On Sunday, our interfaith community met in the shade of an ancient oak tree. We spread blankets under the leafy canopy—new parents with babies, engaged couples, empty nesters. We stood, and chanted the Shema, and the Lord’s Prayer, and sang an Irish blessing. Those struggling with illness or sadness got up to place pebbles in a bowl, to share their burden with the community. Our minister reflected on the story of Jacob and Esau. Then, we sang the Hamotzi over our potluck feast. I crossed the lawn to greet our rabbi, a chaplain at Georgetown, who was decked out in a jaunty T-shirt reading “Georgetown” in Hebrew.
Our community encompasses Catholics, Protestants, Quakers, Buddhists, Jews of every stripe, agnostics and atheists. We come together in spite of our diverse and divergent theologies. But for many interfaith families, we are the only spiritual home, the only place they feel comfortable. I don’t call what we do together worship, because for me, theology is not the point. Rather, the community itself, and the primal experience of singing together and sharing our joys and concerns, creates the neurological response that humans label spirituality. It has little to do with belief, and much to do with making art together and providing support for each other in times of trouble.
In our community, we call this a Gathering rather than a worship service. Each Gathering begins with this responsive reading written by Oscar Rosenbloom, a founding member of the Interfaith Community of Palo Alto:
Reader: We gather here as an Interfaith Community
To share and celebrate the gift of life together
All: Some of us gather as the Children of Israel
Some of us gather in the name of Jesus of Nazareth
Some of us gather influenced by each
Reader: However we come, and whoever we are
May we be moved, In our time together
To experience that sense of Divine presence in each of us
Evoked by our worship together
All: And to know in the wisdom of our hearts
That deeper unity in which all are one.
Ten years into our journey with this interfaith community, my chidren have memorized the Shema, the Hamotzi, the Lord’s Prayer. They also recite by heart that interfaith responsive reading. They can articulate their sense of connection to this community, and the songs and readings stir their souls. Our community is an immense tree with branches growing in all directions, representing Jewish, Christian and other beliefs. No matter how much it irks some religious institutions, we insist on standing together to create a motley but massive trunk for this tree, a strong support for our children to climb and explore.
Susan Katz Miller is an interfaith families speaker, consultant, and coach, and author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family (2015), and a workbook, The Interfaith Family Journal (2019).
Being Both 
This is beautiful Sue, and a perfect description of a great gathering. Am so excited to see new entries on your blog – it makes my day.
Mazel Tov Sue on your blog and on this heartfelt description of Sunday. Thanks to you, and another friend who started her own Blog just recently (ironically hers is about Iran), I am taking a dive into the blogosphere, which until now I have generally shunned. So you have already opened at least one person’s eyes to something new.
Hello! I just found your site (linked from Charlotte Gordon’s blog). I go to an “open and welcoming” UCC church (that means that we welcome anyone no matter what their faith or sexual preference — about as radical as we can get for now, you know?). I think I’ll share this blog with the Sunday School teachers because having an interfaith Sunday School would be great for all ages!
Wow Sue! Thank you so much for that tree like description of our community.
Our tree is growing and branching out. The IFFP Philly group just went gleaning together on Sunday. This is what we do, glean, sing, connect and encourage one another on whatever paths we choose.