Teaching on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path with Jan Willis

Sravasti Abbey, the Buddhist monastery near Newport, Wash., will host a weekend teaching with Jan Willis on the “Three Principal Aspects of the Path” on May 19-22. The course is residential, but commuters are welcome, depending on availability of space. Go online to sravasti.org for information and registration; phone, 509-447-5549; or email office.sravasti@gmail.com.

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In his polemic against secular humanism, Jason Otto (Feb. 10, Daily Bee) overlooks a salient fact. Federal law requires public schools operate as secular entities. (Secular meaning not connected with religious or spiritual matters.) Public schools students are not indoctrinated with secular humanism. Rather, the schools function as secular, religion-neutral institutions tasked with serving a public with widely differing religious beliefs. This impartial approach mitigates against serious conflicts that would arise if one religion were given preference over another at taxpayer expense.

The inspiration of Ireland's St. Brigid

Who was St. Brigid and why is she inspiring many 1,500 years after her death?

Devotees of St. Brigid commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of her death on Jan. 31, the feast day of the so-called matron saint of Ireland. Major commemorations began with the return of a relic associated with Brigid to Kildare, Ireland — about a millennium after her remains were removed from her hometown. St. Patrick has long been the saint most identified with Ireland. But Brigid has been gaining a following. Devotees draw inspiration from Brigid the saint and from the ancient pagan goddess whose name and attributes she shares. They see Brigid as representing feminine spirituality and empowerment.

Proposed rules target mussels

SANDPOINT - The state department of agriculture is conducting a public hearing Tuesday to consider rules aimed at keeping invasive species from finding a home in Idaho.

Project is destroying special, sacred spot

I have been working on a story about an 89-year-old Kalispel Indian woman who remembers the last, sacred time giant salmon leaped the roaring waters of Kettle Falls on the Columbia River. This was before the blasting of the landscape, which created Grand Coulee Dam, silenced not only the river and its abundant life, but tore the very fabric of numerous indigenous cultures who had drawn both physical and spiritual sustenance from its richly created existence. Such losses are difficult to fully grasp.

Chorale, orchestra set spring concerts

The Pend Oreille Chorale and Orchestra will be presenting its spring concerts this weekend. The first concert will be held Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m. and the second concert will be a matinee event at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 9. The free spring concerts will both be held in the First Lutheran Church on Olive and Ontario in Sandpoint.

Jesus empowers women

For those who call Sandpoint home, this is the week where the world begins to spin in a normal rotation. Routines are implemented, school is in session and the vacations are usually over with. Most people go back to slower traffic and a simpler pace. We know that God is not only found on a summer mission trip or family camp experience but also in the mundane of our daily lives.

Build the smelter in Canada, not in our backyard

I have lived in Sandpoint for almost 20 years. I grew up and moved here from a small town north of Tucson, Ariz. I breathed the smelter smoke from San Manuel’s Magma Copper Co. for many years. The plants and animals for 100 miles surrounding the plant were distressed and dying. They would slow the output during the day and crank it up to full capacity at night. It was insane, they tore the stacks down a few years ago, but the devastation is still evident and it will be decades before the region cleans up and any sort of normality returns to the fragile ecosystem.

Christmas favorites help monks and nuns win fans, pay the bills

As Christmas approaches, Catholic nuns and monks are busy preparing the traditional delicacies they sell to a loyal fan base even in rapidly secularizing countries. For many monastic communities, producing cookies, fruitcakes, even beer for sale, is the only means to keep the lights on. But it's also an enticing way to strengthen their ties with laypeople. The religious sisters and brothers say they have to keep the balance between their vocation to prayer and earning their daily bread. So they pray as they roll dough and mix sugar, cinnamon, or even bourbon — trusting in God's hands the lay people to whom they hope the treats will bring joy.

Out into the world": Challenges facing progressive Christians

"Out Into the World" will be the focus of the next Lifetree Care talk. The talk will be held Monday, March 20, at 2 p.m.

Bird in the Hand: Love is in the Air (part 2)

For the avid birder, spring is a very special time of the year.

PHD: No new cases of COVID-19

SANDPOINT — No new novel coronavirus cases were reported in the Panhandle on Wednesday.

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“The Celtic Way of Life: Ancient Wisdom for Experiencing God Today” retreat will be offered at the First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint this weekend. It will be facilitated by Sister Mary Lonergan, OSF, of Milwaukie, Ore.

Gordon Frazey Bliss, 84

Gordon Frazey Bliss, 84, passed away in the countryside he loved outside of Priest River, Idaho, on March 2, 2007.

Mission creep and a life of faith

Bonner County pastors share messages of faith and hope.

Friends, colleagues mourn Parker's passing

SANDPOINT — The Pend Oreille watershed has lost one of its passionate protectors.

'Appearing on Empty' publication announced

Wisdom Publications will release the new book, "Appearing and Empty," by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Pacific Northwest author and Buddhist nun, Thubten Chodron, on Aug. 29.

Are you a turkey or are you an eagle?

November is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, which typically revolves around a traditional turkey dinner. So I can’t help but ask, are you a turkey or an eagle? While a turkey and an eagle are both birds, there is a lot difference between the two. Turkeys can fly, but prefer to walk. Eagles can walk but mostly fly…and when they fly, they soar! Turkey when used as an adjective is an insult. Eagle when used as an adjective is a complement. Turkeys eat dirt and rocks (Really, it helps their digestion!). EAGLES, on the other hand consume only protein.

Beware of a self-righteous false prophet

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

Luella M. Schuller, 90

Our beloved mother, grandmother and sister passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2009.