Religion
More than 200 people of all faiths gathered recently at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno on its 10th anniversary.
The Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, established in 2002, provides a place of worship, promotes religious understanding for people of all faiths, invites scholars and clerics to present lectures and forums, and provides counseling services for local Muslims.
Seyed Ali Ghazvini, imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno for the past eight years, said the milestone came quickly. He said the center's "greatest days are in the future and not in the past."
About 20 people were asked to speak at the event. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said, "This center brings all of our religions together. So you have accomplished much."
I recently watched Mel Gibson's 2004 film -- "The Passion of the Christ" -- on the Trinity Broadcasting Network -- and the movie brought back a lot of memories.
Soon after the movie came out, I taught a Bible study on "The Passion of the Christ" at the Fresno church I was attending at the time. Back then, I thought the movie and various studies would become compelling teaching tools for Christian churches at Easter time for years to come.
The film still moves me in a special way. But churches seem slow now to use the movie as a teaching tool at Easter time?
What do you think -- and why?
Jeremy Lin was asked about his recent spike in point contributions for the New York Knicks.
His response was: "It doesn't change who I am."
Who is he?
He says, "My identity is in Christ."
As The Bee's religion writer, I'm interested in people's sudden change in circumstances -- and to whom they credit.
How about you?
I was asked to speak at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All-Faiths & Music Service held Saturday at the Community Gym in southwest Fresno.
The annual event is designed to bring together people of various faith traditions in the spirit of King's example of peace and nonviolence.
As The Bee's religion writer, I have visited 350 Valley places of worship -- and written about my experiences at each place. At the King event, I felt I was among friends.
The program included 11 choirs and musical groups performing something that reflected their faith or cultural traditions.
The Saints Community Church of God in Christ praise team and the Temple Beth Israel chorale were vibrant.
Have you attended an event honoring Martin Luther King this year -- and what was the best part of your experience? I'd like to know.
My wish for the new year is you come to a better understanding that God loves you.
What is your wish for 2012?
I recently attended the 35th edition of the Messiah Sing-Along -- a Fresno tradition kicking off the Christmas season.
At these sing-alongs, the audience serves as the choir and provides the soloists. Twelve times, I stood with about 700 others at First Presbyterian Church to sing the choir parts.
The sounds were so heavenly that tears welled in my eyes, especially during "For unto us a Child is born" (Isaiah 9:6):
"And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
For me, it was a touching way to begin the season of Advent.
It's always nice when you attend a place of worship, then remain at the site to enjoy a meal together.
Food knocks down barriers, allowing people to talk with total strangers about anything under the sun.
As The Bee's religion writer, one of my fondest memories is attending a service at United Japanese Christian Church in Clovis, then joining everybody for a lavish congregational lunch prepared by a Toban group in 2002.
You also can't step onto the grounds of a Sikh temple in the central San Joaquin Valley without somebody inviting you to first sit down for a meal together.
The topic of food being served at places of worship is on my mind this week. I visited First Congregational Church of Fresno on Sunday to pick up an order of shredded beef enchiladas that I ordered (six for $10).
Yum!
The Church Life ministry at First Congregational Church of Fresno has been holding an annual enchiladas fundraiser for about five years. Proceeds go into the church's general fund. One year the money paid for new round tables and chairs in the church's fellowship hall.
Has your place of worship had an interesting fundraiser involving food? We want to hear about it.
The 2001 Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade was held at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno -- 10 years ago this week. The event was held Oct. 11-14, 2001.
I attended the event each day, one of several Fresno Bee writers assigned to write stories.
Fondest memory? From the press table near the main stage, I looked many times over my right shoulder to the stadium's southwest section, where people in attendance wore headsets to hear Graham's words translated into their native language.
Those snapshots reminded me of the Book of Revelation 14:6, which says, "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people."
What do you remember from the event?
President Barack Obama began his remarks at the Washington National Cathedral 9/11 Memorial event Sunday night, quoting the Bible.
Obama said, "The Bible tells us: 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' "
That's Psalm 30:5 (King James Bible).
Many people experience comfort while reading from the Psalms.
In Fresno, many churches presented special services commemorating 9/11. I attended the NorthPointe Community Church's "Shelter 911" service Saturday, when the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Steve Williams, opened the service, reading Psalm 46. It begins: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
After the service ended, I met with friends at a Starbucks near the church for Bible study. We meet after every Saturday service, commenting on study and discussion questions related to the sermon. On Saturday, we read Psalm 91, another "shelter" psalm.
By the time I left Starbucks, I was feeling a sense of comfort. That's what the Psalms do.
Central San Joaquin Valley places of worship have long partnered with overseas ministries and organizations to accomplish work.
Fresno First Baptist Church, for example, sends mission teams to help at the Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, one of the few free testing and treatment centers for HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno holds fund-raising events for American Medical Overseas Relief efforts at Afshar Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Sometimes, the overseas' people overseeing the work pay visits to Valley congregations to say thank you and share future plans.
The latter happened recently at NorthPointe Community Church, which helps train pastors and lay leaders in Kolkata (the former Calcutta), India. NorthPointe's contact person, Pastor Doddy Sudarsan Murty, of West Bengal, India, spoke at NorthPointe services Aug. 13-14.
He talked about goals -- starting 90 new house fellowships in West Bengal over the next five years, an average of 18 per year. There are 18 districts in West Bengal.
Doddy is my friend. I served on a NorthPointe missions team in Kolkata in 2009, when I experienced the area's many needs for help.
Doddy says, "I'm NorthPointe, India!"
More than 30 people gathered at Trinity Southern Baptist Church in east-central Fresno on Saturday, watching a simulcast of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's prayer rally at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Ken Hinman, an associate pastor at Trinity Southern Baptist Church, organized the Fresno gathering as a way to stand in unity with those gathered at the Houston rally, "The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis."
Prayer? It works.
I plan to be sitting in the upper deck behind home plate at AT&T Park in San Francisco, cheering for the San Francisco Giants in their game against the Oakland A's on Saturday.
That also is the day Family Radio Worldwide founder Harold Camping is predicting the Rapture and Judgment Day will come.
Worry? Not me.
A behind-the-scenes hero at Clovis Hills Community Church always stays on her toes. She's Katie L. Carlson, sign language interpreter.
Clovis Hills reserves three rows of chairs at services to visitors who are hearing-impaired. At the 9 a.m. service Sunday, Carlson stood in front of the section, using American Sign Language to communicate the lyrics to worship songs ("Stronger" and "Jesus Paid It All") and the words spoken in prayer and in associate pastor Dave MacNeill's sermon ("Who is Jesus?")
Carlson is part of a team of four sign language interpreters providing the services. She and others also work in Clovis Hills' Sunday school classrooms for children.
"It's totally God-given," she says.
I sat across the aisle from the section -- and I felt blessed by what I observed.
It isn't often when you go to church -- and a greeter gives you a small burlap bag.
The Well Community Church, one of Fresno's most innovative churches, handed out the burlap bags Sunday, when I visited the church's north campus at Nees and Maple avenues.
Pastor Brad Bell's sermon was based on Jonah 4, which tells of the prophet Jonah's anger at the Lord's compassion toward the people of Nineveh. (They had repented of their evil ways, wearing sackcloth.) Bell challenged visitors to look at themselves as Jonahs anytime they feel somebody doesn't deserve God's mercy.
Bell wrapped up his sermon saying Jonah "got it." He was reshaped by God to care about the things that God cares about.
Bell wasn't done. He also reminded visitors that people in biblical times built piles of rocks as reminders when God brought about change in their lives. And he noted tables were set up in the sanctuary with small white rocks. He said the rocks symbolically represented any issue God was placing on people's hearts.
Then, Bell asked people, if they were willing, to walk to the tables and put a rock in their burlap bag as a reminder when God brought them to an issue in their lives. Visitors also dropped a second rock into clay containers representing the entire church's commitment to do better. "Ping! Ping!" came the sound of rocks.
Thank you, The Well. Good visual reminders for me.
Contemporary Christian musical artist JJ Heller came to Fresno last weekend to lead worship at NorthPointe Community Church's Spring Conference for women.
After the conference ended, Heller stuck around to also perform at the church's Saturday evening service -- and I got to hear her for the first time in person.
She's one in a million.
I've been singing the lyrics to her hit song "Your Hands" ever since -- "When my world is shaking, heaven stands. When my heart is breaking, I never leave your hands."
So true.
Husband Dave accompanied Heller on guitar. You could tell he enjoyed being with his wife. Love filled his eyes as he stole glances at her.
I'll never forget the service. What a blessing!
I have been covering religion for The Bee for exactly 10 years Thursday.
It all started with my stories being packaged in the four-page section Faith & Values, which debuted March 10, 2001. I still have a copy of the first issue, which featured a lengthy story I wrote on a topic that has been around for a long time: When is a lie a sin, and when is it a necessary evil?
Ten years later, I continue to write on topics that we think are compelling to Bee readers. Along the way, I have visited -- and written profiles on -- nearly 350 places of worship in the central San Joaquin Valley. Many have touched me in special ways:
The singing of the Saints Rest Missionary Baptist Church choir. The hospitality of St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Mission. The post-service potluck at United Japanese Christian Church in Clovis. The teaching of Rabbi Levy Zirkind of Chabad of Fresno. The enthusiasm of the Korean Presbyterian Church youth group. The worship songs at Selma First United Methodist Church.
Little acts of kindness stick out, too. Two days after I visited Northside Christian Church in Clovis in October 2003, the church's hospitality members put a bag of chocolate-chip cookies at my home's doorstep. Just to say thanks for visiting.
What have I learned in these 10 years covering religion? God really loves me -- and a lot of others in the Valley and world.
A Christian nonprofit based in Birmingham, Ala., is presenting a regional commercial that will air during Super Bowl XLV halftime Sunday, encouraging viewers to look up one the most well-known verses in the Bible -- John 3:16.
It won't be the first time somebody tries to score with Scripture at a major sporting event.
Remember the guy wearing the rainbow hairpiece and hoisting the John 3:16 placard when television cameras rolled his way?
Fixed Point Foundation, an organization that promotes Christianity in the public square, has a different approach. It says the purpose of its "LookUp 316" commercial is for Super Bowl viewers to consider the verse's message of hope.
Fixed Point Foundation says the project began with a simple thought: If you had 30 seconds to speak to millions of people, what would you say?
Its answer: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Twenty-six words.
If you had those 30 seconds, what would you say?
Nearly 500 people marched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in downtown Fresno on Monday, including a friend of the late U.S. clergyman and leader of the civil rights movement.
Howard Jenkins marched in the front row -- and shared his best memory of King.
"He did great work," Jenkins said in an interview with KFSN (Channel 30.1). "God led him to do great work."
Love. Non-violence. Respect.
All inspired by God.
Great work, indeed.
Did you hear what Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton said during an on-field interview after Auburn won the BCS championship game Monday?
He praised God. I cover religion for The Bee. My ears perked up.
Here's what Newton said: "I'm a prime example of how God can turn something that was bad into something that was very great."
I've been telling people for years that if God had a business card, it would read: "Master at turning bad into good."
Gene Strother, a correspondent for the Bleacher Report sports editorial website, wrote Tuesday that Newton's comment is usually reserved for people who face adversity that is not of their doing, or face adverse circumstances beyond their control.
"It hardly feels right when it is used by a person whose family has been under investigation and whose father is told by school officials to stay away from the game because of allegations of impropriety," Strother wrote.
Newton's father, Cecil Newton, has been investigated by the NCAA regarding the attempted selling of his son's services to the highest bidder. Cam Newton has been cleared of any wrongdoing. He was cleared to play out the season.
Cam Newton's post-game comment raises a deeper question: Does God really care who wins?
I wrote a story on the topic in 2003. The Rev. Bob Willis, pastor of Northpark Community Church in northeast Fresno, said God is more concerned that people show integrity and character -- win or lose.
"If someone is going to give God credit in victory, they have to acknowledge him graciously in defeat," Willis said.
Amen.
Thanksgiving is this week, when a lot of people slow down, gather with loved ones at meals and express their gratitude to God.
What are you grateful for?
The senior pastor of the northwest Fresno church, where I worship, did a good job in a recent sermon, saying people should be thankful in every circumstance -- good and bad. He's right, of course. But it isn't easy expressing gratitude when you are singing the blues.
Try looking at a painful experience this way: There could be lessons to be learned that make you a better person, a more compassionate person.
A friend once told me that God always turned her garbage -- the painful experiences -- into beautiful bouquets. Now that is a reason to be grateful, isn't it?
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