Religion Briefs
Saturday, September 8, 2001
Public invited to Unity's World Day of Prayer
Unity Church of Hawaii will be storming heaven for 24 hours Thursday as its members join 900 other Unity churches in a World Day of Prayer, the eighth year of the interfaith event.The public is invited to a noon prayer service at 3608 Diamond Head Circle and to participate in the prayer vigil that will be under way in the chapel during daytime hours.
Members will continue the vigil at home or elsewhere through the night, said the Rev. Mari Gabrielson.
"We feel our prayers will help raise the world's awareness of God's constant, renewing and sustaining love for all creation," she said.
Film screening to present story of a jailed American Indian activist
The story of an American Indian activist serving a life sentence for killing two FBI agents will be the focus of a Wednesday program sponsored by the Pacific and Asian American Ministry of the United Church of Christ.The 6:30 p.m. event at Nuuanu Congregational Church, 2651 Pali Hwy., will feature "Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story," a film about the man who was convicted in the 1975 slayings on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It is free and open to the public.
Ronald Fujiyoshi, a United Church of Christ lay pastor, said the local program is timed to Peltier's 57th birthday Wednesday.
Supporters have pressed a campaign to have Peltier released, claiming that evidence against him was falsified and calling him a political prisoner.
Fujiyoshi said organizations within the Racial and Ethnic Ministries of the national United Church of Christ take an interest in each other's causes, which led to the local program. The church has ministries for Pacific Islanders and Asians, American Indians, Hispanics and African Americans.
Benefits of missionaries abroad to be discussed
The benefits to undeveloped countries from missionaries who bring medical care along with their spiritual message will be in the spotlight at the Sept. 22 Mission Festival of the United Methodist Church Hawaii district.Heather Hanson of the church's General Board of Global Ministries will speak on "Global Health Care and Christian Responsibility" at the all-day conference at Kailua United Methodist Church.
Dr. Norma Kerhberg, former executive director of United Methodist Church Overseas Relief and missionary to Nepal, will speak on "Global Health Care," and the Rev. Alex Vergara will discuss the future of missions in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Friday is the deadline for registration. There is no cost, and the conference is open to the public. For information, call the Rev. Hidemi Ito, 622-4361.
4-day seminar to discuss why 'Zen Is for Everyone'
"Zen Is for Everyone, An Interfaith Dialogue" is the theme of a four-day seminar next week at Tendai Mission of Hawaii.The roundtable discussions will be held at 23 Jack Lane. The topics will be:
>> Monday: 7 p.m. Zen meditation in an interfaith or inclusive context.
>> Tuesday: 7 p.m. "Nembutsu and Zen," ways to reach emptiness, the prayer of apophasis or detachment.
>> Wednesday: 7 p.m. "Zen and Tantric practice," on Zen and Dzogchen rituals of apophasis.
The series will end Thursday with a 7 a.m. Agri-Hottri fire ritual. In the Tantric Zen practice, a minister burns wooden sticks containing petitions, such as a request for good health.
The cost is $10 a lesson. Manuals on "Zen Is for Everyone" will be available. To register, call Bishop Irene Matsumoto, 737-5177.
Scriptural scholar to give lectures and teach course
Scriptural scholar Andre LaCocque returns to deliver two free lectures and teach a graduate-level course on "People and Faith of Israel II."The founder of the Chicago Theological Seminary Center for Jewish-Christian Studies will speak Sept. 16 on "Gilgamesh: Ancestor to Genesis," and Sept. 23 on "Rereading the Good Samaritan Story." Both will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Central Union Church Women's Building.
For the course, registration is required, and the cost is $725 for full credit and $125 for noncredit. LaCocque will teach four sessions Sept. 20-24. He will continue the course via teleconferencing from Chicago through Nov. 7.
For more information, call the Rev. Sharon Inake, 440-3024, or write to angel@centralunionchuch.org.
RELIGION CALENDAR
