Buddhist Lama Visiting Pittsburgh

The 33rd Menri Trizin, the highest lama of the Tibetan Bon Buddhist tradition will speak and offer blessings Saturday at Mellon Institute from 3 to 5 and then attend a benefit dinner at India Garden in Monroeville.

Tempa Lama, the spiritual director of the Olmo Ling Center in Greenfield, says the Bon tradition pre-dates the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet during the 7th century, making it the oldest of the 5 schools of Buddhism. He says Bon Buddhism holds that any human being can become a Buddha, an awakened being, through unconditional love and compassion for others. Tempa Lama studied in the 80s as a child under the 33rd Menri Trizin at the monastery he built in northern India when clashes with the Chinese forced many Buddhists to flee Tibet in 1959. It now houses nuns, monks and students, which will benefit from the fundraising.

Tempa Lama says the Menri Trizin will bless people with his great power to heal physical and emotional suffering, and even business troubles. He considers him a living Buddha, along with the Dalai Lama. As a world religion, he says Buddhism claims 10% but is the fastest-growing.

State Judge to Retire

Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Maureen Lally-Green says her decision to step down was a difficult one, but the situation is bittersweet. She is getting to work with Bishop David Zubik and the Catholic Diocese, and it was an offer she couldn't pass up.

"When the opportunity was presented to, perhaps, work with him in this arena, I thought: Wow. What a tremendous opportunity."

Lally-Green has been state Superior Court Judge since 1998. She will step down from the bench at the end of July, and will take her position as Director of the new Office for Church Relations in August. She says her job will entail administrative and communication tasks, particularly dealing with community outreach.

Scotch-Irish Preacher to Deliver Martin Luther King Jr. Day Message at Baptist Minister’s Conference

At 12:30 today Dr. Jerry O’Neill, president of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary on Penn Avenue in Point Breeze, will be the first person not of African-American descent to speak at the Baptist Minister’s Conference. O’Neill is scheduled to give the Martin Luther King Jr. Day message to his fellow preachers. The doctor, who is from Scotch-Irish roots, says he will avoid talking about changes in policy and speak more on how Jesus Christ changes hearts. He says although it is important to have legislation which encourages better race relations, true reconciliation requires a change of heart through Christ. The Conference is being held at Calvary Baptist Church on Wylie Ave. in Pittsburgh.

Local Presbyterian Church Uses Courts to Split

Memorial Park Presbyterian Church voted at its weekend services to disaffiliate from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, with the help of civil courts.
Senior Pastor Dean Weaver says the congregation has long been at odds with some practices of the national church, and had "intense discussions" over the past year about separating. A June vote approved the matter in the McCandless church, but the Pittsburgh Presbytery refused to dismiss them. Weaver says the church had "no choice" but to go to the courts, especially after receiving a letter forbidding them to meet or vote. An injunction prevented interference.
Pittsburgh Presbytery has called the move "unconstitutional," and still considers Memorial Park a member church. Weaver says their actions are a ploy to maintain control and "misguided."