Program to Celebrate Hildegard of Bingen

The 900th anniversary of the birth of Hildegard of Bingen will be celebrated at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At a time when the accomplishments of women were largely ignored, Hildegard was a composer, poet, mystic, scientist, writer and abbess. There have been several unsuccessful proposals to canonize her. She wrote her music in a range suitable for women’s voices, differing from other music of the time.

The daylong celebration will be filled with prayer, including the liturgical hours of the church in the Benedictine tradition, presentations, music, art, silent time in which to reflect as well as time to share. Artists, actors, musicians, writers, spiritual adherents and others will take part.

The day’s events will culminate with a dramatic reading of the play “Hildegard 2000.” There is no charge for the day’s events, but a freewill offering will be accepted. There is a charge for meals (lunch and dinner) and reservations are required. Participants may bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds.

For information and meal reservations, call (818) 784-4515.

HOLIDAYS

Rabbi Moshe Halfon of Adat Chaverim Synagogue, 3352 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos, will lead a workshop Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah, celebrating the Jewish New Year of 5759, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Halfon will discuss the spiritual issues surrounding the holidays. The workshop is free and open to all. Call (562) 430-5512.

* Temple Mishkon Tephilo will host a workshop with Rabbi Dan Shevitz on spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days on Sunday at 11 a.m. at 201 Hampton Drive, Venice. Call (310) 392-3029.

* With competing financial responsibilities, many young adults find temple membership unaffordable. Stephen S. Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive in Los Angeles, has created a reduced-cost way for young people to become part of the congregation and to attend High Holy Days services. The temple offers social groups for singles and couples, worship services and volunteer opportunities. Special membership fees for young adults 21 to 32 and 33 to 35 are available. Call (310) 889-2278.

* Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, will sponsor a Yeshiva for the High Holidays tonight. Rabbi Shimon Paskow, spiritual leader of the temple, and Hazzan Jeff Cohen will lead a Havdallah service at 8 p.m. At 9:15 p.m., several discussion groups will meet covering such topics as “Singing the High Holyday Melodies,” “Kabbalah--Jewish Mysticism,” and “Understanding the Prayer Book.” There will also be craft classes.

There are no fees except for the cost of craft materials. At 11:30, a midnight Selichot service will begin. Call (805) 497-6891.

PEOPLE

The Rev. Paul Tellstrom will be presented as pastor of the Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church in a special homecoming service Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Tellstrom, 43, received the Claremont Distinguished Preaching Award from the Claremont School of Theology, where he received his masters of divinity with honors. He was ordained at First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, where he was previously staff minister. He is on the board of Hope-Net, a nonprofit agency dedicated to eradicating hunger and homelessness in Los Angeles, and a member of the Institutional Review Board of AIDS ReSearch Alliance, working to test new drugs for HIV/AIDS patients.

Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church, 4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, is part of the United Church of Christ with a long history of social activism. Call (323) 663-6577.

LECTURES

Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, will discuss “Commitment to Character” on Monday at 10 a.m. at the California Lutheran University, Samuelson Chapel, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks. Admission is free. Call (805) 493-3151.

EVENTS

The fifth annual Walk for Peace to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace will be held at the Triangle Square shopping center, at Newport and Harbor boulevards in Costa Mesa, on Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsors include the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council, the NAACP, Amnesty International, Baha’i Faith Communities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, Triangle Square merchants and others.

Exhibitor booths will open at 10 a.m.; the walk will begin at 11. The mayors of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach will address participants at noon, followed by entertainment at 12:30 p.m.

More than 500 walkers are expected to participate. For information call (714) 780-9516 or check the Internet at https://home.earthlink.net/~taf3more

* The spiritual dimension of human rights will be the topic of an interfaith event honoring the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Monday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul & the Congregation of St. Athanasius, 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles. Sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization, speakers will include the Rt. Rev. Chester Lovelle Talton, suffragan bishop of the Episcopal diocese, and Brahma Kumaris representative Gayatri Naraine. Call (213) 876-5545.

* Pray Pasadena, a coalition of churches in the Pasadena area, will sponsor “Breakthrough ‘98--A Conference of Deliverance,” Wednesday through Sept. 19. Participants will receive hands-on ministry from the New Zealand ministry team of Graham and Sabrina Walsh and Ian Clayton. The conference will be held at the former Ambassador College grounds, now the Worldwide Church of God, in the Science Building, 205 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Cost is $40 for preregistered individuals, $70 for preregistered couples. Call (213) 447-1992.

Notices may be sent by mail to Southern California File, c/o Nona Yates, Metro Section, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, 90053 or by fax to (213) 237-4712. Items should arrive at least three weeks in advance of the event and should include pertinent details about the organization, address, phone number, date and time.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

MUSIC

Blending an edgy mix of hip-hop, rock and R&B; with a belief in God, the contemporary Christian music group dc Talk will perform Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles County Fair, Los Angeles Times Calendar Stage, at the Fairplex in Pomona. Ticket prices vary; call (909) 623-3111.

David Tinoco will open the 1998-99 concert series at the First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood, 100 N. Hillcrest Blvd., on Sunday at 3 p.m. He will present an organ concert of toccatas including works by J.S. Bach, Widor and Dubois. An offering will be accepted. Call (310) 677-5133.