Invocation

It is not only the fact that the Irvine City Council voted to open its meetings with an invocation (Feb. 28). It is the way that such a contentious subject found its way to the agenda to be quickly approved. The Feb. 25 meeting was the fifth of the new council. Reviewing the summaries of the previous four meetings did not give any indication that such a topic was high on the priorities of the council members. It was claimed that it only took one letter and one comment (not impressive enough to make it to the minutes)

A U.S. District Court ruling that Lancaster may continue its policy of opening council meetings with prayer is being hailed by supporters as an opportunity to foster unity and tolerance in the Antelope Valley city. Opponents, however, continued to insist that the policy promotes discord, arguing that it is biased toward Christianity. They hope the judgment will be appealed and reversed. "We think the ruling is wrong," said Peter Eliasberg, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which was not a party to the suit.

Microtonality, using scales that slalom between the 12 notes of the standard western scale, is one idea whose time has never quite come, at least for the general public. That's not for lack of sincere effort, or even emotional warmth in the music, as evidenced Tuesday night at the Japan America Theater. The CalArts New Century Players, in an entry of its Musical Explorations 2000 festival, served up Ben Johnston's microtonal "Invocation" as a centerpiece in a Green Umbrella concert.

To pray to Jesus, or not? That is the question that Lancaster voters are being asked to decide in Tuesday's municipal election. Ballot Measure I asks whether the city should continue its policy of randomly selecting clergy from different faiths to deliver the invocation at council meetings, "without restricting the content based on their beliefs, including references to Jesus Christ." Other Lancaster ballot measures include whether to change the mayor's term limit from two to four years and whether Lancaster should become a charter city.

To pray to Jesus, or not? That is the question that Lancaster voters are being asked to decide in Tuesday's municipal election. Ballot Measure I asks whether the city should continue its policy of randomly selecting clergy from different faiths to deliver the invocation at council meetings, "without restricting the content based on their beliefs, including references to Jesus Christ." Other Lancaster ballot measures include whether to change the mayor's term limit from two to four years and whether Lancaster should become a charter city.

It's extremely difficult to understand how a benign invocation at a graduation ceremony violates the Constitution's prohibition against separation of church and state. Typically, an invocation is nothing stronger than a humble appeal to a higher power for assistance with life's challenges. Does anyone really think that the remarkable assembly of statesmen who wrote our Constitution and Bill of Rights intended to shield everyone from hearing an appeal to a higher power at a high school graduation?

I have a few questions regarding "Rubin Eyeing Developments in Prayer Case" (Jan. 22), on the Burbank City Council invocation controversy. I would like to know exactly what a "secular" prayer is, and what is the secular purpose of a religious invocation at a government function? If government-sponsored public prayer really fosters peace and understanding, then why isn't the Middle East the most peaceful place on Earth? Jeff Sloan Irvine I find it shocking that David King, a Mormon bishop, resorted to a personal attack against Jewish Defense League leader Irv Rubin.

Re "Invocation draws mixed reviews," Jan. 21 The Times says Rick Warren's inaugural invocation got "mixed reviews" -- he mollified gay-rights supporters and yet dared to invoke the name of Jesus and utilize the Lord's Prayer. This is a mixed-up critique. To whom is prayer offered? Where in the Bible (or any sacred Scripture) does prayer to a deity require pleasing supporters of gay rights? Where do Scriptures affirm that prayers to God should appease atheists? The Bible does offer a litmus test for prayers to be acceptable to the Father.

As an Irvine resident, I found James Verini's semi-ironic invocation of my city ("...any resident of Hollywood, of Los Angeles -- of Irvine...") highly amusing ("Need A Lift? Go See Stars," May 22). Irvine is more or less off the radar screen of most Angelenos. When in L.A. and asked where I live, my reply of "Irvine" is usually met with confused looks and queries of "Where's that?" Angelenos expect us to be on the Hollywood tour bus, right next to Ms. Idaho and Mr. Oklahoma. Anything else would disturb the order of the universe; even the hint of a suggestion that it might not occur to us to take our preordained places on the tour bus. In this respect, Verini is unintentionally generous to Irvine, but really ought to refine his geography of places that matter.

A U.S. District Court ruling that Lancaster may continue its policy of opening council meetings with prayer is being hailed by supporters as an opportunity to foster unity and tolerance in the Antelope Valley city. Opponents, however, continued to insist that the policy promotes discord, arguing that it is biased toward Christianity. They hope the judgment will be appealed and reversed. "We think the ruling is wrong," said Peter Eliasberg, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which was not a party to the suit.

Re "Invocation draws mixed reviews," Jan. 21 The Times says Rick Warren's inaugural invocation got "mixed reviews" -- he mollified gay-rights supporters and yet dared to invoke the name of Jesus and utilize the Lord's Prayer. This is a mixed-up critique. To whom is prayer offered? Where in the Bible (or any sacred Scripture) does prayer to a deity require pleasing supporters of gay rights? Where do Scriptures affirm that prayers to God should appease atheists? The Bible does offer a litmus test for prayers to be acceptable to the Father.

Pastor Rick Warren, the famous leader of Lake Forest's Saddleback Church, became a lightning rod in the same-sex marriage controversy when he was chosen to deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration. Yet he didn't give his opponents anything to shout about Tuesday, offering a prayer that was short, inspirational and above all uncontroversial. That points up an uncomfortable truth for proponents of gay rights: Warren may not be as big a problem as the president he blessed.

In his inaugural invocation Tuesday, evangelical Pastor Rick Warren delivered a message of unity that pleased some of his most vocal critics in the gay and lesbian community.

INVOCATION For 'a new birth of clarity' The following transcript of the Rev. Rick Warren's invocation is from CQ Transcriptions. Let us pray. Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, "Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one." And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

About 100 gay-rights supporters staged a peaceful protest Sunday outside Saddleback Church in Lake Forest against pastor Rick Warren, a gay-marriage opponent tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to give the invocation at Tuesday's inauguration.

After angering gay rights supporters with the choice of evangelist Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama has chosen the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church to pray at the kickoff event for the inaugural festivities Sunday. Bishop V.

Has success altered Depressed Mood? The Anglo-Angsters' latest starts with "World in My Eyes," a downright sensual invocation. The already-been-a-hit "Personal Jesus" is apparently an honest-to, well, -God invitation to prayer, and "Waiting for the Night" talks mistily about a guiding star. Not so fast. "World in My Eyes" ultimately keys on the line "That's all there is, nothing more than you can feel now," "Jesus" is followed by the Apocalypse-welcoming "Halo" and "Night" anticipates "when everything's dark / keeps us from the stark reality."

Nationally known author and pastor Rick Warren has accepted an offer to deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural swearing-in ceremony, drawing fury from gay rights activists and opponents of Proposition 8. Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, accepted the invitation to participate in the ceremony within the last few days, said Kristin Cole, a spokeswoman for the 20,000-member, four-campus mega-church.

As an Irvine resident, I found James Verini's semi-ironic invocation of my city ("...any resident of Hollywood, of Los Angeles -- of Irvine...") highly amusing ("Need A Lift? Go See Stars," May 22). Irvine is more or less off the radar screen of most Angelenos. When in L.A. and asked where I live, my reply of "Irvine" is usually met with confused looks and queries of "Where's that?" Angelenos expect us to be on the Hollywood tour bus, right next to Ms. Idaho and Mr. Oklahoma. Anything else would disturb the order of the universe; even the hint of a suggestion that it might not occur to us to take our preordained places on the tour bus. In this respect, Verini is unintentionally generous to Irvine, but really ought to refine his geography of places that matter.