Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Christmas celebration prepared Bali-style

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Friday, December 21, 2007

Christmas celebration prepared Bali-style

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

A stone relief above the altar of a church in Bali's oldest Catholic community depicts a Balinese-looking Jesus accompanied by his twelve apostles, all wearing traditional Balinese dress.

In the relief at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, located in Tuka village, some 15 kilometers south of Denpasar, the apostles can be seen holding a gebogan -- a signature Balinese fruit offering.

"The relief and architecture of the church are Balinese," an activist from the Holy Trinity Church, Fransiscus Wayan Suwardi, said Thursday.

The church was constructed in Balinese style and the building resembles a customary meeting hall, with no walls.

Meanwhile, the Protestant Church at Padang Luwih Dalung also features Balinese architecture, with Balinese-inspired gates and carvings.

As a Catholic church activist, Suwardi, along with fellow comrades, was busy Thursday preparing for the Christmas celebration next week.

In Bali, international Christmas paraphernalia, like Christmas trees and Santa Claus, is an uncommon sight.

In the same way Catholics and Protestants the world over adorn their places of worship during the festive season, Balinese Catholics also celebrate the birth of Jesus and decorate in local style.

In a predominantly Hindu society, Balinese Catholics and Protestants hold dear their Hindu-influenced ancestral customs, incorporating Hindu-influenced customs to religious ceremonies.

"We use penjor (bamboo poles decorated with coconut leaves) to decorate the church and the congregation wears traditional Balinese attire to church," Suwardi said.

The lines of penjor in front of Bali's churches makes Christmas in Bali feels like the Balinese Hindus' Galungan day.

Suwardi said as well as preparing a Christmas play, the congregation had also prepared gebogan.

Gebogan is a decoration made from leaves which have been arranged and shaped into a wreath and decorated with fruits and flowers.

"In Hindu religion, all ornaments have a religious meaning. As Balinese, we take the traditional Balinese art and acculturate it to our ceremonies," Suwardi said.

"The penjor and offerings, however, do not have a religious meaning for Hindus. We use these to preserve our tradition."

Suwardi also said it was a way for Christians to hold on to their Balinese roots.

A priest from the Protestant church in Padang Luwih, Dalung, said Balinese used local paraphernalia, "so that people can feel Jesus is also here in Bali".

There are more than 10,000 Christians in Bali; a relatively small number compared to the three million Hindus.

The use of Hindu paraphernalia by Christians has caused some resentment from Balinese Hindus.

The former Catholic Foundation of Swastiastu, for example, is now called Insan Mandiri (self-help humanity), because Hindus invoke God with the phrase "Om Swastiastu".

Father Kristianus Ratu SVD from the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Tuka, however, said Balinese culture is very unique and the use of local culture is a way for Catholics to show their devotion to God.

"Jesus himself came to the world through culture. We should embrace the local culture to show our devotion to God," he said.