*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
NEW YEAR 2012 EDITION
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
___
Special Item in this Issue -
Book Notice:
John Howard Yoder -
Spiritual Writings
___
Colleague Contributions and Comment:
Deb. Charnuski
Isabel Gibson
Ken Kuhl
Michael Swan
Bob Bettson
Mark Noll
Reginald Bibby
___
Net Notes:
Words Last
UK Christians Lose Ground
Primate's New Year Message
Disabilities Can be Special
Pope Names Toronto Cardinal
Starvation Threat to N Korea
Sectarian Terror Strikes Nigeria
Another Look at Reformation History
Journey Around the World in 5 Minutes
Thatcher Vetoed Pope's Address in 1982
Lahey Released After Child Porn Conviction
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eight ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Wendell Berry
John Howard Yoder
Margaret Backhouse
___
On This Day:
Jan. 1, 1959 - Fidel Castro led Cuban
revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio
Batista.
On Jan. 5, 1914, Henry Ford, head of the
Ford Motor Company, introduced a minimum
wage scale of $5 per day.
___
Closing Thought: Marcus Borg
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
Welcome to a new year of Colleagues List!
In this first issue we welcome new members
to a group of 650+ readers, plus those who
connect by locating the Colleagues List
website on their own.
Readership continues to rise in numbers
and in terms of pages read, according to
my sources. That is good to know.
Please inform me of new stories and about
ways to improve our life together!
---
This week we are introduced to the
work of a now-deceased Anabaptist
theologian who has much to offer
spiritual people everywhere.
While he is well-known in certain
religious circles, this book can
help many others to discover him:
"John Howard Yoder - Spiritual Writings"
- is my first book notice for 2012.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Deb. Charnuski (Calgary) - is an associate
of mine in the St. David's ACTS Ministry
that sponsors a lot of what we do at the
church. Today, she reflects on the time
of year with an intriguing video. Enjoy!
Isabel Gibson (Ottawa) - offers advice
at the turning of the year, and suggests
how to make good changes for 2012.
---
The following colleagues collectively
contribute to a story about a Calgary
Anglican parish that voted to join the
Roman Catholic Church. It is a time of
confusion, deep feelings and sometimes
more heat than light. Thanks to all
three for bringing various perspectives
to the story -
Ken Kuhl (London, ON) - informs us of
the congregation's decision, and offers
an article with a positive "spin" - also
the official joint announcement from
local Anglican and Catholic bishops.
Michael Swan (Toronto, ON) - at the
Catholic Register suggests that Canada
is not well prepared for such developments.
Bob Bettson (Sarnia, ON) - an Anglican
priest quite familiar with the situation
expresses his chagrin.
Stay tuned. The story unfolds.
---
Mark Noll (Notre Dame, IN) -
is again recognized by Christianity
Today. He is a leading thinker in
the Christian - not just the
evangelical Protestant - family.
His book "Jesus Christ and the
Life of the Mind" appeared in 2011.
Reginald Bibby (Lethbridge, AB)
writes me on my comments about
his book "Beyond the Gods and Back"
and my personal reflections on it.
(My thoughts were in last week's issue)
___
Net Notes:
"Words Last" - a thoughtful seasonal
piece about listening more and better
(Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)
"UK Christians Lose Ground" - trends
in the "old country" continue to point
downward (ENI, Anglican Journal)
"Primate's New Year Message" - every
year the Anglican Primate of Canada
gives a sermon in Ottawa on the
state of the nation and his church,
according to his views. Listen in...
(Anglican Journal)
"Disabilities Can be Special" -
Jean Vanier has been saying this
for many decades, and it is most
heartening to hear others say it
(Christianweek.org)
"Pope Names Toronto Cardinal" -
Thomas Collins has made a good
impact during his career as a
priest, and this recognition is
a kind of capstone for him.
Congratulations! (Globe and Mail,
Canadian Conference of Catholic
Bishops website)
"Starvation Threat to N Korea" -
while most attention has focused
on the new leader, the nation
continues to languish (Ekklesia)
"Sectarian Terror Strikes Nigeria" -
the story that began over Christmas
continues to grow in momentum -
a potential African disaster that
has been long predicted (America)
"Another Look at Reformation History"
- it is always heartening to discern
new ecumenical trends and "reframing
history" is an exciting development
(The Tablet, UK)
"Journey Around the World in 5 Minutes"
- it is most inspiring to view the
world's best photographs from sources
like this (The Atlantic online)
"Thatcher Vetoed Pope's Address in 1982"
- looking back to a different time in
history, this story is intriguing, and
also as the Thatcher movie (with Meryl
Streep) is about to appear across our
continent (The Guardian, UK)
"Lahey Released After Child Porn Conviction"
- this story is not new, but we seem to be
coming to the end of a sad chapter
(National Post)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eight stories appear this week from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Wendell Berry, John Howard Yoder and
Margaret Backhouse share their wisdom.
___
On This Day:
Castro defeats Batista in Cuba (1959)
Ford Motor Company introduces minimum
wage scale of $5 per day (1914)
___
Closing Thought:
Colleague Marcus Borg, in his
characteristic clarifying way,
describes the teaching method
of Jesus. Most helpful.
---
Here endeth the first issue of
Colleagues List for a new year.
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL WINTER STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY
WINTER 2012
"The Other Face of God:
When the Stranger Calls Us Home"
by Mary Jo Leddy
Ten Monday Nights -
January 16th - March 26th, 2012
(except February Family Weekend Monday)
Information about the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/c6aror6
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
January 24th - March 27th, 2012
Course Information:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
LENTEN STUDIES 2012
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Winter Series for 2012:
"An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor
Discovering God in the ordinary experiences of life
March 2nd - March 30th - five Friday noon sessions
Time and Location for all sessions:
12:00 to 1:00PM in the Native Centre Board Room
Located above the Dairy Queen, Mac Hall Student's
Centre
Led by: Wayne Holst,
Coordinator of the ACTS Ministry, St. David's United
and a Faith and Spirituality Centre Liaison.
Cost of the book: $15.00 each
Buy the book for yourself at Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/6wjwqx5
*****
Join us this year for stiumlating campus discussions!
For more information: Adriana Tulissi 403-220-5451
Co-ordinator, Faith and Spirituality Centre, U. of
C. - artuliss@ucalgary,ca
*****
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
*****
STUDY ARCHIVES
An accumulation of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
more than 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.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice:
JOHN HOWARD YODER
Spiritual Writings,
Selected with an
Introduction by
Paul Martens and Jenny Howell
Orbis Books, New York, 2011
$20.00 CAD. 172 pages.
ISBN #978-1-57075-935-2
Publisher's Promo:
Novalis Canada Website:
John Howard Yoder (1927-1997), a Mennonite
theologian, was one of the most passionate,
eloquent, and effective exponents of
Christian nonviolence in the late twentieth
century. Drawing on his Anabaptist roots,
Yoder went beyond a one-dimensional pacifism
to address the ecclesial and cosmic significance
of peace and reconciliation. In his best-known
work, the classic The Politics of Jesus, he
addressed the radical vision of Jesus and set
this as the pattern for Christian discipleship,
a pattern that extends to all aspects of life.
This anthology of his spiritual writings is an
essential handbook of modern discipleship.
---
Introduction:
(written in a summarized fashion) -
The purpose of this volume is to illustrate and
give voice to Yoder's spirituality, which fosters
..."a distinctive way of seeing oneself and one's
neighbour under God."
(Even though he was never interested in using
the term 'spirituality' to describe his work)
Yoder is worthy of inclusion (in this Modern
Spiritual Masters Series from Orbis) because
he gave his entire existence to living and
articulating a religious vision of suffering
love.
---
He was born in 1927 in Smithville, Ohio and grew
up attending Oak Grove Mennonite Church where his
ancestors had been active leaders for over a
hundred years of the church's life. Yoder grew
up in a close-knit community and a religious
tradition that understood love of neighbour and
non-violence as a means by which one imitates
the life of Jesus.
He did doctoral studies in Europe (Basel) after
having finished undergraduate work in Goshen
Mennonite College, Goshen, IN. This was not
typical of young North American Mennonite students
in the 1950's. He was also involved in relief
work with MCC, a Mennonite agency that was only
beginning in those years and was engaged in
France among victims of WWII.
Yoder challenged the view that Mennonites were
"just another form of Protestantism" and began
a life-long pursuit of what became his trademark
focus of following Jesus, in community and under
God. He engaged in thought and action about what
we today call "peacemaking."
Returning to America, he joined the University
of Notre Dame as a Mennonite theologian and
ethicist and found this Catholic institution
a rich intellectual environment that was quite
similar to what he had experienced at Basel.
His efforts were directed to creating a national
climate in which violence could be lessened and
he eventually became a fellow of the Kroc Institute
for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame. He
would remain a fellow there at the time of his
death, even though he would continue to teach in
nearby Mennonite institutions as well.
In the book for which he is most famous - "The
Politics of Jesus" Yoder provided a coherent
and compelling account of a political Jesus
whose suffering and death on the cross was a
political act in solidarity with the poor and
oppressed of the world. He described a Jesus
whose kingdom was not some transcendent reality
beyond this life - a Jesus who demanded
imitation in the form of replacing dominion
with servanthood and hostility with forgiveness.
---
Some unique characteristics of this thought:
He did not so much offer new answers to old
questions, but he asked new questions.
His spiritual vision was never articulated in
a systematic manner but more often he wrote as
a revolutionary pamphleteer.
For Yoder, one is not asked to believe in
Jesus but to follow and participate in the
life of Jesus; and not to work to "make
things come out right" according to some
political agenda as Christian realists like
Reinhold Niebuhr advocated. "The key of
Christian obedience is not effectiveness,
but patience" Yoder would say.
Yoder's vision was not so much an individual,
but a communal activity. Worship is the
"communal cultivation of an alternative
construction of society and history." The
sacraments are the embodied behaviours
that constitute the church. They are the
mode of participating in God's reconciling
work in the world.
Yoder was convinced that, in the end, God
will triumph and Yoder's concern for faithful
practices are rooted in a vision of reality
in which God's way of loving non-violently
aligns with the inner logic of the created
world and human existence as God intended it
to be.
---
My Thoughts:
I grew up in a Mennonite ethos (Waterloo
County Ontario) attended Mennonite churches
and even spent four years at a private
Mennonite high school during the 1950's.
I don't really think like a Mennonite
but I frequently "feel" like one.
The spirituality Yoder offers challenges
common modern peacemaking thought and
practice. It is not really activistic
but a way of modelling the way of Christ.
In that, Yoder helps all of us to
go more deeply into Jesus way at a time
when many may feel they must "do something
to change the world."
Here is how Yoder summarizes this view:
"Before it is a social strategy, non-violence
is a moral commitment; before it is a moral
commitment, it is a distinctive spirituality.
It presupposes and fosters a distinct way of
seeing oneself and one's neighbour under God.
That "way of seeing" is more like a prayer
than it is like s shrewd social strategy,
although it is both. It is more a faith than
a theory, although it is both."
---
What can I make of this to help us better
understand the contribution of an ecumenical
Anabaptist for our time?
Yoder helps us to move more deeply into the
way of Jesus. He is not so concerned about
agendas and outcomes as he is about our
grounding in the spirituality of Jesus.
I think this wisdom can be very helpful
to those who become discouraged that so
much of their peacemaking efforts seem
to be unproductive. In a true sense, Jesus'
way led to failure. He was even put to
death for his efforts. And yet, that was
not the end of the story. We continue to
participate in the way of Jesus beyond
failure to a new and better reality God
continues to prepare for us, in this world
and in the world to come.
I also believe that Yoder helps to bring
some of the richness of the Anabaptist
spiritual tradition - a tradition shaped
by much historic persecution - into
contemporary mainstream, non-violent
spiritual thinking for Christians and
non-Christians alike.
Even though Yoder is grounded in the Jesus
tradition, he encourages us to "believe like
Jesus" rather than "in him."
His focus is on an experience, not a doctrine.
I sense that Yoder's writings ring true
to Mennonite "understandings" I grew up
with and I find him more appealing today
than I did when I was younger.
I think many non-Christians could also
benefit from what Yoder has to say,
because the Jesus way is not exclusive,
but encompassing of the whole human family.
It is not elitist, but exemplary.
There are other mentors "like Jesus" out
there. We can be open to recognizing and
following those exemplars too.
---
Review of the Book by
Spirituality and Practice:
http://tinyurl.com/6m9brrz
---
Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/7vy8cgd
Buy the book from Novalis:
http://tinyurl.com/85v3s3a
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
DEB CHARNUSKI
Calgary, AB
"Happy New Year"
Google did an outstanding overview
of 2011. Click the link below...
"Zeitgeist 2011: Year in Review"
Youtube link
Dec. 31st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/c7gyt5a
---
ISABEL GIBSON
Ottawa, ON.
Traditional Iconoclast Blog
January 1st, 2011
"Back to the Future"
Looking ahead 60 to 70 years, our children
and grandchildren will live in an amazingly
different world that we cannot begin to
predict. But, as Dandridge Cole wrote,
although we cannot predict the future, we
can invent it. Year after year, small
changes can add up to a huge difference.
If we will, we each can choose the small
difference we make in the coming year.
Read the entire blog post:
http://tinyurl.com/74qzx3u
*****
Exchanges on St. Johns, Calgary
St. John the Evangelist Anglican
parish Calgary has voted to join
the Roman Catholic Church. Here
is how the story unfolds, as it
is presented by various members
of Colleagues List:
KEN KUHL
London, ON
"Home Prepared for Former Anglicans"
Calgary Herald
Dec. 31st, 2011
Pope lets Anglicans keep traditions
Catholic-Anglican use of church in
Calgary, a first -
http://tinyurl.com/77egsfy
--
Joint Press Release by the
Anglican and Roman Catholic
Bishops of Calgary
December 2011
http://tinyurl.com/8yzbwtl
--
MICHAEL SWAN
The Catholic Register
Toronto, ON.
"Hopes Fade for Special Home
for Anglicans Joining Rome"
Catholic Register
December 20th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7dfq7xk
---
BOB BETSON
Sarnia, ON
December 30th, 2011
Dear Wayne,
Here is my reflection on this recent
development, which is not a form
of ecumenism in my view, but an
opportunistic move by dissidents who
have hijacked a parish I love and
joined another denomination. This
was a post-Christmas letter I sent
Bishop Derek (Anglican bishop of
Calgary.) They are the first Anglo-
Catholic parish to make this move.
Blessings
Bob
December 26th, 2011
Dear Bishop Derek,
It is with great sorrow that I read of
the final movement (announced Dec. 16
on the Diocesan website) of the group
from St. John's, Calgary to join the
Roman Catholic Church and leave the
Anglican Communion.
While that group may portray this as
a natural historic development in
keeping with the theology and practice
of St. John's, I would beg to differ
based on my experience with the parish
from 1977 when I joined the choir,
until 2007 when I moved to Manitoba
after spending several years assisting
at special services as a priest of the
Diocese...
... (D)uring the past four years...
the parish has moved from being an
Anglo-catholic expression to a more
eccentric Roman Catholic expression
which pays lip service to Anglicanism
but basically wants to turn back
the clock and further patriarchy,
authoritarianism and extreme conservative
theology. It isn't recognizable as the
same family parish I joined in 1977...
However from 2001 to 2007, I found there
were still a number of parishioners who
just wanted to carry on within the Anglican
church...
Sadly from the RC point of view, I think
Rome would be better off without them.
People who are so bitter and antagonistic
will always find issues to be bitter and
antagonistic about. And these folks are
pre-Vatican 2 in their outlook...
... since the parish played such an
important role in my journey of faith,
it is with deep regret that I see it
becoming an RC parish. I attended both
75th anniversary as a lay person (and
organizer) and 100th as preacher.
... St. John's traditions are not well
served by this move, and many people
who have contributed to St. John's in
the past undoubtedly feel as I do that
they have lost their spiritual home
to another denomination...
Blessings
Rev'd Bob Bettson
Canon Davis Memorial Church, Sarnia
*****
MARK NOLL
Notre Dame, IN.
Winner of Award of Merit from
Christianity Today for his 2011 book:
"Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind"
Read an interview about the book:
http://tinyurl.com/43n53k9
*****
REGINALD BIBBY
Lethbridge, AB.
January 6th, 2012
Hi Wayne! I hope this finds you well
as we move into another valued year.
I want to thank you so very much for
your thoughtful personal reflections
on the meaning of Mainline Protestantism
in your own life, as well as bluntly
addressing the tough question of whether
or not Canadian Mainline Protestantism
is renewable.
It might be of interest to you and some
of our Colleagues to know that, to date,
"Beyond the Gods & Back" has been received
with considerable enthusiasm by Roman
Catholics and evangelical Protestants,
but - with the exception of Lutherans
in Waterloo ON - has received little
acknowledgement from Mainline Protestants.
As you know well, I am "pulling" for
Mainliners, but believe that there is a
great need for Mainline Protestant leaders
to address their current reality, in order
that they might respond, That's why I
particularly appreciate your candour in
looking squarely at today's situation,
indicating why Mainline Protestantism
has been significant for you, and offering
some stimulating thoughts on what needs to
happen.
It will be good to share your piece
with many others.
Ongoing warm wishes.
-Reg
*****
NET NOTES
WORDS LAST
A Reflection on Listening
More and Speaking Less
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
January 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6p4wfjj
*****
UK CHRISTIANS LOSE GROUND
Unbelief Grows in Ancient Centre
Ecumenical News International
Geneva
January 4th, 2011
U.K. Christians lose ground
as unbelief grows
London (ENI news) Christians in England
and Wales are losing ground about as fast
as nonbelievers are gaining it, according
to a new government-sponsored poll. The
British government's latest Citizenship
Survey reports that in the five years
leading up to 2010, the percentage of
declared Christians in the region dropped
by 7 percent, although they nonetheless
held solid at 70 percent, Religion News
Service reports. Meanwhile, the total of
those declaring no religion climbed by
6 percent, to 21 percent over the same
period, the poll indicated.
---
Anglican Journal
January 4th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/7kxeg3s
*****
PRIMATE'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE
From Christ Church Ottawa
Anglican Journal
January 1st, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/6mr7fjo
*****
DISABILITIES CAN BE SPECIAL
Christianweek.org
January 4th, 2012
"I View Mine as a Gift"
http://tinyurl.com/6vj7gqf
*****
POPE NAMES TORONTO CARDINAL
Collins Fomerly of Edmonton
Globe and Mail
January 6th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/7hjxfge
---
Official Canadian Church Response
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://tinyurl.com/7oblo7q
*****
STARVATION THREAT TO NORTH KOREA
Ekklesia
January 3rd, 2012
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15941
*****
SECTARIAN TERROR STRIKES NIGERIA
America Magazine
January 16th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/78mugy4
*****
ANOTHER LOOK AT REFORMATION HISTORY
Lutherans and Catholics "Reframe" History
This could be an example for others
The Tablet, UK
January 7th, 2012
The Story:
http://tinyurl.com/7h9ms7u
Commentary:
http://tinyurl.com/73fsjlr
*****
JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD IN 5 MINUTES
Selection of Photographer's 6,000 Photos
The Atlantic Online
January 5th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/7kp3o63
*****
THATCHER VETOED POPE'S ADDRESS IN 1982
Feared Challenge by Ian Paisley
The Guardian, UK
December 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7lfnlgh
*****
BISHOP LAHEY RELEASED AFTER
CHILD PORN CONVICTION
National Post
January 4th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/878ztnr
Comment:
"Sentence Does Not Reflect
Seriousness of His Crime"
National Post
January 4th, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/75hlvsb
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
30 December 2011
Germany's ecumenical Kirchentag
celebration strives to be "green"
Hamburg, Germany (ENI news) - The
Kirchentag, Germany's bi-annual ecumenical
celebration, is making greater efforts to
be environmentally friendly, according to
organizers. With over 100,000 people
attending each year and huge stages for
live bands, the Kirchentag's (literally
"church congress") energy requirements are
enough to make any carbon-conscious soul
wince. But as the CEO of the new Hamburg
office explains, the organization has made
great efforts to ensure the event's eco-
friendly credentials. "Kirchentag is an
event that engages with social
responsibility," said Bernd Baucks,
who is also the head of finance. "This
comes from the Protestant conviction that
we believe in keeping the earth alive;
that's part of the Christian belief and
it's also part of the responsibility we
feel as an organization."
*****
3 January 2012
Holy Land pilgrimage can lead to
inter-religious understanding
Jerusalem (ENI news) Pilgrims to the Holy
Land who are searching for the roots of
Christianity can also gain a surprisingly
rich understanding of other religions,
according to a prominent Franciscan
clergyman. "A pilgrim does not come to
the Holy Land to understand politics or
to understand the geography. First and
foremost he is a religious pilgrim,"
said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa,
whose formal title is Custodian of the
Holy Land and who is the head of all
Franciscans in the region. "But of
course when they come here as Christians
they are exposed to the understanding
and the presence of other Christians ...
and understand what ecumenical dialogue
is and why it is so important." He spoke
at a two-day interfaith conference on
pilgrimage held from 28 to 29 December
in Jerusalem.
_____
In Kenya camp, Christian agency
to review safety after killing
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - After the
killing of a volunteer refugee peace
and security worker and the wounding
of another, a Christian relief agency
which is responsible for housing and
security at the Dadaab refugee complex
in northern Kenya said safety measures
were being reviewed. The Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) made the announcement
after Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed, chairperson
of community peace and security teams
(CPST) for the Hagadera camp, was shot
dead near his house on 29 December.
The other volunteer was shot and
wounded on 1 January at the Ifo camp.
_____
Vatican launches Catholic home
for U.S. Episcopalians
(ENI news) - American Episcopalians upset
with their denomination's acceptance of
gay and female clergy can now convert to
the Roman Catholic Church while keeping
many cherished traditions in a special
new U.S. diocese that was established
on 1 January by Pope Benedict XVI. The
Houston, Texas-based diocese, called
the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair
of St. Peter, will allow a special
Anglican-style Catholic Mass that can
include sections from the Book of Common
Prayer and other Anglican liturgies,
Religion News Service reports.
*****
4 January 2012
Honduras to use evangelism
to fight police corruption
Tegucigalpa, Honduras (ENI news) - In an
effort to clean up his corruption-riddled
national police force, the president of
Honduras is seeking help from a higher
power by enlisting the help of a Roman
Catholic bishop to evangelize police
officers. President Porfirio Lobo Sosa
has given Bishop Rómulo Emiliani, the
auxiliary bishop of San Pedro Sula, the
task of instilling Christian values in
an institution that has been rocked with
scandal. Last November, 176 police
officers were arrested on a variety of
charges including murder, kidnapping and
drug dealing. The arrests follow public
outrage over the release of four officers
accused of murdering two students, the
BBC reported.
*****
5 January 2012
Southern Africa archbishop tells Mugabe
to end church persecution
(ENI news) - The Anglican Archbishop of
Cape Town has called on Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe to put an end to persecution
of the Anglican Church after state police on
3 January broke up the annual prayer retreat
of clergy from the Diocese of Harare.
Episcopal News Service reports that about 80
diocesan priests were meeting at Peterhouse
School in Marondera, capital of Zimbabwe's
Mashonaland East province, when police
intervened and halted the gathering,
reportedly on the grounds that it had
not received official legal clearance.
_____
Biblical psalm is inspiration
for Japanese environmentalist
Tokyo (ENI news) - Japanese environmentalist
Shigeatsu Hatakeyama, who is up for a "Forest
Hero" award from the United Nations, has an
unusual inspiration for his long-standing
idea that healthy forests depend upon healthy
oceans and vice versa: the Bible's Psalm 42.
As the psalm compares a deer's thirst for
water to the soul's desire for God,
Hatakeyama's campaign of tree-planting,
education and conservation is called "The
Forest is Longing for the Sea, the Sea is
Longing for the Forest." The name "is rooted
in the 'longing for' [in Psalm 42]," said
Hatakeyama, who is 68, a professor of field
studies and practical learning at Kyoto
University and a member of the Japan
Baptist Union. He is a finalist for a
Forest Hero Award from the U.N. under
its 2011 International Year of Forests
program. The awards will be announced
on 9 February.
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
January 3rd, 2011
"As soon as the generals and the politicos/
can predict the motion of your mind,/
lose it. Leave it as a sign/
to mark the false trail, the way/
you didn't go. Be like the fox/
who makes more tracks than necessary,/
some in the wrong direction./
Practice resurrection."
- Wendell Berry
---
January 4th, 2011
"The work of God is the calling of a
people, whether in the Old Covenant
or the New… That men and women are
called together to a new wholeness
is itself the work of God, which
gives meaning to history.”
- John Howard Yoder
---
January 5th, 2012
"Upon this basic truth all the principles
and actions of the Society of Friends are
founded. Each [person] is seen as having
intrinsic value, and Christ is equally
concerned for the other as for me. We all
become part of the divine family, and as
such we are all responsible for one another,
carrying our share of the shame when wrong
is done and of the burden of suffering."
- Margaret Backhouse
*****
ON THIS DAY
On Jan. 1, 1959 - Fidel Castro led Cuban
revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio
Batista.
http://tinyurl.com/7wynqkb
---
On Jan. 5, 1914, Henry Ford, head of the
Ford Motor Company, introduced a minimum
wage scale of $5 per day.
http://tinyurl.com/7nfqlfd
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
"You have heard... but I say"
Jesus uses these invitational and
provocative forms of speech - aphorisms
and parables - to subvert conventional
ways of seeing and living, and to invite
his hearers into an alternative way of life.
This transformation from secondhand religion
to firsthand religion, from living in accord
from what one has heard to life centered in
the spirit, is central to the alternative
wisdom of Jesus and also to the Jewish
tradition in which he stood.
(end)
No comments:
Post a Comment