Church Program Offers a Bit of Calm in a Busy Season
For those feeling stressed by the hectic holiday season, All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena offers a retreat today titled “Quieting the Spirit in a Busy Season.” The day will begin with a light breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and end with noon prayers. Participants will select two 75-minute sessions. Options include “Praying the Scriptures,” “11th-Step Prayer and Meditation,” “Body Movement,” “Prayer and the Visual Arts,” “Walking the Labyrinth” and one-on-one consultations with a trained spiritual director. No fee or preregistration is required. For more information, call the Rev. Scott Richardson at (626) 583-2741. The church is at 132 N. Euclid Ave.
EVENTS
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The Coptic Orthodox Church of the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii will hold its early Church Conference today at the Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church. The conference will begin with the Divine Liturgy, to be celebrated from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Topics of discussion include “Introduction to the Early Church,” “The Apostolic Fathers” and “The Apologists: The First Christian Theologians.” The church is at 4900 Cleland Ave., Los Angeles.
The Coptic Church is based on the teachings of Saint Mark, who brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero in the 1st century. It has more than 9 million followers in Egypt and more than 1.2 million emigrant followers who practice their faith in the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Brazil, Africa and Asia.
* St. Anne Catholic Church will hold a Blessing of the Bikes on Sunday at 11 a.m. Bikers and motorcycle riders are asked to bring toys, food or donations for the needy. The church is at 6885 Del Rosa Ave., San Bernardino. (909) 884-6375.
* Hawthorne Seventh-day Adventist Church, 3939 Marine Ave., will provide a free dinner for the homeless and needy Tuesday at noon. For more details, call (310) 676-4313.
HANUKKAH
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The Skirball Cultural Center will hold its fifth annual Hanukkah Festival on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entertainment will include reggae Hanukkah with Alan Eder and Hanukkah stories with Karen Golden. Other activities will include a dreidel spin and a Hanukkah lamp treasure hunt. Admission to the museum and festival is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and free for Skirball members and children younger than 12. To purchase advance tickets, call (323) 655-8587. The Skirball Cultural Center is at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles.
CHRISTMAS
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The Founder’s Church will present “The Ballad of the Brown King,” a cantata written by African American composer Margaret Bonds. The presentation will take place Sunday at 10 a.m. and feature the Founder’s Choir under the direction of Albert McNeil. The work, which celebrates the presence of King Balthazar at the birth of Jesus, is replete with Caribbean rhythms and melodic expressions. The words are by the poet Langston Hughes. Founder’s Church is at 3281 West 6th St., Los Angeles. (213) 388-9733.
* Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena will unveil its drive-through Christmas pageant, “Roads to Bethlehem.” The display consists of eight scenes from the Christmas story, using actors and live animals. The scenes are displayed in the church parking lot with 500 luminarias, so visitors may drive through and view the pageant from their cars. No buses are permitted. The pageant will be on display today and tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Westminster Presbyterian is at 1757 N. Lake Ave. The parking lot is behind the church; cars should enter off Atchison Street.
* An interfaith, multiethnic group will sing Christmas carols Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Congregational Church of Chatsworth at 20440 Lassen St. The event is sponsored by the Congregational Church, FISH of West Valley, the Korean Presbyterian Church, the San Fernando Valley Filipino Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Congregational Preschool. For more details, call (818) 349-2550.
* A candlelight carol service will be held at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Westwood on Sunday at 4 p.m. St. Alban’s Choir, under the direction of James Vail, and St. Alban’s Children’s Choir, directed by Frances Young, will sing Christmas music by David Wilcocks, Richard Rodney Bennett, Leo Nestor and others. No admission, but an offering will be collected. St. Alban’s is at 580 Hilgard Ave. (310) 208-6516.
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