Regional and world church bodies urge respect for will of Myanmar people
Mar 4 2021
Regional and world church bodies urge respect for will of Myanmar people
(Photo: Paul Jeffrey / WCC)Liturgical dancers during the session of the Asia Mission Conference in Yangon, Myanmar, October 2017.

The World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia have issued a joint statement expressing distress and concern over the disturbing trend of continued lethal action against the people by the Myanmar military.


“The death toll of civilians taking part in protests is increasing as troops and police open fire at demonstrators; at least 38 people were reported to be killed as the army unleashed a lethal campaign to suppress protests that have swept the country for more than a month,” read the March 4 statement.

“The brutal actions against civilians protesting against the military takeover and the killings perpetrated by the military indicate that the generals are returning to the same tactics they had used to crush people’s dissent during decades of military dictatorship in Myanmar.”

“The democratically elected civilian government reflects the aspiration of the people,” reads the statement. “The will of the people and the outcome of the elections have to be respected and democratic processes must be restored.”

The statement came on the day the head of the UN Human Rights office Miihcelle Bachelet delivered a withering criticism of the military junta’s crackdown in Myanmar, which is called Burma by the U.S. government.

Myanmar’s security forces must “halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protestors,” the UN human rights chief said on March 4.

“Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protestors,” said Bachelet.

“It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country,” she added.

“The UN Human Rights Office has corroborated information that police and military officers have killed at least 54 people since the Feb. 1 coup,” said the statement, adding the actual death toll could be much higher as these are the verified figures.

The churches statement, meanwhile notes that citizens peacefully protesting against the military action have been confronted by armed forces using lethal force.

“In order to clamp down on what is essentially a people’s movement, the security forces have systematically targeted, detained, and arrested several political officials, activists, students, medical professionals, and even religious minority leaders,” say the churches.

“In Lashio city, four Kachin Baptist ministers were among 10 people arrested at a church where protestors fleeing the state-sanctioned violence had taken shelter.”

Large-scale participation in demonstrations in towns and cities across the country underscores the broad rejection of the military, the statement continues.

The statement denounces the Feb. 1 military coup which has now returned full power to the generals.

“The citizens of Myanmar possess the right to assemble peacefully and express their demands for the restoration of democracy,” reads the statement.

“The fundamental rights of people must be respected, and hence the military authorities must immediately halt all use of force against civilians.”

The statement also urges military leaders to refrain from repressive actions against the civilians.

The statement concludes with a call for prayers for the entire people of Myanmar and for peace and justice to prevail throughout the country. “May peace and a spirit of reconciliation return to Myanmar,” the statement concludes.

Buddhist account for some 88 percent of the country’s 57 milliojn people while just ocer 6 percent are Christians and more than 4 percent Muslims.

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Buddhist Times News – All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony
Mar 4 2021
Buddhist Times News – All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony

Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition speaking at the All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony, an initiative of Kullu-Manali Settlement Office. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office

By   –  Shyamal Sinha

Religious harmony in India is a concept that indicates that there is love, affection in between different religions in India. The Indian constitution supports and encourages religious harmony. In India, every citizen has a right to choose and practice any religion.There are examples of Muslims and Sikhs building temples. In India, different religious traditions live harmoniously. Seers of religions call for religious harmony in India

The ancient Indian scripture Rigveda endeavors plurality of religious thought with its mention “ekaM sadvipraa bahudhaa vadanti ” (Sanskrit: एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति)– meaning wise people explain the same truth in different manners.

On 3 March, the auspicious White Wednesday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Settlement Office of Kullu- Manali organised the first of a kind inter-religious dialogue, titled ‘All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony’ under the auspices of the Central Tibetan Administration.

The Central Tibetan Administration led by the 15th Kashag dedicated the year 2020-21 as ‘Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is in this spirit that TSO Kullu Manali has taken the initiative to organise a special talk, bringing together representatives of various religious traditions to talk about one of the four principal commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the promotion of Inter-religious harmony.

Honorary representatives of the different religions who graced the event include Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Lochen Rinpoche, Khentsap, Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Pandit ji Mahima Nautiyal, Bodh Nath Mandir at Manali, Imam Molana Sajit ji, Masjid at Manali, Reverend. Naresh Lall ji, the Lady Willington Hospital, Manali, Sardar ji Bhagtishwar Sigh ji, Gurudwara Temple based in Manali. Local pradhan, members of Tibet Support Group also attended.

Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement delivered the welcome address, followed by all the representatives of various faith who spoke on inter-religious harmony.

On behalf of the CTA, the Settlement Officer felicitated each representative with a traditional Tibetan scarf and souvenirs and thanked the Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Kullu-Manali for sponsoring the luncheon and refreshments for all the guests and audience at the gathering.

The special talk concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr Thokmey, President of Local Tibetan Assembly, Kullu-Manali.

The second segment of the event included Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation by Kyapje Taklung Matrul Rinpoche.

Mandala offering by Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement to Taklung Matrul Rinpoche during the Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office

Rinpoche blessing members of the audience. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office

Ashoka (304–232 BC), in his 12th edict stated:

“The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. . Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought “Let me glorify my own religion,” only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions. ”

source  —  cta

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Bahá’í Feast recognized as part of Singapore’s cultural heritage | BWNS
Mar 4 2021
Bahá’í Feast recognized as part of Singapore’s cultural heritage | BWNS
SINGAPORE — Singapore’s National Heritage Board (NHB) has added the Bahá’í Nineteen Day Feast to its intangible cultural heritage list following a national mandate to document and preserve the diverse cultural expressions of the island nation.

The Bahá’í Feast refers to a spiritual “feast” of prayers, consultation, and fellowship and is held once every 19 days by Bahá’í communities throughout the world.

“The Feast serves as the bedrock of Bahá’í community life,” says Meiping Chang of Singapore’s Bahá’í Office of External Affairs. “Its inclusion on the heritage list is a recognition of the Bahá’í community as an integral part of Singaporean society.”

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“The Nineteen Day Feast helps us to keep connected to something beyond ourselves, but has required creativity during this time,” says Peta Yang, a member of Singapore’s Bahá’í community.

Ms. Chang explains how at the Feast, Bahá’ís come together to consult on how they can better serve their society. “It is a space where the relationships between members of the community and institutions, such as the Bahá’í Local Spiritual Assembly, are strengthened.”

Peta Yang, a member of Singapore’s Bahá’í community, states: “Consultations at these gatherings allow people to reflect together on their experience in community-building efforts. People of all ages explore how they can support one another. The rich discussions often lead to ideas for further practical action.”

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An online gathering for a recent Nineteen Day Feast in Singapore. Peta Yang, a member of the country’s Bahá’í community, says that the Feast has played an important role during the pandemic. “These regular gatherings are a powerful remedy for isolation.”

Dr. Yang continues to explain the important role of the Feast during the pandemic. “These regular gatherings are a powerful remedy for isolation,” she says. “The Nineteen Day Feast helps people to keep connected to something beyond themselves, and creativity during this time has allowed this feeling to intensify. Many are making a special effort to include poems, stories, songs, and other art forms to contribute to a vibrant atmosphere.

“If we want to build the world anew, spiritual foundations marked by devotion and consultation need to be laid among individuals, the community, and institutions. With our interactions limited by the pandemic, we’ve seen more than ever that the Feast is a point where these elements all come together.”

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Families in Singapore mark a recent Feast in their homes before joining others online or in small gatherings while maintaining safety measures put in place by the government.

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The European Sunday Alliance releases statement on synchronised free time in the EU
Mar 3 2021
The European Sunday Alliance releases statement on synchronised free time in the EU

The European Sunday Alliance releases statement on synchronised free time in the EU

On the occasion of the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the European Sunday Alliance urges the EU institutions to put synchronised free time as a priority on the social policy agenda, especially “in times where the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated existing challenges of digitalisation by intensifying work and extending working hours, thus putting a healthy work-life balance at risk for more people” – reads the statement.

The Alliance encourages the European Commission to align its upcoming proposal for a directive on a right to disconnect with article 2 of the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, which firmly requires “a weekly rest period which shall, as far as possible, coincide with the day recognised by tradition or custom in the country or region concerned as a day of rest.”

“Regrettably – reads the statement – in 1996 the EU working time directive was stripped of a provision to include Sunday as common day of rest for workers because the European Court of Justice found that the directive failed to explain why Sunday, as a weekly rest day, is more closely connected with the health and safety of workers than any other day of the week.”

Establishing a European right to disconnect is currently debated throughout Europe. Work-life balance, as well as healthy, safe and well-adapted work environments, are at the heart of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which all EU institutions and Member States government have committed to implement.

COMECE is member and founder of the European Sunday Alliance. The Alliance is a broad network of more than 100 national Sunday alliances, trade unions, employers’ organisations, civil society associations, churches and religious communities in the European Union. The Alliance is committed to raise awareness about the unique value of Sunday for our society and on the importance of a common day of rest.

In the run up to the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the Alliance carried out a video campaign on social media, raising awareness about the unique value of Sunday for our society and on the importance of a common day of rest.

European sunday allianceThe European Sunday Alliance calls on EU political leaders “to put synchronised free time as a priority on the social policy agenda”. In a statement released on Wednesday 3 March 2021, the Alliance – of which COMECE is a member – encourages the EU Commission to align its upcoming proposal for a directive on a right to disconnect with Article 2 of the Council of Europe’s Social Charter.

On the occasion of the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the European Sunday Alliance urges the EU institutions to put synchronised free time as a priority on the social policy agenda, especially “in times where the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated existing challenges of digitalisation by intensifying work and extending working hours, thus putting a healthy work-life balance at risk for more people” – reads the statement.

The Alliance encourages the European Commission to align its upcoming proposal for a directive on a right to disconnect with article 2 of the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, which firmly requires “a weekly rest period which shall, as far as possible, coincide with the day recognised by tradition or custom in the country or region concerned as a day of rest.”

“Regrettably – reads the statement – in 1996 the EU working time directive was stripped of a provision to include Sunday as common day of rest for workers because the European Court of Justice found that the directive failed to explain why Sunday, as a weekly rest day, is more closely connected with the health and safety of workers than any other day of the week.”

Establishing a European right to disconnect is currently debated throughout Europe. Work-life balance, as well as healthy, safe and well-adapted work environments, are at the heart of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which all EU institutions and Member States government have committed to implement.

COMECE is member and founder of the European Sunday Alliance. The Alliance is a broad network of more than 100 national Sunday alliances, trade unions, employers’ organisations, civil society associations, churches and religious communities in the European Union. The Alliance is committed to raise awareness about the unique value of Sunday for our society and on the importance of a common day of rest.

In the run up to the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the Alliance carried out a video campaign on social media, raising awareness about the unique value of Sunday for our society and on the importance of a common day of rest.

Download

Statement

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Amazon issues rare apology in India over 'Tandav' portrayal of religion
Mar 3 2021
Amazon issues rare apology in India over ‘Tandav’ portrayal of religion



Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video streaming service on Tuesday issued a rare apology to its Indian viewers for some scenes in its original political drama series “Tandav”, which allegedly offended Hindu religious beliefs.


“Tandav”, a Hindi word meaning “fury”, stars top Bollywood actors. In several states it has faced police complaints and court cases alleging the show had depicted Hindu gods and goddesses in a derogatory manner, and offended religious beliefs. Lawmakers from India’s ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have also criticised it.



In a statement titled “Amazon Prime Video Apologizes”, the company on Tuesday said it deeply regrets viewers considered certain scenes to be objectionable.


Amazon apologizes “unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt,” it said, adding that it will continue to develop content while respecting the diversity of audiences’ culture and beliefs.


The “Tandav” controversy escalated last week when police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh questioned one of Amazon’s top executives for hours in one case filed against the show.


Asked about the company apology, a senior state police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities would continue investigating the matter.


Shows on streaming platforms such as Netflix Inc and Amazon Prime have often faced complaints in India for obscenity or offending beliefs, but the latest controversy involving the Amazon show “Tandav” is among the highest-profile cases.


An Indian media and entertainment industry executive said Amazon’s apology was unprecedented and showed that big U.S. conglomerates can capitulate to political or cultural demands. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity.


In January 2020, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos attended a Prime Video event in Mumbai with Bollywood stars and announced it would double down on its investments. He said Prime Video was doing well globally “but nowhere it’s doing better than India”.


India is a critical growth market for Amazon, where it has committed investments of $6.5 billion, with interests in e-commerce, video streaming, cloud computing and other areas.


Amazon is currently also facing calls for a ban after Reuters last month reported the U.S. firm had for years given preferential treatment to a small group of sellers on its India website and used them to circumvent the country’s strict foreign investment regulations.

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Religion and gay rights: Is compromise possible?
Mar 2 2021
Religion and gay rights: Is compromise possible?

A group of congressional representatives introduced legislation on Friday that seeks to promote LGBT rights while preserving religious liberty.

The Fairness for All Act, unlike the Equality Act that passed the House on Thursday, strengthens accommodations for religious organizations even as it expands civil rights protections for LGBT people. U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah introduced an identical bill in 2019 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity while providing that religious employers, foster care and adoption agencies, and religious schools may operate in accordance with Biblical beliefs on sexuality and marriage. His 2021 version has garnered 20 other Republican co-sponsors.

Under the Equality Act, LGBT rights would trump the protection provided by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a 1993 law that requires the federal government to show a compelling interest and use the least restrictive means when encroaching on religious liberty. Fairness for All would preserve RFRA.

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, which represents more than 150 schools in the United States and Canada, released a statement in support of the legislation’s reintroduction on Friday: “The bill is both principled and pragmatic—it is principled in providing a clear and demonstrable way for people of faith to ‘love our neighbor’ in the civic context, and pragmatic in that the bill makes explicit many religious protections that are important to a rich and vibrant civil society.” The National Association of Evangelicals and the Latter-day Saints also supported the Fairness for All Act in 2019.

But other Christian leaders—including Focus on the Family President Jim Daly and Southern Baptist Convention leaders Russell Moore and Albert Mohler—opposed the legislation when it was introduced in 2019. Mohler is a WORLD board member.

Ryan T. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, told the Deseret News earlier this month that Fairness for All fails to address concerns about privacy, athletic competition, and medicine. Anderson, author of a book on transgenderism that Amazon recently delisted, was likely alluding to the push to include men who identify as female in women’s sports and the lack of protections for medical professionals who object to prescribing or performing treatments that alter physical sex characteristics.

The Human Rights Campaign spearheaded a coalition of LGBT advocacy organizations that rejected the proposed compromise in 2019 and called it “deeply dangerous.”

“LGBTQ people deserve full federal equality—nothing more and nothing less,” the coalition said. It referred to religious liberty protections in the Fairness for All bill as “massive loopholes and carve-outs”—demonstrating that a nuanced approach to the conflict may not be possible.

Stewart still hopes the legislation may offer a basis for unity. “I don’t think [the Equality Act] will pass in the Senate and that opens up the opportunity for Fairness for All,” Stewart told CBN News. “There’s some of our Democratic colleagues who are going to join us on that, and once they see that they’re not going to force this on the Senate, that opens the door to look at an alternative.”

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Buddhist Times News – A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara
Mar 2 2021
Buddhist Times News – A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara

By   –   Shyamal Sinha

Yakushi-ji  is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, that was once one of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism. Yakushi-ji is one of the sites that are collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, under the name of “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.”

The main object of veneration, Yakushi Nyorai, also named “The Medicine Buddha”, was one of the first Buddhist Deities to arrive in Japan from China in 680, and gives the temple its name.

A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site in Japan’s ancient capital of Nara, was partially opened to the public Monday following its first renovation in more than 100 years.

The East Pagoda, believed to be the sole remaining wooden structure from when the temple was first constructed over 1,300 years ago, is available to view until Jan. 16 next year.

People line up to observe the inside of the renovated East Pagoda at Yakushiji temple in Nara Prefecture on March 1, 2021. (Kyodo)

Priests of the temple in the western Japan city chanted as the first floor door of the three-story pagoda was opened at around 8:30 a.m. Visitors, restricted from going inside the structure itself, were allowed onto a platform surrounding the door and leaned forward to observe the central pillar and an artwork displayed on the ceiling.

“I was able to see the ceiling using a mirror implemented on the floor,” said Hirokazu Sakaguchi, 50, from Osaka Prefecture. “It’s a rare opportunity.”

Vice chief priest Kitatsu Ikoma said, “(The pagoda) will be available to see for a long period, so we ask people to take their time to visit.”

Yakushiji temple was established at the end of the seventh century in the ancient capital of Fujiwarakyo in today’s Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, and later moved to Heijokyo, in what are now the cities of Nara and Yamatokoriyama in the prefecture.

The East Pagoda stands at 33.6 meters high and is believed to be the only wooden structure from when the temple was first built. The three-story structure appears to have six roofs of alternating sizes, which have been described as “frozen music,” according to the temple.

The ceremony to celebrate its renovation has been postponed with the date yet to be decided, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Yakushi-ji was commissioned by Emperor Tenmu in 680 to pray for recovery from illness for his consort, who succeeded him as Empress Jitō. This act of building temples in devotion to Buddhist figures was a common practice among Japanese nobility when Buddhism was first imported from China and Korea. Emperor Tenmu had died by the time Empress Jitō completed the complex around 698; and it was disassembled and moved to Nara eight years after the Imperial Court settled in what was then the new capital.The Nara Period (710–794) began with the transfer of the capital to Nara in 710 from the Fujiwara Capital. This was due to a similar reason for the movement of the capital to Fujiwara, which was the desire to build a strong, centralized government in the capital of Nara. Emperor Shōmu instigated the construction of the “Seven Great Temples“: Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Gangō-ji, Daian-ji, Yakushi-ji, Saidai-ji, and Hōryū-ji.

It has been long believed that the temple was moved to its present location in 718, following the move of the capital to Heijō-kyō known today as Nara.

source  —  Kyodo news

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Pandemic means religion for religion’s sake is gone. That’s not a bad thing
Mar 2 2021
Pandemic means religion for religion’s sake is gone. That’s not a bad thing

On March 10th, 2020, we closed the doors of the cathedral here in Waterford, asked that the Friends of the Cathedral stay at home, cancelled choir practice and a planned youth group weekend away, little knowing what lay ahead.

                                                    <p class="no_name">On March 15th, 2020, we broadcast our first Sunday service from the cathedral and have done so since.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">The first lockdown was horrendous, as much-loved parishioners died in quick succession, firstly with 100 present at their funerals, then 10 at the funeral of a young mother of four. <a href="/news">Ireland</a> “does death well” and the gathering of the community is a hugely important element in the grieving process. However, not only are the bereft denied the community recognition due to their loved one, the community has no means of grieving its cherished members. And yet we have all now adapted to online funerals on rip.ie.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Usually Baptisms happened during the Sunday service but now they occur privately. Confirmations have been cancelled because preparation would not be safe or feasible, as this is done at parish, not school, level.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">There have been three weddings. The first, tragically, in Waterford University Hospital when a terminally ill man married his partner of many years just days before his death. The second had 25 present and the third was during this latest lockdown, allowing only six people to be present.</p>
                                                    <figure class="inline__content inline__content--image right">

Rev Maria Jansson is Church of Ireland Dean of Waterford

Rev Maria Jansson is Church of Ireland Dean of Waterford

A real casualty of the pandemic has been communal life; simply meeting each other, in church, bell-ringing, in Sunday school, in choir, on vestry, at parish events, dropping in on each other . . . the list goes on.

                                                    <p class="no_name">In future, older parishioners will be wary of coming back to church. Given that you can now turn off the preacher if he/she is waffling online and “church hop” on the internet from bed, the habit of faith community may have been broken for good, not just for the “occasionals” but also the “regulars”.</p>

                                                                                                        <aside class="related-articles--instream has-3">

                </aside>
                                                                                                                    <blockquote class="inline__content inline__content--pullquote">

Even though telephone calls are not an ideal means of communication, they have enabled real conversations with many who otherwise would have been at work or too busy

Over the year, connections with the diocese and larger church have been contrived and artificial, having the usual synods and meetings by Zoom; the superstructure of bishops and administration, at best distant in most parishioners’ lives, is now utterly redundant. Clergy must be local, visible, in contact and engaged . . . or become irrelevant.

                                                    <p class="no_name">To date, thankfully, parishioners’ donations in the Waterford parishes have held up but the income we make in the cathedral from the shop and concerts has simply ended and this pays the huge costs of running, insuring, staffing, heating and maintaining a cathedral. Luckily, we went into the pandemic debt free with the belfry and roof renovated recently but there are huge financial challenges ahead.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Despite all this, there have been some really important changes for the good. Even though telephone calls are not an ideal means of communication, they have enabled real conversations with many who otherwise would have been at work or too busy. I have got to know some members of the community better because of lockdowns.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">People were rather reticent about talking about their faith but I have been blown away with their engagement in a venture that started on October 22nd last, Prayer at Breakfast, which lasts six to eight minutes each day. Now we have just passed the 100th day of this and between 130-160 tune in daily. If I went to the cathedral and did morning prayer there every day, I would be lucky to have three people with me.</p>
                                                    <blockquote class="inline__content inline__content--pullquote">

In the past, non-talk prevailed: women and minorities sat and listened, children and young people were irrelevant, finance and church fabric took precedence 

For some, smaller funerals have been strange but more intimate. The tremendous crowds of the past offered valued respect for the dead and the bereft, but were equally challenging for the grieving when at their most vulnerable.

                                                    <p class="no_name">If the pandemic changes the way we do weddings, that will be a good thing. People know they do not have to remortgage their lives now to wed; things have become simpler and more genuine.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Religion has big challenges ahead, over and above financial ones. There are parishes where the bond between priest and people has deepened over the last year and others where it has vaporised.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Relying on the ways things were done in the past will not be adequate. People have recovered their faith and need for God and if that is not the foundation of what we do going forward, then forget it.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Religion for religion’s sake is gone and that is not a bad thing.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">We will have to meet as people of faith with a renewed authenticity and open a real conversation about rebuilding church. In the past, non-talk prevailed: women and minorities sat and listened, children and young people were irrelevant, finance and church fabric took precedence over energising community and faith. The challenge and the opportunity will be in developing authentic Christian community again.</p>
                                                    <p class="no_name">Leadership has not come and will not come from a moribund clerical caste; it will come from the people who want community, who reclaim their voice, who know the connection between faith and real life, who have found the spiritual strength in the pandemic to prevail and who now must step up to the bar and start rebuilding. Exciting times ahead.</p>
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COVID‐19, Virtual Church Services and a New Temporary Geography of Home
Mar 2 2021
COVID‐19, Virtual Church Services and a New Temporary Geography of Home

The COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures implemented by the United Kingdom government from 23 March 2020 led to unprecedented adaptations from individuals and communities including places of worship, their clergy and congregations. This paper through a multi‐disciplinary dialogue between human geography and theology explores the interrelations between place, space and the spiritual. It identifies the bricolage mechanisms that were developed rapidly by churches to shift towards providing virtual church services. This was an uncommon practice by Christian denominations in the UK. COVID‐19 changed the rules requiring new practices to emerge resulting in a new form of infrasecular space to emerge. Such rapid transformations through the provision of online services and virtual embeddedness blurred the lines between sacred and secular spaces. During virtual services, the minister’s home is temporally linked to the homes of congregants forming an intersacred space. Homes and spaces within homes are transformed into temporary sacred spaces.

For more see: /https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361358/

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Danish Party Wants Religion of Would-Be Citizens on Public Record, Ban on Foreign Spouses
Mar 1 2021
Danish Party Wants Religion of Would-Be Citizens on Public Record, Ban on Foreign Spouses

The national-conservative Danish People’s Party (DF) has called for the religion of people being granted citizenship to be stated in the public record as well as a ban on granting citizenship to people married to foreign nationals.

As opposed to the current rules, the Danish People’s Party wants the religion of all applicants to be stated on publicly accessible parliamentary bills. As of today, only names are listed, not religion. The party wants the lists to state whether the applicant is, say, Christian, Muslim, or atheist. Refusal to disclose one’s religion would result in rejection, the newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported.

The chief aim of the proposal is admittedly to clarify whether the new citizens are Muslims.

“For many people being Muslim raises some fundamental problems with living a Danish life. Whether that is views on women or views on law and democracy”, Danish People’s Party deputy leader Morten Messerschmidt told the newspaper Jyllands-Posten, calling for “extra vigilance”.

At the same time, Messerschmidt emphasised he doesn’t want Denmark to completely ban granting citizenship to Muslims. He named “good examples” like Danish politician and Conservative Party heavyweight Naser Khader, who “have a Muslim background and support democracy”.

“But it just cannot overshadow the violent problems that we have experienced with people with a Muslim background over the past 30 years, and therefore it must be the most important thing to get clarified”, Messerschmidt said.

Messerschmidt also said he wanted Denmark to block citizenship for people already married to foreign nationals, citing the negative impact on integration of “marrying your cousin from the same village your parents came from”.

“We don’t wish to target Gertrude and Hans from Germany or Svenne and Lotta from Sweden”, Messerschmidt said, suggesting he would be more keen to prevent citizenship from being given to a Swede with Somali heritage.
The minority Social Democrat government said it is prepared to consider both proposals, of listing the religion of new citizens and the ban on citizenship to foreign spouses, as its citizenship spokesperson, Lars Aslan Rasmussen, said the government wants “as much transparency as possible”.
However, the latter idea may face practical obstacles, as senior researcher Eva Ersbøll at the Danish Institute for Human Rights underscored the proposal to block citizenship based on the nationality of people’s partners would be in breach of the European Convention on Nationality.

“You can apply conditions but the convention states persons with legal and permanent residence in a state must have the possibility of gaining citizenship. And if you make this demand it would rule out so many people that it would in my assessment no longer be a general possibility”, Ersbøll told Jyllands-Posten.

Negotiations over new citizenship rules began earlier in February. Remarkably, none of the minority government’s regular left-of-centre allies are involved in the negotiations, which left the governing Social Democrats dealing with members of the opposing “blue” right-of-centre bloc. Among other things, the liberal-conservative Venstre party proposed interviews to test whether citizenship-hopefuls share “Danish values” as part of the application process.

In recent years, Denmark has been tightening its immigration and naturalisation laws under several consecutive governments.

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Religion no bar at Khatkar toll plaza
Mar 1 2021
Religion no bar at Khatkar toll plaza

JIND: Farmers on Sunday observed a ‘Sarv Dharma Sammelan’ (congregation of all religions) at Khatkar toll plaza in Jind district to send out the message that people from all faiths were together in the fight against the Centre’s three agro-market laws which have sparked widespread protests.
Thousands of farmers took part in the congregation. Protesters said BJP had damaged the state’s social fabric and that of the nation as well during its six years of rule. “BJP did nothing, but playing politics of divide and rule,” said one of the speakers.
Nawab Ali, one of the protestors at toll plaza, said, “Muslims are equally dedicated to the nation and always contributed to nation building, but BJP pushed the community back just to rule over people. But this fight to repeal the farm laws pertains to every section of society. If farmers are prosperous, the nation and every section of society would be happy automatically. We will support farmers until laws are repealed,” he added. sGurudev Singh, a Sikh from Durana village in Jind district, said they organised the congregation, so that the BJP government could come to know that all religions and communities were standing by it firmly. “A peaceful and disciplined movement is being defamed by the government. But, today, they will get the message as thousands of people from different communities gathered to show their solidarity,” he added.

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Evangelicals have never agreed on politics says world alliance leader explaining what they are
Feb 28 2021
Evangelicals have never agreed on politics says world alliance leader explaining what they are
(Screenshot: Peter Kenny Ecumenical News)World Evangelical Alliance outgoing head Efraim Tendero (l) hands a Bible over to his successor Thomas Schirrmacher at a ceremony in Bonn, Germany on Feb. 27, 2021.

Around the world evangelicals have “never agreed” on politics and the term that denotes this group of followers of Jesus describes the enthusiasm for the DNA of Christianity, the new leader of the World Evangelical Alliance says.


“And you can see this around the globe. We have countries, in which we have evangelical members in Parliament, on the government side and in the opposition,” said Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher in his inaugural speech as WEA secretary general and CEO in Bonn, Germany.

“We did not agree on politics yesterday and we did not agree on politics in 1846,” he said on Feb. 27.

“This is not the secret of the evangelical movement,” said the new WEA CEO in a speech in which he spelled out the role of evangelical movement in the fight against religious persecution and for religious freedom.

The WEA head said that in 1846, the World Evangelical Alliance was the first large religious body speaking up for religious freedom.

“And that meant speaking up against State churches and against Christian nationalism – we know that this is even within our own ranks still a very ‘hot potato’ today” and “against the state pressing its religion and its thoughts on the Church.”

BELIEF IN PENTECOST

“We believe in the resurrection of Jesus and we believe in Pentecost where the Holy Spirit filled the believers, the members of the church.

Some may question the historical actuality say “it did not happen” or “does not need to have happened in real history.

Schirrmacher said, “We [as evangelicals] stand for the historicity of our faith.

“Jesus did receive new life from His Father, the Holy Spirit did fall on the believers. And then some will say: ‘that is evangelical.’ But we do not believe in this because we think of it as something confessional, something specific [only] we believe in.

“Rather, we think it’s the DNA of Christianity that we owe everything to what Jesus did and what the Holy Spirit does.”

When it comes to the Bible, evangelicals are deeply convinced that the Bible is the confession of the Church.

“The idea of a paper document that would rule the people comes from the Old Testament. The Torah in the Old Testament was above David, was above the king, was above everybody.

‘PAPER POPE’

“Some people mock us and say we have a ‘Paper Pope.’ We are proud to have a Paper Pope, because the Paper Pope assures that none of us, including me, are above the Word of God.                                  

(Photo: Courtesy Global Christian Forum)Dr. Casely Essamuah

“We all submit to the Word of God, no one is above it. No, there is [in fact] someone above him, it is Jesus himself, who is the center of Holy Scripture, and the Holy Spirit, who is the author of Holy Scripture – at least according to our belief.”

“And this is where we think that a movement like ours can bring together the huge emphasis of the Reformation 500 years ago on Holy Scripture with a lot of revival movements including our Pentecostal friends and our charismatic friends and their emphasis on the Holy Spirit as the only

“One who can transform us and can transform the world.”

(Photo: Albin Hillert / WCC)Dr. Billy Wilson, member of the Pentecostal World Federation executive committee speaking at a Global Christian Forum gathering in Bogota, Colombia on April 27. 2018.

Among those who read greetings at the hybrid ceremony that was both live and virtual were Casely Essamuah secretary of the Global Christian Forum and Billy Wilson chairman of the Pentecostal World Fellowship and president of Oral Robert University in Oklahoma in the US.                                                                                     

“Jesus, it is now the gospel of salvation, the gospel  of healing, the gospel that brings meaning to our lives, his passion, and purpose to our daily lives is needed now more than ever, as we are all behind closed doors and needing the presence of the one who comes to us and says, peace, my peace I give unto you,” said Essamuah in his message.

Wilson said, “We believe that God is calling us in the 21st century, to unite with our brothers and sisters across the body of Christ, for the greater good, and most importantly, so the witness of Jesus can be known by every person on this planet over the next several years.”

(Photo: © Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Bishop Efraim Tendero photographed in Tirana, Albania on Nov. 4, 2015.
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Foundation laid for House of Worship in DRC as Kenya temple nears completion | BWNS
Feb 28 2021
Foundation laid for House of Worship in DRC as Kenya temple nears completion | BWNS
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic Of The Congo — Recent weeks have seen steady progress in the construction of the two Bahá’í Houses of Worship in Africa.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just eight weeks after the excavation for the foundations of the House of Worship were completed, the reinforced concrete slab that will form the floor of the central edifice has been finished. Work on additional buildings on the site is steadily advancing.

Meanwhile, over 3,000 kilometers away, the local House of Worship in Matunda Soy, Kenya, is entering the final stages of construction. The exterior of the temple is nearly complete, as are auxiliary structures on the grounds. Residents of the area are assisting to prepare the gardens around the temple, carrying out tasks with reverence as they regularly gather on the grounds for prayers.

The progress in the construction of both temples over the past few months is explored in the selection of images below.

A moisture barrier is laid across the entire floor area of the temple in preparation for building the reinforced concrete floor slab. Encircling the foundations, earthworks are being prepared for the ground immediately outside the central area.

The staff who have been working on the construction of the temple gathered Thursday on the newly completed floor slab to mark this key milestone in the project.

A visitors’ center is being built near the entrance to the site of the House of Worship in Kinshasa.

Foundations for the visitors’ center have been built around trees already present on the site, preserving them to beautify the courtyard.

Floor slabs for the visitors’ center are now being poured.

Elsewhere on the site, several existing buildings are being renovated. One building, pictured here, is being used as a construction office. In the future, these buildings will be used as educational facilities and as offices for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As the exterior of the local Bahá’í House of Worship in Matunda Soy, Kenya, nears completion, the elegant form of the temple’s design is becoming visible. The design is inspired by huts that are traditional to the region. Exposed roof beams highlight the nine sides of the edifice.

Skylights have been installed on all nine sides of the roof of the temple, and roof tiles are being placed, creating a diamond motif familiar to Kenyan culture.

The interior and exterior of the temple’s nine doorways are being decorated with wood and paster. The latticework around each door is being prepared at a workshop in the Matunda Soy area and is made from mvule, a wood native to eastern Africa.

Construction of the reception center and other facilities on the site are nearly complete, and they will soon be prepared to welcome visitors to the temple site.

The main gate to the temple grounds nears completion.

Local residents have played an important role in assisting with various tasks on the site, including with preparations for gardens that will surround the temple.

The residents of Matunda Soy, a farming community with generations of experience tending the land, have taken to the task of beautifying and maintaining the temple grounds with enthusiasm.

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Religion events in the San Fernando Valley area, Feb. 27-March 6
Feb 27 2021
Religion events in the San Fernando Valley area, Feb. 27-March 6
westvalleychristian2
The 45th anniversary of the founding of West Valley Christian Church in West Hills is celebrated on Feb. 28. (Google Street View)

Here is a sampling of upcoming services and events that are online, and some in-person, in the San Fernando Valley area.

Services with Temple Beth Hillel: Havdalah online, 7 p.m. Feb. 27 (click on the Facebook link from here: (bit.ly/3bF4irk). A  Shabbat service, 7 p.m. March 5 (bit.ly/3aQHHsF). The Reform Jewish temple is in Valley Village. tbhla.org

Reseda Church of Christ’s Sunday service: Online, 8 a.m. Feb. 28. The senior minister is the Rev. Dewayne Winrow. www.facebook.com/ResedaChurch; resedachurch.com

What Is in Your Hand? – 45th Anniversary of West Valley Christian Church: The Rev. Rob Denton delivers the message, 9 a.m. Feb. 28 (outdoors on the lawn; bring your own blanket or chair, shade umbrella, wear a mask and practice social distancing). Readings: Exodus 3:1-6, Matthew 25:14-30 and 1 Samuel 17:26-28 and 32-37. Also, an indoor and online service, 10:30 a.m. (link on the website). West Valley Christian Church, 22450 Sherman Way, West Hills. 818-884-6480. www.wvcch.org; www.facebook.com/westvalley.christianchurch

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church: Two services on Feb. 28: An outdoor, traditional service in the Serenity Garden, 9 a.m. (must make a phone reservation by noon Feb. 27 to attend; see website for rules to follow; bring your own Bible), and a contemporary and live stream service, 11:30 a.m. (register by phone for this service; click on the link found here: bit.ly/2Z5fhnF). 8520 Winnetka Ave., Winnetka. 818-341-3460. Facebook: bit.ly/2FhJvy1. www.our-redeemer.org

Rejoice in Suffering: Pastor Timothy Jenks explains the message, based on Genesis 17; Mark 8:27-38 and Romans 5:1-11, at the 9:30 a.m. Feb. 28 indoor service (masks and social distancing required). The sermon is available on the church’s Facebook (bit.ly/33bLo8k) or here www.cplchurch.org/worship-videos-2. Canoga Park Lutheran Church, 7357 Jordan Ave. 818-348-5714. www.cplchurch.org

Second Sunday in Lent with St. Luke Lutheran Church: The Rev. Janet Hansted delivers the message, 9:30 a.m. Feb. 28. Musical prelude, 9:25 a.m. Watch here on Facebook: bit.ly/3lJkVX4. St. Luke Lutheran Church is in Woodland Hills. Voice mail, 818-346-3070. Email: office.saint.lutheran@gmail.com. www.stlukelutheran.com

Seventy-Seven Times: The Rev. Joseph Choi explains the message, based on Matthew 18:21-35, 10 a.m. (in English) and 11:30 a.m. (in Korean) on Feb. 28. Watch here: youtube.com/numcvideo. The church’s February’s newsletter: bit.ly/39KZyks. 818-886-1555. Facebook: www.facebook.com/northridgeumc. www.northridgeumc.org

Give Up Worry for Lent: The Rev. Bill Freeman, of B Free Ministry, delivers the message, 10 a.m. Feb. 28. Find the Zoom link on the website. 616-796-5598. billfreeman.org

Second Sunday in Lent with Prince of Peace Episcopal Church: Watch the service on the church’s YouTube, 10 a.m. Feb. 28 (also available to watch later). The service bulletin and hymn page are available in advance on the website. The church is in Woodland Hills. Email: office@popwh.org. www.popwh.org

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles: Sunday Masses are live streamed, 10 a.m. (in English) and noon (Spanish) from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels: lacatholics.org/mass-for-the-homebound. The daily Masses are live streamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, 8 a.m. (in English). For local parishes that live stream Mass: lacatholics.org/parish-livestreams. Facebook: www.facebook.com/lacatholics. For more information: lacatholics.org

Sunday with Woodland Hills Community Church (United Church of Christ): The Rev. Craig Peterson delivers the message, 10 a.m. Feb. 28. Piano prelude, 9:45 a.m. Watch the service from the church’s Facebook here: www.facebook.com/whccucc. Voice mail, 818-346-0820. Email: whccucc@gmail.com. www.woodlandhillscommunitychurch.org

Choose Your Cross – Second Sunday in Lent: The Rev. Steve Peralta delivers the message, based on Mark 8:31-38, from a sermon series “The Choices of Lent,” at the 10:30 a.m. Feb. 28 online service. North Hollywood United Methodist Church. 818-763-8231. Email: nohofumc@gmail.com. Facebook: bit.ly/2BPcdo4. nohofumc.org

Journey to Freedom: The Rev. Michael McMorrow explains the message, based on the center’s February theme “One Journey, Many Paths,” 10:30 a.m. Feb. 28 (bit.ly/3riDsLZ). In addition, McMorrow gives a “Mid-Day Reset,” at noon Monday-Friday on the center’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/csl.granadahills). Center for Spiritual Living-Granada Hills. 818-363-8136. Click on the link to watch the service here: www.youtube.com/user/CSLGranadaHills. https://www.cslgh.org

Non Profit: The Rev. Beth Bingham explains the message, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 28. Also, “10@10,” a devotional and prayer with either the Rev. Beth Bingham or associate minister the Rev. Curtis Peek, 10 a.m. Monday-Friday on the church’s Facebook. Congregational Church of the Chimes is in Sherman Oaks. Watch the service here: www.facebook.com/churchofchimes. Email: office@churchofthechimes.org. churchofthechimes.org

Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful You: The Rev. Stephen Rambo chats with Eugene Holden, a Centers for Spiritual Living licensed spiritual practitioner, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 28 (click to watch here: bit.ly/2MlDrYL). Center for Spiritual Living-Simi Valley. 805-527-0870. www.facebook.com/cslsimi; www.cslsimi.org

I Am Radiant with Health: The Rev. Greg Dorst gives his thoughts on the center’s February theme, 11 a.m. Feb. 28. Watch the service on Zoom here: bit.ly/2XuhaL9 and use ID: 3148040257. Unity Burbank – Center for Spiritual Awareness’s Facebook here: www.facebook.com/unityburbank. Sign up for the center’s “Words of Light” newsletter here: unityburbank.org

Lenten Worship Service at Canoga Park Lutheran Church: The Rev. Timothy Jenks delivers the message “Sleepy Eyes,” based on a series about fixing one’s eyes on Jesus, 6:30 p.m. March 3. The Lenten services run on Wednesdays through March 24. Masks and social distancing required. 7357 Jordan Ave. The message will also be available on the church’s Facebook  (bit.ly/33bLo8k) and website www.cplchurch.org

Shabbat with Shomrei Torah Synagogue: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6-7:15 p.m. March 5 and a traditional Shabbat morning service, 10 a.m.-noon March 6 (www.stsonline.org/calendar). The Conservative Jewish congregation is in West Hills. Voice mail, 818-854-7650. www.stsonline.org

Shabbat with Temple Ramat Zion: Evening service, 6 p.m. March 5, and the morning service, 9 a.m. March 6. The Conservative Jewish congregation is in Northridge. Voice mail, 818-360-1881. Watch on the YouTube link from the website. www.trz.org

Shabbat with Temple Judea: Use the Facebook link to watch the service, 6:15 p.m. March 5. The Reform Jewish congregation is in Tarzana. 818-758-3800. Email: info@templejudea.com. The temple’s Facebook: bit.ly/3fEI0G5. templejudea.com

Shabbat with Valley Beth Israel: Rabbi-Cantor Mark S. Goodman leads the evening service, 7 p.m. March 5, and the morning service, 9:30 a.m. March 6. Watch on Facebook: bit.ly/3gTUZ8o. The independent Jewish congregation is in Sun Valley. Email: rabbigoodman@valleybethisrael.org. myvbi.net/home

Send information at least two weeks ahead. holly.andres@dailynews.com. 818-713-3708.

Buddhist Times News – State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year
Feb 27 2021
Buddhist Times News – State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year

By  — Shyamal Sinha

The State Vesak festival is to be held in Jaffna this year, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has given instructions to focus on the North and East during Vesak this year.

Accordingly, it has been decided to hold the State Vesak festival at the Nagadeepa Raja Maha Vihara Temple in Jaffna.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that 65 temples in the North and East and 35 Buddhist Sunday schools in the North and East will be involved in the State festival.

The State festival will also see the participation of other religions, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The Hindu, Christian and Muslim affairs departments operating under the Prime Minister will be involved in organising the event.

Last year the Government had decided to cancel the State Vesak festival in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vesak is celebrated once a year. This year, it falls on Thursday 7th May.

The date of Vesak changes each year as it take places at the time of the first full moon of the ancient lunar month of Vesakha, which usually falls in May or early June.

Each Buddhist culture has its own traditions for the day, but it is celebrated in lots of different countries, including many across Asia such as: India, Thailand, and North and South Korea.

Many Buddhists will go to their local temple and some might even stay there throughout the day and night of the full moon.

Many will do good deeds, take part in chanting and meditation, reflect on Buddhist teachings, bring offerings to the temple and share food with people.

It’s believed that after six years of studying and meditation on his travels, he became spiritually aware and reached his goal of finding meaning in life. This is called enlightenment.

At this time, he became the Buddha and for the rest of his life he taught his followers of his experiences.

Buddha is a title, rather than a name, which means the enlightened or awakened one.

Instead the Buddhist community had been requested to observe Amisa-puja and Patipatti-puja only in the premises of their homes.

The public had also been requested not to involve anyone outside of the family for their religious activities at home.

source – colombogazette

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Religion briefs, Feb. 27, 2021
Feb 27 2021
Religion briefs, Feb. 27, 2021

NORTH BRANFORD — Northford Congregational Church, 4 Old Post Road, North Branford, will have an Easter weekend flower/plant sale to benefit the church 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 2-3, and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 4, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Easter Bunny will be helping.

Masks and social distancing will be required for everyone’s safety. In the event of inclement weather, the flowers/plants will be sold inside the church social hall downstairs.

To reach the church, call 203-484-0795, go to www.northfordcongregational.church or email northfordcc@gmail.com.

Temple Beth Sholom plans 75th Anniversary celebrations



HAMDEN — In fall 2021, Temple Beth Sholom, 1809 Whitney Avenue, will celebrate its 75th Anniversary. Programming includes Friday Night Shabbat services to recognize congregants who joined during each decade, a special recognition of past Temple presidents, and much more. It will all lead up to a culminating event in November 2021. Details will be available on www.tbshamden.com.

Seeking memories: If you or your family were members of Temple Beth Sholom – or attended a special event at Temple Beth Sholom, email tbshamden75@gmail.com your Temple Beth Sholom story. We will be compiling memories for a tribute book.

For more information, contact Lauren Piscitelle at communicationsvp@tbshamden.com.

North Branford Congregational Lenten schedule

NORTH BRANFORD — North Branford Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 1680 Foxon Road, North Branford, announces its Lenten service schedule.

March 10 – Taize Service, 7 p.m. live streamed on Face book

March 24 – Taize Service, 7 p.m. live streamed on Face book

March 28 – Palm Sunday, 10 a.m., outdoor service

April 1 – Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m. in church service

April 3 – 9 a.m.-noon, Decoration of the Cross; bring cut flowers for outdoor decorating of flower cross.

April 4 – 9 a.m. Outdoor “mini” Easter Service; 10 a.m., Indoor Easter Sunday service

Shoreline Unitarian programs in February

Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society is inviting its members and the public to expand positive connections with others, in a socially-distanced way of course. Each week of February or “Fun-uary” has a different theme for connecting. Feb. 22-28 is “Random Acts of Kindness Week.”

Share experiences by joining the Zoom “Lunch Bunch” with Bracken, Rev. Terry Sweetser, and others each Monday. To access the Zoom link, go to www.shorelineunitarian.org and click on Calendar, then “Lunch with Rev.” Or communicate your experiences directly to Rev. Terry at rev@shorelineunitarian.org. The church has served the Shoreline since 1962 and a worldwide faith for more than 500 years. The church office can be reached at 203-245-8720.

Congregation Mishkan Israel holding services

HAMDEN – Congregation Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Rd, Hamden is conducting virtual services and events online.

For more information and list of events, visit cmihamden.org or call the office at 203-288-3877. For pastoral emergencies, call Rabbi Immerman directly on at 203-584-7396

Temple Beth Sholom service schedule

HAMDEN — Temple Beth Sholom, 1809 Whitney Avenue, Hamden is conducting virtual services. For more information visit www.tbshamden.com or call the Temple Beth Sholom office at 203-288-7748.

Congregation B’Nai Jacob schedules services, events

WOODBRIDGE — Congregation B’nai Jacob, 75 Rimmon Road, Woodbridge, is continuing to hold services using Zoom. If you don’t know how to Zoom, visit https://www.bnaijacob.org/ or call 203-389-2111.

Weekday minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Zoom

Saturdays, 9 a.m. Bread and Torah on Zoom

Shabbat morning service, 10 a.m. on Zoom

Rabbi Shapiro winter/spring class. Monday evenings 7:30-9 p.m. How did the siddur come to be the way it is?

Feb. 27, Trivia Night Fundraiser.

Winter coat collection for Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen. The donation box is located between the outer and inner doors of the synagogue.

CBJ has also joined with the United Church on the Green to collect funds for Columbus House.

Temple Emanuel continues online services, events

ORANGE — Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven, 150 Derby Avenue, continues to conduct virtual services and events via Zoom and YouTube. “Stay connected with our community. Keep your physical distance while maintaining your social and spiritual connections,” members said.

Details are on the Temple Emanuel website, www.tegnh.org, or call 203-397-3000.

Christ Episcopal, Ansonia, resumes services

ANSONIA — Christ Episcopal Church, 56 South Cliff St., has resumed fall and winter hours for Sunday services at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit www.christchurchansonia.org/ or call 203-734-2715.

Beth Israel Synagogue is online

WALLINGFORD — Beth Israel Synagogue, 22 N. Orchard St., Wallingford, is continuing online services.

Torah teachings will be conducted online at www.bethisraelwallingford.org

The Rabbi will remain in contact on when and what time any events will take place online. The Board of Directors continues to meet monthly via tele/video-conferencing.

Visit www.bethisraelwallingford.org for more information.

Temple Beth David offers online programs

CHESHIRE — Temple Beth David, 3 Main St., Cheshire, is closed, but virtual events are being held on the online platform Zoom and on Facebook Live.

To reach the temple, email office@tbdcheshire.org or call 203-272-0037; Rabbi Micah is always available to talk at rabbiMicah@tbdcheshire.org.

St. Andrew’s provides services, food pantry

NORTHFORD — St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1382 Middletown Avenue, Northford, is located at the intersection of Routes 17 & 22.

The church is a member of the Middlesex Area Cluster Ministry Network, along with Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Killingworth and St. James Episcopal Church in Higganum. Rev. Bryan Spinks is Priest-in Charge at St. Andrew’s.

Due to the COVID pandemic, services are held on Zoom, and may also be viewed on the church’s Facebook page at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Northford CT.

St. Andrew’s is home to the Food Pantry of North Branford, located on the lower level of the church’s parish hall. The Community Dining Room uses the church kitchen and parish hall to prepare and deliver meals to the homebound in Northford and North Branford.

St. Andrew’s also partners with St. Pauly Textile in a broad outreach program to help people in need in the U.S. and around the world. Donations of usable clothing, shoes, belts, purses, sheets, blankets and stuffed animals may be made at the donation shed located in the church parking lot.

For more information contact Nan Monde, Sr. Warden, 203-710-7005; or MACM Network office, 860-345-0058; or Rev.Spinks, 860-304-5266.

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