The board members behind Eugene’s Interfaith Prayer Service view the holiday season as a time for religious tolerance, understanding and dialogue.
Since it was created in 2001, the Interfaith Prayer Service has been bringing various religions together once a month to share their religious beliefs and practices.
“Interfaith is not trying to blend religions,” Interfaith board member Bill Harris said. “We try to share our religions and practices (and) find out the similarities and sincerities towards them.”
The theme for December’s service is “Lights of Peace and Fellowship.”  
Harris, who is coordinating the December service, said that the light represents all the various manifestations of God and that peace and fellowship represent the embrace of each other’s differences.
Interfaith promotes tolerance at every monthly service. The nonprofit brings nine to 10 different religious representations to each service, though they try to bring Christian, Muslim and Jewish representatives to every gathering.
The Interfaith Prayer Service was created by Siri Kaur Khalsa-Harris in response to the 9/11 attacks. It was created to promote tolerance during a time of religious and ethnic tension.
The first service started on Oct. 11, 2001, with four board members and the Eugene community supporting them.
Today, the Interfaith Prayer Service is a government recognized nonprofit, and this December it will be celebrating its 111th consecutive service.
“Eugene gets it,” Khalsa-Harris said. “We have people at the forefront of religious tolerance and harmony.”
The organization has been working with students, musicians, religious leaders and groups across the country from Eugene to Washington, D.C.
At the Dec. 11 service, several religious representatives will be speaking, and though the service will occur during a prominent holiday season, they will be discussing varying topics.
Religious music groups will also be featured in this month’s service.
Rebecca Larson, who will be directing the St. Thomas More Newman Center choir, has chosen her Catholic choral piece “De Pacem Domine” with consideration to this month’s theme.
“It is meant to be contemplative and call people to prayer,” she said. “I chose it because it is about peace.”
Maureen Robeson, who will be directing the In Accord Community Choir, said the service is a great chance to share with the community.
“I think this is the type of event, which creates an opportunity to learn about and appreciate each other’s traditions for good, is what the world needs to create ultimate peace,” Robeson said.
The service will not begin with traditional Christmas music, however. Instead it will feature Native American flute music played by renowned flautist John Sarantos. The pieces he will be playing are about sunrise and sunset, reflecting the theme of light once again.
In their ninth year coming together, Khalsa-Harris said he continuously sees religious tolerance growing in Eugene and around the world.
“We have this network of (interfaith) community, and its growing,” he said. “It’s a joy to know the community’s saying we’re not going to allow (intolerance) to happen … it’s such an amazing sight.”
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