December 30, 1999 - David and Johanna Hecker are devout Christians who have been living for 22 years in Northeast Minnesota, on land they call God's wilderness. When they heard about the anticipated problems with Y-2-K, they advertised, offering to sell land to other Christian, home-schooling families, and help build cabins to avoid any millennial disruptions. Visitors arrived from all over the country. But as Mainstreet Radio's Amy Radil reports, things haven't quite worked out as the Heckers hoped.
February 29, 2000 - A Mainstreet Radio special about life and death. Host Rachel Reabe broadcasts from The Waterford, a retirement community in Fargo. In this first hour, Reabe talks about end-of-life issues with medical and religious experts about the concept of death and “dying well.”
September 1, 2000 - "A Common Place", a documentary about work, meaning, and purpose.
October 9, 2000 - A new MPR special called "A Common Place." In this edition, a cancer researcher who is an orthodox Jew, a computer scientist who is a theologian, and a Buddhist monk explores what it means to be human.
November 13, 2000 - Veterans Day special featuring spiritual journeys of veterans.
December 5, 2000 - The second hour of Midday and the latest edition of our "Voices of Minnesota" series features the recently retired Catholic Bishop of New Ulm, Raymond Lucker. During his twenty five years of service, his outspoken and liberal views were often controversial. The program also includes Rabbi Bernard Raskes interview and Dan Gunderson report on faith-based healing.
December 20, 2000 - The latest edition of "A Common Place" about children and religion.
December 27, 2000 - MPR’s Jae Bryson reports on local Muslims arriving at St. Paul's RiverCentre for Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr. The prayers and feasts of Eid al-Fitr mark the end of Ramadan, the month-long period of fasting and material deprivation. Organizers say the event, one of two Muslim High Holy Days, attracted more than 10,000 people.
April 6, 2001 - As the sun sets on Saturday night, Jews will gather to celebrate the first night of Passover. The eight-day festival begins with family and friends participating in a ritual meal called a Seder. The leader of the Seder tells the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The Jewish slaves didn't have time to allow their bread dough to rise. What resulted was a flat, cracker-like bread called matzah. Chaim Goldberger (Hy-am) is a modern orthodox Rabbi at the Kenesseth (Ken-ess-et) Israel Synagogue in St. Louis Park. He says that in observing Passover, Jews are commanded to eat matzah. Opening excerpt: The Torah tells us that there is a link between dough and a human being; mixing a dusty flour with water to create bread and humans. Yeast makes bread rise and is the human equivalent for ego. Unleavened bread takes the ego out of the bread and human…
April 26, 2001 - As part of Mainstreet Radio series Broken Trust: Civil Rights in Indian Country, MPR’s Bob Rhea reports on the fight for religious freedom of Native Americans, including those incarcerated.