Colleagues List

Colleagues List, February 11th, 2012

2012-02-10T16:42:00.004-07:00

Vol. VII. No. 26

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

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

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

New "Quicklinks" are now included
with many items. Otherwise, scroll
down to find your selection in the
body of the blog, as in the past.

*****

OPENING COLLEAGUE COMMENT

"... thanks too for the Colleagues List
that faithfully arrives with so much
information gathered for me in one place.
I'm so grateful and I marvel at how you
EVER do it...

"Blessings on such a great work."

- Sue Mosteller, Collegeville, MN
  Formerly of L'Arche Daybreak
  Richmond Hill, ON. (executrix
  of the Henri Nouwen estate)

*****

Special Item in this Issue -

"The Church in China - Part Two"

Selected Stories
___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

Ron Rolheiser
http://tinyurl.com/7kfdy2z
___

Net Notes:

Ian Paisley in Hospital
http://tinyurl.com/7wt6ovb

Power and the Problem of Shame
http://tinyurl.com/7xvwu9v

Elizabeth - Queen for 60 Years
http://tinyurl.com/769j8tu
http://tinyurl.com/78znavb

Caravaggio: A Spiritual Hedonist
http://tinyurl.com/6nvfha6

Bishops Accountable for Abuse Cases
http://tinyurl.com/86e5zcd
http://tinyurl.com/6olwc49

Majority of Israeli Jews are Believers
http://tinyurl.com/75ewzww

Canadian Muslims Don't Want Sharia Law
http://tinyurl.com/78sy6qx

German Chancellor Visits Chinese Cathedral
http://tinyurl.com/7ymp3qo

English Women Bishop's Law Remains in Tact
http://tinyurl.com/7p693l5

Faithful Must Respect Scientific Questions
http://tinyurl.com/87mnv2f
___

Global Faith Potpourri:
Ten ENI Geneva stories.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

Emily Dickenson
St. Marcella
Pat Conroy
Mother Teresa
Leonard Cohen
___

On This Day:

Britain's King George VI died; and was
succeeded by daughter, Elizabeth II (1952)
http://tinyurl.com/7scd3ve

President Clinton signs telecommunications
industry legislation as "it will bring the
future to our doorstep" (1996)
http://tinyurl.com/752v5us

*****

Closing Thought - Meister Eckhart

(end)

******

Dear Friends:

Last week, I introduced an important new
book on Colleagues List. It is entitled
"God is Red" - the story of the emerging
church in contemporary China.

This week, I return to this book to provide
you with summaries of three of the eighteen
chapter biographies contained there.

They tell the story of significant Chinese
Christians to help us better understand
the nature of this new Christian component
to our global faith.

I hope that you might find these bios
helpful, and that you might even wish
to get a copy of the book for yourself.
___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor (Okanagan BC) - takes up the
subject of honour killings, which is
currently a very hot topic in Canada.

Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio TX) - recalls
one of Henri Nouwen's literary themes
"mourning and dancing" as we begin to
engage in Lenten preparations this year.
___

Net Notes:

"Ian Paisley in Hospital" - the famous
(or infamous) Paisley enters the hospital
this week, a sign of advancing years
(The Guardian, UK)

"Power and the Problem of Shame" -
an article from Christianity in the east
to remind us that the imperial church
should no longer to be tolerated (Uca News)

"Elizabeth - Queen for 60 Years" -
here are several articles to remind
monarchists and non-monarchists alike
that Elizabeth is now 60 years a queen
(Montreal Gazette, The Guardian, UK)

"Caravaggio: A Spiritual Hedonist" -
the artist whose paintings grace many
of the world's great galleries was
indeed a highly complex individual
(America Magazine)

"Bishops Accountable for Abuse Cases" -
the historic Vatican conference on
priestly abuse seems to be pointing
the Catholic Church in a good direction
(Uca News, The Tablet, UK)

"Majority of Israeli Jews are Believers" -
a recent survey demonstrates that while
Israel is a secular state, it contains
a sizable religious population
(Anglican Journal)

"Canadian Muslims Don't Want Sharia Law" -
in spite of rumors to the contrary, it
seems that Canada's Muslims do not seek to
be governed by religious law in this country
(Anglican Journal)

"German Chancellor Visits Chinese Cathedral"
- here is an interesting report of the visit
of the German leader to China (Uca News)

"English Women Bishop's Law Remains in Tact"
- the Church of England is governed by the laws
of that land, and these laws are clearly
defending an earlier decision to ordain
women bishops (Episcopal News Service)

"Faithful Must Respect Scientific Questions"
- in the current religion and science debate
the opinion expressed here strongly encourages
religious folk to respect the scientific method
(The Guardian, UK)
__

Global Faith Potpourri:

Ecumenical News International provides ten
faith stories from around the globe.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

From Sojourners Online -

Emily Dickenson, St. Marcella, Pat Conroy,
Mother Teresa and Leonard Cohen share
their insights with us.
___

On This Day:

Britain's King George VI died; and was
succeeded by daughter, Elizabeth II (1952)

President Clinton signs telecommunications
industry legislation as "it will bring the
future to our doorstep" (1996)
___

Our closing thought is offered by the
medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart

Happy reading and reflecting!

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)

See the study schedule:
http://tinyurl.com/78f2ll2

Information about the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/c6aror6

Visit Romero House, Toronto on the web:
http://tinyurl.com/7c9dsb4

NOTE: Mary Jo Leddy is coming to St. David's
the weekend of April 20th-22nd. Watch for new
information as it becomes available.

*****

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
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/node/1087

*****

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 thirty-five books studied
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4

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

THE CHURCH IN CHINA - Part Two

Selected Stories

GOD IS RED
The Secret Story of How
Christianity Survived and
Flourished in Communist China
by Liao Yiwu.

HarperOne: Toronto. 2011
$29.00 CAD. 231 pages.
ISBN #978-0-06-207846-9.

Last week, this book was introduced to
Colleagues List readers with these words:

Unwilling to let his nation lose memory of
its past or deny its present, Liao Yiwu, the
author, set out to document the untold stories
of brave believers whose totalitarian government
could not break their faith in God, including:

* The over-100-year-old nun who persevered in
spite of beatings, famine, and decades of
physical labor, and still fights for the
rightful return of church land seized by
the government

* The surgeon who gave up a lucrative Communist
hospital administrator position to treat
villagers for free in the remote, mountainous
regions of southwestern China

* The Protestant minister, now memorialized in
London’s Westminster Abbey, who was executed
during the Cultural Revolution as “an
incorrigible counterrevolutionary.”

Here are summaries of the stories of three
heroic Chinese Christian figures who prove
that a totalitarian government cannot control
what is in people’s hearts.

1. The Old Nun, Zhang Yinxian

Zhang was fast for someone who was more than
a hundred years old. "She's quite a celebrity
around here," said the friend who invited me
to visit the old Catholic church on Renmin
Avenue in the old section of Dali.

Sister Tao took care of Sister Zhang and our
conversation was fast paced.

"She is still pouting about the fact that
a large plot of land that had belonged to the
church was seized by the government during
the Cultural Revolution," Sister Tao said.
"She wants it back. She wants to witness
the return of the land before she leaves this
world."

Zhang was an orphan raised by missionaries
from Vietnam. "I was taught to read and write
by them," she said. "I learned the Bible,
attended Mass, and said prayers."

"At public denunciation meetings during the
Cultural Revolution, we Christians were accused
of murdering orphans. They said the priests
were vampires."

In fact, many of the first Christians in the
area were abandoned orphans who, like her,
were raised by religious.

During the Communist takeover, troops moved
into the city and the whole country turned
"red."

By 1952, all foreign missionaries had been
expelled from China. Zhang became a farmer,
a low-class citizen, trampled on by the masses,
for thirty-one years, until 1983.

"They would parade us around the village
along with Buddhist and Taoist monks and nuns
and several leaders of local Protestant
churches. Some spat on us. Such hatred."

During years of famine that followed "The
Great Leap Forward" she had nothing left
and had to search for food. (But) she had
spent many years reading the Bible, and
God's words were etched, stroke by stroke,
on her mind and heart.

"I prayed, please forgive my sins and
correct my thoughts. Please rescue me from
evil forces of this world. Amen."

Political circumstances changed and Zhang
was able to request her church back. It
seemed like a miracle when the authorities
eventually honoured her wishes.

"The church doesn't belong to us," she was
able to say. "We only look after it for
the Lord."

In 1998 the people got a new bishop, and
a new generation of nuns. That's when Sister
Tao arrived.

"Even if we can't get all our property back,"
said Sister Zhang, "we need to record the
story in the church history. Future generations
should know what happened."

Sister Zhang is forty years older than any
of the others, but she continues to praise
the Lord at age 101.

"I would like to continue to make sure that
our church gets back our land..."

---

2. Dr. Sun

Dr. Sun, a missionary doctor, agreed to
introduce the author to some of the Christian
leaders in the ethnic Yi and Miao villages,
where he visited three or four times a year.

Dr. Sun was clearly well known in these parts
and greeted like a lost brother.

Dr. Sun's parents had been herbal doctors,
but when the Communists took over his family
was persecuted as members of an evil,
exploiting class.

Sun became interested in medicine, and got
a good medical education in Beijing. He
served in a medical college after obtaining
an MD, became a surgeon with considerable
experience, and, in 1995 he became deputy
dean of the medical school with which he
had been associated.

But, because of his high medical standards,
he criticized his authorities for putting
too much emphasis on material gain.

He also became a Christian. "The Bible
taught me to be in awe of God and to love."
These were two qualities he realized the
Chinese people lacked.

He did not believe that communism would
offer these values, and so in 1990 he
was baptized a Christian with the help
of a missionary from Germany.

"I had to make a choice, but that choice
was made largely for me," he said.

His boss said to him - "You are a Communist
official. You enjoy the salary and
benefits of a Communist official, yet
you believe in Jesus Christ. What can
you do with Jesus? Can he provide you
with food and clothing (when you lose
your job?)

"I looked him in the eye and said quite
deliberately "I am quitting now. I need
to save my soul."

Sun ended up working in a hospital in
Myanmar sponsored by an international
humanitarian organization.

Eventually, back in China, he ran into
a former student who invited him to
visit the student's home area in a remote
part of China where all the villages had
converted to Christianity.

Sun visited the area, and soon got
involved in performing operations, using
very primitive support. He never thought
he would have to do surgery in such
conditions, but a number of good results
made him extremely popular.

He continued to return to this area
several times a year, doing medical
missions as a Christian doctor.

His work succeed over time and more
and more people with difficult conditions
sought him out.

Sometimes, he got help from foreign
religious organizations, but often
the funding would dry up over time.
He continued to find ways to do what
he believed he was called to do there.

Then, several doctors from abroad
learned about him and became interested
in his work.

Sun decided to move to this remote area
"I think I'm going to spend the rest of
my life here," he said.

But in 2009, Sun's work caught the
attention of government officials who
accused him of "ulterior motives" for
treating patients for free and moved
to close down his mission.

A Chinese church in the USA invited
him to talk about his work. After his
time in the states, he was not allowed
to return to China.

He now resides in California and has
been working on his English skills.
Since he can't return to his homeland he
is looking for missionary opportunities
in Africa.

---

3. The Martyr, Wang Zhiming

Above the Great West Door to Westminster
Abbey in London stand ten statues that
recognize Christian martyrs from the
twentieth century from around the globe.

One of those statues is of Wang Zhiming,
a Protestant pastor, who lived and
preached in Wuding Country in China's
Yunnan Province and served the ethnic
Miao people. He was arrested in 1969
and executed in 1973.

Wang Zhiming's story was known within
the Miao community but not in China
generally. His family members have
continued his cause, but they rarely
talk to mainstream Chinese media.

The author has attempted to learn as
much as he can from family members and
has made a number of trips to their
region.

Wang Zisheng, son of Wang Zhiming,
now shares much of the family story
to which we are now introduced.

Christianity was first introduced to
the Miao villages in 1906 when two
Protestant ministers, one Australian
and one English, arrived in the area.
They belonged to the famed China
Inland Mission.

Following a major disaster, the
Christian missionaries helped the
people to rebuild their homes and
to restore their lives. They were
also offered the message of the
gospel at a time when the animistic
traditions they had followed were
giving them little spiritual comfort.

Large numbers gathered from miles
around to the church these missionaries
had built.

When external forces caused the departure
of the missionaries during World War II
Wang Zhiming was chosen to take over
their work.

The parish developed fast under local
church leadership, but the Communists
came in 1951 and condemned Christianity
as spiritual opium and tools of foreign
invasion to oppress the Chinese people.

There were lots of beatings and torture
suffered by Wang Zhiming and the faithful.
Ziming was imprisoned but then released
as he was popular among his own people.
He never trusted the Communists even
though he once was invited to visit
Chairman Mao.

The Cultural Revolution continued and
persecution followed. Zhiming was
ultimately put to death in 1973 because
he believed that God, not Mao, was the
Saviour of the Chinese people.

His son tells a touching story of the
last hours Zhiming spent with his family
before his execution. Eventually, his
next of kin were able to claim and
bury his body. Secretly, many of the
faithful gathered to pray and reaffirm
their faith with the pastor's remains.

A number of family members spent years
in prison as a result of continuing
political unrest in China and the
spillover resulting in their region.

In 1979, the family was able to secure
a document from the government that
cleared Zhiming of all charges against
him. A tomb was built for him, and
a large memorial service was held in
1996.

In 1998, Westminster Abbey chose Zhiming
to be one of ten Christian martyrs of
the 20th century to be specially honored.

In the mid-sixties when Zhiming preached,
there were 2,795 Christians in the area.
After the cultural "rehabilitation" period
the numbers rose to 12,000.

Today, there are 30,000 Christians in
Wuding County, resulting from the original
efforts of two missionaries and a very
dedicated national Chinese Christian
and his family.

---

My Concluding Thoughts:

These stories are but three selected
from eighteen recorded in "God is Red."

Here indeed is anecdotal evidence that
a numerically vast and deeply rooted
Christianity is emerging from the
conflicted community that represents
Chinese Christianity today.
_____

Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/6lm9pwp

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
February 5, 2012

HONOUR KILLINGS
Lying to Hide an Unacceptable Truth

http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

---

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Website
February 5th, 2012

"ON MOURNING AND DANCING"

http://tinyurl.com/7kfdy2z

*****

NET NOTES

IAN PAISLEY IN HOSPITAL
Ulster Populist has Set-back

The Guardian, UK.
February 7th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7wt6ovb

*****

POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF SHAME
Sexual Abuse a Global Issue

Uca News
February 10th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7xvwu9v

*****

ELIZABETH - QUEEN FOR SIXTY YEARS
How it Was Then and is Now
She Dedicates Herself Anew

Montreal Gazette
February 7th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/769j8tu

The Guardian, UK
February 7th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/78znavb

*****

CARAVAGGIO: A SPIRITUAL HEDONIST
An Artist's Paradoxical Life

America Magazine
February 27th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6nvfha6

*****

BISHOPS ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR
ABUSE CASES SAYS VATICAN
Major Church Policy Shift

Uca News
February 9th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/86e5zcd

---

"Welcome Change of Approach"

Editorial

The Tablet, UK
February 11th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6olwc49

*****

MAJORITY OF ISRAELI
JEWS ARE BELIEVERS
Israel is Home to Faith

Anglican Journal
February 7th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/75ewzww

*****

MUSLIMS DON'T WANT
SHARIA LAW IN CANADA
Applicable for Family Issues

Anglican Journal
February 6th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/78sy6qx

*****

GERMAN CHANCELLOR VISITS
CHINESE CATHEDRAL

Merkel Encourages Social Engagement

Uca News
February 6th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7ymp3qo

*****

IN ENGLAND, WOMEN BISHOP
LEGISLATION REMAINS IN TACT
No Back-tracking Due to Pressure

Episcopal News Service
February 9th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7p693l5

*****

FAITHFUL MUST RESPECT
THE QUESTIONS OF SCIENCE
Questions at Heart of Empiricism

The Guardian, UK
February 8th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/87mnv2f

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
6 February 2012

French candidate wants to put church-state
separation into constitution

Paris (ENI news) - The front-runner in the
race for the French presidency wants the
separation of church and state to be put
into the constitution, prompting religious
and legal experts to question how this
might alter the way France functions as
a state that is already secular by law.
The proposal is part of the platform
unveiled by Socialist Party candidate
François Hollande, who leads President
Nicolas Sarkozy and other candidates in
public opinion polls ahead of the two-
stage presidential election scheduled
for April and May.
_____

Egypt's humanitarian problems need
addressing, say Christian representatives

New York (ENI news) - Egyptian Christian
humanitarian leaders say while politics
and religion are garnering the most
attention in their country right now,
Egypt's serious humanitarian problems
will soon have to be addressed. As one
example, rising food and fuel prices and
a drop in foreign currency reserves are
making it harder to Egyptians to put food
on the table, causing the level of
malnutrition to rise in the country.
"This is going to be a serious situation,"
said the Rev. Andrea Zaki Stephanous,
general director of the Cairo-based
Coptic Evangelical Organization for
Social Services, a Christian development
organization that serves Egyptians
regardless of religion and which
promotes religious pluralism within
Egypt.

*****

7 February 2012

Zambian Catholic bishops oppose
repatriation of Rwandan refugees

(ENI news) - Roman Catholic bishops in
Zambia are protesting a government attempt
to repatriate nearly 5,000 refugees who
fled different episodes of inter-ethnic
violence in Rwanda between 1959 and 1994.
The bishops are urging the government to
consider integrating migrants into the
local community, since many have lived
in Zambia for more than 50 years. "We
are greatly disturbed by complaints
among refugees, especially those from
Rwanda, that the Ministry of Home Affairs
in agreement with the local United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
and possibly the government of Rwanda,
is trying to forcefully repatriate
Rwandese refugees from Zambia," said
the bishops in a statement.
_____

"Games pastors" to help
visitors at London Olympics

London (ENI news) - More than four
million visitors are expected to arrive
in London during this summer's Olympic
Games. More Than Gold, an ecumenical
charity originally launched during the
1996 Atlanta Games, is recruiting and
training 1,000 volunteer "Games Pastors,"
who will be deployed at airports, bus and
railway stations. "They will be there to
serve, whether people need directions,
advice or simply a listening ear. We're
not doing this to evangelize, but we want
to show people the love of God by the
support we give them," Jon Burns, U.K.
director of More Than Gold, said. The
organization began recruiting last year,
when it launched a countrywide "Get Set"
tour visiting churches and other Christian
communities, running workshops and
information evenings. They have also
produced packs suggesting practical ways
churches can engage with the Games,
including festivals, street parties,
children's games, sports quizzes and
competitions.

*****

8 February 2012

Polish judge says officials are
"under pressure" in church abuse cases

Warsaw, Poland (ENI news) - A senior Polish
judge has said police and justice officials
are often "pressured" not to take action
against Roman Catholic priests accused of
sexual abuse. "No one collects data here on
how many clergy are sentenced for offenses or
called as witnesses," said Judge Slawomir
Przykucki, spokesman for the Regional Court
in the northwestern city of Koszalin, in
early February. "But they certainly appear
in court regularly, and this often divides
public opinion and creates tension." The
official was speaking during the trial of
Fr. Zbigniew Ryckiewicz, a former parish
rector from nearby Kolobrzeg, on charges of
sexually abusing altar boys from 1998 to
2001. The trial took place at the same time
as a Vatican symposium opened in Rome on
stopping clerical abuse.
_____

Anglicans urge UK action for
Nigeria's threatened Christians

London (ENI news) - British Anglicans have
called upon the United Kingdom government to
support those in Nigeria seeking to protect
religious minorities of all faiths and enable
them to practice their religion without fear.
The resolution passed by 344 votes to 0 with
one abstention on 8 February at the biannual
session of Synod, the Church of England's
parliament. It expressed grave concern at the
plight of Christian communities in parts of
Nigeria, including the city of Kano where
more than 200 people were killed by bombs
on 20 January.
_____

African Anglicans appeal
for inter-faith peace

(ENI news) - Anglican leaders from across
Africa on 8 February made an emotional plea
to Muslim faith leaders to stand with them
in opposition to the "tragic violence that
is destroying our communities." The appeal
was issued at the end of a three-day meeting
in Burundi of the Council of Anglican Provinces
of Africa (CAPA) where Christian-Muslim conflict
was high on the agenda, according to the
Anglican Communion News Service. A statement
from the council said it "has noted with much
sadness the increasing deterioration between
Muslim and Christian communities in different
parts of the world, specifically our Provinces
of Sudan, Nigeria, and the Diocese of Egypt.

*****

9 February 2012

Philippine churches care for quake survivors

(ENI news) - Churches in central Philippines
have responded after a recent 6.9-magnitude
earthquake that left 34 people dead, 52
injured, 71 missing and hundreds of families
homeless. "We invite all people of good will
to pray for the survivors of this latest
disaster in the Philippines as they deal
with the trauma of loss and anxiety and as
they rebuild their lives," said Fr. Rex Reyes,
general secretary of the National Council of
Churches in the Philippines. "We join the
efforts of all civic organizations in
providing the necessary remedies to ease
their pain and we invite you to share what
you have that others may live," he added.
_____

Some church leaders join battle
against Uganda's gay bill

(ENI news) - Following the re-introduction
in Uganda of a bill that would harshly punish
homosexuality, gay rights activists, including
some church leaders, are uniting through
Twitter and Facebook to oppose it. The Anti-
Homosexuality Bill 2009 was revived on 7
January in parliament by David Bahati, the
legislator who is its architect, prompting
fresh protests worldwide, similar to those
that led to its shelving in 2011. "I am very
disappointed with the return of the bill,"
former Anglican Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo
of West Buganda told ENInews in a telephone
interview on 8 February from Kampala, Uganda's
capital.
_____

Psalm-inspired Japanese environmentalist
wins UN award

New York (ENI news) - The Japanese
environmentalist who said a biblical psalm
inspired his campaign linking forest and
ocean received on 9 February one of the
United Nations' inaugural Forest Hero awards.
Shigeatsu Hatakeyama, an oyster fisherman who
saw his livelihood destroyed when the 11 March
2011 earthquake and tsunami hit the northeast
coastal city of Kesennuma, was named the Forest
Hero winner for Asia and awarded the prize at
UN headquarters in New York.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online

February 6th, 2012

“How happy is the little stone/
That rambles in the road alone,/
And doesn't care about careers,/
And exigencies never fears;/
Whose coat of elemental brown/
A passing universe put on;/
And independent as the sun,/
Associates or glows alone,/
Fulfilling absolute decree/
In casual simplicity."

- Emily Dickenson

---

February 7th, 2012

"By heaven's grace, captivity has
found me a poor woman, not made me
one. Now I shall go in want of daily
bread, but I shall not feel hunger
since I am full of Christ."

- St. Marcella

---

February 8th, 2012

"'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

---

February 9th, 2012

“We are called to be contemplatives in the
heart of the world -- by seeking the face
of God in everything, everyone, everywhere,
all the time…”

- Mother Teresa

---

February 10th, 2012

"If you don’t become the ocean,
you’ll be seasick every day."

- Leonard Cohen

*****

ON THIS DAY

Provided from the archives
of the New York Times -

On Feb. 6, 1952 - Britain's King George VI died;
he was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II.

http://tinyurl.com/7scd3ve

---

On Feb. 8, 1996 - in a ceremony at the Library
of Congress, President Clinton signed legislation
revamping the telecommunications industry, saying
it would "bring the future to our doorstep."

http://tinyurl.com/752v5us

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT

"If the only prayer you say in your whole
life is 'Thank You' that would suffice."

- Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart, like Julian of Norwich,
believes that gratitude is at the heart
of genuine spiritual existence. In fact,
for him prayer is not an act of begging
or beseeching or wanting or needing -
but of thanking. The word "eucharist"
comes from the Greek word for "to give
thanks" so Chistian worship is primarily
a thank you gathering. Thomas Acquinas
also taught that the very essence of
true religion is gratitude.

- Matthew Fox in "Christian Mystics"

(end)

Colleagues List, February 4th, 2012

2012-02-03T18:57:00.011-07:00

Vol. VII. No. 25

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

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

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

New "Quicklinks" are now included
with many items. Otherwise, scroll
down to find your selection in the
body of the blog, as in the past.

*****

Special Item in this Issue -

Book Notice:

"God is Red"

The Church in China
http://tinyurl.com/6lm9pwp

___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

Ron Rolheiser
http://tinyurl.com/6nrkwjd

Miroslav Volf
http://tinyurl.com/6nswoj8
___

Net Notes:

A New Day for Myanmar
http://tinyurl.com/6tnognj

US Press Freedom 47th in World
http://tinyurl.com/76sz5rh

Christians Arrested in Saudi Arabia
http://tinyurl.com/7bk9sdk

Return to Spirituality and to Jesus
http://tinyurl.com/7nuhfd3

"Visions of Ecstacy" Cleared for Release
http://tinyurl.com/86hynh4

Major Vatican Abuse Conference Coming Up
http://tinyurl.com/6oo6rlx

Researchers Establish Racism/Stupidity Link
http://tinyurl.com/7nhwpnd

Leaked Docs Reveal Major Vatican In-Fighting
http://tinyurl.com/7bbc7l7

Rio Statue Olympics Replica Rebuked in London
http://tinyurl.com/7pd6kpc

Obama Taps His Christian Faith to Craft Policies
http://tinyurl.com/7jp2xym
___

Global Faith Potpourri:
Twenty ENI Geneva stories.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

Ben Okri
Flannery O'Connor
John Scotus Eriugena
Jonathan Safran Foer
Wendell Berry
___

On This Day:

Challenger exploded 73 seconds after
liftoff killing all seven crew members (1986)
http://tinyurl.com/82jvtg3

Poet Robert Frost died in Boston (1963)
http://tinyurl.com/6ojv72j

Gandhi murdered by a Hindu extremist (1948)
http://tinyurl.com/7vtg24j

Nazi forces in Stalingrad surrendered in
major Soviet World War II victory (1943)
http://tinyurl.com/6j64war

*****

Closing Thought - Thomas Merton

(end)

******

Dear Friends:

Welcome to a new issue of Colleagues List!

This week I introduce one of the first
studies I've read using anecdotal evidence
to describe the growth of the Christian
Church in China. The book "God is Red"
was highly recommended by Christianity
Today at the end of 2011 and I determined
to have a look at it. Now, I pass some of
what I've learned to you my readers.

The rise of Christianity in China is a modern
miracle, and we in the West need to know more
about what this means.
___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor (Okanagan BC) - writes about how
new technologies are changing our way of
thinking and living.

Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio TX) - reflects on
what Jesus meant when he said he had "other
sheep not of this flock."

Miroslav Volf (New Haven CT) - is interviewed
by the editors of the Englewood Review of Books
on his latest, "A Public Faith" - which we have
introduced to you some months ago when we used
it as a university faculty/staff/student study
this fall and when Volf visited Calgary.

___

Net Notes:

"A New Day for Myanmar" - a change in the political
climate of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has made it
possible for a democratic process to begin there
(Associated Press)

"US Press Freedom 47th in World" - followers of
journalism may not be surprised by this report,
but others may find it rather shocking
(The Atlantic Online)

"Christians Arrested in Saudi Arabia" - it is
common knowledge that some Islamic states make
it difficult for Christians to worship - and
here is an example (Human Rights Watch)

"Return to Spirituality and to Jesus" - the
head of the Catholic Theological Society in
the USA, Roger Haight, shares his views on
where "the people are at" in his presidential
address this year (New Catholic Times)

"'Visions of Ecstacy' Cleared for Release" -
a controversial film made in the UK 23 years ago
is finally approved for release to the public
this week. It portrays a physical relationship
between Jesus and Ste Teresa of Avila
(The Guardian, UK)

"Major Vatican Abuse Conference Coming Up" -
at long last, the issue of global sexual abuse
of children by priests is being discussed at
the highest decision-making levels
(ENI News, Catholic News Service)

"Researchers Establish Racism/Stupidity Link"
- here are the findings of an interesting study
on the relationship between intelligence (or
its lack) and racism (Uca News)

"Leaked Docs Reveal Major Vatican In-Fighting"
- normally the Vatican functions as one of the
most secretive organizations in the world.
This story draws the mask from such anonymity
(Uca News)

"Rio Statue Olympics Replica Rebuked in London"
- an attempt by Brazilians to build a replica
of the famous statue overlooking the harbour of
the famous city has encountered resistance in
London, the site of the next olympic games
(USA Today)

"Obama Draws from Christian Faith to Craft Policies"
- Canadians would find it hard to accept if their
Prime Minister spoke in this way (even when it were
true!) but such talk tends to be well received
in the USA (Reuters News Service)
___

Global Faith Potpourri:

This week we have a healthy number of
twenty short religion news stories from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

Ben Okri, Flannery O'Connor,
John Scotus Eriugena, Jonathan Safran Foer
and Wendell Berry share insights with us.
___

On This Day:

The New York Times provides these stories
as they were happening:

Challenger rocket exploded 73 seconds after
liftoff killing all seven crew members (1986)

The great American poet Robert Frost died in
Boston (1963)

Gandhi murdered by a Hindu extremist (1948)

Nazi forces in the Battle of Stalingrad
surrendered after a major Soviet WW II
victory (1943)
_____

Closing Thought -

Thomas Merton concludes our mailing this
week with a short reflection on seeing
through the masks people wear in order
to discover the hidden face of Christ.
____

Lent is soon upon us. How will you
make use of this annual spiritual
discipline of the church 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)

Study schedule:
http://tinyurl.com/78f2ll2

Information about the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/c6aror6

Visit Romero House, Toronto on the web:
http://tinyurl.com/7c9dsb4

NOTE: Mary Jo Leddy is coming to St. David's
the weekend of April 20th-22nd. Watch for new
information as it becomes available.

*****

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

*****

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 thirty-five books studied
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4

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:

GOD IS RED
The Secret Story of How
Christianity Survived and
Flourished in Communist China
by Liao Yiwu.

HarperOne: Toronto. 2011
$29.00 CAD. 231 pages.
ISBN #978-0-06-207846-9.

Publisher's Promo:

When journalist Liao Yiwu first stumbled
upon a vibrant Christian community in the
officially secular China, he knew little
about Christianity. In fact, he’d been
taught that religion was evil, and that
those who believed in it were deluded,
cultists, or imperialist spies. But as
a writer whose work has been banned in
China and has even landed him in jail,
Liao felt a kinship with Chinese
Christians in their unwavering commitment
to the freedom of expression and to
finding meaning in a tumultuous society.

Unwilling to let his nation lose memory of
its past or deny its present, Liao set out
to document the untold stories of brave
believers whose totalitarian government
could not break their faith in God,
including:

* The over-100-year-old nun who persevered in
spite of beatings, famine, and decades of
physical labor, and still fights for the
rightful return of church land seized by
the government

* The surgeon who gave up a lucrative Communist
hospital administrator position to treat
villagers for free in the remote, mountainous
regions of southwestern China

* The Protestant minister, now memorialized in
London’s Westminster Abbey, who was executed
during the Cultural Revolution as “an
incorrigible counterrevolutionary.”

This ultimately triumphant tale of a vibrant
church thriving against all odds serves as
both a powerful conversation about politics
and spirituality and a moving tribute to China’s
valiant shepherds of faith, who prove that a
totalitarian government cannot control what
is in people’s hearts.

---

Author's Words:

I met a Christian, known among local villagers
(of several regional Chinese provinces) a Dr. Sun,
a medical doctor. (While I was with him) Dr. Sun
did not proselytize... as he politely complimented
me on my literary efforts, I was beginning to
wonder what it was in Christianity that had driven
these successful medical doctors to abandon their
lucrative practices in the big cities to pursue a
life filled with risks and hardships. When I asked
Dr. Sun for permission to interview him, he at
first declined. "I've led an ordinary life," he
said humbly. "If you are interested, come with me
to the mountains. You will discover extraordinary
stories in the villages there."

... (the region I visited) was never immune from
both political and secular influences of the outside
world. In fact, the region was well within the
grasp of both secular and divine powers.

(People, it would seem, still told stories of
Western missionary physicians who had visited
their area generations ago, before the rise of
communism in their country.)

I found a pattern - locals had inherited their
Christian faith from their parents and grand-
parents who had benefited from the teachings of a
certain foreign missionary (who had lived there.)
Was the missionary English, French, German, American,
Australian or New Zealander? They didn't know. To
them, it was not important... Three or four
generations later, Christianity was part of the
heritage of each individual family and an integral
part of the local history. It was a path filled
with strife and blood.

(Over the years, strong Maoist indoctrination
had been forced on the people... but only a few
had openly denounced their faith. In order to
protect their faith from being totally suppressed
in their region, some brave Christians gathered
for services inside mountain caves. As a result,
Christianity survived, and a few years after Mao's
death, it came back again with a vengeance.)

Village after village become Christian territory.

I grew up in the cities, where Christianity has
also revived in the post-Mao era but with a
distinct foreign identity. Many new converts are
highly educated and well-off professionals or
retirees. They have embraced Christianity the
way they do Coca-Cola or a Volkswagen - believing
that a foreign faith, like foreign-made products,
has better quality. Many younger urban Christians
have been throwing themselves at the feet of Jesus
because it is considered hip to wear a cross and
sing a foreign-sounding hymn...

In the urban metropolises of China, will
Christianity provide a spiritual haven that calms
the restless populace caught up in the relentless
pursuit of wealth and material comfort? or will it
make people more submissive to totalitarian power?

My trips exhilarated me, prompting me to write a
book during a time when East and West are meeting
and clashing on many fronts.

In (the remote corners of China) however, I have
discovered a center point, where East met West,
and although there has been collisions of
cultures, there is now a new Christian identity
that is distinctly Chinese.

- from the Preface

---

My Thoughts:

Reading this book helped me to reconnect
with various Roman historians who documented
the rise of Christianity in what was then
a period of decline in the Roman empire.
(I'm thinking here of the second and third
centuries of the Common Era.)

The author, Liao Yiwu, does not claim to be
a believer, but - like his Roman counterparts
seventeen hundred years ago - he is deeply
affected by the evidence of commitment to the
Christian faith that he observes from his
exposure to persons who are living and serving
their faith in real time and in real places.

Yiwu makes a distinction between those Chinese
who have suffered for their faith, and those
who are currently subscribing to Christianity
because it has become "the thing to do." The
jury is still out on the latter group, but
there is no question in his mind about the
former.

A strong indigenous Christianity has emerged
in China from the work of Western missionary
doctors who responded to the plight of China
a century ago and who gave their lives in
service to the poor of that land - often in
isolated regions.

Many thought that this spiritual "footprint"
on to the soil of China had been obliterated
when the missionaries were driven out at the
time of the Maoist revolution of the 1950s.
The fact is, the local people did not forget.
They just had to wait out the time, until the
revolution spent itself. Now, they have
recovered a faith borne out of testing, and
"with a vengeance" in spite of the price that
many paid at the time.

This recalls the old mission adage that "the
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."
It also proves the importance of indigenous
Christianity, as those practicing in the wake
of those early missionaries are truly Chinese
Christians today and cannot be branded as
"submissive to Western cultural inflences."

---

Wither Christianity in China?

Will it go the way of a passing fad amongst
the urban elites, or will it take root in those
cultures too?

I suspect that those who follow it today
without paying a price will not provide
Christianity with the fibre or indigenous
substance that can be found in currently
more isolated parts of China.

However, there is no question but that
Christianity has captured the imagination
of many in China, and it will probably
survive and thrive as it goes through its
various incarnations during this century.

---

I believe that there is no turning back
for Christianity in China. Even though large
questions remain about what forms it will take,
and how it may or may not help China connect
to the outside world. Something has happened
there in the wake of the twentieth century's
mission 'success' under colonialism and
'disaster' under Mao that is grounding the
faith deeply into the Chinese psyche.

---

Read this book to get a sense of what true
Christian witnesses and martyrs are doing in
our time. And read it also as an introduction
to one of the developmental wonders of the
Christian faith in modern times.

We in the tired and often bored West need some
of the inspiration this testimony provides.

---

Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/6lm9pwp

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

JIM TAYLOR
Personal Weblog
January 29th, 2012

"New Technologies Upset
The Status Quo"

http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

---

RON ROLHEISER
Personal Website
January 29th, 2012

"Other Sheep not of Our Flock"

http://tinyurl.com/6nrkwjd

---

MIROSLAV VOLF
Englewood Review of Books Interview
February 3rd, 2012

"A Public Faith -
On Serving the Common God"

http://tinyurl.com/6nswoj8

*****

NET NOTES

UPDATING MY RELIGION
"We Have Secularized Badly"

Continuing the Discussion
on Dialogue With Atheism

by Ryan Dueck
Lethbridge Mennonite Church

The Christian Century Blog
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7p8lep8

*****

A NEW DAY FOR MYANMAR
Suu Kyi Changes Myanmar politics

Associated Press
January 30th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6tnognj

*****

US PRESS FREEDOM
NOW 47th IN THE WORLD

The Atlantic Oline
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/76sz5rh

*****

CHRISTIANS ARRESTED FOR
PRAYING IN SAUDI ARABIA

Human Rights Watch
January 30th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7bk9sdk

*****

RETURN TO SPIRITUALITY
AND TO JESUS

Roger Haight SJ
New Catholic Times
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7nuhfd3

*****

"VISIONS OF ECSTACY"
FILM CLEARED FOR RELEASE
Teresa/Christ Scene OK'd
After Twenty-Three Years

The Guardian, UK
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/86hynh4

*****

MAJOR VATICAN ABUSE
CONFERENCE COMING UP

Ecumenical News International
Geneva, February 3rd, 2012

Vatican to host global summit
on sexual abuse

Vatican City (ENI news) Ten years after
the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted
in the United States, Catholic bishops
from all over the world will meet next
week at a Vatican summit aimed at
preventing abuse and protecting
children. The conference, "Towards
Healing and Renewal," will be held on
6-9 February and is organized by the
Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome,
Religion News Service reports. The
Vatican's top spokesman, the Rev.
Federico Lombardi, told reporters on
3 February that the summit enjoys the
"full support and participation" of
the Vatican's highest offices, but
Pope Benedict XVI is not expected
to attend.

---

Catholic News Service
January 30th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6oo6rlx

*****

LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEAL
MAJOR VATICAN IN-FIGHTING

Ucanews
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7bbc7l7

*****

RESEARCHERS ESTABLISH
RACISM/STUPIDITY LINK

Ucanews
February 3rd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7nhwpnd

*****

RIO CHRIST THE REDEEMER
DRAWS CRITICISM IN LONDON
Replica of Statue Resisted

Latino Fox News
February 1st, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6s9yner

*****

OBAMA CLAIMS TO DRAW FROM
HIS FAITH TO CRAFT POLICIES

US President Talks in Ways
Unlike Most World Leaders

Reuters News Service
February 2nd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7jp2xym

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
27 January 2012

Nigerian conflict mixes religion,
poverty and politics

(ENI news) - Christian and Muslim leaders
worldwide are being urged to act together
to address the violence being unleashed in
northern Nigeria that has been blamed on
Boko Haram, a self-proclaimed Islamist group.
"It is a cause of deep concern internationally,
and the great faith traditions can be part of
the solution," said Archbishop Michael Kehinde
Stephen of the Methodist Church of Nigeria in
an interview posted by the Geneva-based World
Council of Churches (WCC). In recent months,
Boko Haram has increased attacks on in the
north of the country, raising fears of a
broader religious war in Africa's most
populous nation.
_____

Jewish group criticizes
German Media Prize candidate

Berlin (ENI news) - Jewish organization
B'nai B'rith International on 27 January
called for the committee of the prestigious
German Media Prize to reconsider its
recognition of Mitri Raheb, an Evangelical
Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem. Raheb is due
to be presented with the prize on 24 February
in recognition of his creation of schools,
health centers and meeting places. But B'nai
B'rith, a humanitarian, human rights and
advocacy organization, said Raheb's views
"echo the widely eschewed replacement
theology maintaining that Christians
have superseded Jews in the Divine plan
and have inherited God's promises to Jews."

_____

Russia and Italy exchange religious art

Moscow (ENI news) - The Russian Orthodox and
Roman Catholic churches are sometimes at odds
on issues ranging from church leadership to
theology, but an exchange between Moscow and
Florence shows that they have common ground
in art. The exhibits, called "In Christ,"
are on display at Moscow's State Tretyakov
Gallery and at Florence's Baptistery, the
historic octagonal building next to the
Duomo cathedral, constructed to host
baptisms. Two masterpieces by the early
Renaissance artist Giotto, the Madonna and
Child and ten-panel St. Reparata Polyptych,
which have never been to Russia before,
came to Moscow. In turn, three icons from
the Tretyakov, including one connected to
Andrei Rublev, Russia's most famousi
conographer, went to Italy.
_____

As New Orleans still recovers,
prayer teams cover one block at a time

New Orleans (ENI news) - Millie Campbell,
76 years old, is one of the people praying
for New Orleans, a city still recovering
from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster
and experiencing a murderous crime wave.
A couple of times per week, Campbell and
her companion Betty Minor, 69, drive slowly
around assigned neighborhoods, praying for
their city, reports the New Orleans Times-
Picayune via Religion News Service. Half
a dozen others also do the prayer drives.
They pray for an end to the scourge of
murders sapping the city -- 199 last year,
and 17 or so on the streets Campbell drove
last week. In August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
flooded 80 percent of the city and resulted
in about 1,400 deaths.

*****

30 January 2012

Ecumenical fund helps
small Filipino entrepreneurs

La Trinidad, Philippines (ENI news) It is
harvest time for strawberries in the
northern Philippine town of La Trinidad,
so strawberry farmer Alice Rivera will
start repaying a loan extended by a Geneva-
based ecumenical church loan fund. "This
is what we appreciate ... we can start
repaying our loans only immediately
after the harvest season starts," said
Rivera, who is 45. She is just one of
7,000 clients being served by the
Ecumenical Church Loan Fund-Philippines
(Eclof-Philippines), whose initial seed
fund was provided by Eclof International,
a non-profit micro-finance organization.

*****

European humanists demand
"equal rights" with churches

(ENI news) - Humanist and secularist
organizations have accused the European
Union of denying them equal treatment
with the continent's Christian churches.
"The EU shouldn't be holding a dialogue
with essentially undemocratic organizations.
By engaging with the Roman Catholic church,
it's giving a privileged position in EU
councils to a body which doesn't represent
its members and holds views way off
the margin of general European opinion,"
said David Pollock, president of the
Brussels-based European Humanist Federation.
However, Catholic spokeswoman Johanna Touzel
said, "We have the same opportunities for
promoting ideas as the humanists. The
difference is that the churches use this
tool to organize a fruitful dialogue, and
have something to say and offer on challenges
facing the EU." She represents the Commission
of European Bishops Conferences, COMECE, which
represents over 1,000 Catholic bishops from
the EU's 27 member-states.

*****

Better action needed in Haiti,
urges French religious group

Paris (ENI news) - French religious and non-
governmental groups were among the first to
organize aid for Haiti in the wake of the
January 2010 earthquake. But two years later,
with some 500,000 people still living in
temporary shelters, these groups are
struggling to find ways to make a fundamental
difference in the former French colony. "We
must stop seeing everything in light of the
earthquake," says Pastor Philippe Verseils
of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF).
"The real issue is long-term, deep-rooted
underdevelopment with all the national and
international policies that are responsible.
That's what we need to talk about."

*****

1 February 2012

Christian and animal rights groups
advocate against cockfighting

(ENI news) - A group of theologically
conservative American Christian leaders
is joining with animal rights defenders
to advocate against cockfighting, calling
the practice of watching and betting on
roosters who fight to the death
antithetical to biblical values.
"Christians should stand up and speak
out against this barbaric practice which
horrendously abuses God's creatures,"
said Richard Land, president of the
outhern Baptist Convention's Ethics
and Religious Liberty Commission.
_____

After Fiji flood, churches,
Christian agencies help thousands

(ENI news) - Christian agencies are
assisting thousands affected by last
week's severe flooding in the western
part of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu,
which killed six people, including four
from one family whose house was buried
in a landslide. Nearly 3,500 people are
in 74 evacuation centers run by churches
and community groups. The Fiji interim
government has declared a state of
emergency in the area. The 23 January
tropical rainstorm submerged buildings
and caused FJD$33 million (US$18.
7 million) in damage and destroyed half
the crops and livestock in the area.
_____

British churches together
oppose welfare change

London (ENI news) - Four churches in
Britain -- the Methodist Church, the
Baptist Union of Great Britain, the
United Reformed Church and the Quakers –
on 31 January called for Parliament to
hold to the humane principles of the
welfare state and reject a cap on
benefits. Church leaders said that
the principle of a cap was flawed and
would inevitably put vulnerable families
at risk of poverty and homelessness,
according to a news release from the
four denominations.

*****

1 February 2012

Berlin churches oppose "inhumane"
detention of asylum seekers

Berlin (ENI news) - Christians of
different denominations have spoken
out in unison with human rights groups
against planned construction of a 1,000
-square-meter detention center for asylum
seekers at a new Berlin airport scheduled
to open in June. The detention center at
Berlin Brandenburg Airport would be used
to prevent asylum seekers from entering
Germany while their claims are fast-tracked
for a decision to be made within 48 hours.
_____

Malawi bishops endorse circumcision
for HIV/AIDS prevention

(ENI news) - Roman Catholic bishops in
Malawi have endorsed a government move
to allow men to get circumcised in hospitals
as a prevention measure aimed at HIV/AIDS.
"As a church we are against the use of
condoms and recommend male circumcision
because it is in line with church teachings,"
the spokesperson for the Episcopal Conference
of Malawi, Fr. George Buleya told the media
in the capital, Lilongwe, at the end of the
bishops' annual plenary meeting.
_____

Latin American radio pioneer
to be remembered in webcast service

(ENI news) - The life and work of Latin
American broadcasting pioneer Paul Finkenbinder,
known to listeners around the world as Hermano
Pablo, will be celebrated with a memorial service
to be webcast live on 4 February. Finkenbinder
died 27 January in Irvine, California, at the
age of 90. He was best known for his four-minute
radio and television program, "A Message to the
Conscience," which began in El Salvador in 1964,
according to a news release on his web site,
message2conscience.com.

*****

2 February 2012

African inter-faith group calls
for end to Senegal protests

(ENI news) - With less than a month to go
until elections on 26 February, faith leaders
in Senegal are uniting to urge peace after
President Abdoulaye Wade's attempt to gain
re-election sparked violent protests across
the country. The protests follow a 30 January
ruling by the Constitutional Council, the
country's top legal body, that Wade, 85,
could seek a third term in office.
_____

Catholic bishops in India concerned
about growing economic divide

Bangalore, India (ENI news) - Cardinal
Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of India, told the
bishops' biennial assembly on 1 February
that the widening of the gap between rich
and poor is "a matter of serious concern
for the church." "We have two sets of
Indians. One section of the people is
racing ahead while the majority are
limping," Gracias said. Meeting in
Bangalore, the assembly runs from 1-8
February and is being attended by 170
bishops.
_____

Ecumenical group affirms
relationship with Rome

Rome (ENI news) - One of the world's
most recent ecumenical entities, the
Global Christian Forum (GCF), met in
late January with Vatican officials,
affirming a desire to continue to
journey together in the search for
Christian unity. In his first GCF
committee meeting since becoming
secretary of the organization on
1 January, the Rev. Larry Miller
said the invitation to meet in
Rome by the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity and
subsequent conversations indicated
"a consolidation of the shared
commitment to build bridges between
all churches."

*****

3 February 2012

Church of South India diocese
to challenge ruling on properties

(ENI news) - A diocese of the Church of
South India (CSI) is preparing an appeal
against a court order that has virtually
stripped it of more than half its churches
and institutions, inherited from the Basel
Mission church. "We are preparing a strong
appeal to get this order quashed. We are
hopeful that our appeal will be upheld by
the (federal) Supreme Court," Bishop J.S.
Sadananda of CSI's Karnataka Southern
Diocese told ENI news 3 February in a
telephone interview.
_____

Argentine Methodists send hopes
for peace to British counterparts

(ENI news) - Amid renewed tensions over
the Falkland Islands, the Argentinean
Methodist Church has sent a letter to
the Methodist Church of Great Britain,
expressing its desire for their
governments to resolve their issues
peacefully. "A war is always a human
failure in the light of God's project
that we share his creation and that we
all enjoy the resources that He has given
us," wrote Bishop Frank de Nully Brown,
according to the Latin America and
Caribbean Communication Agency. "The
issue of the Malvinas Islands is for
the Argentinean people and our church,
an extremely sensitive and delicate one,
given the claim that our country has made
for the sovereignty of the islands for
many years," the letter said.

_____

Archbishop of Greece warns
of social upheaval

(ENI news) Archbishop Hieronymos II of Athens
and All Greece on 2 February warned the Greek
government of a possible social upheaval if
more austerity measures are ushered in by
international financial institutions overseeing
the sovereign debt crisis. "Our hearts are
shattered and our minds are blurred with all
that is taking place," he said in a letter
sent to interim Greek Prime Minister Lucas
Papademos, extracts of which were published
in Greek on the Greek Orthodox Church's
official site (www.ecclesia.gr). "The
phenomenon of the homeless and the famished,
a reminder of WWII occupation conditions, is
taking nightmare dimensions," wrote Hieronymos.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online

January 30th, 2012

"It may be that what you could be haunts you.
It is real. It is a weight you have to carry
around. Each failure to become, to be, is a
weight. Each state you could inhabit is a
burden as heavy as any physical weight, but
more so, because it weighs on your soul. It
is the ghost of your possibilities hanging
around your neck, an invisible albatross,
potentials unknowingly murdered."

- Ben Okri

---

January 31st, 2012

“When there is a tendency to compartmentalize
the spiritual and make it resident in a certain
type of life only, the spiritual is apt
gradually to be lost.”

- Flannery O'Connor, from
"Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose"

---

February 1st, 2012

“Christ wears ‘two shoes’ in the world:
Scripture and nature. Both are necessary
to understand the Lord, and at no stage
can creation be seen as a separation of
things from God.”

- John Scotus Eriugena

---

February 2nd, 2012

“I hope that one day you will have the
experience of doing something you do not
understand for someone you love.”

- Jonathan Safran Foer, from
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

---

February 3rd, 2012

“Sabbath observance invites us to stop.
It invites us to rest. It asks us to notice
that while we rest, the world continues
without our help. It invites us to delight
in the world’s beauty and abundance.”

- Wendell Berry

*****

ON THIS DAY

Provided from the archives
of the New York Times

On Jan. 28, 1986 - space shuttle Challenger
exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape
Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.

http://tinyurl.com/82jvtg3
___

On Jan. 29, 1963 - poet Robert Frost died
in Boston.

http://tinyurl.com/6ojv72j
___

On Jan. 30, 1948 - Indian political
and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi
was murdered by a Hindu extremist.

http://tinyurl.com/7vtg24j

___

On Feb. 2, 1943 - the remainder of
Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad
surrendered in a major victory for the
Soviets in World War II.

http://tinyurl.com/6j64war

*****

CLOSING COMMENT

"The saints were capable of seeing through
the masks that cover the faces of humanity
and they saw that the masks are unreal. In
the innumerable faces of men they saw only
one face; the face of love (that is to say,
the face of Christ.)

- Thomas Merton

Merton saw the face of faces in all faces.
The Cosmic Christ in all faces and beings.
But to get to that face one must go deeper
than outer appearances and the masks and
roles people take on. We need to travel
inside others to find the Christ there,
just as week to travel into our deepest
and truest self to find the Christ in
ourselves.

- Matthew Fox

(end)

Colleagues List, January 28th, 2012

2012-01-27T15:14:00.006-07:00

Vol. VII. No. 24

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

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

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

New "Quicklinks" are now included
with many items. Otherwise, scroll
down to find your selection in the
body of the blog, as in the past.

*****

Special Item in this Issue -

Thoughts on
Two Oscar-Nominated Movies

"The Help"
"The Iron Lady"
___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor
http://tinyurl.com/82e7dlb

Erich/Miranda Weingartner
http://tinyurl.com/6ug8aew

Doug Shantz
http://tinyurl.com/4uwkccz
__

Net Notes:

Temples for Atheists
http://tinyurl.com/6lk2elw
http://tinyurl.com/7n38vln

Chinese Lunar New Year
http://tinyurl.com/7v6oz9l

Where the Dinosaurs Roam
http://tinyurl.com/6lshfaj

Hunger in Newest Country
http://tinyurl.com/8434tv5

Religions Unite vs Bullies
http://tinyurl.com/7gjhun4

France Passes Genocide Bill
http://tinyurl.com/6pd9cd6
http://tinyurl.com/89zc3mc

China Dismisses Tibet Brutality
http://tinyurl.com/7sb55ee

Torturing First Megachurch Pastor
http://tinyurl.com/6usfade

Horror Greeted John XXIII's Vatican II
(Use Mozilla Foxfire to Open)
http://tinyurl.com/89o2hk4

Restoring Religion to the Public Square
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/162261
___

Global Faith Potpourri:
Eighteen ENI Geneva stories.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

Annie Dillard
Clarence Jordan
Dom Helder Camara
Bilbo
Anne Lamott
Teresa of Avilla
___

On This Day:

Russian revolutionary V.I.
Lenin died at age 54 (1924)
http://tinyurl.com/7a9hhpv

---

Nixon announces accord reached
to end Vietnam War (1973)
http://tinyurl.com/7wwa8qy

---

Churchill dies at 90 (1965)
http://tinyurl.com/85hopjz

---

India proclaimed itself
a republic (1950)
http://tinyurl.com/7uzdxlr

Republic Day
picture gallery (2012)
http://tinyurl.com/87azxsd

*****

Closing Thought -

Hildegard of Bingen

(end)

******

Dear Friends:

This week, I shift gears a little
and provide reflections on two
current movies that are in the news
because of Academy Award nominations.

I have things to share about "The Help"
which came out in late summer, and
"The Iron Lady" that appeared at year end.

Whether you have seen these films or not,
I hope the material I have gathered
will be of interest to you my readers.
___

Colleague Contributions:

Jim Taylor (Okanagan BC) - has thoughts
to offer on the Costa Concordia.

Erich/Miranda Weingartner (Calendar, ON) -
provide us with an update on North Korea
in the wake of leadership transition there.

Doug Shantz (Calgary, AB) - welcomes a
special guest to the Chair of Christian
Thought lectures who speaks on homelessness.
___

Net Notes:

"Temples for Atheists" - a British
atheist introduces a dichotomy -
places of worship for non-believers
(Uca News and TED Talks)

"Chinese Lunar New Year" - here are
some dazzling pictures to admire
(The Atlantic Online)

"Where the Dinosaurs Roam" - those
who want to see a non-scientific
presentation of children playing
amid dinosaurs in a world created 6,000
years ago should visit this museum
(Anglican Journal)

"Hunger in Newest Country" - not
long ago the South Sudan voted to
form its own country. It now risks
destruction due to food shortages
(Christianweek.org)

"Religions Unite Vs. Bullies" -
religious leaders in Korea have joined
together to stand against the plague
of bullying in the nation's schools
(Uca News)

"France Passes a Genocide Bill" -
two reports on the decision of the
French government to declare is illegal
to deny the Turkish war on the Armenians
living inside its own boundaries
(Euronews, Anglican Journal News)

"China Dismisses Tibet Brutality" -
Chinese propaganda has been strong
in denying that nation's violence
against the people of Tibet (BBC)

"Torturing First Megachurch Pastor" -
an interesting juxtaposition of a
modern big box pastor and a church
reformer of the late Middle Ages
(Huffington Post Canada)

"Horror Greeted John XXIII's Vatican II" -
when the beloved pope announced that
he was calling the church together to
discuss renewal fifty years ago, his curia
was aghast (National Catholic Reporter)

"Restoring Religion to the Public Square" -
this book from the UK proposes how to bring
religion back to the world of modern secular
universities. It may prompt interest here
(The Tablet, UK)
___

Global Faith Potpourri:

Eighteen religious news stories
appear this week from Ecumenical
News International, Geneva.
___

Wisdom of the Week:

Annie Dillard, Clarence Jordan,
Dom Helder Camara, Bilbo, Anne Lamott
and Teresa of Avilla share their
thoughts with us.
___

On This Day:

The following stories occurred
during the dates January 22-27:

Russian revolutionary V.I.
Lenin died at age 54 (1924)
http://tinyurl.com/7a9hhpv

---

Nixon announces accord reached
to end Vietnam War (1973)
http://tinyurl.com/7wwa8qy

---

Churchill dies at 90 (1965)
http://tinyurl.com/85hopjz

---

India proclaimed itself
a republic (1950)
http://tinyurl.com/7uzdxlr

Republic Day in India
picture gallery (2012)
http://tinyurl.com/87azxsd

*****

Closing Thought

This week, it comes to us from
Hildegard of Bingen with more
commentary by Matthew Fox.

---

The end of January is soon upon us and
by next week we will enter February.

May you have a good transition!

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

Visit Romero House, Toronto on the web:
http://tinyurl.com/7c9dsb4

NOTE: Mary Jo Leddy is coming to St. David's
the weekend of April 20th-22nd. Watch for new
information as it becomes available.

*****

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

*****

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

Reflections by Wayne Holst

Two Oscar Movie Nominations -
The Help
The Iron Lady

THE HELP

The Help is a 2011 drama film adaptation of
Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name.
The film is an ensemble piece about a young
white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and
her relationship with two black maids during
Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s.
Skeeter is a journalist who decides to write
a controversial book from the point of view
of the maids (known as the Help), exposing
the racism they are faced with as they work
for white families.

The film takes place in Jackson, Mississippi,
and stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer,
Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek,
Mike Vogel, Mary Steenburgen, and Allison Janney.
The Help opened to positive reviews and became a
massive box office success with gross of about
$205.3 million against its budget of $25 million.

In January 2012, the film received four Academy
wards nominations including Best Picture and
acting nods for Davis, Chastain and Spencer.
(Wikipedia)

Movie Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ajv_6pUnI

Review Beyond the Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiWi8cMsrp0

---

My Thoughts:

As a young Canadian teenager, I was baffled -
during a summer family vacation trip through
Virginia in the 1950's - to see three public
washroom signs at a tourist center near Luray,
near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The signs read "Men" "Women" and "Colored."

I asked my father what this meant. He said
that in the USA they have a challenge with
how they treat their 'negro' (the term for
blacks at the time) population. They see
them as different.

I could not help but feel diminished by
the experience. Canadians have always tended
to be smug about certain American practices,
but this one seemed universally grotesque -
even to a young, sensitive boy.

Little did I realize how deep-seated and
even subtle was this racism. The movie -
"The Help" is a modern reminder that the
racism of that era, now long gone in a way,
is still lurking subliminally, and one does
not have to be American to experience it.

---

"The Help" is set in early 60's Jackson, in
the deep south, and stars a number of blacks
who would never have had a chance at an Academy
Award nomination fifty years ago.

So some progress has occurred.

Half a century later, the film introduces us
to a group of young white mothers who were
once raised by black maids, who have repressed
their love and dependence on them, and have
signed on to the "Home Help Sanitation Initiative"
which meant building separate bathrooms for
the help because "everyone knows they carry
different kinds of diseases than we do."

Washrooms for "colored folk" were still being
discussed by decent, middle-class Christian
white women in Mississippi ten years after
I saw that sign, and even while the Civil
Rights Movement under Martin Luther King Jr.
was gaining momentum.

---

It's unfortunate that the young writer in
the movie - Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, who
exposes this racism in a book - is white.
The movie is based on the book "The Help"
by Kathryn Stocket whose role Skeeter plays
(more or less). There just weren't many
southern black women in those days with
New York publishing connections.

It's also unfortunate that it was still
a time when the civil rights revolution
in the USA - one of the great human
revolutions in history - was seemingly
happening in a foreign land as far as
many of the people in the film were
concerned. Both white and black people
depicted here seem to have been living
in a very different world than the one
envisioned by many civil rights leaders
at the time.

---

Still, great movements often start small
and take time to evolve. That is certainly
the case with civil rights in the USA.

I had a student, recently, who attended
Ol' Miss (The University of Mississippi
in Jackson)) some years ago. While she
still saw some vestiges of the old racial
divide (in the form of cliques) she was
pleased to be able to study with many able
black students in the school Medgar Evers
helped to desegregate.

---

Currently, when the first black president of
the USA still has to defend his legitimacy
in some parts of his own country - it is
good that a movie like this can remind
all of us - American and non-American -
that racism is always near the surface of
our awareness, even when we fight hard
to ignore, deny or reject it.

As Judith Timson in her Globe and Mail
article suggests "I knew I wasn't supposed
to like The Help" - last summer:

"I'm glad The Help is packing them in.
Enlightenment rarely comes in perfect
packages."

http://tinyurl.com/7xgsbou

---

Marlene and I found this movie
both enlightening and troubling.

It is enlightening because it takes us
back to a different time still remembered
by many. Troubling, because it suggests
we not rest easy with what we consider
progress.

If you did not see this movie half a year ago,
find a way to see it now to help you reflect
on the current Academy Awards.

___

Religion and Practice review:
http://tinyurl.com/8xohgc3

*****

THE IRON LADY

The Iron Lady, directed by Phyllida Lloyd,
is a biographical British film about Margaret
Thatcher, longest serving Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom of the 20th century, portrayed
primarily by Meryl Streep, but also, in her
formative and early political years, by
Alexandra Roach. Thatcher's husband, Denis
Thatcher, is portrayed by Jim Broadbent, and
Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet member and
eventual deputy, Geoffrey Howe, is portrayed
by Anthony Head.

Since its release, The Iron Lady has met with
mixed reviews, but Meryl Streep's performance
was widely acclaimed. Streep has won the Golden
Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama,
her eighth win and twenty-sixth nomination, and has
been nominated for both the BAFTA Award for Best
Actress in a Leading Role, a fourteenth nomination,
the Academy Award for Best Actress, her seventeenth
nomination overall. The film has also been nominated
for the Academy Award for Best Makeup.
(Wikipedia)

Movie Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDiCFY2zsfc

Review Beyond the Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWUp9uqPDYI

---

My Thoughts:

Readers of Colleagues List will know that I
am not a political conservative by preference.
Like many Canadians, I am wary of what our own
current prime minister might try to do. I cringed
at the likes of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and
(on the other side of the pond) Margaret Thatcher.

At the same time, I respect people with principles
(even principles I cannot agree with) who stick
to their guns and can look back on their lives
with a certain satisfaction.

Margaret Thatcher, however, continues to leave
me ambivalent. There is no doubt that she was
a strong women who had to contend with many
large challenges to achieve what she did.

After Marlene and I saw "The Iron Lady" last
weekend, I wrote the following in my journal:

"The Iron Lady" demonstrates that living by
sheer determination can prevail for a time, but
rugged inflexibility can only ultimately lead to
downfall. Her position of fiscal responsibility
- taken to extreme, and in the midst of human
disparity - resulted in riots in the streets,
led by great numbers of impoverished people.

It didn't help that the IRA was running rampant,
in England. They blasted Brighton, a popular
vacation spot, and even Number 10 Downing Street.

You can't get close to the front door of the
British Prime Minister's official residence now
because of terrorism. We learned when we visited
there last year that the effects of the IRA
- followed by similar tactics by Islamic groups -
make the protection of the prime minister more
important than catering to tourist curiosities.
(I do remember having may picture taken at
#10 when I was a student in the 1960's, but
those were simpler times.)

Margaret Thatcher led parliament for more than
eleven years, through deeply troubling times
during the 80's. But she finally had to resign
due an uprising originating in her own party.

Since most people know the Thatcher story,
it is pretty hard to develop a gripping plot
concerning her life. What does emerge, as
the film critics have said, is an amazing
character study, portrayed by Meryl Streep
who has garnered an Academy Award nomination
for her portrayal of a "real woman" with
flaws - aging skin and all.

So its an inspirational movie about a woman
who triumphed, for a time, against all the
odds - and that includes old age.

Marlene and I were inspired by the Streep
performance, if not Thatcher's political
stance.

We think you should see this film, as part
of the Awards frenzy, so that you can claim
some awareness of what the fuss is all about.

---

Spirituality and Practice movie review:
http://tinyurl.com/6wo36jq

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTION

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Blog Comment on:
The Costa Concordia -

"There But for the Grace of God..."

http://tinyurl.com/82e7dlb

---

ERICH AND MIRANDA WEINGARTNER
Calendar, ON

Current Cankor Report
January 27th, 2012

"A Critical Period of
Opportunity in North Korea"

http://tinyurl.com/6ug8aew

---

DOUG SHANTZ
Calgary, AB

The Chair of Christian Thought
at the University of Calgary

presents:
The Iwaasa Lectures on Urban Theology

with:
Dr. John Rook,
CEO of Potential Place Society, Calgary

Monday, January 30, 2012 7:30pm
"Am I My Sister's and Brother's Keeper?
The Ethics of Homelessness and Programs
that Work"

Grace Presbyterian Church, 1009 -
15th Ave SW, Calgary

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 12:30pm
"Homeless Shelter Residents: Who Are They
and What Are Their Needs In a Time of Rapid
Economic Growth"

Taylor Family Digital Library Gallery Hall,
University of Calgary

Everyone welcome to join us for this free event!

http://tinyurl.com/4uwkccz

*****

NET NOTES

TEMPLES FOR ATHEISTS
Vision of British Philospher

Uca News
Januaery 26th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6lk2elw

A TED Talk by Alain de Botton:
http://tinyurl.com/7n38vln

*****

CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR
Eastern Cultural Extravaganza

The Atlantic Online
January 23rd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7v6oz9l

*****

WHERE THE DINOSAURS ROAM
Not Tyrell, to be Sure

Anglican Journal News
January 24th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6lshfaj

*****

FOOD CRISIS LOOMS IN
WORLD'S NEWEST COUNTRY

Christianweek.org
January 24th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/8434tv5

*****

RELIGIONS UNITE AGAINST
SCHOOL BULLIES IN KOREA
Death Prompts Joint Response

Ucanews
January 27th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7gjhun4

*****

FRANCE PASSES GENOCIDE BILL

Euronews,
January 24th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6pd9cd6

---

Armenian Prelate Praises
French Genocide Bill

Anglican Journal News
January 26th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/89zc3mc

*****

CHINA DISMISSES TIBET
BRUTALITY AS 'DISTORTIONS'

BBC News
January 24th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7sb55ee

*****

TORTURING THE WORLD'S
FIRST MEGACHURCH PASTOR

Huffington Post Blog
January 23rd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6usfade

*****

CURIAL 'HORROR' GREETED POPE JOHN
XXIII'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF VATICAN TWO

National Catholic Reporter
January 25th, 2012

Use Mozilla Foxfire to Open:
http://tinyurl.com/89o2hk4

*****

RESTORING RELIGION TO THE PUBLIC SQUARE
Bringing Faith Back to the University

The Tablet, UK
January 28th, 2012

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/162261

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
20 January 2012

In Fiji, Methodists frustrated
over repressive decree

Suva, Fiji (ENI news) - Methodist clergy
in Fiji are frustrated that the removal
of a repressive law requiring permits for
religious meetings has been replaced by a
more permanent decree by the country's
interim military regime. Leaders of Fiji's
2,000 Methodist congregations were thrilled
when Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe 'Frank'
Bainimarama announced on New Year's Day
that the Public Emergency Regulations
(PER), which in 2009 granted the police
and military extensive powers, would be
lifted by 7 January. Clergy believed
meeting permits would no longer be
required. But they were disappointed
when anew and permanent law - a revised
Public Order Act - subsequently replicated
the PER, requiring churches to apply for
permits at community police posts.
_____

Churches in Sudan encounter more
hostility after south's independence

(ENI news) - Christians and churches in
Sudan are facing increased restrictions
and hostility, since the secession of the
southern part of the country six months
ago, according to some church leaders.
The leaders are highlighting arrests
and abduction of Christians and threats
directed at clergy, while warning of more
challenges when the country implements
Sharia (Islamic law). "Restrictions in
Sudan are not new, but we are worried
things are getting harder since the
secession of the south. With Sharia law
we expect things to get even harder,"
the Rev. Mark Akec Cien, the Sudan
Council of Churches, deputy general
secretary of the told ENInews on 20
January in a telephone interview.
_____

Health, human rights experts
call for "safe spaces" in churches

Geneva (ENI news) - Experts in health and
human rights from around the world gathered
in Geneva 16-18 January to ponder a question:
How can churches create "safe spaces" where
people can learn and discuss sensitive issues
without fear of judgment? "We need to have
open and inclusive dialogue on mental and
physical health issues, so that we can
create safe spaces, where communities can
express their concerns in an atmosphere
of mutual respect and trust," said Dr.
Elizabeth Vadakekara, of the Medical
Mission Sisters in London, based in India.
_____

U.S. church council names Chapman
as interim general secretary

New York (ENI news) - Clare J. Chapman,
deputy general secretary and general counsel
of the National Council of Churches (NCC),
on 20 January was named interim general
secretary by the council's governing board.
Chapman, who had been carrying out the duties
of general secretary since the 31 December
2011 departure of Michael Kinnamon, will
serve as interim until the board decides
on the next steps for filling the office
permanently.
_____

Conservative Presbyterians in U.S.
launch new denomination

(ENI news) - Conservative U.S. Presbyterians
launched a new denomination on 19 January,
saying that the Presbyterian Church (USA)
is too consumed by internal conflicts and
bureaucracy to nurture healthy congregations.
"This 'new Reformed body' is intended to
foster a new way of being the church, just
as traditional, mainline denominations rose
to serve in their day," wrote leaders of
the new Evangelical Covenant Order of
Presbyterians (ECO), Religion News Service
reports.

*****

23 January 2012

North Korean Christian leader dies

(ENI news) - North Korean Christian
leader the Rev. Kang Young-sup, who
worked for the reunification of North
and South Korea, died on 21 January at
the age of 80, according to Chosen
Tongshin Sa, a North Korean news agency.
He had served as chairperson of the
Central Committee of the Korean Christian
Federation (KCF). Kang "played an
important role in nation building as
well as in working for peace and
reconciliation on the divided Korean
peninsula," wrote the Rev. Olav Fykse
Tveit, general secretary of the World
Council of Churches (WCC), in a letter
to the Rev. Oh Kyung Woo, general
secretary of the KCF.

_____

Kenyan faith leaders urge calm
after court indicts politicians

Nairobi, Kenya, 23 January (ENI news) -
Faith leaders in Kenya called for calm
after the International Criminal Court
in The Hague committed to trial high-
ranking politicians for crimes against
humanity in connection with violence
following elections in 2007. Finance
Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, fellow
presidential candidate William Ruto,
cabinet secretary Francis Muthaura and
radio journalist Joshua Sang will be
tried for an orchestrated campaign to
displace, torture, and kill civilians.
More than 1,200 people died and around
650,000 were left homeless in clashes
in the Rift Valley, Nyanza, Nairobi and
Central provinces.
_____

Lutherans in Saxony allow gay pastors
to cohabit with partners

(ENI news)- - The Evangelical Lutheran
Church in the east German state of Saxony
ruled on 21 January that gay pastors will
for the first time be allowed to cohabit
with their partners. "I hope that Christians
will endorse in the community of our Church
the decision by the church leadership," the
Lutheran Bishop of Saxony, Jochen Bohl said
in a statement. "I am sure that homosexual
people with whom we are joined in the
community of the church will be accepted
as sisters and brothers in faith." The
decision came after discussions in
Dresden among Lutheran leaders and was
largely based on a report by the working
group "Homosexuality in biblical
understanding."

_____

Kashmir Shariah court order
targets Christians

(ENI news) - Churches in India have decried
the verdict of an Islamic court in Kashmir
that ordered the expulsion of Christians,
including a Protestant pastor and a Dutch
Catholic missionary, and recommended
government control of Christian schools.
"This is totally unacceptable," Samuel
Jayakumar, a spokesperson for the National
Council of Churches in India (NCCI), told
ENInews 23 January from New Delhi. "India
is a secular country and the personal law
of a community should be confined to itself,"
Jayakumar said. Shariah courts have no secular
legal standing in India.

*****

24 January 2012

Anglican network starts campaign
for birth registrations

(ENI news) - In industrialized nations,
a birth certificate is taken for granted,
even regarded as a bit of tedious
bureaucracy. But in the developing world,
the existence of such a record can mean
the difference between full participation
in citizenship, or barely living. That's
why the International Anglican Family
Network (IAFN) has launched a global
campaign to register births. The network
is calling on Anglican churches to partner
with government and other agencies to
ensure that babies born in 2012 and after
are registered. "More than just a legal
formality, birth registration opens the
door to education and healthcare," the
IAFN said in a recent news release.
"Without it, people may not be able
to obtain a passport, own a house or
land, or marry."
_____

China frees underground church leader

(ENI news) - The deputy chief of an
underground network of Protestant churches
who was arrested in China last year and sent
to a labour camp has been "unexpectedly"
released, Christian rights organizations
said on 24 January. Pastor Shi Enhao was
released on 20 January after serving about
six months of the two-year sentence imposed
on him in July 2011, ChinaAid Association,
a non-profit body monitoring the state of
the church in communist China, said. Shi,
vice-president of the Chinese House Church
Alliance, a network of Protestant churches,
had been accused of "holding illegal
meetings and organizing illegal venues
for religious meetings."

*****

25 January 2012

Berlin play explores religious
traditions concerning meat

Berlin (ENI news) - Three men, three faiths,
and one ancient profession: A theatre piece
performed at a historic Berlin market hall
this week examines Jewish, Christian and
Muslim traditions relating to the
preparation of meat and the feasts of
Passover, Easter and Eid al-Adha. Director
Cagla Ilk, born and raised in Istanbul and
for the last ten years resident in Germany,
said the idea was born out of homesickness
for the Turkish celebration of Eid al-Adha,
the Islamic festival of sacrifice.
_____

French Protestants put spotlight
on chaplaincy, amid tensions

Paris (ENI news) - In a bid to reduce tensions
with other religious groups and to highlight
challenges, the Protestant Federation of France
has turned the spotlight on chaplaincy this year.
At the group's General Assembly on 21 and 22
January in Paris, members examined the issues
chaplains face in hospitals, prisons and the
military and urged member churches to take steps
to support chaplains' work.
_____

Cairo congregation ministered
to Tahrir Square protesters

Cairo (ENI news) - As Egyptians gathered this
week in Cairo's Tahrir Square to mark the first
anniversary of the "Egyptian Revolution," nearby
Jasr El Dobara church continued to be a bridge-
builder between communities of faith. In January
2011, during the intense protests that brought
down the government of Hosni Mubarak, the
Evangelical Church of Egypt building became
a gathering place for protesters who were
wounded and exhausted, earning the congregation
the nickname "Church of the Revolution."
_____

Churches worldwide observe
week of prayer for unity

(ENI news) - Churches around the world observed
a week of prayer from 18 to 25 January, holding
special worship services and gatherings that
emphasized what Christians hold in common. This
year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity centered
on the scriptural theme, "We will all be changed
by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ," from
the book of Corinthians (15:51-58). Celebrated
in some areas at Pentecost, the week is sponsored
by the Catholic church's Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity and the Geneva-based
World Council of Churches (WCC). Materials for
celebration and reflection this year were
prepared by churches in Poland, sharing their
history of partition and victory over oppression,

the WCC said in a news release.

*****

26 January 2012

European church council names
Liagre as general secretary

(ENI news) - The Rev. Guy Liagre, president
of the United Protestant Church in Belgium,
was named general secretary of the Conference
of European Churches (CEC) as of June 2012,
according to a news release. CEC said Liagre
was elected by its central committee at its
Geneva meeting 24 to 25 January. He succeeds
the Rev. Viorel Ionita who retired as interim
general secretary in October 2011.
_____

British Museum exhibit
highlights Muslim pilgrimage

(ENI news) Non-Muslims are barred from the Hajj,
the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that is central
to Islam, but anyone can access this faith
journey through an exhibit at the British Museum
in London, beginning 26 January. "The exhibition
will help non-Muslims understand how the Hajj is
organized and its importance and significance as
one of the five pillars of Islam," Venetia Porter,
curator of the exhibition, told ENInews.
_____

Ecumenical group cites increased
attacks against Palestinian villages

Asira Al-Qibliya, West Bank (ENI news) - The
homes at the edge of this Palestinian village
are located a few hundred meters from houses
in the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar. But the
relationship is anything but neighborly.
On a late January tour of the Palestinian
village led by representatives of the
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in
Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), residents
said attacks by Jewish settles on their
village are more organized and increasing.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online:

January 20th, 2012

"If you cultivate a healthy poverty and
simplicity, so that finding a penny will
literally make your day, then, since the
world is in fact planted in pennies, you
have with your poverty bought a lifetime
of days."

- Annie Dillard

---

January 23rd, 2012

"The good news of the resurrection of Jesus
is not that we shall die and go home to be
with him, but that he has risen and comes
home with us, bringing all his hungry, naked,
thirsty, sick prisoner [brothers and sisters]
with him."

- Clarence Jordan

---

January 24th, 2012

"To walk alone is possible, but the good
walker knows that the trip is life and it
requires companions."

- Dom Helder Camara

---

January 25th, 2012

"It's a dangerous business, going out your
door. You step onto the road, and if you
don't keep your feet, there's no telling
where you might be swept off to."

- Bilbo, from J.R.R. Tolkien's
"The Fellowship of the Ring"

---

January 26th, 2012

"To be a good writer, you not only have
to write a great deal but you have to care.
You do not have to have a complicated
moral philosophy. But a writer always tries,
I think, to be a part of the solution, to
understand a little about life and to pass
this on."

- Anne Lamott from, "Bird by Bird"

---

January 27th, 2012

"Beg our Lord to grant you perfect love for
your neighborÂ… If someone else is well spoken
of, be more pleased than if it were yourself;
this is easy enough, for if you were really
humble, it would vex you to be praisedÂ… Force
your will, as far as possible, to comply in
all things with othersÂ’ wishes although
sometimes you may lose your own rights by
doing so. Forget your self-interests for
theirs, however much nature may rebel."

- Teresa of Avila

*****

ON THIS DAY

From the archives of the New York Times:

On Jan. 21, 1924 - Russian revolutionary
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died at age 54.

http://tinyurl.com/7a9hhpv

---

On Jan. 23, 1973 - President Richard Nixon
announced an accord had been reached to end
the Vietnam War.

http://tinyurl.com/7wwa8qy

---

On Jan. 24, 1965 - Winston Churchill died in
London at age 90.

http://tinyurl.com/85hopjz

---

On Jan. 26, 1950 - India proclaimed itself
a republic.

http://tinyurl.com/7uzdxlr

--

India Celebrates Republic Day
The Guardian, UK
Jan. 26th, 2012

(picture gallery)
http://tinyurl.com/87azxsd

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT

"The earth is at the same time mother,
she is mother of all that is natural,
mother of all that is human. She is
the mother of all for contained in her
are the seeds of all.

- Hildegard of Bingen

Pre-modern thinkers - native peoples
around the world but also our medieval
ancestors of Europe - honored the earth
as mother. This naming renders us in a
familial relationship with the earth.
Mother is bountiful and generous. She
cares and she provides. This is the way
of any mother and it is surely the way
of mother earth.

Are we treating her with the respect
that the mother of all that is natural
and the mother of all that is human
deserves?

Who would choose to abuse one's mother?

- Matthew Fox

(end)