By Roger Phelps, The Porterville Recorder

LINDSAY - An unusual divine name was invoked in an official prayer opening the Lindsay City Council meeting Nov. 9.
"In the name of Yeshua," was the way the Rev. Paul Leavens of Lindsay Christian Church closed his invocation officially beginning the council meeting.
After the meeting, Leavens said the name was "Greek for Jesus."
A Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling that said naming a specific deity in official prayer violates the restriction-of-religion clause of the U.S. Constitution means cities are exposed to legal liability if they fail to adhere to the decision.
In May, Porterville advised local pastors that invocations should not name any specific deity, such as Jesus or Allah. The court decision found that invocations during Burbank City Council meetings made the city appear to advocate Christianity, and exclude other religions. The issue has caused pastors to wrestle with newly conflicting demands of secular law and religious calling.
In Porterville, after the issue broke in May, picketers protested for weeks before council meetings. Pastors used council meetings' "public-comment" periods to offer prayers - legally - invoking Jesus Christ.
Leavens acknowledged his prayer could be viewed as invoking a specific deity.
"It's open to the law's interpretation," Leavens said after the meeting.
Strictly speaking, the English 'Jesus' derived from the Greek 'Ioesus.' 'Ioesus' derived from the Hebrew 'Yahushuah,' sometimes written 'Yeshua.'
The opening prayer at the Lindsay City Council's meeting June 22 also ended with the phrase "in the name of Jesus."
After that, Lindsay officials met with the incoming president of the local ministerial association on the matter, and followed with a letter, said City Manager Scot Townsend.
"We want to have both - have the prayers but adhere to the law," Townsend said Wednesday.
The understanding with the ministerial association was that "those who chose not to follow the court decision would not participate," Townsend said.
City Attorney Julia Lew said Lindsay officials would speak to Leavens on the matter. Leavens said he couldn't offer a specific reason for doing the Nov. 9 invocation the way he did.
"I don't know how to explain it," Leavens said. "I just felt I had to. It wasn't because I was trying to cause trouble. In my mind, it wasn't illegal."

Contact Roger Phelps at 784-5000, Ext. 1047, or rphelps @portervillerecorder.com

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on November 15, 2004