Saturday, August 20, 2011

Colleagues List, August 20th, 2011

Vol. VII. No. 4

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

*****

In This Issue -

Special Items This Week:

"Early Protestant Missionaries
in Southern Alberta"

---

"Remembering David Somerville"

Including -
My Book Review from the Archives:

"Sing a New Song - Portraits of 
Canada's Crusading Bishops"
___

Colleague Contributions:

Ron Rolheiser
Lorna Dueck
Jim Taylor
Martin Marty
___

Net Notes:

End of Empire
Massive Shock to the System
Lady Gaga and Christian Imagery
Monogamy in the Age of Dan Savage
Mumbai to Get Christian Art Museum
Rome Gives Special Youth Concession
More People Face Religious Restrictions
Adam and Eve Questioned by Evangelicals
Vatican Should Adapt to Local Conditions
Religious Leader Charged in Sex Assaults
___

Global Faith Potpourri:

Sixteen ENI Geneva stories this week.
___

Quotes of the Week:

Mark O. Hatfield
Sara Miles
Pat Conroy
David Buttrick
Thomas Moore
Thomas Merton
___

On This Day:

Aug. 6, 1945 -
US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima

Aug. 8, 1974 - 
Nixon Resigns Over Watergate Scandal

Aug. 13, 1961 -
Berlin Wall Erected, Dividing City

Aug. 14, 1945 -
Truman announces Japanese Surrender 

Aug. 15, 1947 -
India/Pakistan Independence Declared

Aug. 17, 1969 - 
"Woodstock" Ends in Upstate New York

Aug. 18, 1963 - 
Meredith is first black Ol' Miss Grad
___

Closing Thought: Ernesto Cardenal

***************

Dear Friends:

To begin, I want to commemorate the life
of Larry Fisk, long-time member of our
Adult Spiritual Development (ACTS)
ministry at St. Davids, Calgary. His
memorial service was held this week.
He died of colon cancer.

Larry, rest in peace.

---

We are now past the mid-point of August
and life begins to point toward the end
of summer.

One of the more interesting events Marlene
and I attended recently was the Chinook
Historical Society presentation at the
McDougall Memorial United Church, west
of Calgary. It took place in one of our
province's prettiest settings.

Check out the pictures in these links:
http://tinyurl.com/4ypvwww

Click to enlarge photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3eohtqc

The theme of the lectures was:

"Early Protestant Missionaries in 
Southern Alberta" and I hope you will 
enjoy reading my notes of the talks.
---

I would like to acknowledge the recent
death of David Somerville, the former 
Anglican archbishop of the Yukon and
British Columbia. I never know him, but 
several years ago I reviewed a book that 
included his very interesting story for 
the Anglican Journal. 

Today, I share an obituary and my review.

---

Colleague Contributions:

Ron Rolheiser - offers us his desire for an
improvement in the climate of our moral 
discourse at a time when the quality of the 
rhetoric is much less than it should be.

Lorna Dueck - writes in the Globe and Mail
about the work of prayer currently taking
place as a result of the riots in the UK.

Jim Taylor - gives his us views on the 
"reasons" behind that same UK violence.

Martin Marty - introduces two recent
books by American evangelical authors.
They differ significantly on issues -
such as the meaning of heaven and hell.
___

Net Notes:

"End of Empire" - the recent debt ceiling
talks in Washington and the theatrics that
surrounded those talks are dissected by
an excellent editorial (The Tablet, UK)

"Massive Shock to the System" - another
good editorial from the same paper concerns 
the UK riots (The Tablet, UK)

"Lady Gaga and Christian Imagery" -
Christians need to take seriously the
dangerous symbolism employed by the
current cultural star (America Magazine)

"Monogamy in the Age of Dan Savage"
- I glance at Savage's weekly column
in a weekly entertainment newspaper,
but this article helps me read his
advice with greater discernment 
(Christian Century)

"Mumbai to Get Christian Art Museum"
- an important cultural development
is signalled from India. A new museum
displays Indian Christian art going
back 2,000 years (Times of India)

"Rome Gives Special Youth Concession" 
- World Youth Day is underway in
Spain, and the Catholic Church
is offering something unique as part
of the event (The Guardian, UK)

"More People Face Religious Restrictions"
- an important study on extensive evidence
of contemporary religious persecution;
especially against Christians (Ucan News)

"Adam and Eve Questioned by Evangelicals"
- American evangelical scholars demonstrate
the same dichotomy over issues that have
long separated them from more liberal 
Christians (National Public Radio)

"Vatican Should Adapt to Local Conditions"
- the recent conflict between the Vatican 
and the communist Chinese government over
the naming of bishops is described from
the communist perspective (People's Daily)

"Religious Leader Charged in Sex Assaults"
- Islam in Canada is not immune to the
same scandalous behaviour practiced by
other trusted clergy (Toronto Star)
___

Global Faith Potpourri:

Sixteen ENI Geneva stories this week
bring us up-to-date on global faith news.
___

Quotes of the Week:

Provided by Sojourners.online:

Mark O. Hatfield, Sara Miles, Pat Conroy,
David Buttrick, Thomas Moore, and Thomas 
Merton - share their wisdom with us.
___

On This Day:

Provided courtesy of the archives of the
New York Times:

US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima (1945)
Nixon Resigns in Watergate Scandal (1974)
Berlin Wall Erected, Dividing City (1961) 
Truman announces Japanese Surrender (1945) 
India/Pakistan Independence Declared (1947) 
"Woodstock" Ends in Upstate New York (1969)
Meredith is first black Ol' Miss Grad (1963)

*****

Closing Thought - this week

Ernesto Cardinal offers his take on the
importance of feminist interpretations
of God, and Mathew Fox comments as well.

---

While summer is still with us here in 
Calgary, I begin to sense that fall is 
not far away. 

Blessings to you during transitional times.

Wayne


************************

CELTIC TOUR REUNION WEEKEND AT ST. DAVID'S

"Report to the Congregation and Reflection"
Sunday, Sept. 11th, and Monday, Sept. 12th

As St. David's congregation returns from
the summer break, we plan a special weekend
of gathering/worship for those participating
in our Fiftieth Anniversary Tour of the Celtic
Lands, April 26th - May 10th, 2011.

Sunday, September 11th - worship with a
Celtic theme, and a special "Sight and
Sound Report" to the congregation prepared
by Jock McTavish (some of this material will
be posted on Colleagues List).

A CD Jock has produced will be given gratis
to all tour participants and extras will be
made available for those who are interested.

Monday, September 12th, TM Room, 7-9PM
the venue of a special reunion for persons
who took the tour. It will be an opportunity
for reflection and suggestions for future
spiritual travel projects sponsored by
the ACTS Ministry of St. David's.

David Rostad of Rostad Tours, the person
whose tour company planned and organized our
experience in the UK and Ireland, will be
present to join our reflections and suggest
future possibilities.

Mark your calendars! 

Here is a beautiful poem, birthed while on
the tour, by Jock McTavish:

http://tinyurl.com/3q3qrjt

*****

SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS

ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011

"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway

September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM

"Godless Morality" 
Learning how to separate "God says" 
from doing what is right

Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t

---

"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good

Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx

---

Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Book sale begins at the end of August!

Registration: $50.00 for class fees,
the two books and special hospitality

Purchase only the books - $35.00

*****

UNIVERSITY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

Two Study Programs Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary

Taught by: Wayne Holst

Recommended books:

"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th

Register:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4

---

"Paul the Apostle" (ten sessions)
Wednesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
September 28th - November 30th

Register:
http://tinyurl.com/mh2dto

*****

SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS

Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/

Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/services.htm
___

ST DAVID'S ACTS WEB PAGE

Created and maintained by Colleague
Jock McTavish

http://stdavidscalgary.net/

NOTE: This page is being reconstructed.

*****

STUDY ARCHIVES

A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/

This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!

You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.

******************************************

In this issue:

SPECIAL ITEMS

HISTORIC CALGARY WEEK

CHINOOK HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTATION
MCDOUGALL MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH,
MORLEY VILLAGE, ALBERTA.
SUNDAY, JULY 31ST, 2011

This presentation is in two parts. The first is a historical 
overview of the First Nations in the area and the church 
itself. The second concerns the history of the McDougall 
missionary founders. Key presentations were given by 
society members Leon Hampton and Iris Morgan. The 
articles below are transcriptions from notes taken by 
Wayne Holst.

MCDOUGALL CHURCH OVERVIEW
By Leon Hampson

The church is situated on a beautiful location, west of 
Cochrane, AB and just east of Morley, the central location 
of the Stoney First Nation. Below the church site runs the 
cold, glacier-fed Bow River originating in the Rocky 
Mountains on its journey to the prairies. Below this site, 
a safe, easy river ford was possible.

When the missionaries first arrived, the Stoney people 
were friendly and accommodating. They were constituted 
into three bands – Goodstoney, Bearspaw and Chiniki.

When the first Protestant church was constructed in 
Southern Alberta by George McDougall the family 
patriarch (1875) there were 500 people living in 
Morley Village
.
It was a larger settlement than Calgary at the time. The 
NWMP (North West Mounted Police - now known as the 
RCMP) - arrived in 1883,  the first white settler families 
were the Sibbalds and Berrets whose descendents still 
live in the area. The majority of the settlers were First 
Nations people. (In the audience today is Gerald 
McDougall, a great-great grandson of George 
McDougall. George continues to have many regional 
descendents.

The church was built of logs with wooden floors, sidings 
nd a ceiling. A bell tower was also constructed of wood 
(not of stone as in Europe.)

An early discovery on the part of the whites was the 
changeable nature of the weather. There is an old legend 
about the man who drove his horse and cart to town as a 
chinook arrived. The horse was walking in a snowstorm. 
The driver was soaked with rain, and the dog languished 
behind in the dust.

A tragic outcome of this natural phenomenon was that 
George McDougall perished in a storm east of the 
settlement in what is today North Calgary. His son 
John came here to continue his dad’s work (note details 
below.) The McDougall family represented courage, 
pragmatism and conviction for many others who settled 
here.

Beside the church, other buildings were constructed 
in subsequent years. These included a schoolhouse, 
Indian agent’s home and parsonage. In 1883 an 
orphanage was built to house more than 20 native 
children. Most of these had lost their parents due to 
smallpox, but inter-tribal warfare created some orphans 
as well.

The church was abandoned in 1921. It was refurbished
 in 1951 as a United Church of Canada historic site. In 
1979 it was designated a provincial historic site. Now,
new designations are being registered as this location
is an attraction for tourists from around the world. It is 
truly a beautiful western landmark and indeed, an 
attractive place.  

***

A Few Brief Notes on the First Nations

Archeologists now believe that there has been human 
habitation in this area for 8,000-10,000 years. The Stoney
people originated among the Sioux of the American Great 
Plains. They had various groupings – Nakota, Lakota, 
Dakota – from the eastern woodlands bordering the plains. 
Some may have originated from as far south as the current
 state of Mississippi. The Stoney and Cree peoples were 
allies who were frequently at war with the Blackfoot and 
Beaver nations.

***

THE MISSIONARY STORY
By Iris Morgan

As early as 1821 George Simpson of Winnipeg – a Methodist 
mission superintendent with responsibilities for the Canadian 
west - sought missionaries in Eastern Canada and even the 
UK to serve in the region of Alberta as it was opening to 
white settlement.

In 1840, James Evans and Robert Rundle projected a western 
mission strategy from Norway House, located in what is 
today Northern Manitoba. (Evans is credited with the early 
development of syllabics – the first attempts to translate
the oral native languages into a written form.) They strongly 
advocated native ministry and fluency in the indigenous 
languages because they rightly believed it would build trust.

George McDougall and Elizabeth (who had Oji-Cree 
background from Northern Ontario) came west. They followed 
the river and trade routes and arrived first in Central Alberta
From the beginning, the Methodists advocated indigenous 
missionary leadership. As Rundle came west, so also did
native missionaries named Steinhauer and Erasmus.

They encountered the Catholic and French Oblate and Grey 
Nuns missionaries who had also been arriving from Europe 
and Quebec. We have documented evidence of both 
conflicted and co-operative relationships between these
 two missionary groups.

John McDougall (b. 1842) arrived in Alberta in 1862. He 
learned Cree and began mission work near Edmonton.
In 1864, the Hudson Bay Company withdrew support for 
missionaries and from that time the work had to be 
self-supporting and sustained by the sending-churches.

They made early native converts. A native chief, 
Mesapatoon was very supportive. He earned a significant 
reputation as an inter-tribal peacemaker. The Blackfoot - 
natural enemies of the Cree and Stoney - were mainly 
Catholic and Anglican converts. The southern Alberta 
tribes were slower to seek peace, but the decline of the 
bison population on which the Blackfoot depended, 
ultimately forced them to forge new agreements such 
as Treaty Seven (an inter-tribal alliance with Great
Britain.) Since the natives were starving and sick –
indeed facing great hardship and extinction – the treaty 
offered the best way to survive.

In 1867 Canada was born. 1870 saw the Red River 
Rebellion and the emergence of Louis Riel, the Metis
leader. This marked the beginning of western cultural 
and political nationalism.

John was married to Abigail. They raised three offspring 
in Alberta. David, a trader-cousin, and his wife Eliza, 
soon arrived from Fort Gary, Manitoba. Thus began a 
McDougall family tradition that was business-oriented 
as well as religious.

An interesting phenomenon of the early years was the 
“tent revival” – an annual native gathering that combined 
hunting and Christian religious ceremonies.

For their part, the McDougalls were greatly concerned 
for the souls of the First Nations. From a euro-Christian 
perspective, they considered the Blackfoot “physically 
beautiful but morally degraded” because of their sexual 
and other cultural practices.

When John’s wife Abigail died, along with many other 
natives, he went through “dark times.” As his writings
reveal. John returned east to Fort Gary, and met 
Elizabeth Boyd. They married and returned to Morley 
Village after adopting John’s children.

History recounts that a large convoy of wagons and 
stock, led by McDougall family members, departed 
from Manitoba and passed through Blackfoot territory 
in the fall of 1873. James Dixon, a native Christian 
scout, developed a route and negotiated passage for 
them. In essence, this was the beginning of the Morley
townsite as we know it today.Treaty Seven was signed 
by the crown and the Blackfoot, Stoney and Sarcee 
peoples of Southern Alberta. The agreement anticipated
an alliance against American whiskey traders. The 
NWMP/RCMP were mandated to protect the native 
people from unscrupulous whites. Cree became the 
lingua franca of  regional native people when negotiating
 with the crown.

Soon after the treaty was signed, John died - worn out 
by his many travels.

****

Discussion followed on the nature of residential schools, 
the missionaries as “pawns’ of the crown, and their noble 
attempts to rescue the native people from smallpox and 
the white incursion that would change their way of life 
forever.

*****

REMEMBERING DAVID SOMERVILLE

Globe and Mail Tribute
Archbishop, Agent of Change
August 6th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3j2jmk8

---

Book Review from the Archives:

"Sing a New Song - Portraits of 
Canada's Crusading Bishops"

My Anglican Journal Review
Continuing Education Project
Online Community Listing
October 27th, 2008

http://tinyurl.com/3odzjnp

***

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Blog
August 14th, 2011

"Climate of Our Moral Discourse"

Civility and Respect are Needed
http://tinyurl.com/42z49qu

---

LORNA DUECK
Burlington, ON

Backrounder:

Ecumenical News International
August 10th, 2011

10 August 2011

At peace service, Londoners pray 
for city and country

London (ENI news) The annual peace 
service at Westminster Roman Catholic 
Cathedral acquired fresh significance 
onthe evening of 9 August as Londoners
gathered to pray for their city and 
other British communities torn by 
rioting. A fourth night of unrest 
brought total arrests in London to 
more than 700, according to police, 
and looting and arson continued to
spread to other cities in Britain. 
One manhas been reported killed and 
dozens of citizens and police officers 
have been injured, authorities said. 
The rioting began on 6 August after 
a peaceful demonstration in north 
London over the police killing of a 
29-year-old man. One attendee among 
the 200 people at the peace service 
said she needed a feelingof hope. 
"Faith gives hope that current fears 
and insecurities will pass and we 
will feel safe on the streets again 
and trust our young people," said 
Ellen Teague.

___

Globe and Mail
August 12th, 2011

Lorna writes:
"London Riots Revive Prayer"

http://tinyurl.com/3tbg7et

---

JIM, TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Weblog, 
August 14th, 2011

"Rioters Gore Society's Sacred Cows"

http://tinyurl.com/3cnsn5v

---

MARTIN MARTY
Chicago. IL

Sightings 
August 15th, 2011

"Who Wins? 
Two Books about Heaven and Hell"

Evangelicals Debate the Afterlife
http://tinyurl.com/3vr8zcq

*****

NET NOTES

END OF EMPIRE
US Dominance Falters

The Tablet, UK
August 6th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3vdbl6w

*****

MASSIVE SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM
What Has Gone Wrong in the UK?

The Tablet, UK
August 13th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3qyfw6q

*****

LADY GAGA AND CHRISTIAN IMAGERY
Confessions of a Dangerous Diva

America Magazine
August 15th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3gyq9oe

*****

MONOGAMY IN THE AGE OF DAN SAVAGE
Advice and Consent

The Christian Century
August 9th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3kkgnpz

*****

MUMBAI TO GET CHRISTIAN ART MUSEUM

Indian City Founded in 6 CE
First Century Christians of India

The Times of India
August 16th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/44mpfl2

*****

ROME OFFERS SPECIAL WYD CONCESSION
Youth Receive Abortion Absolution

The Guardian
August 16th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/43e54wv

*****

MORE PEOPLE FACE 
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS
Persecution Escalates

Ecumenical News International
August 9th, 2011

Religious restrictions increased 
for two billion, study says

Washington, D.C.(ENI news) One-
third of the world -- about 2.2 
billion people -- live in nations 
where restrictions on religion 
have substantially increased, 
according to a new report. The 
Pew Forum on Religion & Public 
Life study, released 9 August, 
also shows intolerant countries 
growing more hostile to religious 
freedom, and tolerant ones growing 
more accommodating, Religion News 
Service reports. "There seems to 
be somewhat of a polarization," 
particularly in countries with 
constitutional prohibitions 
against blasphemy, said Brian 
Grim, the primary researcher of 
the report. 

---

Ucan News
August 17th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3zkyzje

*****

EVANGELICALS QUESTION EXISTENCE 
OF ADAM AND EVE

Scholars Doubt Creationism
National Public Radia
August 9th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3th9x9a

*****

VATICAN SHOULD ADAPT 
TO LOCAL CONDITIONS
China on Bishop Conflict

The People's Daily (China)
August 10th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3gg8ut7

*****

TORONTO RELIGIOUS LEADER 
CHARGED IN SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Islamic Community Stunned

Toronto Star
August 17th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/3q7fqwg

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
4 August 2011

Christian activists in India seeking 
stronger rules to curb alcoholism

Bangalore, India (ENI) Officials in 
Kerala, a state in southern India, have 
announced steps to curb the growing 
problem of alcoholism, but church groups 
and prohibition activists seek more 
stringent measures. The state has the 
highest alcohol consumption figures in 
the country, as well as the largest 
number of Christians. "We welcome these
measures. But we want more concrete and
stronger steps to address alcoholism, 
which is causing havoc here," said Rev. 
M.T. Tharian of the Christian Temperance
Movement (CTM) of Kerala, an ecumenical
movement against alcoholism organized 
by the Kerala Council of Churches. 

_____

Lutheran leader calls for political 
solution to Somalia drought crisis

Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) A political solution 
to the crisis in Somalia is urgently needed 
to stem the influx of refugees into Kenya 
and Ethiopia, according to Rev. Martin 
Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran 
World Federation (LWF). Junge spoke at a 
news conference in Nairobi on 3 August, 
a day after visiting the Dadaab refugee 
camp in northern Kenya, where thousands 
of Somali refugees fleeing drought and 
insecurity continue to arrive. 
_____

5 August 2011

Australian clergy critical of 
government approach to asylum seekers

Sydney (ENI news) Australian church 
leaders are criticizing a government 
solution to deport hundreds of asylum 
seekers to Malaysia as a "swap" to 
settle 4000 refugees from Malaysian 
detention centers. The government is 
funding the $292 million plan, and has 
said force may be used to ensure asylum 
seekers board planes. The first 55 of 
800 mostly-Malaysian boat people, 
nearly a third of whom were children, 
were flown to Malaysia on 4 August.

*****

9 August 2011

In England, faith groups work 
to heal riot-scarred neighborhoods 

London (ENI news) Many faith 
communities in England are working 
together on the front line this week 
after three days of rioting in which 
hooded youths ransacked hundreds of 
businesses and shops in many parts 
of London, Birmingham, Bristol, 
Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham and 
smaller towns. Parishes around the 
country have been offering support 
to shellshocked residents. The 
Anglican church of St. Mary the 
Virgin in Tottenham, where the 
unrest began on 6 August, is 
distributing meals, providing 
hot water and phone charging 
facilities to those left without 
electricity. St. Ignatius Catholic 
Church innearby Stamford Hill is 
offering food and counselling. 
The Rev. Valentin Dedji of St. 
Mark's Methodist Church in Tottenham 
is caring for the family of Mark 
Duggan, a 29-year-old whose killing 
by police last week sparked a 
peaceful demonstration on 6 August 
that spiraled into violence. 
_____

Northern Sudan Christians face 
challenges after south's secession 

Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) As 
Christians in South Sudan mark one 
month after independence, churches 
in the Muslim north are facing 
pressure from government officials 
and members of the public who are 
demanding their closure. The 
development is causing some church 
leaders to close schools and 
congregations and consider moving 
to the south, but even those actions 
are difficult because they see 
themselves as northern Christians. 

*****

10 August 2011

At peace service, Londoners pray 
for city and country

London (ENI news) The annual peace 
service at Westminster Roman Catholic 
Cathedral acquired fresh significance 
onthe evening of 9 August as Londoners
gathered to pray for their city and 
other British communities torn by 
rioting. A fourth night of unrest 
brought total arrests in London to 
more than 700, according to police, 
and looting and arson continued to
spread to other cities in Britain. 
One manhas been reported killed and 
dozens of citizens and police officers 
have been injured, authorities said. 
The rioting began on 6 August after 
a peaceful demonstration in north 
London over the police killing of a 
29-year-old man. One attendee among 
the 200 people at the peace service 
said she needed a feelingof hope. 
"Faith gives hope that current fears 
and insecurities will pass and we 
will feel safe on the streets again 
and trust our young people," said 
Ellen Teague.

_____

Church of Norway thanks 
ecumenical fellowship for support

Oslo, Norway (ENI news) The Church 
of Norway said it wants to express its 
deep gratitude towards the international 
ecumenical fellowship for prayers and
support after the terror attacks in Oslo
and at Utoya on 22 July. The church 
said in a news release that from all 
over the world, condolences were sent 
to the churches and people of Norway 
as soon as the news broke. A bomb 
detonated in downtown Oslo killed 
eight people and a gunman murdered 
69 people,mostly young men and women,
at are treat on the island of Utoya. 
Anders Breivik, a Norwegian, has been
arrested in connection with the attacks. 

*****

Religious groups in Nepal 
start campaign for equal rights

Kathmandu, Nepal (ENI news) With less 
than a month left until the adoption of 
a new constitution, Nepal's religious 
minorities -- Christians, Muslims and 
Buddhists -- have started a campaign
against religious discrimination. The 
Inter-Religious Secularism Protection 
Movement (IRSPM) is asking the communist-
led coalition government to allow 
churches, mosques, monasteries and 
other non Hindu institutions to be 
registered as religious bodies and 
waive the taxes they have to pay as 
they are still regarded as personal
properties.

*****

12 August 2011

Tutu: lingering effects of apartheid 
include "self-hate"

Cape Town, South Africa (ENI news) - 
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu 
has said apartheid had left South Africans 
suffering from "self-hate" which is partly
to blame for the country's vicious crime 
rate and road carnage. "Apartheid damaged 
us all; not a single one of us has escaped," 
said Tutu on 11 August during a book launch 
at Stellenbosch University's Institute for
Advanced Study near Cape Town. 

*****

15 August 2011

Sir Paul Reeves, New Zealand 
archbishop and statesman, dies

Wellington, New Zealand (ENI news) - Sir 
Paul Reeves, an Anglican archbishop and 
primate who became New Zealand's first 
Maori governor-general, died on 14 August 
from cancer at the age of 78. His body 
was taken on 15 August to Holy Sepulchre 
Church in Auckland, where members of his 
tribe, Te Atiawa, welcomed the hearse 
with a waita, or song. More than 5,000 
people are expected to pay their 
respects during the tangi, or Maori 
lying-in-state mourning ritual. 
_____

In Australia, Christian leaders 
support asylum seekers

Melbourne, Australia (ENI news)
Australia's Christian leaders are 
praising a court injunction to prevent 
asylum seekers being deported as part 
of the federal government's 'Malaysian 
solution' to people trafficking. One 
Melbourne church has offered to care 
for 13 unaccompanied children. The 
government wants to trade 800 asylum 
seekers who arrived by boat for 4,000 
confirmed refugees in Malaysia. The 
first of the 4,000 refugees arrived 
in Australia on 12 August. 
_____

Ohio pastor elected to lead 
breakaway Lutheran church

Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Members 
of the North American Lutheran Church 
(NALC) have elected an Ohio pastor as 
their new head bishop, making him the 
first non-provisional leader of the 
year-old denomination, Religion News 
Service reports.The Rev. John Bradosky 
was elected 11 August by 800 NALC 
members who met in Columbus, Ohio, 
to elect new leaders and conduct 
official church business during the 
church's annual meeting. The NALC was 
founded in 2010 as part of a split 
from the more liberal Evangelical 
Lutheran Church in America after the 
ELCA voted to allow openly gay clergy. 
The breakaway body now counts more 
than 100,000 members nationwide, many 
of whom were previously affiliated 
with the ELCA. 

*****

17 August 2011

German website allows 
congregations to rate clergy

Berlin (ENI news) - Does your pastor set 
a glowing example to his or her flock? 
Or does the herd tend to drift? A new 
website launched in Germany allows 
churchgoers to rate their "shepherd's" 
performance on worship, youth work, 
work with seniors, credibility, and 
engagement with current issues. "The 
idea behind Hirtenbarometer [shepherd 
barometer] is that pastoral work should 
be and often is qualitative," one of 
the website's founders, Andreas Hahn, 
said in an email interview. "We wanted 
to create ... an open platform for 
dialogue between priests and the members 
of congregations." 

_____

Asian ecumenical group opposes 
South Korea base construction

Tokyo (ENI news) - A delegation from 
an Asian ecumenical group has called 
upon the South Korean government to 
stop building a naval base on Jeju 
Island off the country's southern 
tip. In a statement following their 
visit from 8 to 10 August to the 
site, the delegation from the 
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) 
based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said 
that they have identified concerns 
about U.S.-led militarization, 
destruction of the environment and 
community, undemocratic process, and 
overwhelming police presence during 
the base construction.

*****

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

August 9th, 2011

"We all deserve a full life, not a life 
cut short by hunger and homelessness. I 
can't think of a more pernicious violence 
we face today on our body politic, nor a
more just cause we should all work to 
correct."

- Senator Mark O. Hatfield, died age 89

---

August 10th, 2011

"The church doesn't own Communion. 
It's God's meal. That made it possible 
for me to even take Communion in the 
first place. It also made it possible 
for me to look at the church not as a 
way to divide people from each other, 
but as a way of joining people 
together."

- Sara Miles

---

August 11th, 2011

"'Tell me a story' still comprise four 
of the most powerful words in English, 
words that are intimately related to 
the complexity of history, the origins 
of language, the continuity of the 
species, the taproot of our humanity, 
our singularity, and art itself."

- Pat Conroy

---

August 12th, 2011

"God passionately loves our true selves 
so we have to seek approval of our false 
selves elsewhere." 

- David Buttrick, from 
"The Mystery and the Passion"

---

August 15th, 2011

"Earth has no sorrow 
that heaven cannot heal."

- Thomas Moore

---

August 16th, 2011

"The important thing about protest is 
not so much the short-range possibility 
of changing the direction of policies, 
but the longer range aim of helping 
everyone gain an entirely new attitude 
toward war. Far from doing this, much 
current protest simply reinforces the 
old positions by driving the adversary 
back into the familiar and secure 
mythology of force. Hence the strong 
'patriotic' reaction against protests 
in the United States. How can one 
protest against war without implicitly 
and indirectly contributing to the war 
mentality?"

- Thomas Merton, from 
"New Seeds of Contemplation"

*****

ON THIS DAY

On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped 
an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, that 
instantly killed an estimated 66,000 people 
in the first use of a nuclear weapon in 
warfare.

http://tinyurl.com/3oxs89d

***

On Aug. 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon 
announced he would resign following damaging 
revelations in the Watergate scandal.

http://tinyurl.com/3wlb585

***

On Aug. 13, 1961, Berlin was divided as 
East Germany sealed off the border between 
the city's eastern and western sectors in 
order to halt the flight of refugees.

http://tinyurl.com/3t252hj

***

On Aug. 14, 1945, President Truman announced 
that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, 
ending World War II.

http://tinyurl.com/3f9ffum

***

On Aug. 15, 1947, India and Pakistan became 
independent after some 200 years of British 
rule.

http://tinyurl.com/3qltn34

***

On Aug. 17, 1969, the Woodstock Music and 
Art Fair concluded near Bethel, N.Y.

http://tinyurl.com/3gg63d4

***

On Aug. 18, 1963, James Meredith became the 
first black to graduate from the University 
of Mississippi.

http://tinyurl.com/4xhs273

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT

We have come from the heart of God
and are as much a part of Him as 
the fetus is a part of the mother.

We all tend to return to Him as humans 
tend to return to the maternal womb.

- Ernesto Cardenal

Cardenal operates from the metaphor
of God as mother. Many changes in our
perception of Divinity flow from such
a theology.

How does your theology change as you
acknowledge a maternal side of Divinity?

- Matthew Fox

(end)