Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 22, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Path c10 saturday free press february 1996 fasting provides a better focus the Muslim month of Rij in hoped to meet a the spirit from the the spiritual to be better marked by fasting 1 spirit who would serve As his or her from the so whether we Are my us rms each is recently i Iff i life Lynn oni ritual j 1he Muslim month of marked by fasting during each is recently the Christian season of Prepa ration for known As is now Here and customarily includes last my counterpart in this space offered some thoughtful reflections on lenten today column complements hers As it focuses upon what is fast and Why should anyone do it fasting Means voluntarily to forego something that is understood to be or even under Ordinary food is the most obvious example of something from which one might but sexual and other Normal dimensions of human life also can fall under the discipline of it is important to get straight at that that fasting is not the same As breaking a bad one does not give up swearing for Lent one ought to Stop or or lusting immediately Faith in focus John Stackhouse and for Good simply because ones religion says that it is religious fasting is undertaken to promote spiritual it is a Symbol and an exercise setting it is a Way of affirming that spiritual things Are ultimately More important than physical it is a Way of exercising the self control and concentration necessary to see religious truths More clearly than one normally would in the rhythm of Ordinary native Canadian and american youths in a number of for usually fasted before undertaking a vision this was a time alone in the Forest during which each sought spiritual Wisdom in hoped to meet a spirit who would serve As his or her lifelong spiritual jews fast on yom the great Day of on this holy they confess their sins to god and demonstrate their willingness to sep Arate themselves even from physical sustenance As they cast themselves upon gods Good gifts of god so do christians and muslims traditionally fast during their special seasons As abstain from things ordinarily understood to be Good gifts of in order to concen trate on great events in their religious fasting provides additional time to focus on and the discomforts of doing without this or that Staple of life remind believers of their dependence on god for other religions see fasting differ they see abstinence not As a temporary discipline for a special but As a lifelong discipline toward the goal of final separation of a worker cleans revealed mosaics at an archaeological site in Northern Bible digs bring buffs close to spiritual roots by David Briggs associated press Israel teenage it was a dream come True a dig at where the Bible says Jesus restored a Blind mans sight and performed the Miracle of the loaves and 30 High school kids signed up for last Summers but one by one they backed their parents fearful that acts of terror ism would endanger their sons and All but Amanda a 16year old from she came through the summer unscathed and in these rolling Little changed Over the it is easy to give the imagination free rein to go Back two Vilim smiled As she spoke of watching the Sun set Over the sea of Galilee and envisioning Jesus walking along the path she was it is its very pow she i dont really know How to describe its a religious its very Power so you want to go on an Arche olog ical dig in the holy land this is the time to Start signing up for the 1997 the january february Issue of biblical archaeology review lists 26 dig including 18 at Sites from Jerusalem to Caesarea maritime with direct biblical Asso fortunately for All but the most rugged biblical Arche ology is not like the old when archaeologists venturing out from primitive campgrounds might encounter perils from scorpions to hostile natives in politically unsettled relax by Pool at the end of the Day at Askelon on israels a site so Beautiful it is adjacent to a failed club volunteers can relax by the Pool at a firs class at Caesarea where the apostle Paul was imprisoned and Christian crusaders and Muslim Kings fought for control of the holy workers do not have to go More than 100 metres for a soda or More suntan the work is not a typical Day involves rising at 5 digging ditches and hauling away rocks for eight hours in summer heat that can Rise to 48 c in the in the after workers Wash off and identify pottery found during the at Many attend archaeological lec despite the Rigours of hundreds of volunteers spend thou Sands of dollars to work alongside some of the worlds top archaeologists in unveiling the history of the lands where ancient civilizations gave birth to modern Judaism and Chris last archaeologists digging in a Kibbutz in Central Israel found a Stone Tablet with a phoenician inscription with the name of the fabled City according to the the philistines took the Ark of the covenant after capturing it from the along with the excitement of the there is something extra for individuals for whom the lands Are the roots of their walking along the main Plaza in Jerusalem outside the Temple mount where Jesus May have walked shortly before his 72yearold Gor Don Krantz of made a special supplication to i know god is and i can approach him any time and any he putting his hand on the Western but there is something special Pauls College presents University of Manitoba the future of the Catholic College James of Faith culture and University of Dayton february 1997 theatre Pauls College u of 70 Dysart Road free admission free parking in lot for further Call 4748582 440 Hargrave Street at notre Dame Avenue duplicate worship services and the mystery of his will televised for at at noon holy communion at both hours 1 Faith to live by on sky to Cable 5 born again radio curb of course you Are Welcome Stephen Covey author of will be in Winnipeg in person october watch newspaper for details Recycle for yourself and the kids Canadian diabetes association association Ca Wiem Oudi Abete the spirit from the the spiritual from the some Buddhist and hindu holy restrict their diets severely As they direct their lives toward strictly spiritual and devotees of Jainism ultimately fast themselves to death in their supreme act of spiritual some of these practices can seem even repellent or to Many contemporary to go without food is especially with doughnut shops on each food courts in each and convenience stores open All some of of do go with out but not for spiritual Rea we Are trying to get better not better out of our but Many of us fast routinely in another we give up proper eating in order to get More work we give up sleep or sex or friendships or family time in order to accomplish what really matters to we frequently give up Good things in order to get what we judge to be better so whether we Are Muslim or hindu or Workaholic or supermom or Alpha male these seasons of religious fasting pose Sharp what ordinarily Good thing do we routinely give and for what Rea son better goals ought we sacrifice in order to reach even better goals fasting is present in virtually every one or the worlds some sort of fasting is also apparent All around us in Canada even among those who dont Call them selves fasting from in order to accomplish what Ramadan just and Lent now Challenge us John associate professor of University of Manitoba email phone 204 4746277 fax 204 2614483 hymns to her rile conservatives by Michael Mcateer Toronto Star Toronto while Many United Church members Are singing the praises of their Church new hymn others Are attacking its gender sensitive replacing father with god and Man with Humankind panders to a Radical feminist say the and such tampering with the historical names for god is another step toward a watered Down the abandonment of scripture and the under mining of christs the language changes in voices United a collection of psalms and prayers will Lead to fur ther theological confusion in Canadas largest protestant argue the mainly from the Church theologically conservative liberals blamed and they blame much of the confusion on the Church Liberal the same leadership group that moved the moral boundaries of biblical christianity on homosexual Ordi nation is now moving the theological says Vancouver United Church minister Don Paris is referring to his Church position that sexual orientation should not be a Barrier to and like that heated he says the new hymn Book could further Divide the god is named father Only 13 times in its 720 hymns and he compared to 115 times in the old hymn and of the 141 psalm selections in the new hymn there Are Only nine that retain the name and there Are at least six hymns and three prayers referring to Mother goddess in voices i see nothing biblical in an image of a War winged said referring to one of the new Radical feminists resent Jesus because he is by diminishing the historic names for god and introducing the Mother the United Church is find ing itself in even deeper theological he adding that Statis tics show a drop of 25 per cent in attendance at United Church services in the last 10 and with the new politically Cor rect psalms and we can look Forward to More of the High sales Faris advice to United Church congregations is to have nothing to do with the new hymn but his words appear to be falling on deaf voices United is being enthusiastically Church officials and they have the sales figures to prove since its release eight months voices now in its third print has sold More than twice As Many As the most optimistic As to the charge that voices United diminishes christs Fred Gra a United Church staff person and its consultant on says Christ is mentioned Many More times and the prayers to Jesus Section is the new hymn Book reflects a broadening of rather than a shift in the Church says world Day of prayer at 22 City churches t his years world Day of celebrated in 170 coun will be held March Church briefs in 22 churches will hold services at varied if youre interested in knowing which ones Are phone area coordinator fran Bartlett at 8376772 or a local Oxford coffees Coffee houses will be held at 28 and March 7 at Oxford United 621 Oxford the 28 event will feature poet Dennis Cooley and friends doing some on March members of the Gilbert and Sullivan society will per form some admission proceeds to the Church inner City drop in fundraiser at Paul a saintly fundraiser for Paul the apostle Parish and Raphael Centre featuring the Bernadette House band will be held at 28 at Paul the apostle 2400 Portage tickets information at 8326122 or discuss brazilian poor people without a voice the land less people of Brazil is the topic of a discussion session at 7 March 2 at holy redeemer roman Catholic 264 Dogwood speakers will include Enivaldo Vieira a president of the Alagoas land Reform movement in Brazil Al a social Justice advocate and Lay Benedictine brother who spent Many years working with underprivileged and Street children in Brazil and Karen a United Church of Canada minister who writes the reflections column for the Winnipeg free anger seminar living with a seminar on anger will be held at 7 to 25 at Friend ship Baptist 100 Rokeby at the Southwest Corner of Roblin Boule Vard and the perimeter Christian counsellors Don Russell and Doreen Penner will share tips on controlling anger and offer a biblical perspective on admission information at 8950704 or christianity workshop christianity Healing the rediscovering the teachers the title of a workshop set for to 5 March 8 at Benedicts educational this workshop is designed for those who May feel wounded by a distorted have been involved in helping others who have been or who Are interested in knowing Jesus bet the fee includes information at dessert theatre a dessert theatre will held at March March 7 and March 8 at Albans anglican 486 Rathar this theatre features townhouse 9 productions presenting Neil Simons gods tickets information at lectures on the Church the Church its problems and task is the title of a four week lec Ture series by Gordon Harland at to 4 on four consecutive Sun Days starting March 2 at fort Garry United 800 Point admission ;