Alpine
* Cayutaville Church, 4 Corners, Cayutaville Road and county Road 6, (607) 594-4827: Pastor Steve DeWalt will deliver the message at the 9 a.m. Sunday service. Sunday school and adult Bible study to follow.
BEAVER DAMS
* Moreland Presbyterian Church, Beaver Dams-Moreland Road: Pastor Ann Campbell will give the sermon at the 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Sunday service. Children's Sunday school, nursery.
BENTLEY CREEK
* Bentley Creek Baptist Church, 13545Berwick Turnpike, (570) 596-2115, www.bcwesleyan.org: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Pastor Jim Ellis will deliver the message "Purpose II" based on Mark 3 at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service.
BIG FLATS
* American Baptist Community Church, 180 Hibbard Road, (607) 562-8144, www.tabbigflats.org: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. The Rev. Syd McCrorey will deliver the message at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Installation of the new pastor at 3 p.m. Children's church, nursery.
* First Presbyterian Church of Big Flats, 95 Main St., (607) 562-8048, www.bigflatsfirstpres.org: The Rev. Rick Price presents sermons based on lectionary topics at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Food Pantry will be open Tuesday noon to 2 p.m. Lenten Ecumenical series will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
* Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Hibbard Road Extension, (607) 562-3017, www.uuonline.net: Jenny Monroe will present Part II of Karen Armstrong's "Charter for Compassion" at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Religious education will be offered.
Breesport
* Breesport United Methodist Church, 119 Church St.: The Rev. Dorothy-York Alloway will deliver the message "Ouch!" based on Luke 13:1-9 at the 9 a.m. Sunday service.
Catharine/odessa
* St. John's Episcopal Church, county roads 14 and 15, (607) 535-2321, www.episcopalschuyler.org: The Rev. Kit Tobin will be the guest celebrant at the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist Sunday service.
(2 of 6)
CORNING
* Emanuel Lutheran Church, 149 W. Williams St. (607) 936-4268, www.emanuelcorning.org: The Rev. William C. Lutz will preside at the 11 a.m. Holy Communion family worship service.
* Faith Lutheran Church, 71 W. First St., 607-962-4970, www.corningnylutheran.com: The Rev. Gerhard P. Grabenhofer will deliver the message "Only Salvation by Grace Through Faith Honors Christ" based on Galatians 2:17-21 at the 11 a.m. Sunday service. "Pilate's Court -- Acquits But Yet Condemns" based on Matthew 27:2 and 11-26 will be the message at the 6 p.m. Wednesday service.
* First Congregational United Church of Christ, 171 W. Pulteney St., (607) 962-7423, www.uccincorningny.org: The Rev. David Ashby will deliver the message at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Sunday school for children pre-k through middle school after the children's message. Nursery.
* Grace United Methodist Church, 191 Bridge St., (607) 936-6145, www.gumccorning.org: Sunday school at 9 a.m. The Rev. Kathleen Turnbole will deliver the message at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service. Child care.
elmira
* Christian Faith Fellowship Church, 813 Maple Ave., (607) 737-1333: Sunday school at 10 a.m. The Rev. James R. Crupi will deliver a Bible message and the Lord's Supper will be celebrated at the traditional 11 a.m. Sunday services. A Bible message will also be given at the informal 6 p.m. Sunday service. Children's church during the 11 a.m. service.
* Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 380 Pennsylvania Ave., (607) 733-8219, www.chemungvalleycluster.org: The Rev. Ben Lentz will celebrate the Holy Eucharist with healing at 9 a.m. Sunday.
* First Presbyterian Church, 1054 W. Clinton St., (607) 734-1614, www.firstpreselmira.org: The Rev. Gil Mitchell, a retired Methodist minister, will preside at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Nursery.
(3 of 6)
* Grace Episcopal Church, 375 W. Church St., (607) 732-0545, www.grace-elmira.org: Christian education at 9 a.m. Deacon Daisy Kirkpatrick will deliver the message at the 8 and 10:15 a.m. Sunday services. Great litany in procession will be at 10:15 a.m. Mass at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church and at 10:45 a.m. at Bethany Village and 5:30 p.m. at the church on Thursday.
* Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 314 W. Church St., (607) 734-9434: Holy Communion will be celebrated at 8:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday. Christian education at 9:30 a.m.
* Lake Street Presbyterian Church, 300 Lake St., (607) 732-2680, lakestprchurch@stny.rr.com: The Rev. Ross Raymond will preach at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service. Child care.
* Living Word Evangelical Free Church, 1119 Lake St., (607) 733-7883, www.livingwordefc.com: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Pastor Bryan Kain will teach at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Nursery, children's church. Van ministry available by calling the church by 8 a.m. Sunday. Youth group at 6 p.m. Sunday.
* New Beginnings United Methodist Church, 330 W. Church St., (607) 734-2293: Sunday school at 10 a.m. The Rev. Mike Weeden will deliver the message "Be Humble" at 11 a.m. Sunday. Nursery. Food Pantry will be open Monday 8 a.m. to noon.
* North Presbyterian Church, 921 College Ave., (607) 734-2977, www.northpres.com: The Gary Chorpenning will deliver the message "The Fruit of the Spirit: Conditions for a Good Harvest" based on Galatians 5:16-25; Hosea 10:11-15 at the 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday services. Nursery.
* The Park Church, 208 W. Gray St., (607) 733-9104, www.theparkchurch.org: The Rev. Wayne Gustafson will deliver the message "New Directions, New Connections" at the 10 a.m. Sunday service. Children's Christian education will be held during the service.
(4 of 6)
* Riverside United Methodist Church, 559 Spaulding St., (607) 732-5737: Pastor Gail Wilson will preside at the 10 a.m. Communion Sunday service. Food Pantry will be open Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., call first.
* South Side Baptist/First Baptist Churches, Trinity Chapel, 304 N. Main Street, (607) 732-8837, officebaptist@aol.com: Adult Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Pastor David Daniels will deliver the message at the 11 a.m. Sunday service. Children's Sunday school held during the service. * Trinity Episcopal Church, 304 N. Main St., (607) 732-3241, www.TrinityChurchElmira.org: Father Bill Lutz will celebrate and preach at the Holy Eucharist Sunday service at 9 a.m. South Side and First Baptist churches, with Pastor David Daniels, worship at 11 a.m. Lenten preaching series service with Rev. Benjamin Lentz, of the Episcopal Cluster Churches will be at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday. Adult Lenten program on "Covenant and Sacrifice" will be at Bethany Lutheran Church, 256 S. Walnut St. in Elmira at 6 p.m., Wednesday.
* Westside United Methodist Church, 744 W. First St., (607) 733-7033: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Guest speakers will be John and Sue Dunlap at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service.
ELMIRA HEIGHTS
* Elmira Foursquare Church, 106 W. 14th St., (607) 426-9416, www.elmirafoursquare.com: Prayer at 9:45 a.m. The Rev. Jay Erickson will lead the 10 a.m. Sunday service. MYTURN for ages 3 to 10 and RTURN for ages 11 to 14 Kids Church and UTURN Youth group for ages 15 to 18 held during the sermon.
* Elmwood Avenue Baptist Church, 230 Elmwood Ave., (607) 733-2506, elmwoodbaptist@stny.rr.com: The Rev. David D. Sullivan will celebrate a traditional family Communion worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. A children's story will be given followed by junior church for children. Nursery. Sunday school at 11:15 a.m.
(5 of 6)
* St. John's Episcopal Church, 203 W. 13th St., (607) 733-8219, www.chemungvalleycluster.org: The Rev. Ben Lentz will celebrate the Holy Eucharist with healing at 9 a.m. Sunday. Sunday school meets concurrently.
HORSEHEADS
* Erin-Sullivanville United Methodist Church, 69 Old Sullivanville Road, (607) 739-5705: The Rev. Dorothy-Yorke Alloway will deliver the message "Ouch!" based on Luke 13:1-9 at the 11 a.m. Sunday service.
* First Presbyterian Church, 2943 Westinghouse Road, (607) 739-3854, www.horseheadsfirstpres.org: Adult Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. and young adults at 9:45 a.m. The Rev. Jonathan Knight will preside at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service.
* First United Methodist Church, 1034 W. Broad St., (607) 739-7943, www.horseheadsumc.org: Family worship service at 5 p.m. today. The Rev. Robert Sherburne will deliver the message at the 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Church school at 9:15 a.m. Child care.
* Glad Tidings Christian Life Church, 116 Breesport Road, (607) 796-9568: Pastor David Cosgrove will celebrate the 9 a.m. Sunday service. Pastor Scott Lowmaster will celebrate the 11 a.m. Sunday service. Child care.
* Lighthouse Baptist Church, 209 Gardner Road, (607) 739-9062, www.lbchoreheads.com: Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Pastor Richard Hack will preside at the 11 and 7 p.m. Sunday services. Junior and children's church at 11 a.m. Teen Fundamentalists at 6 p.m. Nursery.
* Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 2872 Westinghouse Road, (607) 739-9412: Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service.
lowman
* Lowman United Methodist Church, 1878 county Route 60, (607) 733-4966: The Rev. Donald Knapp will deliver the message at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service.
MONTOUR FALLS
* Montour Falls United Methodist Church, 128 Owego St., (607) 535-7204: Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Pastor Fred Dyer will deliver the message "How Families Survive" at the 11:15 a.m. Sunday service. Child care.
(6 of 6)
PINE CITY
* Pine City American Baptist Church, 1516 Pennsylvania Ave., (607) 734-8384, www.pinecityabc.com: Sunday school at 9 a.m. The Rev. Chester Williams will deliver the message "Parable of the Prodigal Son Part 2" based on Luke 15:25-32 at the 10 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service. Children's Bible story, nursery.
* Webb Mills United Methodist Church: 1623 Pennsylvania Ave., (607) 733-7200: The Rev. Richard Elliott will deliver the message at the 9 a.m. Holy Communion Sunday service. Lenten service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
SAYRE
* Church of the Redeemer, 201 S. Wilbur Ave., (570) 888-2270: The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 5:15 p.m. today, 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Nursery available at the 10:30 a.m. service.
van etten
* Hope Community Church, 92 Main St., (607) 220-3611: Pastor Duane Baker will deliver the message at the 10:15 a.m. Sunday service.
* Van Etten Community United Methodist Church, 11 Main St., (607) 589-6951, smsdewalt@yahoo.com: Pastor Steve DeWalt will deliver the message at the 11 a.m. Sunday service. Adult Bible study at 10 a.m.; Sunday school at 11:30 a.m.
WAVERLY
* Grace Episcopal Church, 441 Park Ave., (607) 733-8219, www.chemungvalleycluster.org: The Rev. Robert Adkins will celebrate the Holy Eucharist with healing at 11 a.m. Sunday.
wellsburg
* Christ Episcopal Church, 280 Main St., (607) 733-8219, www.chemungvalleycluster.org: The Rev. Robert Adkins will celebrate the Holy Eucharist with healing at 9 a.m. Sunday.
All religion news items must be received by the Star-Gazette by 11 a.m. Monday for publication the following Saturday. The items should contain information on services for that Sunday and the following week. E-mail submission of information is preferred. Send items to pridosh@stargazette.com. Information also will be accepted by fax, (607) 733-4408, or by regular mail: Religion News, Star Gazette, P.O. Box 285, Elmira, NY 14902. Be sure to include a phone number.
Next Page1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6Previous PageIn your voice|Read reactions to this story Newest first Oldest first
Add your comment (max 1000 characters)
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login | Register
1000characters left
{staffMark}{authorIcon}{authorHandle} wrote:
{commentBody}
{commentTimestamp} {commentBody} {authorNameHandle} {recommendLink} {newpostLink} {replylink} {reportAbuseLink}
Report item as: (required) X Obscenity/vulgarity Hate speech Personal attack Advertising/Spam Copyright/Plagiarism Other Comment: (optional)
Missing input fields.You must fill out the comment body in order to submit a comment.
Comment too long.The comment you have entered is too long. Please limit your post to {maxchars} characters or less. Related Topics
■Places - Campbell, NY, Beaver Dams, NY, Big Flats, NY, Alpine, NY, Monroe, NY
■Life - Methodist, Religion
Contextual linking provided by Topix
More Local News headlines
Southport chef gets special dessert Eric Massa to resign congressional seat (19)
See and share snow photos Beautiful weekend ahead Spirituality: Allowing our doubts to lead us to faith
Ads by Pulse 360 Get Listed Here
San Diego: Rich Dad Seminar
FREE Learn to Be Rich 2-Hr Seminar March 2-4th. Seats limited. RSVP!
www.richdad.com
San Diego Refinance at 3.41% APR!
$160,000 mortgage for only $712/mo. No SSN reqd.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Dalai Lama is a Twitter
(ChattahBox) – Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is a Twitter star with more than 100,000 followers so far. The Dalai Lama began tweeting soon after his meeting with President Obama at the White House. Twitter founder Evan Williams suggested it in person. On February 22, Mr Williams tweeted: “Met the Dalai Lama today in LA. Pitched him on using Twitter. He laughed.”
The 75-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, is the “most senior world religious leader” to take to the social networking site, according to The Times of London. Other religious leaders on Twitter include the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu. Neither the Archbishop of Canterbury nor his Roman Catholic colleague, the Archbishop of Westminster, is on Twitter, although the Church of England is active, along with a number of its bishops and many clergy.
So far the Dalai Lama is using his Twitter account to inform the people of his activities and travels and has shied away from making any strong political statements. His Holiness hasyet to follow anyone else, which may not bode well for his karma?? You can find him here.
The 75-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, is the “most senior world religious leader” to take to the social networking site, according to The Times of London. Other religious leaders on Twitter include the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu. Neither the Archbishop of Canterbury nor his Roman Catholic colleague, the Archbishop of Westminster, is on Twitter, although the Church of England is active, along with a number of its bishops and many clergy.
So far the Dalai Lama is using his Twitter account to inform the people of his activities and travels and has shied away from making any strong political statements. His Holiness hasyet to follow anyone else, which may not bode well for his karma?? You can find him here.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Christian Spiritual Enlightenment
There have been many times when I wished to have my childish things back. Let's face it, childhood was more fun. There were scrapes, set-tos and setbacks, but I had a safe-haven refuge: my fantasy world.
Being an only child, I learned early to entertain myself. The area behind the big chair in the living room was my domain. In it, the world was mine. I could be a king, a president, a general, a cowboy or an Indian as my fancy of the moment decreed. When things didn't go to suit me (chores, school, neighborhood bullies, etc.) I could always return to my fantasy world where I was in charge.
When I became a man, I was supposed to put away childish things. Actually, reality came at me so fast that there was less and less time or opportunity to retreat into fantasy.
A few years ago, there was a popular song that started off "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden." In his book "Season With the Savior," Edward Sims writes "Relief does come. Jesus never promised us a rose garden. But He takes us into one once in a while."
This is Jesus' way of providing moments of relief.
His disciples, Peter and James and John, lived in the real world, ruled politically by the Romans and spiritually by the Pharisees -- neither was very much fun. Then Jesus came and asked them to follow him. They did, but the harsh realities of life intensified as hostility to Jesus' mission grew.
As Sims said, he never promised them a rose garden, but he let them visit one once in a while. In Mark 9:1-10, we learn that Jesus took his disciples up into a mountain to witness a miraculous transformation. As they watched, a glow came over the Savior and He was suddenly accompanied by Moses and Elias, indicating that the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus.
Being an only child, I learned early to entertain myself. The area behind the big chair in the living room was my domain. In it, the world was mine. I could be a king, a president, a general, a cowboy or an Indian as my fancy of the moment decreed. When things didn't go to suit me (chores, school, neighborhood bullies, etc.) I could always return to my fantasy world where I was in charge.
When I became a man, I was supposed to put away childish things. Actually, reality came at me so fast that there was less and less time or opportunity to retreat into fantasy.
A few years ago, there was a popular song that started off "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden." In his book "Season With the Savior," Edward Sims writes "Relief does come. Jesus never promised us a rose garden. But He takes us into one once in a while."
This is Jesus' way of providing moments of relief.
His disciples, Peter and James and John, lived in the real world, ruled politically by the Romans and spiritually by the Pharisees -- neither was very much fun. Then Jesus came and asked them to follow him. They did, but the harsh realities of life intensified as hostility to Jesus' mission grew.
As Sims said, he never promised them a rose garden, but he let them visit one once in a while. In Mark 9:1-10, we learn that Jesus took his disciples up into a mountain to witness a miraculous transformation. As they watched, a glow came over the Savior and He was suddenly accompanied by Moses and Elias, indicating that the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Dani's Story is One of Search
Dani Shapiro's memoir "Devotion" is a 42-year-old woman's spiritual exploration of her relationship to God, religion and faith. Using an a la carte approach (including yoga, Buddhism, Judaism, kabbalah, ayurvedic philosophy, Thomas Merton and Virginia Woolf), Shapiro examines the rituals and mores of various belief systems as though she were pinching each with tweezers. She holds them up to her inquisitive eye, not unlike the way she inspects her mother's Pucci outfits while cleaning out her closet after she dies. With both (the clothes and the rituals), Shapiro tries them on for size, eventually discarding them in search of a better fit: "Keep, store, toss."
Shapiro chronicles her crises: a strained relationship with her mother, her father's death, concerns about midlife pregnancy and her parents' car accident - yet many events seem extracurricular and the people minor characters in a largely internal dialogue. "The outside world was a blur. Where was I? I had no idea. Instead, I was lost in some story - usually a story that hadn't even happened."
That's not to say that "Devotion" is indulgent. On the contrary, Shapiro demonstrates great restraint in not writing a confessional memoir. But often her point of view is abstruse or overly cautious, and she holds the nerve of the narrative at arm's length. What's missing is Shapiro's willingness to let the reader into her everyday life, and thus there is little context for her despair. Much of Shapiro's interface with the outside world occurs in monologues, thwarting her journey.
"When I am in the middle of yoga practice - if I allow it to happen - my jaw will begin to shake violently. My teeth will chatter. My throat will open up, becoming almost hollow, as if a scream is trying to escape. In the midst of my peaceful, contented life, a wave crashes over me. ... It's hard, scary, completely out-of-control." She is having an existential crisis, yet there is no clear reason why.
A memoir, by definition, is self-aggrandizing, but the lone voice of Shapiro, supplemented by the platitudes of sages, yogis, teachers and literary figures, makes the story line feel hemmed in. Subsequently, "Devotion" is oddly internal without being intimate. Calamities such as breast surgery and AA meetings are marginalized. That's not to suggest that "Devotion" should be filled with the mundane or the lurid, but reticent intimacy doesn't lend itself to a soul-searching tale.
What's successful in "Devotion" is Shapiro's method of stringing together disparate moments, lapsed memories and present-day realities, demonstrating that spiritual journeys are not linear. There are moments of wit and wonderful wordplay, and I never doubted Shapiro's integrity, as a writer or as someone struggling with faith. But in the end, the movement is lateral. She is a travel writer unwilling to travel.
Kerri Arsenault of Oakland is content supervisor for Narrative magazine. E-mail her at books@sfchronicle.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/28/RVE21C1S06.DTL#ixzz0h57jet8e
Shapiro chronicles her crises: a strained relationship with her mother, her father's death, concerns about midlife pregnancy and her parents' car accident - yet many events seem extracurricular and the people minor characters in a largely internal dialogue. "The outside world was a blur. Where was I? I had no idea. Instead, I was lost in some story - usually a story that hadn't even happened."
That's not to say that "Devotion" is indulgent. On the contrary, Shapiro demonstrates great restraint in not writing a confessional memoir. But often her point of view is abstruse or overly cautious, and she holds the nerve of the narrative at arm's length. What's missing is Shapiro's willingness to let the reader into her everyday life, and thus there is little context for her despair. Much of Shapiro's interface with the outside world occurs in monologues, thwarting her journey.
"When I am in the middle of yoga practice - if I allow it to happen - my jaw will begin to shake violently. My teeth will chatter. My throat will open up, becoming almost hollow, as if a scream is trying to escape. In the midst of my peaceful, contented life, a wave crashes over me. ... It's hard, scary, completely out-of-control." She is having an existential crisis, yet there is no clear reason why.
A memoir, by definition, is self-aggrandizing, but the lone voice of Shapiro, supplemented by the platitudes of sages, yogis, teachers and literary figures, makes the story line feel hemmed in. Subsequently, "Devotion" is oddly internal without being intimate. Calamities such as breast surgery and AA meetings are marginalized. That's not to suggest that "Devotion" should be filled with the mundane or the lurid, but reticent intimacy doesn't lend itself to a soul-searching tale.
What's successful in "Devotion" is Shapiro's method of stringing together disparate moments, lapsed memories and present-day realities, demonstrating that spiritual journeys are not linear. There are moments of wit and wonderful wordplay, and I never doubted Shapiro's integrity, as a writer or as someone struggling with faith. But in the end, the movement is lateral. She is a travel writer unwilling to travel.
Kerri Arsenault of Oakland is content supervisor for Narrative magazine. E-mail her at books@sfchronicle.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/28/RVE21C1S06.DTL#ixzz0h57jet8e
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Panchen Lama High Priest of China
By ANDREW JACOBS
Published: March 1, 2010
BEIJING — China’s handpicked Panchen Lama, the teenage religious figure whose legitimacy is a matter of dispute among many Tibetan Buddhists, has been appointed to the country’s top advisory body, the state media have announced.
Although membership in the advisory group, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, is of nominal interest to ordinary Chinese, the Panchen Lama’s appointment on Sunday ratchets up the government’s efforts to elevate his stature among Tibetans. Because he was appointed by Communist Party authorities rather than by Buddhist leaders, many Tibetans reject his religious authority as the ranking leader after the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959.
Born as Gyaltsen Norbu, he was anointed the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995, after the Dalai Lama identified a different child as the latest incarnation of the Panchen Lama. A few weeks later, that boy and his family vanished. The government has said that they are in “protective custody,” but their whereabouts have been an enduring mystery for 15 years.
According to Xinhua, the official news agency, the official Panchen Lama, just shy of his 20th birthday, is the youngest person ever appointed to the consultative conference, which convenes later this week as part of the annual pageant that includes meetings of the National People’s Congress, the country’s main legislative forum.
The advising conference is made up of wealthy businessmen, sports celebrities and prominent members of China’s ethnic minorities. It is also cynically viewed as a reward for retired officials. Among the 13 new members appointed Sunday was Li Changjiang, the former head of China’s food safety administration, who was forced to resign over the scandal involving melamine-contaminated milk.
Bkra-lo, a Tibetan scholar at the state- run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said there was nothing surprising about Gyaltsen Norbu’s appointment to the advisory conference.
“He has a lot of influence and popularity among the Tibetan people, so it makes sense,” he said. “Although he is very young, he is also very learned.”
Last month, the state media liberally featured his elevation as vice president of the government-run Buddhist Association of China. In an address, he swore to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party and promised to “adhere to socialism, safeguard national unification and strengthen ethnic unity.”
Despite its stated devotion to atheism, the Communist Party has struggled to offer a counterweight to the immense stature of the Dalai Lama, whom it views as a separatist eager to sunder Tibet from Beijing. The Dalai Lama says his only interest is greater religious and cultural autonomy for Tibetans.
Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, an exile group in India, said no amount of grooming would burnish Gyaltsen Norbu’s reputation among Tibetans.
“If you look at the Tibetan struggle for the last 60 years, neither torture nor financial incentives by the Chinese have been able to win the hearts of the people,” he said. “Tibetans will never accept him as the Panchen Lama.”
Zhang Jing contributed research.
Published: March 1, 2010
BEIJING — China’s handpicked Panchen Lama, the teenage religious figure whose legitimacy is a matter of dispute among many Tibetan Buddhists, has been appointed to the country’s top advisory body, the state media have announced.
Although membership in the advisory group, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, is of nominal interest to ordinary Chinese, the Panchen Lama’s appointment on Sunday ratchets up the government’s efforts to elevate his stature among Tibetans. Because he was appointed by Communist Party authorities rather than by Buddhist leaders, many Tibetans reject his religious authority as the ranking leader after the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959.
Born as Gyaltsen Norbu, he was anointed the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995, after the Dalai Lama identified a different child as the latest incarnation of the Panchen Lama. A few weeks later, that boy and his family vanished. The government has said that they are in “protective custody,” but their whereabouts have been an enduring mystery for 15 years.
According to Xinhua, the official news agency, the official Panchen Lama, just shy of his 20th birthday, is the youngest person ever appointed to the consultative conference, which convenes later this week as part of the annual pageant that includes meetings of the National People’s Congress, the country’s main legislative forum.
The advising conference is made up of wealthy businessmen, sports celebrities and prominent members of China’s ethnic minorities. It is also cynically viewed as a reward for retired officials. Among the 13 new members appointed Sunday was Li Changjiang, the former head of China’s food safety administration, who was forced to resign over the scandal involving melamine-contaminated milk.
Bkra-lo, a Tibetan scholar at the state- run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said there was nothing surprising about Gyaltsen Norbu’s appointment to the advisory conference.
“He has a lot of influence and popularity among the Tibetan people, so it makes sense,” he said. “Although he is very young, he is also very learned.”
Last month, the state media liberally featured his elevation as vice president of the government-run Buddhist Association of China. In an address, he swore to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party and promised to “adhere to socialism, safeguard national unification and strengthen ethnic unity.”
Despite its stated devotion to atheism, the Communist Party has struggled to offer a counterweight to the immense stature of the Dalai Lama, whom it views as a separatist eager to sunder Tibet from Beijing. The Dalai Lama says his only interest is greater religious and cultural autonomy for Tibetans.
Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, an exile group in India, said no amount of grooming would burnish Gyaltsen Norbu’s reputation among Tibetans.
“If you look at the Tibetan struggle for the last 60 years, neither torture nor financial incentives by the Chinese have been able to win the hearts of the people,” he said. “Tibetans will never accept him as the Panchen Lama.”
Zhang Jing contributed research.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Dalai Lama Again in the News
LOS ANGELES, February 23, 2010 (AFP) - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said he feels love in his heart for China but believes hardliners in Beijing are in denial over their cultural "suppression" of his homeland.
"Sometimes you see some of these hardliners' sort of policy, brutalist policy, sometimes I got some irritation for short moment," the Buddhist monk told CNN talk-show host Larry King on a visit to Los Angeles.
"Still, yes, I have to sort of make effort to keep love," he said in the interview broadcast Monday evening. "We have to practice that."
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 as China crushed an abortive uprising against its rule in the Himalayan territory. He has since lived in India and built a global following, despite China's attempts to isolate him.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate met on Thursday at the White House with President Barack Obama, leading China to summon the US ambassador in Beijing to protest.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist. But the Dalai Lama repeated he is not seeking independence but only greater autonomy for Tibetans within Chinese rule.
"We do not want separation from China because Tibet -- landlocked country, materially backward. Every Tibetan wants modernized Tibet so for that reason remain within the People's Republic of China is our own interest," he said.
But he said Tibetans had complaints about Chinese policies, including on religious freedom and the environment.
"The Chinese government denies there is a sort of problem. They say Tibetans -- very happy, prosperity, very much better than previous Tibet," he said.
"But we received information from some inside... on cultural side, or religious ... so much suppression and control, restriction," he said.
The Dalai Lama conceded that his "Middle Way" approach -- pursuing dialogue and nonviolence to seek autonomy within China -- had failed to change conditions for those within Tibet.
"But that doesn't mean complete failure," he said.
"Our approach brings lots of support from Chinese intellectuals or writers and also many governments, now clearly including the United States government and the Indian government," he said.
The Dalai Lama turns 75 in July and has increasingly focused attention on the search for his successor, amid fears among Tibetans that China is waiting for his death to pick a pliant new spiritual leader.
In a separate interview with National Public Radio, the Dalai Lama said it was up to Tibetans to decide whether to continue his seven-century-old position.
"If majority of Tibetan people feel the Dalai institution is no longer much relevant, then this institution should cease -- there is no problem," he said.
"It looks like the Chinese are more concerned about this institution than me," he said with a laugh.
The Dalai Lama, who keeps a hectic schedule, said he felt healthy despite surgery in New Delhi in October 2008 to remove gallstones.
"Some people may have view that Dalai Lama has healing power. So since then scientifically proved Dalai Lama has no healing power," he joked on CNN.
China in 1995 rejected the Dalai Lama's choice to be the Panchen Lama, another high-ranking Buddhist leader, and installed its own boy in a ceremony overseen by the Communist Party.
The Dalai Lama's choice as Panchen Lama has since disappeared from public view, with rights groups calling him the world's youngest political prisoner.
The current Dalai Lama was born to a modest village family. When he was four, traveling holy men spotted signs that he was the latest incarnation in a line of spiritual leaders dating from the 14th century.
The Dalai Lama has previously voiced willingness to break tradition in finding his successor, floating the idea of identifying the next spiritual leader while the current Dalai Lama is still alive or selecting a girl.
"Sometimes you see some of these hardliners' sort of policy, brutalist policy, sometimes I got some irritation for short moment," the Buddhist monk told CNN talk-show host Larry King on a visit to Los Angeles.
"Still, yes, I have to sort of make effort to keep love," he said in the interview broadcast Monday evening. "We have to practice that."
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 as China crushed an abortive uprising against its rule in the Himalayan territory. He has since lived in India and built a global following, despite China's attempts to isolate him.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate met on Thursday at the White House with President Barack Obama, leading China to summon the US ambassador in Beijing to protest.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist. But the Dalai Lama repeated he is not seeking independence but only greater autonomy for Tibetans within Chinese rule.
"We do not want separation from China because Tibet -- landlocked country, materially backward. Every Tibetan wants modernized Tibet so for that reason remain within the People's Republic of China is our own interest," he said.
But he said Tibetans had complaints about Chinese policies, including on religious freedom and the environment.
"The Chinese government denies there is a sort of problem. They say Tibetans -- very happy, prosperity, very much better than previous Tibet," he said.
"But we received information from some inside... on cultural side, or religious ... so much suppression and control, restriction," he said.
The Dalai Lama conceded that his "Middle Way" approach -- pursuing dialogue and nonviolence to seek autonomy within China -- had failed to change conditions for those within Tibet.
"But that doesn't mean complete failure," he said.
"Our approach brings lots of support from Chinese intellectuals or writers and also many governments, now clearly including the United States government and the Indian government," he said.
The Dalai Lama turns 75 in July and has increasingly focused attention on the search for his successor, amid fears among Tibetans that China is waiting for his death to pick a pliant new spiritual leader.
In a separate interview with National Public Radio, the Dalai Lama said it was up to Tibetans to decide whether to continue his seven-century-old position.
"If majority of Tibetan people feel the Dalai institution is no longer much relevant, then this institution should cease -- there is no problem," he said.
"It looks like the Chinese are more concerned about this institution than me," he said with a laugh.
The Dalai Lama, who keeps a hectic schedule, said he felt healthy despite surgery in New Delhi in October 2008 to remove gallstones.
"Some people may have view that Dalai Lama has healing power. So since then scientifically proved Dalai Lama has no healing power," he joked on CNN.
China in 1995 rejected the Dalai Lama's choice to be the Panchen Lama, another high-ranking Buddhist leader, and installed its own boy in a ceremony overseen by the Communist Party.
The Dalai Lama's choice as Panchen Lama has since disappeared from public view, with rights groups calling him the world's youngest political prisoner.
The current Dalai Lama was born to a modest village family. When he was four, traveling holy men spotted signs that he was the latest incarnation in a line of spiritual leaders dating from the 14th century.
The Dalai Lama has previously voiced willingness to break tradition in finding his successor, floating the idea of identifying the next spiritual leader while the current Dalai Lama is still alive or selecting a girl.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday Services and Soul Food
A Disaster Awareness Forum will be held at First Baptist Church of DeLand 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 6.
The forum will emphasize preparedness for disasters in communities and at home, and will be sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Disaster Response Team.
To register, call 386-734-5085.
Soul Food Feast
On Saturday, Feb. 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., soul-food aficionados will be able to chow down to a soul-food feast at the fourth annual Throw Down With Bethel Soul Food Feast at Bethel AME Church in DeLand.
For a donation of $10, attendees will receive two meats, multiple sides, and dessert. Choices include barbecued ribs or chicken, pig feet, fried fish, maws, pigeon peas and rice, candied yams, red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens.
For more information, call 407-330-8492 or 386-717-5112.
Annual fashion show
The Knights of Columbus Council No. 6584 Ladies Auxiliary is preparing for its annual Fashion Show noon-3 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1385 Maximilian St. in Deltona.
Proceeds from the fashion show will go to the Scholarship Fund, which is used annually to help a student in financial need.
Fashions will be provided by Bealls, and the show will also include lunch and dessert. A donation of $12 will cover the cost of the meal.
Call Evelyn Blaschick at 386-860-2341, Danielle Baez at 386-837-7822, or Dory Ciamartaro at 386-789-2735 to purchase a ticket.
Higgins to speak
The Rev. Jack Higgins will speak at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand, 116 S. Clara Ave.
Religious education for children of all ages is provided.
For more information about the church, or to look at photos of the new building, visit www.uudeland.org. The phone number is 386-734-6499.
Spirit Wind Band to perform
Sunday, Feb. 28, is the date set for a mouthwatering Fish Fry, served by the United Methodist Men, a group at First United Methodist Church of DeLand.
A dinner of fried fish, coleslaw, baked beans, tater tots and beverages will be served 5-7 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center. Desserts will be provided by the United Methodist Women. Ron Kruger and the Spirit Wind Band, members of the Christian Motorcycle Association, will provide the entertainment. Tickets cost $6 in advance or $7 at the door.
Feb. 28 is also Brown Bag Sunday. Those attending all services are urged to bring canned goods and staple items to help replenish the local food banks and assist those in need.
Offering the featured entertainment for Lunch Bunch on Wednesday, March 3, will be Trall and Beverly Heitzenrater, who will present a musical program, “Irish Music for St. Patrick’s Day.” Dinner before the program will be served at noon in the Life Enrichment Center. The menu is ham, parsley potatoes, green beans and rolls, and rainbow sherbet for dessert. The cost is $6 per person, and reservations are required by Monday, March 1.
The forum will emphasize preparedness for disasters in communities and at home, and will be sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Disaster Response Team.
To register, call 386-734-5085.
Soul Food Feast
On Saturday, Feb. 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., soul-food aficionados will be able to chow down to a soul-food feast at the fourth annual Throw Down With Bethel Soul Food Feast at Bethel AME Church in DeLand.
For a donation of $10, attendees will receive two meats, multiple sides, and dessert. Choices include barbecued ribs or chicken, pig feet, fried fish, maws, pigeon peas and rice, candied yams, red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens.
For more information, call 407-330-8492 or 386-717-5112.
Annual fashion show
The Knights of Columbus Council No. 6584 Ladies Auxiliary is preparing for its annual Fashion Show noon-3 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1385 Maximilian St. in Deltona.
Proceeds from the fashion show will go to the Scholarship Fund, which is used annually to help a student in financial need.
Fashions will be provided by Bealls, and the show will also include lunch and dessert. A donation of $12 will cover the cost of the meal.
Call Evelyn Blaschick at 386-860-2341, Danielle Baez at 386-837-7822, or Dory Ciamartaro at 386-789-2735 to purchase a ticket.
Higgins to speak
The Rev. Jack Higgins will speak at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand, 116 S. Clara Ave.
Religious education for children of all ages is provided.
For more information about the church, or to look at photos of the new building, visit www.uudeland.org. The phone number is 386-734-6499.
Spirit Wind Band to perform
Sunday, Feb. 28, is the date set for a mouthwatering Fish Fry, served by the United Methodist Men, a group at First United Methodist Church of DeLand.
A dinner of fried fish, coleslaw, baked beans, tater tots and beverages will be served 5-7 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center. Desserts will be provided by the United Methodist Women. Ron Kruger and the Spirit Wind Band, members of the Christian Motorcycle Association, will provide the entertainment. Tickets cost $6 in advance or $7 at the door.
Feb. 28 is also Brown Bag Sunday. Those attending all services are urged to bring canned goods and staple items to help replenish the local food banks and assist those in need.
Offering the featured entertainment for Lunch Bunch on Wednesday, March 3, will be Trall and Beverly Heitzenrater, who will present a musical program, “Irish Music for St. Patrick’s Day.” Dinner before the program will be served at noon in the Life Enrichment Center. The menu is ham, parsley potatoes, green beans and rolls, and rainbow sherbet for dessert. The cost is $6 per person, and reservations are required by Monday, March 1.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)