PUDDING PULLS TWO FAITHS TOGETHER LUTHERAN, MUSLIM SERVICE A REMEMBRANCE OF NOAH.

Byline: Holly J. Andres Staff Writer

CANOGA PARK - When strangers break bread together, the adage says, they cannot be enemies.

Nos pudding, a Turkish dessert, will be the stand-in for bread Sunday, when two services will be held to cement the friendship between the Christian congregation at Faith Lutheran Church and their Muslim guests.

``Nos, or Noah, is a great prophet for us,'' said Ensar Demirkan, a Muslim Turk and the executive director of Global Cultural Connections, a Northridge-based nonprofit organization that strives to build understanding among religions and cultures.

``On Ashura, the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, we remember the prophet Nos and how the Ark landed on Mount Ararat,'' Demirkan said.

``In Turkey, we share the sweet pudding with whom we love. We offer it to our guests and neighbors. It is important to remember the blessings of God and to share with others what you have.''

Demirkan met the Rev. Wayne Christiansen from Faith Lutheran Church when they were appointed to the board of the Valley Interfaith Council. They are helping to plan ``The Tent of Abraham,'' a VIC event that will focus on the elements shared by Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other faiths that are linked by the prophet Abraham.

Islam has an estimated 1.2 billion followers worldwide, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, second to Christianity in number of believers.

And just as the story of Noah appears in the Bible and Nos is in the Quran, the two holy books also have versions of Adam and Eve/Adam and his wife; Cain and Abel/the two sons of Adam; and Jesus/Isa.

``Ensar said to me, 'We want to do this. It's a neighborly tradition (to share the pudding).' The hospitality of the Turkish people, by the way, is out of this world,'' said Christiansen, who visited Turkey last year.

``With Christians, Muslims and Jews killing each other elsewhere in the world, it's a powerful message to show that we can, and do, live together in peace here in the Valley.''

One of the aims of the special service on Sunday is to take some of the mystery out of Islamic beliefs. The story of Noah and the Ark is found in the Bible and the Quran, and both versions will be presented.

``We should concentrate on what we have in common, not the differences. People don't know much about Islam and they should know,'' Demirkan said. ``Most of the time in history we are living in peace with each other. We need to do our best to get together. The only way is dialogue.''

Noah/Nos ``Pudding of Peace'' service, 9 a.m. (English) and 11 a.m. (Spanish) Sunday, Faith Lutheran Church, 7500 De Soto Ave., Canoga Park. Call [phone].

Holly Andres, [phone]

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Rev. Wayne Christiansen from Faith Lutheran Church plays guitar next to Ensar Demirkan, a Muslim Turk and the executive director of Global Cultural Connections.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer