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In Jerusalem, Palestinian Christians observe scaled-down Good Friday celebrations

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hundreds of Christians participated in a customary Good Friday procession through the limestone walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, commemorating one of the faith’s most sacred days with noticeably thinner crowds amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The day’s processions, which normally draw thousands of foreign visitors, were unusually local. Most observers were Palestinian Christians, joined by some foreigners living in Jerusalem and a few undeterred tourists. The traditional Good Friday procession passes along the Way of the Cross, or Via Dolorosa, the route ...

A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea. On Friday, over a hundred people watched on as 10 devotees were nailed to wooden crosses, among them Ruben Enaje, a 63-year-old carpenter and sign painter. The real-life crucifixions have become an annual religious spectacle that draws tourists in three rural communities in Pampanga province, north of Manila. The gory ...

Why we should be honest

Matthew 5:37 “But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.” In Need of Honesty Our culture needs honesty. The kind of honesty that speaks the truth, God’s truth, not my truth or yours. Not just outside of the church but inside the church, too. We have all grown accustomed to affirmation, too used to agreement and too sensitive toward conflict. As a result, our ability to be honest with one another has taken a backseat. We justify ourselves, believing that with less honesty, we can have richer and more ...

Local church briefs

Crafting group open to all LOCK HAVEN — A new crafting group is open to everyone who wants to share in the fun and maybe gain a new skill. Covenant Crafters meets Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in Covenant United Methodist Church, 44 W. Main St., and is open to the general public. Projects will vary. The crafters are currently doing embroidery cards. The group meets in the lounge. Enter the more modern section of the church building and turn right at the stairs. The lounge is on the left. The building also has a handicap entrance. For information, contact Pastor Justin ...

What is Holi, the Hindu festival of colors and how is it celebrated?

Holi, widely known as the Hindu festival of colors, is a joyful annual celebration at the advent of spring with cultural and religious significance. Typically observed in March in India, Nepal, other South Asian countries and across the diaspora, the festival celebrates love and signifies a time of rebirth and rejuvenation — a time to embrace the positive and let go of negative energy. For one of Holi’s most well-known traditions, celebrants clad in all white, come out to the street and throw colored powders at each other, leaving behind a kaleidoscope of pigments and joy. ...

The reminders of Lent

As we go through the Lenten season, we’re often so wrapped up in our daily lives, that we go through an entire day without remembering that this is Lent. This isn’t the only time that we do this, and it happens with various religious seasons for other faiths also. There’s just so much ...