said. “Because people on this campus tend to self-segregate, we may randomly assign people to different tables so that students of various religions sit together.”
The organizers of Spirituality Week also are trying to publicize the routine religious and spiritual events that occur on the WU campus throughout the year. For instance, Spirituality Week posters are promoting the regular Jummah prayer service that is conducted by the Muslim Students Association.
“Our own weekly religious event, the Jummah Prayers (Friday Prayers), is listed on the Spirituality Week flyer, and we are expecting a large turnout,” said Rouhollah Rahmani, the internal vice president of the Muslim Students Association.
The IFCMA is the primary sponsor of Spirituality Week. This group consists of the majority of the professional campus ministers, although it also includes some on-campus religious organizations that do not have clergy. The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, Student Union and the Office of Student Activities are also supporting the week’s events.
“Spirituality allows me to find that connection with who I am-who I am right now and what I can offer right now to the world,” said Geimer.
Rahmani said that he hopes Spirituality Week helps WU students understand the importance of spirituality in their lives.
“Spirituality is important on any campus, as it is in any walk of life,” Rahmani explained. “It gives one a righteous path to follow, and keeps one from going astray. It is through spirituality that we see the big picture, and instead of focusing only on ourselves, we turn our eyes towards a greater cause, whether that be charity, social justice, or merely showing kindness to others.”
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