Friday, December 27, 2013

Colleagues List, December 29th, 2013

 Vol. IX No. 19

*****

GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE

Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net

Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com

"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog. 

*****


END OF YEAR, NEW YEAR'S EDITION

Dear Friends:

Every year, in my last issue of
Colleagues List, I collect all of
my "Special Item" writings
gathered here during the past
twelve months.

Again this year I share with you
"My 2013 List of Book Notices
Other Articles and Reflections"
and hope you will find them to
be helpful.

Please scroll down into the body
of the blog for these and other 
items without quick links

--

Colleague Contributions - this
week are all created or shared by 
participating members of this list:

Reginald Bibby on "Christmas"
http://tinyurl.com/m8pshgx
http://tinyurl.com/l8rkkvl

Martin Marty on "Losing Faith"
http://tinyurl.com/k8hzuvo

Herb O'Driscoll on "Middle East"
http://tinyurl.com/kocz7q9

Ron Rolheiser on "Favorite Books"
http://tinyurl.com/k2zyj4k

Jim Taylor on "Message/Messengers"
http://tinyurl.com/lra24rp

--

Net Notes - have been collected 
by me, and I offer them to you -

"The Year in Pictures" - an annual
summary of happenings in 2013
and offered by the New York Times
http://tinyurl.com/p34xqec

"New Year Greeting in Unity"- the
leading bishops of Canadian Anglican
and Lutheran Churches  contribute this
(Anglican Church in Canada website)
http://tinyurl.com/lshn3ss

"Faith, Forgiveness and Philomena" -
a most intriguing article by a regular
columnist who reflects on a current film 
and on his own life (Globe and Mail|)
http://tinyurl.com/mognlaw

"Muslim Perspectives on Christmas" -
what do people of Islam think of when 
they consider the Christian festival?
(Sightings, The Jakarta Post)
http://tinyurl.com/mvjgeug
http://tinyurl.com/lxk5kzx

"Christmas Around the World - 2013" -
a collection of pictures of the Season 
from across the globe at this time
(The Atlantic Online)
http://tinyurl.com/lewkepm

"The Biggest Challenge to My Atheism" -
a non-believer is confronted by the
poverty of this world and reflects
(The Guardian, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/ly93jwv

"How Wealth Reduces Our Compassion" -
a valuable insight into what happens to
people when they are, or become, rich 
(Scientific American)
http://tinyurl.com/7v76l3f

"Trinity Western Law School Wins Approval" -
a controversial decision allows a conservative
Canadian Christian university to establish a 
law school. This is not uncommon in the US
(Christian Week Online, Globe and Mail)
http://tinyurl.com/mf2646t
http://tinyurl.com/kp78nxy

"Is American Evangelicalism Losing It's Power?" -
an American scholar views the demise of the
Chrystal Cathedral as a sign of evangelical
decline (American Scholar)
http://tinyurl.com/l6ylofs

"Lutherans Leave, Arab Christians Enter Church"
- in Brooklyn, the old Scandinavian Lutheran
congregation dies, but the building continues 
to be used well (New YorkTimes)
http://tinyurl.com/mkjbt78
--

Wisdom of the Week - is again offered to us 
from Sojourners Online with contributions by:

Frederick Bueckner, Walter Wangerin Jr.,
Jan L. Richardson, Laura Ingalls Wilder,
Edward Hays, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and
J.I. Packer

--

On This Day - from the archives of
The New York Times:

Wright Brothers First to Fly
http://tinyurl.com/yam557x

Gorbachev Resigns as Communist Leader
http://tinyurl.com/l9txkfm

Terrorist Bomb Downs Plane Over Scotland
http://tinyurl.com/btn2d8d 

--

Closing Thought - Anne Lamott

(end)

*****

SPECIAL ITEMS

ASSESSING MY COLLEAGUES LIST BLOG
AFTER FOUR YEARS - IMPROVEMENTS AND HITS

For the past nine years, since before I began
to blog, I have developed a core mailing list of
almost 300 "colleagues" from around the world.
I continue to mail to various listgroups as well. 
My weekly entries are posted to the Colleagues
List website which gives them general availability
on the worldwide web.

My Colleagues List website has received about
43,000 hits since late 2009 and 25,000 hits in
the past two years. That last total computes to
2,400 hits a week and about 350 hits a day
from around the world. I am pleased that my
thoughts and the thoughts of many of you
are being read by growing numbers beyond
North America (or so my Google stats tell me.)

I continue to try to make Colleagues List
more reader-friendly as well as ecumenical
in the broadest sense. This means I try to be 
both inter-Christian and inter-faith. I welcome
this trend as it seems to be enhancing and
improving our special community of the Spirit -
for people of faith and of no claimed faith.

Periodically, I am contacted by web operators
who want to include and share my blog with
others so that there would be even wider
distribution. I have hesitated to do this because
I am not sure what this will mean as far as
maintaining a core group of core "colleagues."
I want to be open, but time will tell.

For me, the quality of our exchanges is more
important than the number of people sharing.

In the meantime, I am grateful for the many
of you who read, respond, and share your
thoughts.

After completing 157 editions of Colleagues List
with this issue, I continue to look forward to
the task of creating a new edition most every
week. It gives me an important piece of work
to do - but I may be a bit biased...

*****

ANNUAL SUMMARY (WITH LINKS)
OF COLLEAGUES LIST SPECIAL ITEMS

This year I introduced 27 book titles
and 20 reflections, sermons or lectures
which were edited and transcribed for
you my readers.

That represents a total of 47 special
items in 41 issues. In many cases, I
have chosen the books and suggestions
of you my colleagues; but certainly not
always.

Here then, in order of appearance during
2013, are the book notices and other
presentations I have sent you. 

Perhaps you did not have time to look
at some of these when they first appeared.
This will give you repeat-access to them.

---

BOOK NOTICES

"Open Heart" -
  Elie Weisel

(and)
 
"Guide to the Christian Perplexed" -
  Thomas Power (ed)

  January 13th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lyueb7w

--

"Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers" -
  Anne Lamott

  January 20th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/m7h3gf4

--

"The Three Testaments -
  Torah, Gospel and Quran"
  Brian Arthur Brown

  January 27th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/k7cnfkj

--

"Marrow Turned to Soul" -
  Faith Nostbakken

  February 3rd, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lez3zax

--

"Disinherited Generations -
  Our Struggle to Reclaim Treaty Rights
  For First Nations Women and
  Their Descendants" -
  Nellie Carlson, Kathleen Steinhauer
  and Linda Goyette

  February 10th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/kugxyzv

--

"Genius Born of Anguish:
  The Life and Legacy of
  Henri  Nouwen" -
  Michael Higgins and Kevin Burns

  February 17th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lka3zcx

--

"Robert McAfee Brown:
  Spiritual and Prophetic Writings" -
  Paul Crowley

  February 24th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/ln8qozs

--

"Did Jesus Exist? -
  The Historical Argument for
  Jesus of Nazareth" -
  Bart Ehrman

  March 24th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/ku39k5t
 
--

"Waiting for Gospel" -
  Douglas John Hall

  March 31st, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lfqbxfg

--

"Making Anew My Home: A Memoir" -
  Mathew Zachariah

  April 7th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lvpewu7

--

Two Books on Pope Francis -

"Pray for Me" -
  Robert Moynihan

"On Heaven and Earth" [
  Jorge Mario Bergoglio
  and Abraham Skorka

 June 2nd, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/ko63hfv

--

"The Serpent's Promise:
  The Bible Retold as Science" -
  Steve Jones

  June 9th, 2013
    http://tinyurl.com/k27hxzk

--

"The Evolution of God" -
  Robert Wright

  June 16th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/n5ghrm6
--

"Immortal Diamond" -
  Richard Rohr

  June 23rd, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/k9a82q9

--

"How Maps Change Things:
 A Conversation About the Maps
 We Choose and the World We Want" -
 Ward L. Kaiser and James Taylor

 July 28th, 2013
  http://tinyurl.com/kl3o2a4

--

"Training Principled Soldiers for
  Christ: - The Influence of American
  Fundamentalism on Prairie Bible
  Institute (1922-1980)" -
  Tim W. Callaway

  August 25th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/kfzn66s

--

"Zealot: The Life and Times
  of Jesus of Nazareth" -
  Reza Aslan

  September 15th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/ldlmqol

--

"Faith Forward: A Dialogue on
  Children, Youth and a New Kind
  of Christianity" -
  David M Csinos and Melvin Bray

  September 22nd, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/m6kff6x

--

"Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World"
  (or) "Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha
  and Mohammed Cross the Road?" -
  Brian McLaren

  September 29th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/kmqalc5

--

"Heretics and Heroes: How Renaissance
  Artists and Reformation Priests
  Created Our World" -
  Thomas Cahill

   October 20th, 2013
    http://tinyurl.com/kz9zdsa

--

"Occupy Spirituality:
 A Radical Vision for a New Generation" -
 Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox

 November 3rd, 2013
  http://tinyurl.com/mjbhnhn

--

"The Remarkable Chester Ronning:
  Proud Son of China"
  Brian Evans

  November 17th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/k72vlzy

--

"William Stringfellow - Essential Writings" -
  Bill Wylie-Kellerman, Daniel Berrigan

  November 24th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/k8lsb4o

--

"Light Beyond" -
  Raymond Moody

(and)

"Eternal Life: A New Vision" -
  John Spong

  December 8th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/mo8lf9h

------

ARTICLES, NOTES OF LECTURES, SERMONS

"Thoughts on Welcoming the Stranger -
  A Weekend With Mary Jo Leddy" -

  March 10th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/n8xg3r7

--

"Studying Russian Religion Since
  the Collapse of Communism" -
  Heather Coleman

  March 17th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/n6ldxvm

--

"Oscar Romero - Saint in Waiting" -

  March 24th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/ku39k5t

--

"Turkey and the Early Christian Church -
  Anticipating Our Tour of an Ancient Land"
 
(and)

"Personal Goals for the Turkey Tour -
  Five Principles to Guide Our Experience"

  April 14th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lbk3gkp

-

"My Personal Thanks for Colleagues Like You:
  Final Thoughts Before Departure for Turkey" -

  April 21st, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/mayy6qz

--

"Reflections After Our Tour of Turkey" -
  Web Links Included

  May 19th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/kk9hcnf

--

"Fashion Me a Church" -
  Wisdom Centre Lecture by Herb O'Driscoll

  May 26th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/nfnbtlq

--

"The Trials of Transition -
  Living Creatively in Challenging Times"
  Sermon Preached at St. David's United, Calgary

  June 30th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lzg5c48

--

"The Canadian Badlands Passion Play:
  Reflections on a Unique Presentation" -

  July 14th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/pqwkdjd

--

"Invitation to the Calgary Ramadan Dinner -
  Intercultural Dialogue Centre"

  August 11th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/prx2xxu

--

"A New Season of Learning and Growth:
  Thoughts on My Teaching and Writing"

  September 8th, 2013 
   http://tinyurl.com/l8f4qy9

--

"The Secular is Haunted"
  Assessing Charles Taylor's "A Secular Age"
  James K.A. Smith

  October 6th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/kzesy3x

--

"Becoming a Better Christian by Respecting
  Other Faiths and the "Nones"  (or those
  claiming to have no faith)

  Engaging Our Fall University Chaplain's
  Study on "Christian Identity in a
  Multi-Faith  World."

  October 27th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/mlj9xev

--

"Holy Minded - Evangelicals and the
  Problem of Anti-Intellectualism"
  Lecture by Molly Worthen

  November 10th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/lrmlz9e

--

"A Personal Reflection on Advent
  With Resources for the Season"
  - this issue was lost but may
     be reclaimed in 2014!

  December 1st, 2013
  
--

"Holst Family Christmas Letter 2013"

  December 15th, 2013
   http://tinyurl.com/mfctpb2
  

--

"Assessing My Colleagues List Blog After
  Four Years of Improvements and Hits"

(and)

"Annual Summary, With Links,
  of Colleagues List Articles"
  December 27th, 2013

  (both items are in this issue)

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

REGINALD BIBBY
Lethbridge, AB

Globe and Mail
December 24th, 2013

"We'll be Home for Christmas"
(with Angus Reid)

http://tinyurl.com/m8pshgx

Commentary on this Article -

CBC Website
December 23rd, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/l8rkkvl

-- 

MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL

Sightings
December 16th, 2013

"Losing Faith"

http://tinyurl.com/k8hzuvo

Sightings
December 23rd, 2013

"Religion in 2013"

http://tinyurl.com/l5wruhg

--

HERBERT O'DRISCOLL
Victoria, BC

BBC News
December 20th, 2013

"Long Winter for Christians
  in the Middle East"

http://tinyurl.com/kocz7q9

-- 

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio TX

Personal Website
December 22nd, 2013

"My Favorite Books of 2013"

http://tinyurl.com/k2zyj4k

-- 

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan BC

Personal Web Log
December 22nd, 2013

"The Message and the Messengers "

http://tinyurl.com/lra24rp

***** 

NET NOTES

THE YEAR IN PICTURES
80 Global Stories from 2013

New York Times Sunday Review
December 29th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/p34xqec

--

NEW YEAR GREETING IN UNITY
Canadian Anglican/Lutheran Leaders Speak

Anglican Website
December 27th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/lshn3ss

-- 

FAITH, FORGIVENESS AND PHILOMENA
Lapsed RC Reflects on Irish Church Victim

Globe and Mail
December 23rd,  2013
Konrad Yakabuski

http://tinyurl.com/mognlaw

--

MUSLIM PERSPECTIVES OF CHRISTMAS
"Remembering God" an Important Theme

Sightings
December 26th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mvjgeug

Is it Un-Islamic to Respect Christmas?
A Perspective from Indonesia

The Jakarta Post
December 26th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/lxk5kzx

--

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD IN 2013
A Global Perspective - Secular and Sacred

The Atlantic Online
December 26th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/lewkepm

--

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO MY ATHEISM
Modern  Secular Approaches May be a Luxury

The Guardian, UK
December 26th,2013


--

HOW WEALTH REDUCES OUR COMPASSION
As Income Increases Human Concern Declines

Scientific American
December, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/7v76l3f

--

TRINITY LAW SCHOOL WINS APPROVAL
Controversial Decision re Human Rights

Christian Week
December 19th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mf2646t


Globe and Mail Editorial
December 24th, 2013

"How to Decide When Rights Collide?"
http://tinyurl.com/kp78nxy

--

IS AMERICAN EVANGELICALISM LOSING POWER?
Crystal Cathedral Demise a Sign of Decline

American Scholar
Winter, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/l6ylofs

--

LUTHERANS LEAVE, ARAB CHRISTIANS ENTER
Brooklyn Church Serves New Constituency

New York Times
December 23rd, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mkjbt78


*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK 

(Including Advent and Christmas)

"For outlandish creatures like us,

on our way to a heart, a brain,
and courage, Bethlehem is not
the end of our journey but only
the beginning — not home, but
the place through which we must
pass if ever we are to reach home
at last."

- Frederick Buechner


--

"God is coming! God is coming! All the 
element we swim in, this existence, 
Echoes ahead the advent. God is coming! 
Can’t you feel it?" 

- Walter Wangerin Jr. 

--

"The season of Advent means there is 
something on the horizon the likes of which 
we have never seen before ... What is 
possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn 
just as it brushes past you. And you begin
to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses 
in the cleft of the rock, watching God’s 
[back] fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. 
Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. 
There will be time enough for running. For 
rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, 
stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon."

- Jan L. Richardson 

--

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories 
and love of kindred, and we are better throughout 
the year for having, in spirit, become a child again 
at Christmas-time.”

- Laura Ingalls Wilder

--

If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this
Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate 
for us, then fire will have to be present in our 
prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to 
stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly 
change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility 
not to waste this Advent time.”

- Edward Hays

--

"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes, … 
and is completely dependent on the fact that 
the door of freedom has to be opened from 
the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.”

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

--

“The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless
human baby, needing to be fed and changed and
taught to talk like any other child. The more you
think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in
fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation.”

- J.I. Packer

*****

ON THIS DAY

From the archives of the New York Times:
December 16th - 28th

WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST TO FLY
http://tinyurl.com/yam557x

GORBACHEV RESIGNS AS COMMUNIST LEADER
http://tinyurl.com/l9txkfm

TERRORIST BOMB DOWNS PLANE OVER SCOTLAND
http://tinyurl.com/btn2d8d 

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - ANNE LAMOTT

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that
if you just show up and try to do the right thing,
the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work:
You don't give up."

(end)
 
 


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Colleagues List, December 15th, 2013

Vol. IX. No. 18

*****

GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE

Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net

Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com

"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog. 

*****

Dear Friends:

I would very much like to share our 
"Holst Family Christmas Letter" with
you again this year as my Special Item.
Please scroll down.

Colleague Comment - this week is in
response to my "Near Death - End of Life"
book notices shared with you last issue -
Jim Taylor of the Okanagan and Arthur Bauer
of New Jersey express their opinions. Scroll down.

-

Colleague Contributions - this week are
all related to the memory of Nelson Mandela

Karen McKeown - shares a beautiful reading
from black American writer Maya Angelou
http://tinyurl.com/k6pdpgb

James Wall - reflects on the moral stature
of the great South African liberator
http://tinyurl.com/leect5l

Jim Taylor - offers a column on an early 
experience he had in Africa as a reporter.
http://tinyurl.com/qdf27mv

-

Net Notes - are as follows:

"Messiah Complex" - some time ago, I
offered a book notice on "The Zealot"
a story of Jesus by a Muslim author.
Here is a Catholic review of the book
(America Magazine)
http://tinyurl.com/m52qh39

"Graham Near Death" - members of his
immediate family are indicating that
the famous American evangelist is dying
(Christian Post) http://tinyurl.com/pof4skw

"Toppling Lenin in Kiev" - recently, a
giant statue of Lenin was destroyed
by an angry Ukranian mob. Here are
the remarkable details in words and 
pictures (The Atlantic)
http://tinyurl.com/kg98cro

"Ten Best Books of 2013" - annually, the 
New York Times issues its assessment
and this year is no exception
http://tinyurl.com/kg98cro

"N.T. Wright's New Book Reviewed" - 
here is a very positive Catholic review 
of the latest book on St. Paul  by a famous 
Church of England bishop and scholar
(The Tablet, UK) http://tinyurl.com/kp7o5w3

"Jesus, Elvis, Aristotle - Who's Bigger?" -
here are two articles, with details, of
a survey on the world's most important
historical figure (Religion News Service,
UCA News) http://tinyurl.com/p2kg966

"Justin, Francis 'Walking Closer Together'" -
an important report on the very positive
relationship, recently developed,  between
the Archbishop of Canterbury and the pope.
(Vatican Insider) http://tinyurl.com/nbludpp

"The World Acclaims Mandela of South Africa" -
many high quality articles have been published 
in the secular press. This is one from the
religious press (America Magazine) 
http://tinyurl.com/l85mrhg

"Time Names Pope Francis Person of the Year" -
the latest recent honor bestowed on the pontiff
is by Time Magazine (National Catholic Reporter)
http://tinyurl.com/mzzgap7

"Church at Crossroads for Women - Chittister" -
American religious sister and feminist writer
has some important words for Catholic (and 
for all) women (National Catholic Reporter) 
http://tinyurl.com/kaj28oy

-

Wisdom of the Week:

From Sojourners Online, gather some important
thoughts from Marianne Williamson, Alice Walker,
Gail Song Bantum and Bill McKibben (scroll down)

-

On This Day:

From the archives of the New York Times,
the following stories, related to December
9th - 14th, have been offered -

UN Issues Human Rights Declaration
 http://tinyurl.com/b5chndc

Kenya Gains Independence from Britain
http://tinyurl.com/dytum7n

Polish Authorities Crack Down on Solidarity
http://tinyurl.com/dyvp7ks

-

Final Thought - Nelson Mandela concludes
this issue of Colleagues List (scroll down)

Cherish and enjoy this last week before Christmas!

Wayne

(end)

*****

SPECIAL ITEM

HOLST FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER

Calgary, Alberta                           Christmas, 2013

Dear Colleagues -

This Christmas we have much for which to celebrate! 

Our family seems to be expanding and thriving. Both 
of us are experiencing good health. We have enjoyed 
interesting travel and many spiritual, educational and 
cultural opportunities in the past year and were spared
during the Calgary Flood. We will try to elaborate a 
little on this - enthusiastically but with a certain 
modestly - as no one likes to read “brag letters.”

We are finding that we can enjoy a healthy, active 

and fulfilling lifestyle in spite of normal pre-retirement
concerns. In some ways, we now seem better off than 
in our younger “prime of life” years.

Marlene and Wayne maintain an active daily schedule.

Wayne continues to work at the university and the 
church – because he enjoys teaching. We need to monitor 
our resources of time and energy but can honestly and 
thankfully say that we have never experienced so
many of the good things of life that we now enjoy. 


Hopefully, this encourages those who are just a few 
years younger. We live in a wonderful country that offers
many benefits for seniors and where good health, 
meaningful spirituality and family life are cherished. 
We are indeed wealthy beyond measure!

This year, Cole Risdahl, son of Paul and Heather, and 

sister Katelyn, joined their cousins Emily and Owen 
(Carmen and Mark Hamm) as well as Mya and Dane 
(Sarah and Ronnie Lukan). That means a boy and a girl 
for each family. Who could ask for more?

Marlene enjoys just being with her grandchildren; watching 

them grow, and putting to use a lot of the lessons she 
learned raising her own offspring. Wayne tries to keep up, 
and has a great time reading and conversing with the kids. 
Regretfully, this is not something he did much with his 
own children when they were young. What a privilege to 
have a second chance when he can better appreciate it.

In the spring, we co-led a twenty-six member tour group 

made up of Calgary, Lower Mainland BC and Toronto people 
on a seventeen-day sojourn through western Turkey. It was 
our first experience in a predominantly Muslim country and 
we learned much – thanks to Rostad Tours of Calgary, our 
Turkish tour host Yasar Uslu, and some very interesting 
fellow-travelers. We also did a lot of preparatory and follow-
up work. Wayne’s teaching associate, Jock McTavish, created 
a wonderful “sight and sound production” on a USB stick, 
supported by pictures and movies taken by many of the 
members of the tour. It was truly a community effort and 
a great way to relive the experience, build new friendships 
and create lasting memories. We hope that we can continue 
doing these excellent tours in the years ahead.

During the past year we took in many fine cultural events 

in Calgary, at the Banff Summer Festival and International
String Quartet Competition and the Badlands Passion Play, 
Drumheller. We also journeyed to Northern Alberta to visit
family. Slave Lake is recovering from the bad fire of 2011.

This fall we spent a week in Toronto, Stratford and Niagara-
on-the-Lake Ontario visiting such exciting venues as the 
McMichael Gallery, the Royal Botanical Gardens and the 
Shakespeare and Shaw Festivals. We always appreciate
the colored leaves there.

We hope our enthusiasm for life is something with which 

you too can identify.We much enjoy hearing from you.

A blessed Christmas and New Year celebration to you all!


Marlene and Wayne       

marleneaholst@gmail.com (or) waholst@telus.net

***** 

COLLEAGUE COMMENT

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Wayne:

Amen to your comments on death, funerals, 
memorial services, etc. Like you, I have found 
some secular events more spiritual than some 
religious events. I agree too that many of the 
presumably religious events focus more on 
endless eulogies for the deceased than on the 
relevance of his/her life to any eternal truths.

Jim T


--

ARTHUR BAUER
Pompton Plains, NJ

Wayne:

Your "SPECIAL ITEM Book Notices - on Moody  
and Spong" was especially well done and useful 
to me.  I have been exploring and thinking about 
this topic (reflection on having turned 88, and 
wondering if I will "make" it to the tenth decade!).

Art 

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

A Tribute to Nelson Mandela by Maya Angelou 
on Behalf of the American People
December 6th, 2013

(shared by colleague Karen McKeown, Calgary)
http://tinyurl.com/k6pdpgb

--

JAMES WALL
Chicago, IL

Wall Writings Website
December 11th, 2013

"Mandela's Unique Moral Authority"
http://tinyurl.com/leect5l

--

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
December 8th, 2013

"Bumbling Error Helps Break Barriers"

http://tinyurl.com/qdf27mv

*****
 
NET NOTES

MESSIAH COMPLEX
Review of Aslan's "Zealot"

America Magazine
December 23rd, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/m52qh39

--  

GRAHAM NEAR DEATH
Evangelist Deteriorating

The Christian Post
December 14th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/pof4skw

-- 

TOPPLING LENIN IN KIEV
A Remarkable Story

The Atlantic
December 8th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mbod69v

--  

THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2013

New York Times
December 13th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/kg98cro

--

N.T. WRIGHT'S NEW BOOK REVIEWED
Paul and the Faithfulness of God

The Tablet, UK
December 14th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/kp7o5w3

-- 

JESUS, ELVIS, ARISTOTLE - WHO'S BIGGER?
New Study Attempts to Answer the Question

Religion News Service
December 12th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/p2kg966

Another Take on this Story
More Names and Statistics

UCA News
December 13th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/qcpk9db

-- 

JUSTIN,  FRANCIS "WALKING CLOSER TOGETHER"
Anglicans and Catholics See Hopeful Future

Vatican Insider
December 9th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/nbludpp


--

WORLD ACCLAIMS MANDELA OF SOUTH AFRICA
Relative Peace and Democracy in a Troubled Land

America Magazine
December 23rd, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/l85mrhg

--

TIME NAMES FRANCIS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Some Thoughts on His Global Recognition

National Catholic Reporter
December 11th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mzzgap7

--

CHURCH AT CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN - CHITTISTER
"We are at a Crucial Time in History" 

National Catholic Reporter
December 11th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/kaj28oy


*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online

"Most of us don't lack compassion so much 
as we avoid it. We resist compassion (in the 
United States) with a peculiar hypocrisy, 
extolling the virtues of volunteerism, for 
instance, while making volunteerism more 
of a necessity by diminishing our budgetary 
commitments to the poor andpowerless....
Our primary response to human suffering 
appears to be making sure it occurs on the 
other side of town or the other side of the world."

- Marianne Williamson


"The world has changed: Wake up! Give yourself 
the gift of a new day. The world has changed:  
This does not mean you were never hurt. The 
world has changed: Rise! Yes & shine! Resist the 
siren call of disbelief. The world has changed: 
Don't let yourself remain asleep to it."

- Alice Walker

"Our hope is found in the promise that God speaks,
“Let there be light,” in those seemingly dark, dead,
and chaotic spaces of our lives. Our hope is found
in witnessing the power of the spirit continually
hovering over and healing the deep wells of our tears."

- Gail Song Bantum 


“Advent: the time to listen for footsteps — you can't 
hear footsteps when you're running yourself.”

- Bill McKibben
 
*****

ON THIS DAY

From the Archives of the New York Times:

UN ISSUES HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION
http://tinyurl.com/b5chndc

KENYA GAINS INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN
http://tinyurl.com/dytum7n


POLISH AUTHORITIES CRACK DOWN ON SOLIDARITY
http://tinyurl.com/dyvp7ks

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - NELSON MANDELA

"A fundamental concern for others in our 
individual and community lives would go 
a long way in making the world the better 
place we so passionately dreampt of."

(end)