Tag: Doctrine & Practice

Debby Levitt’s four children are dressing up big time for Purim, one of the more raucous of Jewish holidays, which begins on Saturday (Feb. 23) this year.

Commemorating Queen Esther’s brave and successful efforts to save the Jews of Persia from extermination, Purim calls on Jews to rejoice in costume and to give goodies to neighbors and friends.

In Luke 4:1-13 we encounter Jesus in the desert. In scriptural imagery, the desert is a place of anguish, of searching, and of purification. Just prior to this scene in the gospel of Luke, Jesus was baptized by John.

Traditionally, in the Christian tradition, Lenten observance has included a variety of practices including prayer, fasting and abstinence, penance and almsgiving. The goals of these practices are to experience spiritual awakening, purification and renewal.

Venerable Madawala "Bhante" Seelawamila, a Therevada monk from Sri Lanka, will present a seminar, "Buddhism In Your Everyday Life" on March 9 at the Spokane Buddhist Temple.

Today is the day many Buddhist celebrate Nirvana Day (sometimes referred to as Parinirvana Day). This holiday is the day many Buddhists observe the death of Siddhartha Gautama, and consequently his transition into Nirvana.

Lent, writer Kyle Franklin points out, "... is a time of reflecting on Jesus’ time in the desert, his eventual passion and subsequent death. Lent is a time of devotion to deeper understanding of both who God is in our lives and the ways we can best manifest beliefs in our lives."

I’ll be honest , I do not think giving up soda or coffee is an effective way to allow God to manifest in our lives. Sorry, depriving your body of caffeine for 40-something days probably will not lead to a greater devotion to God.  If anything, it will lead to distraction based on one’s constant desire for coffee.