Building a Culture of Encounter: Reflections from a Festival That Lived Its Name
It began with an explosion of rhythm, poetry, and soul. The Schoenecker Center Performance Hall erupted into life as Meet You at the Crossroads opened with welcoming remarks from University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer, who invited the audience to expand their understanding of “neighbor” through the parable of the Good Samaritan and then brought Somali blues into dynamic conversation with Black gospel-style music. With voices soaring and drums pulsing, the evening opened not with silence, but with celebration. At the heart of it stood two master storytellers: Somali author and poet Ahmed Ismail Yusuf and music legend J.D. Steele Muslim and Christian, Somali and African American, elder and youth, their presence embodied the very spirit of the festival: a harmony forged not through sameness, but through the beauty of shared humanity. A highpoint of the concert featured a young boy from the MacPhail Community Youth Choir delivering a stirring solo of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” drawing the audience to its feet in a moment that was as tender as it was electric. Curated by David Jordan Harris with the Jay Phillips Center and co-produced by Beck Lee and the Cultural Fluency Initiative – with support from the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Music, Film, and Creative Enterprise, Scene Setters, the Encountering Islam Initiative of the Theology Department, and the Chapel Arts Series – the sold-out performance launched the 2025 Culture of Encounter Ideas Festival with a profound sense of awe, welcome, and shared tears. With a waitlist that had to be closed and a crowd that rose more than once in standing ovation, the evening set the tone for what was to come: bold, embodied, and unapologetically plural.
Wednesdays on January 28, February 4, 11, and 18, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.; online Religion can be more than what is contemplated in the mind. Often it is a feast for the senses that draws us in, makes us feel awe or mystery, and sometimes even enlightens us. Encounter World Religions is offering a new winter series titled "Sounds, Spaces, and Celebrations: The Feel of the World's Religions." Participant will explore the poetry and perspectives of sacred texts; the sights, sounds, and spaces that move us; and the celebrations that connect us. Those involved will learn how beauty is central to the religious experience. Each of the four talks will explore the richness of many religions, rather than learning about a single tradition.
Sunday, January 18, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.; Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 County Road C2, Roseville Though hailing from many cultures and engaging in various traditions, there is a shared humanity -- a common bond as children of a greater purpose. Celebrate this perspective at an event under the theme of "Finding Unity With Kindness and Peace." The event is free to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul Food Shelf at the Department of Indian Work. Minnesota Multifaith Network is a co-sponsor of the event, along with JustServe and Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul.
Monday, January 19, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.; Various locations with registration at Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Avenue, St. Paul Interfaith Action of GreaterSaint Paul is sponsoring opportunities for volunteers to serve their communities to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on January 19. Service projects, both onsite at Macalester Plymouth United Church and offsite, will includ work for Bridging, Living Well, Urban Village, Ronald McDonald House, Interfaith Action, and other organizations. If you have questions, contact Rachel McIver Morey.
On December 17, 2025, the Religion News Service (RNS) published an opinion piece by Dr. Jen Kilps, network executive of the Minnesota Multifaith Network. (RNS) — On Friday afternoons, a collective of Christian and Muslim faith communities gets together in Cedar-Riverside, the largest Somali neighborhood in Minnesota, after jumah (Friday prayers). Neighbors gather and simply share Somali tea and coffee, greeting each other while forming relationships. One of the Christian pastors, the Rev. Jane Buckley-Farlee, involved in this activity explains: “All we do is serve tea and coffee, be friendly, talk, and say, ‘We’re glad you’re here.’ People walk out from Friday prayers and, seeing people gathered, are moved — and they remember. It’s really powerful.” This gathering has been happening since President Donald Trump’s first travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries in 2017, when people from the Somali community expressed fear of being targeted for persecution from the U.S. government. And those Friday afternoons continue to be a beautiful example of religious hospitality that creates safe space for relationships and community building. (Read on)
William P. Brown Named Rutlen Lecturer for 2026 Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.; Olson Campus Center, Luther Seminary, 2481 Como Avenue, St. Paul The annual Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation in 2026 will explore the value of God’s creation in Job and for us all in the face of climate crises. Under the title "Be-Wilded by Wonder: Just Creation in the Book of Job," Rev. William P. Brown will address questions such as: What would it be like to read the story of Job by reading the ending first? How does one understand the book of Job as a whole, with creation taking center stage? And what about all those wild animals God presents for Job’s consideration? William P. Brown is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. His work explores justice, creation care, and hope form bibilical and theological perspectives. He is author of several books, including Sacred Tension: Embracing Dialogue and Dissonance in the Old Testament and Deep Calls to Deep: The Psalms in Dialogue and Disruption.
If you care about home, you are invited to participate in the Losing Sleep, Losing Homes Vigil starting Tuesday, November 25. Participants can join the vigil in person or virtually by committing to one or more one-hour shifts to stay awake, contact your member of Congress, and hold vigil. Those who are able are especially encouraged to come in person for the opening and closing hours to help create a strong, visible presence. When: 7:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 25 - Wednesday, November 26 Where: Virtual -or - The Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N orth17th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403
You are invited to join a special screening event of Gabe Polsky's The Man Who Saves the World? , playing this coming Tuesday, November 18, at the Riverside Theatre in Minneapolis at 7:00 p.m. , which is about someone I know: Patrick McCollum. There will be a post screening Q&A’s with Gabe and Patrick McCollum. This is more than a movie, and after sold-out events in Sedona, San Rafael, Ojai, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, & NYC, it is exciting that this film, with its unforgettable characters, and powerful message, is coming to audiences in Minneapolis as it continues its nationwide rollout! -- Jen Kilps
Tuesday, November 18, 1:00 - 2:25 p.m.; St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 1660 County Road B West, Roseville In its continuing effort to bring together local faith communities to have discussions on issues affecting our community, Do Good Roseville is sponsoring a training for faith communities on Tuesday, November 18, to address current immigration concerns. The event will include a speaker from the ACLU who will address questions such as: What faith communities can do on their premises. Ways to support families Community updates Time for discussion on what our faith communities are doing or would like to do will be made available.
What if the conversations you're afraid to have this Thanksgiving became the ones that deepened connection? Interfaith Photovoice's " Guide for Bountiful Thanksgiving Conversations " shows you how to use your own photographs to start conversations that actually bring people together around the table.
Noted Journalist to Address Christian Nationalism Sunday, November 9, 2:00 p.m.; House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue, St. Paul As part of its Sunday Series, House of Hope Presbyterian Church is hosting an event featuring investigative journalist Katherine Stewart. She will address issues around the impact of Christian Nationalism. Stewart is the author of the New York Times bestselling Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2025). Her previous book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism (Bloomsbury, 2020) formed the basis of the documentary feature God & Country, produced by Rob Reiner. The Power Worshippers was awarded First Place in the Nonfiction Books category by the Religion News Association.