Spirited Inauguration Parties Planned

Inaugual parade rehearsal

WaPo: Saying they see a spiritual nature to Barack Obama's inauguration, dozens of area churches and other faith groups are planning an unusual rush of activities to mark the occasion, from assisting food banks to Bible lectures on public policy to hosting of hundreds of out-of-town church members.

For the people involved, many of whom are mainline Protestants, the events are unprecedented; religion historians and local faith leaders say they can't remember anything similar for a presidential inauguration. Plans sound more like those for a mission trip than a political swearing-in.

The largest effort is being made by United Methodists, whose city churches are hosting such workshops as "Earth Care and Justice For All" and youth choirs from across the country and urging dozens of regional churches to focus on the theme of rebirth from the Book of Ezekiel next Sunday. A Sokka Gakkai Buddhist center in Northwest will be open all day, saying it sees the inauguration as a "teaching moment for Buddhists." The InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington calls it a "special opportunity" for interfaith dialogue by placing visitors in homes of people of another faith.
......
Most of the church groups represent liberal philosophies, and their members say they were inspired by what they perceived as Obama's nearly spiritual way of speaking.

When President Bush was elected in 2000 and 2004, many religious conservatives characterized his wins in spiritual terms as well, and pastors in some of those churches said they were not planning anything special for this year's inauguration.

Many faith groups are celebrating in more earthly ways. On Jan. 17, there is the Youth Inaugural Ball at Shiloh Baptist Church in Shaw, which advertises "respectable hip-hop and R&B music"; the T-Shirt and Tails Ball to benefit the Bishop Walker Episcopal School in Southeast Washington; and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue's benefit concert "43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidents" for Bands for Lands, a conservation and social responsibility group. On Jan. 18 is the sold-out $250-a-ticket African-American Church Inaugural Ball and Ohev Sholom's National Inaugural Jewish Ball. Several Muslim groups are hosting a black-tie ball Jan. 19 for 500 -- a first.