Vol. VII. No. 10
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
Book Notice for:
"Practicing Reverence:
An Ethic for Sustainable
Earth Communities,"
by Ross Smillie
___
Colleague Contribution:
Phil Calloway
___
Net Notes:
Occupy Wall Street
Water is no Commodity
Priest Detained at Vatican
Van Gogh: Did He Commit Suicide?
The Dignity of Changing Your Mind
John Howard Yoder's Political Jesus
Christians Support Condemned Pastor
Clericalism Spells Disaster in China
Tibetan Protests - Chinese Resistance
Chittister: Lack of Women Harms Church
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Twelve ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Barbara Brown Taylor
Winston Churchill
Willa Cather
Barack Obama
___
On This Day:
Oct. 19, 1987 -
Stock market crashes; Dow Jones plunges
508 points - history's second biggest drop.
Oct. 21, 1879 -
Thomas Edison invented a workable electric
light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J.
_____
Closing Thought: Meister Eckhart
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
I have not yet received a review copy of
colleague Mary Jo Leddy's new title:
"The Other Face of God" - but as soon as
it arrives, I will introduce it to you.
This week - and for the first time in more
than twenty years - I met with the Lutheran
pastors of Calgary at their monthly gathering.
I know that people from various study groups
at St. David's United, Calgary, were thinking
and praying for a good outcome.
I can report that I was well received.
It was a low-key but meaningful encounter
after more than two decades of mutual
solitude.
"Pastor Holst is with us this morning,"
said the chair. "He has been away from
us for a while, and we welcome him."
The communion service was very meaningful.
Life goes on. My ministry has taken new
directions. But I believe it is very
important that Christians seek healing
and closure when relational wounds impact
our communities. It can be a sign - even
for those not involved in the past - that
Christians seek to model reconciliation
in the way of Jesus.
---
This week I introduce to you a new book
by a fellow-Albertan, Ross Smillie. Ross
is a United Church of Canada minister who
teaches at St. Stephens College (UCC) the
University of Alberta, Edmonton; an alma
mater of mine. The book is entitled:
"Practicing Reverence: An Ethic for
Sustainable Earth Communities,"
___
Colleague Contribution:
Phil Calloway - an evangelical Christian
colleague, has a heavy travel schedule,
but I always appreciate when he shares
some of his humour with us.
___
Net Notes:
"Occupy Wall Street" - I offer an
article explaining the meaning of
this movement, and another on possible
future directions that it may take
(Montreal Gazette, Christian.week)
"Water is no Commodity" - here is
an article by Latin American Jesuits
on the theological meaning of water
which speaks to the general ecological
theme of this issue of Colleagues List
(Mirado.global)
"Priest Detained at Vatican" - we
continue to report on developments
in the prophetic ministry of Fr. Roy
Bourgeois a Marynoll father and a
strong advocate for women priests.
(National Catholic Reporter)
"Van Gogh: Did He Commit Suicide?" -
the commonly accepted story is that the
famous artist died by his own hand
while in a state of depression, but
a new book challenges this view
(Christian Science Monitor)
"The Dignity of Changing Your Mind" -
United Church minister Bob Ripley
writes this piece as a guest columnist
for New Catholic Times
"John Howard Yoder's Political Jesus" -
Catholic priest John Deer has been
profoundly influenced by the writings
of Mennonite theologian Yoder and
Deer writes about that impact here
(National Catholic Reporter)
"Christians Support Condemned Pastor" -
ecumenical support has emerged for an
evangelical pastor who was hit with a
a death sentence by a court in Pakistan
(Ucan News)
"Clericalism Spells Disaster in China" -
an insightful article - written from
within China - about clericalism (unearned
respect for clergy) and how this can
deeply hurt the church in that country
(Ucan News)
"Tibetan Protests - Chinese Resistance" -
this has been a tragic week in Tibet
as a number have died because of violence
by the Chinese (The West Australia)
"Chittister: Lack of Women Harms Church" -
another fine article by a Colleagues List
regular who takes up the subject of a
possible permanent loss to the Catholic
church due to its stance against women
(National Catholic Reporter)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
This week I am able to share twelve stories
with you from Ecumenical News International,
Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Barbara Brown Taylor,
Winston Churchill, Willa Cather and President
Barack Obama share wisdom to inspire us.
___
On This Day:
The New York Times archives offer these
historic events, reported as they occurred:
Stock market crashes; Dow Jones plunges
508 points - history's second biggest drop (1987)
Thomas Edison invented a workable electric
light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ (1879)
___
Closing Thought:
Meister Eckhart returns and we are again
reminded of the significant relationship
between sensuality and spirituality. This
is a quote from "Christian Mystics" (Fox)
___
With my best wishes,
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
Series underway:
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Series underway.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Series underway:
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
Oct. 14th - Nov. 25th - six Friday noon sessions
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/
http://tinyurl.com/42hkejb
---
Series Two -
"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 books: $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
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice for:
PRACTICING REVERENCE:
An Ethic for Sustainable
Earth Communities,
by Ross Smillie
Copperhouse/
Wood Lake Publishing
Kelowna, BC. October,
2011. 206 pages.
ISBN #978-1-55145-593-8.
Publisher's Promo:
Every day we hear more about how humans
are degrading the environment and causing
suffering to themselves and the rest of life.
Where will it end? "Practicing Reverence" shows
that it is up to all of us, in community, to
live in ways that honour not just our own
lives, but all life.
Minister, theologian, and environmental
ethics teacher Ross Smillie combines his
areas of expertise to document our current
situation and, even more importantly, to
offer hope. Smillie’s science background
is evident in his extensive factual
reporting of ecological issues. His
engagement with theology and ethics
balances scientific fact with moral
and ethical ponderings. The result is
an up-close view of how things “are,”
and a glimpse of how things “could be.”
Smillie’s hope is that we learn to create
“sustainable earth communities,” that we
will leave our children, grandchildren,
and the generations beyond with a vital
and bountiful earth upon which to live.
Of course, to reach this goal we must
adapt our current actions. And so
Smillie examines economics, technology,
and religion, and identifies alternatives
to our current practices. As a minister
and theologian, he also allows for the
work of the Spirit, to bring about more
just and sustainable ways of living.
"Practicing Reverence" represents both a
call and a challenge to those who genuinely
desire the best for themselves and future
generations, to join their efforts for the
good of all.
---
Author's Words:
I wrote this book to provide realistic hope
about how our communities can become more
sustainable. Writings about the environment
are often depressing and dis-empowering.
"Practicing Reverence" is a positive, hopeful
look at how we can reshape the social practices
which contribute to environmental problems. It
emphasizes the importance of community life as
the well from which ethical wisdom, ecological
sensitivity, and hopeful action all flow.
After early chapters exploring basic approaches
to ecology and ethics, the book focuses on
social practices which give shape to our common
life. Thoughtful critiques are offered on
economic practices which systematically devalue
the environment, technological practices which
encourage the human manipulation of nature, and
religious practices which encourage us to
disregard the rest of creation as profane.
The alternative I suggest is "to practice
reverence."
In religious terms, practicing reverence
requires that we develop practices of
prayer, praise and lament that nurture an
appreciation for the sacredness of all life
and a sensitivity to the specific ecosystems
in which we live and on which we depend.
In economics, practicing reverence means
finding ways to include environmental costs
in the way we measure progress and development.
In technology, practicing reverence means
resisting reductionist approaches to
ecosystems and cultivating a pluralism of
mind which values a constellation of ways
of understanding and appreciating the natural
world.
The book concludes with an exploration of how
to practice hope, inviting the development of
communities which anticipate the future, by
exploring new patterns of living, even while
they ground their life together in laughter
and joyful celebration of life's gifts.
I wrote this book in an attempt to blend
theory and practice. It will be particularly
helpful for communities who will read it
together and consider how they might become
more sustainable as part of the wider earth
community. The book is committed to thinking
globally, while acting locally.
---
My Thoughts:
This spring we bought a new lawn mower that
was equipped with a mulching blade. That meant,
my wife Marlene and I had made a decision to
stop bagging all the cut grass and leaves in
our yard, and to mulch them back into the soil.
It meant a little extra work. I usually mow
the yard twice to make sure that all particles
have been suitably reduced for easy integration
into the soil.
Within one year of doing this, we are convinced
it was a good decision. The grass remains greener
through the entire growing season because the
bed we create has a way of holding moisture better.
The natural fertilizer we are maintaining continues
to feed the grass all season long.
By some estimates, we are saving at least a hundred
bags of grass, twigs and leaves from the dump and
re-cycling our own yard with what we previously
considered garbage!
As I read Smillie's book I experienced a sense of
satisfaction that we are, indeed, starting to
think like him! In our own little place we are
doing what we hope the entire world will come to
see as important.
---
Smillie writes with a scientific background.
His material has gone through the rigors of
teaching notes and classroom discussion and
feedback. These are two assets that are not
always present in theological approaches to
the subject.
What I also appreciate is that Smillie
writes with a theological and liturgical
sensitivity. He is offering more than what
a secular humanist might contribute to the
subject of ecological renewal.
The author wants group discussion of his
material - especially within congregations -
and this is a very practical and helpful
contribution.
---
This week, Marlene and I heard Jane Goodall
speak to a packed house at the Banff Centre.
She showed her recent movie "Jane's Journey"
- a recounting of her life story which began
fifty years ago when, as a young English woman,
she decided to go to Africa and attempted to
better understand the life of chimpanzees.
From there, she evolved into a person with a
great passion for environmental protection, as
well as for a healthy co-existence between
animals, humans and the natural world. Her
"Roots and Shoots" movement is active in many
countries around the world.
It is great to learn more about what global
figures like Goodall are doing to reverence
the environment. Such an inspiration!
But people like Ross Smillie are doing their
part as well. Marlene and I are becoming more
ecologically conscious in our daily lives.
Our annual yard work is, in it own way, a
liturgical/spiritual cycle of recognizing
the goodness of creation and our part in it.
I can't help but think that this is one of
the most spiritually worthwile things we
are currently living.
---
Buy the book -
From Wood Lake Website:
http://tinyurl.com/3mwnz58
From Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/3bkvcw2
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTION
PHIL CALLOWAY
Three Hills, AB.
Bob and Mary are newlyweds and it 's the honeymoon.
Bob paces the floor saying to himself, "How will
I ever tell my new wife that I have the world's
smelliest feet? "
He throws his socks under the bed. Mary walks out
of the bathroom and Bob runs past her. She says
to herself, "How will I ever tell my new husband
that I have the world 's worst breath? "
When Bob comes out of the bathroom Mary runs up
to him, plants a huge kiss on his face and says,
"Honey, I 've got something to tell you!"
"Yeah I know," says Bob, "You just ate my socks."
Now, if you're expecting a spiritual application,
I'm sorry. I hope you at least received a grin.
*****
NET NOTES
OCCUPY WALL STREET
A Primer on What They Want
Montreal Gazette
October 18th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3oqvpt5
---
Where Does "Occupy Wall Street"
Go From Here?
Christianweek.org
Oct. 18th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3k33ltx
*****
WATER IS NO COMMODITY
Mirado.global
October, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3e66mza
*****
PRIEST DETAINED AT VATICAN
Demonstrator for Women Priests
National Catholic Reporter
October 17th, 2011
Open link with Mozilla Firefox:
http://tinyurl.com/3zudsro
*****
VAN GOGH: DID HE
COMMIT SUICIDE?
Christian Science Moniter
October 19th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3obafe2
*****
THE DIGNITY OF
CHANGING YOUR MIND
UCC Minister Writes
New Catholic Times
October 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3ldbdlt
*****
JOHN HOWARD YODER'S
POLITICAL JESUS
Mennonite Theologian
Influenced Catholic Writer
The Road to Peace
by John Deer
National Catholic Reporter
October 18th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/62bgds3
*****
CHRISTIANS SUPPORT
CONDEMNED PASTOR
Ucan News
October 19th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/42zygjj
*****
CLERICALISM SPELLS
DISASTER IN CHINA
Western Church Scandals
are Well Publicised
Ucan News
October 18th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3sz4l4y
*****
TIBETAN PROTESTS MEET
CHINESE RESISTANCE
The West Australia
October 18th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gbsvuo
*****
CHITTISTER: LACK OF WOMEN
IRREVERSABLY HARMS CHURCH
National Catholic Reporter
October 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3dwzfux
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
17 October 2011
Seminary in Malaysia opens ecumenical worlds
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (ENI news) - Timithy Jerry,
a master's student in theology at Sabah Theological
Seminary (STS) in eastern Malaysia, relishes his
weekends -- but not for time off. Jerry, who belongs
to the Iban tribe from eastern Malaysia, is one of
a number of students who are sent on weekends to
churches of different denominations, some in remote
villages, for Sunday services. "It is great
opportunity to interact with people of different
ethnic traditions," Jerry told ENInews. The school,
located at the city of Kota Kinabalu, has 336
students including over three dozen from a dozen
countries in southeast Asia.
_____
"Occupy" protesters welcomed
at St. Paul's Cathedral in London
London (ENI news) - Scores of anti-corporate
demonstrators invaded London's historic St. Paul's
Cathedral on 16 October, but police who tried to
stop them were told to leave by church officials,
Religion News Service reports. The protesters --
who were targeting the global financial system
as part of worldwide demonstrations against
corporate greed – were welcomed into the
17th-century cathedral, and Sunday services
went on uninterrupted. The protesters were
allowed to continue their presence into 17
October, provided they did not interfere with
tourists.
*****
18 October 2011
Circus ministry is a high-wire act
of faith for chaplain
Worcester, Massachusetts (ENI news)- With a
stairwell for a confessional and a folding
table for an altar, the lobby of the DCU
Center arena in Worcester, Massachusetts,
about 40 miles west of Boston, doesn't look
especially holy -- until a band of circus
workers gathers for Mass. That's when the
Rev. Jerry Hogan dons a colorful chasuble
festooned with images of big tops, lions
and zebras. The event is no act, Religion
News Service reports. The Circus and
Traveling Show Ministries of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops provides
the spiritual lifeblood for about 4,500
Catholics who work in circuses, carnivals,
rodeos and auto racing.
_____
German book features stories
of Christian-Muslim projects
Berlin (ENI news) - "It Does Work" is a
phrase that could describe the Evangelical
(Protestant) Church in the Rhineland's view
on multiculturalism – and the title of a
new German book documenting projects that
foster Christian-Muslim dialogue. The book
stands in contrast to "Germany Does Away
With Itself," by German politician Thilo
Sarrazin, published last year. Sarrazin
predicted the destruction of Germany
society by Muslim immigrants.
_____
Despite kidnappings, Christian agencies
continue refugee work in Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Relief work
at the huge Dadaab refugee camp in northern
Kenya will continue, days after the kidnapping
of two Spanish aid workers from the complex,
Christian and secular aid agencies said. "The
camps are calm and delivery of life saving
services is continuing. This is because
security has been stepped up," Ann Wangari,
the Lutheran World Federation Dadaab area
coordinator told ENInews on 18 October. The
workers were serving as logisticians for
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without
Borders) when armed men seized them on 13
October.
_____
Ecumenical accompaniment program
launched in Colombia
Geneva (ENI news) ,- An ecumenical
accompaniment program has been launched
to assist victims of violence in Colombia,
where internal armed conflict has drive
nearly five million people away from their
land and property, according to the Latin
American Council of Churches (CLAI).
"The churches have been asked to break
the silence and communicate all the
atrocities taking place in Colombia,"
the Rev. Carlos E. Ham, program executive
for Diakonia and Latin America Caribbean
with the Geneva-based World Council of
Churches (WCC), told ENI news on 18 October.
*****
19 October 2011
Greek Orthodox church
will rebuild at Ground Zero
New York (ENI news) - Ten years after
tiny St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
was destroyed by falling rubble from the
World Trade Center towers, church leaders
have reached an agreement to rebuild at
Ground Zero, Religion News Service reports.
The church, founded by Greek immigrants in
1916, sat in the shadow of the twin towers
and was the only religious building to be
completely destroyed during the terrorist
attacks of 11 September 2001. Under the
current agreement, brokered by New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo, the church agreed
to drop a lawsuit filed in February
against the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey, which controls rebuilding
at Ground Zero.
*****
20 October 2011
Brazilian Lutherans prepare
for Reformation anniversary
Porto Alegre, Brazil (ENI news) - Leaders
of two Brazilian Lutheran churches on 18
October said that local events in 2017
commemorating the 500th anniversary of
the Protestant Reformation would include
creation of a space called "Luther Square"
in Porto Alegre. At a launch event here,
the churches presented a commemorative
stamp and shared their plans for common
publications leading up to the anniversary.
In 1517, German monk Martin Luther
published his "95 Theses" in Wittenberg,
Germany -- criticisms of Catholic Church
practices that inspired the growth of
Protestantism, including establishment
of the Lutheran Church.
_____
Amid stress of protests,
St. Paul's mulls closing
London (ENI news) - Feeling the
stress of a growing camp of anti-
corporate protesters on its doorsteps,
London's iconic St. Paul's Cathedral
on 20 October closed several entrances
and said it is reviewing "the extent
to which it can remain open." "People
entering the cathedral through the main
west door are able to move around as
normal and, if they desire, go down
into the crypt," press officer Hannah
Talbot told ENI news. However, she added,
an entrance that leads from the street
into the crypt has been closed. One of
London's most famous visitor attractions,
St. Paul's receives about 1.9 million
visitors per year, she noted. About 180
tents have been set up outside the
cathedral and Naomi Colvin, one of
the organizers, said, "we're staying
where we are."
*****
21 October 2011
Relief efforts respond
to El Salvador floods
San Salvador, El Salvador (ENI news) - Severe
flooding and mudslides caused by tropical rains
throughout El Salvador have cut off dozens of
communities and resulted in almost 40 deaths.
It has been described by Anglican Bishop of
El Salvador Martin Barahona as "a catastrophe
unparalleled by other disasters" in the country
in recent history, Episcopal News Service reports.
Hurricane Jova made landfall on 11 October as a
Category 2 hurricane over Jalisco, Mexico, where
it was responsible for six deaths, but El Salvador
"has been the most affected country in Central
America," according to the Rev. George Woodward,
vice president of Fundacion Cristosal, a church
partner and nonprofit organization that is
working with Episcopal Relief & Development,
the local Anglican diocese, and other
organizations to respond to the disaster.
_____
In Philippines, native wisdom
enhances Christian spirituality
Baguio City, Philippines (ENI news) -
Indigenous spirituality is enhancing the
Christian tradition in some Philippine
churches as they retrace the local context of
their faith. "There are several initiatives
to bring indigenous spirituality into our
churches such as incorporating the chanting
of indigenous peoples into ourliturgy," the
Rev. Ferdinand Anno, coordinator of the
graduate program of the Union Theological
Seminary (UTS), told ENI news on 21 October.
He cited the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines, which has been promoting
indigenization of worship. Supporting the
initiative are seminaries like UTS, the
Baguio City-based Ecumenical Theological
Seminary, and the Central Philippine-based
Silliman Divinity School.
_____
St. Paul's Cathedral closes,
asks protesters to leave
London (ENI news) - Due to health, safety
and fire concerns connected with an anti-
corporate protest camp at its doors, St.
Paul's Cathedral, London's 16th-century
landmark, announced it is closing until
further notice and asked the protesters
to leave. "The decision to close ... is
unprecedented in modern times," said the
Rev. Graeme Knowles, the cathedral dean,
in a statement on St. Paul's website
(www.stpauls.co.uk). With hundreds of
people and about 200 tents pitched
around the huge building, "health,
safety and fire officers have pointed
out that access ... is seriously limited.
With so many stoves and fires and lots
of different types of fuel around, there
is a clear fire hazard. Then there is
the public health aspect which speaks
for itself. The dangers relate not just
to cathedral staff and visitors but
are a potential hazard to those encamped
themselves," Knowles said.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online:
October 17th, 2011
“Tho' much is taken, much abides: and tho'/
We are not now that strength which in old days/
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;/
One equal temper of heroic hearts,/
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will/
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, from "Ulysses"
---
October 18th, 2011
“No one longs for what he or she already has,
and yet the accumulated insight of those wise
about the spiritual life suggests that the
reason so many of us cannot see the red X that
marks the spot is because we are standing on it…
All we lack is the willingness to imagine that
we already have everything we need. The only
thing missing is our consent to be where we are.”
- Barbara Brown Taylor, from
"An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith"
---
October 19th, 2011
"What is the use of living if not to strive for
noble causes and to make this muddled world a
better place for those who will live in it after
we are gone?"
- Winston Churchill
---
October 20th, 2011
"Where there is great love
there is always miracles."
- Willa Cather
---
October 21st, 2011
"We are shaped by every language and
culture, drawn from every end of this
Earth; and because we have tasted the
bitter swill of civil war and segregation,
and emerged from that dark chapter stronger
and more united, we cannot help but believe
that the old hatreds shall someday pass;
that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve;
that as the world grows smaller, our common
humanity shall reveal itself; and that
America must play its role in ushering in
a new era of peace."
- Barack Obama,
from his 2009 Inaugural Address
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided from the archives
of the New York Times
On Oct. 19, 1987 - the stock market crashed
as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged
508 points, or 22.6 percent in value - its
second biggest percentage drop.
http://tinyurl.com/3w4aytw
_____
On Oct. 21, 1879 - Thomas Edison invented a
workable electric light at his laboratory in
Menlo Park, N.J.
http://tinyurl.com/3bvstva
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
"God is voluptuous and delicious."
- Meister Eckhart
"This saying, like many of Meister Eckhart,
is surprising. We often forget that the
creator of pleasure must know something
about pleasure, himself and herself...
"The voluptuousness of an orange, of a rose,
of a beautiful piece of music, of a sunset,
of a tantalizing meal, of the human body -
the delicious symphony provided by our
senses of taste, smell, touch, sight, and
hearing - does not go unnoticed by the
Creator of all voluptuousness."
- Matthew Fox
(end)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Colleagues List, October 15th, 2011
Vol. VII. No. 9
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
___
Colleague Comment:
Arthur Bauer
Charlene Lazaruk
Douglas John Hall
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
___
Net Notes:
Heart and Soul
Raised on Faith
Pipeline to Disaster
The Fall of Nazi Germany
Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'
Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities
Tutu Tirade over SA Dalai Lama Ban
St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But...
Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia
Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe
Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Twenty ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria
Laguna Pueblo Prayer
Cclare of Assisi
Ben Okri
Anne Wilson Schaef
T.S. Eliot
Eleanor Roosevelt
___
On This Day:
Oct. 3, 1990 -
West and East Germany end 45 years of
division; create a new, unified country.
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 -
Space Age begins. USSR launches Sputnik,
the first man-made satellite, into orbit.
---
Oct. 14, 1964 -
Martin Luther King Jr. named winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize.
___
Closing Thought: Mechtild of Magdeburg
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
We have now returned home to Calgary
after a week of beautiful fall colours
and worthwhile cultural activity in
Ontario. My special item this week
is a brief reflection on the theme:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye."
Next week, I hope to provide a book
notice for colleague Mary Jo Leddy's
new release "The Other Face of God."
Be sure to check that out, Oct. 22nd.
___
This week, our Colleague Comments
come from:
Arthur Bauer - who shares his views on
my article "On Smelling the Roses" which
appeared in the October 1st issue of
Colleagues List.
Charlene Lazaruk - who discovered an
internet gem she wants to share with us.
Douglas John Hall - who thanks me for
my introduction of his new book "The
Messenger" (September 17th issue of
Colleagues List) and adds some kind
words about this blog.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy - colleague Beth Porter
interviews colleague Mary Jo Leddy
on the subject of her new book "The
Other Face of God" - a further
development of her thinking in an
earlier book "At the Border Called
Hope." It expands her views on
political refugees in Canada.
Martin Marty - comments on a new movie
"Machine Gun Preacher" reminding us
that some themes never really change.
Jim Taylor - expands on the subject of
"bullies" - a subject that many of us
need to understand better.
___
Net Notes:
"Heart and Soul" - an extensive three-
part series on Christianity in China
is provided by the BBC.
"Raised on Faith" - parents raise their
children in the church, then find that
even though the kids live 'Christian'
principles they don't attend. What to
think about that? (America Magazine)
"Pipeline to Disaster" - the Alberta
oilsands are becoming a global issue
and here is an important perspective
countering the positive, current spin
of the government of Canada
(The Christian Century)
"The Fall of Nazi Germany" - poignant
pictures from a time and place about
which many of us are unfamiliar
(The Atlantic Monthly)
"Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'" -
a Catholic authority paints a very
positive picture of this development
in spite of such realities as the
Coptic crisis in Egypt (Ucan News)
"Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities" -
other Catholic voices are deeply
concerned about the violence against
Christians in Egypt (The Tablet, UK)
"Tutu Tirade over Dalai Lama Ban" -
a noisy story last week was the
decision of the South African
government to decline a visa to
permit the Dalai Lama to celebrate
Tutus's 80th birthday and Tutu's
strong, subsequent reaction
(Anglican Journal News)
"St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But..."
- an interesting reflection on the
life of Steve Jobs of Apple, who died
recently (The Huffington Post)
"Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia"
- an important gathering of global Christian
leaders from all the major church traditions
took place recently in Indonesia (ENI news,
Washington Post, Ucan News)
"Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
- Christians in the Kerala state of India
are concerned about population decline,
and the church is suggesting a solution
(Yahoo News/Associated Press)
"George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe"
- the former Beatle had an approach to faith
that has become popular since his time
(National Catholic Reporter)
"Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans"
- another major news series of the week from
Africa, reports on how the Archbishop of
Canterbury is attempting to handle matters
with a despot (Anglican Journal)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
This week, I offer twenty news reports from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria, Laguna Pueblo Prayer,
Cclare of Assisi, Ben Okri, Anne Wilson
Schaef, T.S. Eliot and Eleanor Roosevelt
provide their insights.
___
On This Day:
West/East Germany form united country (1990)
Space age begins, USSR launches Sputnik (1957)
Martin Luther King wins Nobel Peace Prize (1964)
___
Closing Thought this week is provided by:
Mechtild of Magdeburg a medieval woman mystic.
Matthew Fox reflects on her comment.
___
Thanks for joining me again this week.
We are now back to a regular routine, and
Colleagues List should come to you weekly.
Blessings!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Program underway.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
Oct. 14th - Nov. 25th - six Friday noon sessions
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/
http://tinyurl.com/42hkejb
---
Series Two -
"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 books: $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
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
As I proposed here two weeks ago, my wife
Marlene and I spent a week in Ontario,
observing the coloured leaves in all their
autumnal glory.
Toronto was our base of operation, but we
traveled to Ottawa/Gatineau, west through
Algonquin Provincial Park and Muskoka, then
south to the vineyards of Niagara and some
sugar maple regions of southwestern Ontario.
Everywhere, we saw autumn leaves turning
from green to multi-coloured splendor.
We enjoyed historic sites in Ottawa and
Niagara-on-the-Lake, question period in
the House of Commons, and "My Fair Lady,"
"Heartbreak House," and "The Misanthrope"
at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals.
All told, it was a lovely way to spend the
early part of October. We were fortunate
that our timing allowed for maximum benefit
from seasonal natural and cultural tableaux.
For Marlene, it was a first opportunity to
see the colours of the eastern woodlands
in all their magnificence. For me, it was
an opportunity to enjoy what I had not much
appreciated during early years, as a youth
growing up in southwestern Ontario.
---
Most migrants to western Canada from the
"east" (Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic
provinces) will say they miss the coloured
leaves. They will comment that while the
"yellows" of Alberta, for example, can be
nice, they pale in comparison to what exists
"back home."
I probably said something similar over
the years, but I say it less now. I have
lived in western Canada the major part
of my life after first coming to Winnipeg
in 1971 and Calgary in 1979 (that's forty
years of prairies and foothills!)
The truth is, I saw the Ontario leaves
with a somewhat similar eye to my wife's -
a native Calgarian. I have become very
much at home in my western environment.
While I was truly awed by the colours I
saw in Ontario, I am also very aware of
the many beautiful aspects of an Alberta
autumn.
I see beautiful colours here, even though
they may not be as contrasting as what
we saw on our trip. Seeing the beauty
of Ontario this fall helps me enjoy the
richness of the setting I now call home.
This reminds me of a conversation I once
had with a native of the province of
Saskatchewan. The large, flat regions
of the southern part of that province
first struck me as boring. He countered
my views by saying that he enjoyed the
vital nature of the prairies because he
observed the subtle hues and manifold
changes he observed there. For him, there
was nothing like the beauty of what he
knew as home.
Enjoy the goodness of other places - yes!
Enjoy the goodness of home - above all!
That insight helps me appreciate the truth
of the wise maxim - "beauty lies in the
eye of the beholder."
---
Colleagues List book notices return next week.
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMUNICATION
ARTHUR BAUER
Pompton Plains, NJ
October 1st, 2011
Wayne,
Your mature comments about yourself and your
three observations are welcome reflections
from a long-time friend. It is a source of
happiness to read it. Enjoy Ontario and the
colored leaves. You, among other Canadians,
have made my own connections to Canada a
delightful part of my own journey and growth.
Every good wish.
Art
---
CHARLENE LAZARUK
Calgary, AB.
October 3rd, 2011
This is by far one of the most excellent
commercials I have ever seen!! Enjoy!!
I'm betting you won't guess WHAT this
commercial is about until the last !!
Voted the BEST commercial ever!
Totally made my day.
Charlene
http://tinyurl.com/4xsl8l5
---
DOUGLAS JOHN HALL
Montreal, QC
Oct. 13th, 2011
Dear Wayne - A quick thank you for that
lovely review (of my book "The Messenger"
September 17th.) I wish my readers were
all as kind as you! There have, however,
been some very fine responses — especially
from those who knew Bob Miller.
I continue to marvel at the scope and
pertinence of your work.
Doug.
*****
COLLEAGUES CONTRIBUTIONS
MARY JO LEDDY
Interview on her new book:
"The Other Face of God"
From L'Arche Canada's - "A Human Future"
Fall issue, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3m8e9t2
*****
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL.
Sightings 10/3/2011
"Machine Gun Preacher"
http://tinyurl.com/6jzuhbz
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Weblog, Oct 9th, 2011
"Bullies"
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj
*****
NET NOTES
HEART AND SOUL
Faith and Religion in China
(A three-part BBC video series)
October, 2011
Provided by Ucan News
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3q6nfjr
*****
RAISED ON FAITH
"Living it, but not practicing"
America Magazine
October 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3zapcc7
*****
PIPELINE TO DISASTER
Confronting the Alberta Oilsands
The Christian Century
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3ffge7h
*****
THE FALL OF NAZI GERMANY
The Atlantic Monthly:
A Picture Collection
October 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3bgth65
*****
ARAB SPRING 'NO THREAT TO WEST'
Muslims and Christians in Dialogue
Ucan News
October, 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gqbcjw
*****
COPTS BLAME EGYTPIAN AUTHORITIES
Riots Kill Many Christians
The Tablet, UK
October 15th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/65vtm4m
*****
TUTU TIRADE OVER DALAI LAMA BANN
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 4th, 2011
Dalai Lama refused visa by South Africa
Johannesburg (ENI news) - The Dalai Lama
cancelled a planned trip to South Africa to
celebrate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's
80th birthday after Tutu's home country
declined to issue a visa to the exiled
Tibetan Buddhist leader. Critics said the
government of President Jacob Zuma and his
African National Congress party were bowing
to pressure from China, a close trading
partner that has clashed with the Dalai
Lama over greater freedoms for Tibet,
which has been ruled by China since 1950.
_____
The Guardian,
October 5th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3oyjvtc
*****
ST. STEVE JOBS? PROBABLY NOT,
BUT...
The Huffington Post
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/44b4r9s
*****
CHRISTIAN LEADERS PLOT
ECUMENICAL FUTURE IN INDONESIA
Broad Christian Representation
At International Conference
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 3rd, 2011
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An
estimated 275 Christian leaders are
meeting in Indonesia from 4 to 7 October
to plot an ecumenical future in what one
veteran of the ecumenical movement called
a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
---
Washington Post
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wq2yl2
*****
"Interfaith Contact Essential"
Says Vatican Envoy to Conference
Ucan News
October 7th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3g3wdqq
*****
CHURCH IN KERALA, INDIA
SAYS 'HAVE MORE CHILDREN'
Yahoo/Associated Press
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/425x2aw
*****
HOW GEORGE HARRISON
CHANGED THE WAY WE BELIEVE
Beatle Star Charted New Course
National Catholic Reporter
October 12th, 2011
View using Mozilla search engine:
http://tinyurl.com/3lodn6t
*****
WILLIAMS ASKS MUGABE TO
HALT ATTACKS ON ANGLICANS
Anglican Journal
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6xxb8r3
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
3 October 2011
Zimbabwe diocese to welcome Williams
as ex-bishop prepares snub
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - As Zimbabweans
prepared to welcome Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams this week in a visit designed
to support Anglicans under siege from a
renegade ex-bishop, the former cleric himself
said he would snub the Anglican Communion
leader. Anglicans in Zimbabwe are embroiled
in a fight over church property with former
bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga who fell out
with the church in 2007 over what he said was
its pro-gay stance. Kunonga has formed his own
church with a clique of followers, claiming he
has rights over church property including
buildings, schools and hospitals.
_____
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An estimated
275 Christian leaders are meeting in Indonesia
from 4 to 7 October to plot an ecumenical future
in what one veteran of the ecumenical movement
called a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
*****
4 October 2011
In Australia, Catholic opinion
divided on gay marriage
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI news) - Catholic
opinion on gay marriage in Australia is divided
after a state parliament passed a motion endorsing
it. Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey warned he might
not perform any marriages at all if the law
requires him to perform gay ones, while two
Catholic politicians spoke out in favor of
gay marriage.
_____
Survey shows dissatisfication
among Israeli Jews
Jerusalem (ENI news) - Some 80 percent of
Jewish Israelis are dissatisfied with how
the government handles issues of religion
and state, according to a recent survey
released by the Smith Research Institute
for Hiddush-Freedom of Religion in Israel,
Inc. In addition, the survey revealed that,
although the data was collected in the midst
of a tense social-economic protest which has
focused primarily on the cost of housing and
living, 64 percent of the respondents viewed
tension between secular and ultra-Orthodox
Jews as the most or second most acute
domestic conflict in Israel. Thirty percent
said it is tension between rich and poor.
*****
5 October 2011
U.S. National Cathedral to re-open,
but needs quake repairs
Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Washington
National Cathedral will need "tens of
millions of dollars" over "numerous years"
to repair extensive damage to the nation's
second-largest church following a 23 August
earthquake, church officials said on 4
October. The landmark church requires $25
million "just to get to June 2012, for
the first phase of work ... we know it
will ultimately be much more," said Richard
Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral,
Religion News Service reports via USA Today.
The building has been closed since the quake,
with services held at other locations in the
U.S. capital. It is scheduled to reopen on
12 November for the consecration of the
Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the new Episcopal
bishop of Washington.
*****
6 October 2011
Mennonites support Lutheran efforts
in Horn of Africa
Geneva (ENI news) - An organization
supported by Mennonites has made a
significant contribution to the
Lutheran church's work at refugee
camps serving the Horn of Africa,
a gesture that both groups said is
a practical expression of a
reconciliation that was celebrated
last year. The Akron, Pennsylvania-
based Mennonite Central Committee,
a relief and development agency,
pledged a contribution valued at
US$369,500 that includes mosquito
nets as well as expertise for
education projects, said the
Geneva-based Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), which is
managing the Dadaab refugee
camp in Kenya for the U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees.
_____
Major demographic shift is under
way in Christianity, say scholars
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - Scholars
claim the biggest change in the history
of Christianity is underway amid the
religion's move to Africa, Latin America
and Asia. "The story of Christianity as
a worldwide faith is being written before
our eyes," declared Dr. Dana Robert of
Boston University School of Theology, as
she addressed a group of world church
leaders at the Global Christian Forum
(GCF) in Manado, Indonesia.
*****
7 October 2011
German university courses aim
to help Muslims integrate
Berlin, Germany (ENI news) - As more
Muslims become part of European society,
German universities have begun courses
aimed at helping Islamic clergy (imams)
and religious teachers understand German
culture, including Christianity and
Judaism. The first program began last
year at Osnabrueck University, with
another due to start this year at
Tuebingen. "The idea was to have a
program for imams because most of them
are educated in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt
or Bosnia," Moussa Al-Hassan Diaw,
coordinator of the Osnabrueck program,
said in an interview. "The focus [of
their previous education] is very much
on theology and the society where they
come from, but they don't have enough
knowledge concerning the situation in
Germany. Some imams don't speak the
German language, for example; they
don't know [German] history," he said.
_____
People of faith join Wall Street protests
New York (ENI news) -As police helicopters
hovered overhead, seminarian Rix Thorsell,
wearing a clerical collar, marched on 5
October with other members of Brooklyn's
Greenpoint Reformed Church in a "Occupy
Wall Street" protest that has captured
national and international attention.
"Jesus stood with the 99 percent [of
society that is not wealthy]," said
Thorsell, a student at New York's Union
Theological Seminary. Thorsell and the
members of his church and seminary were
among people of faith who have joined
the protests in lower Manhattan against
what activists are calling "corporate
greed" and growing economic inequity
in the United States.
_____
Peace Prize winner Gbowee says
faith helped in peace campaign
New York (ENI news) One of the 2011
Nobel Peace Prize winners, Leymah Gbowee,
a Liberian activist who helped bring her
country out of a brutal civil war, said
on 7 October that the best way to achieve
global peace is to start in local
communities. "It is time for us to do
justice in our communities ... one day
the world's problems will meet you at
your doorstep," she said at the
Interchurch Center in New York. Gbowee,
Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
and Yemen's Tawakkul Karman, who leads
opposition to dictatorial President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, shared the prize.
*****
10 October 2011
Egypt still rocked by sectarian violence
in post-Mubarak regime
Jerusalem (ENI news) As Egypt approaches
the anniversary of the protest movement
that overthrew former president Hosni
Mubarak, the country still finds itself
torn by sectarian violence. On 9 October,
a demonstration in Cairo protesting an
attack against a Coptic church in the
Aswan province last week erupted into
the worst violence since Mubarak's ouster
in February. Between 17 and 24 people were
killed and between 180 and 200 people were
wounded.
_____
Archbishop of Canterbury commends
courage of displaced Anglicans in Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news)- The Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, praised Anglicans
in Zimbabwe for remaining firm in the face of
assaults by followers of an excommunicated bishop
who has seized church property, forcing people to
find other places to worship. "You know very well,
dear brothers and sisters, what it means to have
doors locked in your faces by those who claim the
name of Christians and Anglicans," Archbishop
Williams told the approximately 15,000 people
who attended a communion service at a sports
stadium on the outskirts of the capital, Harare,
on 9 October.
*****
11 October 2011
Philippine church seeks support
for probe into bishop's murder
Manila, Philippines (ENI news) A homegrown
Philippine church is seeking international
backing to help pressure the government to
reinvestigate the unresolved murder of a
bishop five years ago. "We continue to ask
our partner churches -- such as the Anglican,
Episcopal and Old Catholic Churches -- in
the international community for solidarity
and support for the case," Bishop Ronelio
Fabriquier of the Philippine Independent
Church told ENI news in an interview in
early October.
_____
UN condemns Coptic killings in Egypt
Geneva (ENI news) - U.N. officials
condemned the sectarian violence in
Cairo on 9 October that left at least
two dozen dead and hundreds injured. A
protest against a church attack in Aswan
turned violent as some Christians and
Muslims battled each other and others
joined forces to protest military rule
and oppose soldiers and riot police.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ENI news,
the U.N.'s special rapporteur (or reporter)
on religious freedom said that governments
must create an atmosphere of religious
tolerance and communication.
*****
12 October 2011
Ecumenical Cuban seminary
celebrates 65th anniversary
Matanzas, Cuba (ENI news) - The Evangelical
Theological Seminary of Matanzas marked its
65th anniversary with a celebration from 3
to 4 October that focused on the theme
"The Mission of the Church and Theological
Education in Cuba today," according to a
news release from the Latin America and
Caribbean Communication Agency (ALC).
"In the complex religious and ecumenical
situation, but also the economic, political
and social one that we are living, God calls
us each one of us who attempt to respond to
that call [and gives] a reason for hope,"
said Reinerio Arce Valentin, dean of the
seminary.
_____
After Japan disaster, faith leaders
explore "another way of living"
Tokyo (ENI news) - Will the 11 March
earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-plant accident
cause the Japanese people to re-evaluate
their society and re-consider the balance
between spiritual and material things?
What role does religion have in this
environment? These were some of the
questions considered at a 10 October
interfaith symposium in Tokyo called
"Thinking about Natural Disasters and
Religion: Looking for Another Way of
Living," supported by several Buddhist
groups and the Japan Religion
Coordinating Project for Disaster
Relief. Spiritual-material balance is
the key for building a new civilization
following the 11 March disasters, said
Ahangamage Tuda Ariyaratne, leader of
Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement,
a Buddhist-based relief and development
organization centered on small communities.
*****
13 October 2011
Repression of religious minorities
is increasing, says human rights group
Geneva (ENI news) - Intolerance and violent
repression of religious and ethnic minorities,
often the most vulnerable groups in many
societies, is on the increase, said a
prominent human rights advocacy group.
"There is a growing trend of growing
intolerance," Philippe Dam, acting Geneva
director of Human Rights Watch, told ENI
news. Recently, he said, the advocacy body
studied repression a gainst Shia Muslims
in Saudi Arabia, Tibetan monasteries, and
Coptic Christians in Egypt.
*****
14 October 2011
Zimbabwe judges rule in favor of
established Anglican church
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - Zimbabwe's
high court has ordered Anglican Church
staffers back at a mission hospital from
where they were evicted by an excommunicated
bishop last month and ordered another
renegade bishop to hand back control of
a church building. Former bishop for the
Harare diocese Nolbert Kunonga evicted
nurses, teachers and office staff from
Daramombe mission south of the capital
in a series of property grabs before a
9 October visit from Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams. On 12 October,
High Court Justice Chinembiri Bhunu
ordered that the staffers be reinstated
and Kunonga refrain from interfering with
Daramombe.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online
October 3rd, 2011
"We do not arm ourselves against any
nation; we do not learn the art of war;
because, through Jesus Christ, we have
become the children of peace."
- Origen of Alexandria
---
October 4th, 2011
"I add my breath to your breath/
that our days be long on the Earth,/
that the days of our people may be long,/
that we shall be as one person,/
that we may finish our road together."
- Laguna Pueblo Prayer
---
October 5th, 2011
"Place your mind before the mirror of
eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance
of glory! Place your heart in the figure of
the divine substance! And transform your
whole being into the image of the Godhead
itself through contemplation!"
- Clare of Assisi
---
October 6th, 2011
"Yes, the highest things are beyond words.
That is probably why all art aspires to the
condition of wordlessness. When literature
works on you, it does so in silence, in your
dreams, in your wordless moments. Good words
enter you and become moods, become the quiet
fabric of your being. Like music, like
painting, literature too wants to transcend
its primary condition and become something
higher. Art wants to move into silence,
into the emotional and spiritual conditions
of the world. Statues become melodies,
melodies become yearnings, yearnings
become actions."
- Ben Okri
---
October 7th, 2011
"We can create a world as yet unimagined,
a world undreamed, yet dimly felt. We are
like the corn. Mysteriously hidden within
each of us are the seeds that can germinate
into a new society, a new planet. Like the
corn, we have hidden deep within our living
process a wisdom that reaches back to all
knowledge and beyond to all possibilities."
- Anne Wilson Schaef
---
October 10th, 2011
"We shall not cease from exploration/
And the end of all our exploring/
Will be to arrive where we started/
And know the place for the first time."
- T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets:
“Little Gidding”
---
October 11th, 2011
"You gain strength, courage and confidence
by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face. You are able
to say to yourself, 'I have lived through
this horror. I can take the next thing that
comes along.' You must do the thing you
think you cannot do."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided by the New York Times
On Oct. 3, 1990 - West Germany and East Germany
ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring
the creation of a new unified country.
http://tinyurl.com/4556s8v
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 - the Space Age began as the
Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first
man-made satellite, into orbit.
http://tinyurl.com/3ok4vzj
*****
Oct. 14, 1964 - Martin Luther King Jr.
named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
http://tinyurl.com/3lxv6su
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
The truly wise person kneels at the feet
of all creatures and is not afraid to
endure the mockery of others.
- Mechtild of Magdeburg
Maybe our ecological crises today are the
result of our failure to show reverence to
all creatures, to kneel at their feet, and
in doing so invite the mockery of an
anthropocentric, human-centered, rationalistic
mindset and economic system that rewards those
"above" and exploits or ignores those "below."
- Matthew Fox in "Christian Mystics"
(end)
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
___
Colleague Comment:
Arthur Bauer
Charlene Lazaruk
Douglas John Hall
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
___
Net Notes:
Heart and Soul
Raised on Faith
Pipeline to Disaster
The Fall of Nazi Germany
Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'
Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities
Tutu Tirade over SA Dalai Lama Ban
St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But...
Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia
Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe
Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Twenty ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria
Laguna Pueblo Prayer
Cclare of Assisi
Ben Okri
Anne Wilson Schaef
T.S. Eliot
Eleanor Roosevelt
___
On This Day:
Oct. 3, 1990 -
West and East Germany end 45 years of
division; create a new, unified country.
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 -
Space Age begins. USSR launches Sputnik,
the first man-made satellite, into orbit.
---
Oct. 14, 1964 -
Martin Luther King Jr. named winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize.
___
Closing Thought: Mechtild of Magdeburg
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
We have now returned home to Calgary
after a week of beautiful fall colours
and worthwhile cultural activity in
Ontario. My special item this week
is a brief reflection on the theme:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye."
Next week, I hope to provide a book
notice for colleague Mary Jo Leddy's
new release "The Other Face of God."
Be sure to check that out, Oct. 22nd.
___
This week, our Colleague Comments
come from:
Arthur Bauer - who shares his views on
my article "On Smelling the Roses" which
appeared in the October 1st issue of
Colleagues List.
Charlene Lazaruk - who discovered an
internet gem she wants to share with us.
Douglas John Hall - who thanks me for
my introduction of his new book "The
Messenger" (September 17th issue of
Colleagues List) and adds some kind
words about this blog.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy - colleague Beth Porter
interviews colleague Mary Jo Leddy
on the subject of her new book "The
Other Face of God" - a further
development of her thinking in an
earlier book "At the Border Called
Hope." It expands her views on
political refugees in Canada.
Martin Marty - comments on a new movie
"Machine Gun Preacher" reminding us
that some themes never really change.
Jim Taylor - expands on the subject of
"bullies" - a subject that many of us
need to understand better.
___
Net Notes:
"Heart and Soul" - an extensive three-
part series on Christianity in China
is provided by the BBC.
"Raised on Faith" - parents raise their
children in the church, then find that
even though the kids live 'Christian'
principles they don't attend. What to
think about that? (America Magazine)
"Pipeline to Disaster" - the Alberta
oilsands are becoming a global issue
and here is an important perspective
countering the positive, current spin
of the government of Canada
(The Christian Century)
"The Fall of Nazi Germany" - poignant
pictures from a time and place about
which many of us are unfamiliar
(The Atlantic Monthly)
"Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'" -
a Catholic authority paints a very
positive picture of this development
in spite of such realities as the
Coptic crisis in Egypt (Ucan News)
"Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities" -
other Catholic voices are deeply
concerned about the violence against
Christians in Egypt (The Tablet, UK)
"Tutu Tirade over Dalai Lama Ban" -
a noisy story last week was the
decision of the South African
government to decline a visa to
permit the Dalai Lama to celebrate
Tutus's 80th birthday and Tutu's
strong, subsequent reaction
(Anglican Journal News)
"St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But..."
- an interesting reflection on the
life of Steve Jobs of Apple, who died
recently (The Huffington Post)
"Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia"
- an important gathering of global Christian
leaders from all the major church traditions
took place recently in Indonesia (ENI news,
Washington Post, Ucan News)
"Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
- Christians in the Kerala state of India
are concerned about population decline,
and the church is suggesting a solution
(Yahoo News/Associated Press)
"George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe"
- the former Beatle had an approach to faith
that has become popular since his time
(National Catholic Reporter)
"Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans"
- another major news series of the week from
Africa, reports on how the Archbishop of
Canterbury is attempting to handle matters
with a despot (Anglican Journal)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
This week, I offer twenty news reports from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria, Laguna Pueblo Prayer,
Cclare of Assisi, Ben Okri, Anne Wilson
Schaef, T.S. Eliot and Eleanor Roosevelt
provide their insights.
___
On This Day:
West/East Germany form united country (1990)
Space age begins, USSR launches Sputnik (1957)
Martin Luther King wins Nobel Peace Prize (1964)
___
Closing Thought this week is provided by:
Mechtild of Magdeburg a medieval woman mystic.
Matthew Fox reflects on her comment.
___
Thanks for joining me again this week.
We are now back to a regular routine, and
Colleagues List should come to you weekly.
Blessings!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Program underway.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
Oct. 14th - Nov. 25th - six Friday noon sessions
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/
http://tinyurl.com/42hkejb
---
Series Two -
"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 books: $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
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
As I proposed here two weeks ago, my wife
Marlene and I spent a week in Ontario,
observing the coloured leaves in all their
autumnal glory.
Toronto was our base of operation, but we
traveled to Ottawa/Gatineau, west through
Algonquin Provincial Park and Muskoka, then
south to the vineyards of Niagara and some
sugar maple regions of southwestern Ontario.
Everywhere, we saw autumn leaves turning
from green to multi-coloured splendor.
We enjoyed historic sites in Ottawa and
Niagara-on-the-Lake, question period in
the House of Commons, and "My Fair Lady,"
"Heartbreak House," and "The Misanthrope"
at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals.
All told, it was a lovely way to spend the
early part of October. We were fortunate
that our timing allowed for maximum benefit
from seasonal natural and cultural tableaux.
For Marlene, it was a first opportunity to
see the colours of the eastern woodlands
in all their magnificence. For me, it was
an opportunity to enjoy what I had not much
appreciated during early years, as a youth
growing up in southwestern Ontario.
---
Most migrants to western Canada from the
"east" (Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic
provinces) will say they miss the coloured
leaves. They will comment that while the
"yellows" of Alberta, for example, can be
nice, they pale in comparison to what exists
"back home."
I probably said something similar over
the years, but I say it less now. I have
lived in western Canada the major part
of my life after first coming to Winnipeg
in 1971 and Calgary in 1979 (that's forty
years of prairies and foothills!)
The truth is, I saw the Ontario leaves
with a somewhat similar eye to my wife's -
a native Calgarian. I have become very
much at home in my western environment.
While I was truly awed by the colours I
saw in Ontario, I am also very aware of
the many beautiful aspects of an Alberta
autumn.
I see beautiful colours here, even though
they may not be as contrasting as what
we saw on our trip. Seeing the beauty
of Ontario this fall helps me enjoy the
richness of the setting I now call home.
This reminds me of a conversation I once
had with a native of the province of
Saskatchewan. The large, flat regions
of the southern part of that province
first struck me as boring. He countered
my views by saying that he enjoyed the
vital nature of the prairies because he
observed the subtle hues and manifold
changes he observed there. For him, there
was nothing like the beauty of what he
knew as home.
Enjoy the goodness of other places - yes!
Enjoy the goodness of home - above all!
That insight helps me appreciate the truth
of the wise maxim - "beauty lies in the
eye of the beholder."
---
Colleagues List book notices return next week.
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMUNICATION
ARTHUR BAUER
Pompton Plains, NJ
October 1st, 2011
Wayne,
Your mature comments about yourself and your
three observations are welcome reflections
from a long-time friend. It is a source of
happiness to read it. Enjoy Ontario and the
colored leaves. You, among other Canadians,
have made my own connections to Canada a
delightful part of my own journey and growth.
Every good wish.
Art
---
CHARLENE LAZARUK
Calgary, AB.
October 3rd, 2011
This is by far one of the most excellent
commercials I have ever seen!! Enjoy!!
I'm betting you won't guess WHAT this
commercial is about until the last !!
Voted the BEST commercial ever!
Totally made my day.
Charlene
http://tinyurl.com/4xsl8l5
---
DOUGLAS JOHN HALL
Montreal, QC
Oct. 13th, 2011
Dear Wayne - A quick thank you for that
lovely review (of my book "The Messenger"
September 17th.) I wish my readers were
all as kind as you! There have, however,
been some very fine responses — especially
from those who knew Bob Miller.
I continue to marvel at the scope and
pertinence of your work.
Doug.
*****
COLLEAGUES CONTRIBUTIONS
MARY JO LEDDY
Interview on her new book:
"The Other Face of God"
From L'Arche Canada's - "A Human Future"
Fall issue, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3m8e9t2
*****
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL.
Sightings 10/3/2011
"Machine Gun Preacher"
http://tinyurl.com/6jzuhbz
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Weblog, Oct 9th, 2011
"Bullies"
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj
*****
NET NOTES
HEART AND SOUL
Faith and Religion in China
(A three-part BBC video series)
October, 2011
Provided by Ucan News
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3q6nfjr
*****
RAISED ON FAITH
"Living it, but not practicing"
America Magazine
October 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3zapcc7
*****
PIPELINE TO DISASTER
Confronting the Alberta Oilsands
The Christian Century
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3ffge7h
*****
THE FALL OF NAZI GERMANY
The Atlantic Monthly:
A Picture Collection
October 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3bgth65
*****
ARAB SPRING 'NO THREAT TO WEST'
Muslims and Christians in Dialogue
Ucan News
October, 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gqbcjw
*****
COPTS BLAME EGYTPIAN AUTHORITIES
Riots Kill Many Christians
The Tablet, UK
October 15th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/65vtm4m
*****
TUTU TIRADE OVER DALAI LAMA BANN
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 4th, 2011
Dalai Lama refused visa by South Africa
Johannesburg (ENI news) - The Dalai Lama
cancelled a planned trip to South Africa to
celebrate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's
80th birthday after Tutu's home country
declined to issue a visa to the exiled
Tibetan Buddhist leader. Critics said the
government of President Jacob Zuma and his
African National Congress party were bowing
to pressure from China, a close trading
partner that has clashed with the Dalai
Lama over greater freedoms for Tibet,
which has been ruled by China since 1950.
_____
The Guardian,
October 5th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3oyjvtc
*****
ST. STEVE JOBS? PROBABLY NOT,
BUT...
The Huffington Post
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/44b4r9s
*****
CHRISTIAN LEADERS PLOT
ECUMENICAL FUTURE IN INDONESIA
Broad Christian Representation
At International Conference
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 3rd, 2011
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An
estimated 275 Christian leaders are
meeting in Indonesia from 4 to 7 October
to plot an ecumenical future in what one
veteran of the ecumenical movement called
a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
---
Washington Post
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wq2yl2
*****
"Interfaith Contact Essential"
Says Vatican Envoy to Conference
Ucan News
October 7th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3g3wdqq
*****
CHURCH IN KERALA, INDIA
SAYS 'HAVE MORE CHILDREN'
Yahoo/Associated Press
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/425x2aw
*****
HOW GEORGE HARRISON
CHANGED THE WAY WE BELIEVE
Beatle Star Charted New Course
National Catholic Reporter
October 12th, 2011
View using Mozilla search engine:
http://tinyurl.com/3lodn6t
*****
WILLIAMS ASKS MUGABE TO
HALT ATTACKS ON ANGLICANS
Anglican Journal
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6xxb8r3
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
3 October 2011
Zimbabwe diocese to welcome Williams
as ex-bishop prepares snub
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - As Zimbabweans
prepared to welcome Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams this week in a visit designed
to support Anglicans under siege from a
renegade ex-bishop, the former cleric himself
said he would snub the Anglican Communion
leader. Anglicans in Zimbabwe are embroiled
in a fight over church property with former
bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga who fell out
with the church in 2007 over what he said was
its pro-gay stance. Kunonga has formed his own
church with a clique of followers, claiming he
has rights over church property including
buildings, schools and hospitals.
_____
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An estimated
275 Christian leaders are meeting in Indonesia
from 4 to 7 October to plot an ecumenical future
in what one veteran of the ecumenical movement
called a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
*****
4 October 2011
In Australia, Catholic opinion
divided on gay marriage
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI news) - Catholic
opinion on gay marriage in Australia is divided
after a state parliament passed a motion endorsing
it. Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey warned he might
not perform any marriages at all if the law
requires him to perform gay ones, while two
Catholic politicians spoke out in favor of
gay marriage.
_____
Survey shows dissatisfication
among Israeli Jews
Jerusalem (ENI news) - Some 80 percent of
Jewish Israelis are dissatisfied with how
the government handles issues of religion
and state, according to a recent survey
released by the Smith Research Institute
for Hiddush-Freedom of Religion in Israel,
Inc. In addition, the survey revealed that,
although the data was collected in the midst
of a tense social-economic protest which has
focused primarily on the cost of housing and
living, 64 percent of the respondents viewed
tension between secular and ultra-Orthodox
Jews as the most or second most acute
domestic conflict in Israel. Thirty percent
said it is tension between rich and poor.
*****
5 October 2011
U.S. National Cathedral to re-open,
but needs quake repairs
Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Washington
National Cathedral will need "tens of
millions of dollars" over "numerous years"
to repair extensive damage to the nation's
second-largest church following a 23 August
earthquake, church officials said on 4
October. The landmark church requires $25
million "just to get to June 2012, for
the first phase of work ... we know it
will ultimately be much more," said Richard
Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral,
Religion News Service reports via USA Today.
The building has been closed since the quake,
with services held at other locations in the
U.S. capital. It is scheduled to reopen on
12 November for the consecration of the
Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the new Episcopal
bishop of Washington.
*****
6 October 2011
Mennonites support Lutheran efforts
in Horn of Africa
Geneva (ENI news) - An organization
supported by Mennonites has made a
significant contribution to the
Lutheran church's work at refugee
camps serving the Horn of Africa,
a gesture that both groups said is
a practical expression of a
reconciliation that was celebrated
last year. The Akron, Pennsylvania-
based Mennonite Central Committee,
a relief and development agency,
pledged a contribution valued at
US$369,500 that includes mosquito
nets as well as expertise for
education projects, said the
Geneva-based Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), which is
managing the Dadaab refugee
camp in Kenya for the U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees.
_____
Major demographic shift is under
way in Christianity, say scholars
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - Scholars
claim the biggest change in the history
of Christianity is underway amid the
religion's move to Africa, Latin America
and Asia. "The story of Christianity as
a worldwide faith is being written before
our eyes," declared Dr. Dana Robert of
Boston University School of Theology, as
she addressed a group of world church
leaders at the Global Christian Forum
(GCF) in Manado, Indonesia.
*****
7 October 2011
German university courses aim
to help Muslims integrate
Berlin, Germany (ENI news) - As more
Muslims become part of European society,
German universities have begun courses
aimed at helping Islamic clergy (imams)
and religious teachers understand German
culture, including Christianity and
Judaism. The first program began last
year at Osnabrueck University, with
another due to start this year at
Tuebingen. "The idea was to have a
program for imams because most of them
are educated in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt
or Bosnia," Moussa Al-Hassan Diaw,
coordinator of the Osnabrueck program,
said in an interview. "The focus [of
their previous education] is very much
on theology and the society where they
come from, but they don't have enough
knowledge concerning the situation in
Germany. Some imams don't speak the
German language, for example; they
don't know [German] history," he said.
_____
People of faith join Wall Street protests
New York (ENI news) -As police helicopters
hovered overhead, seminarian Rix Thorsell,
wearing a clerical collar, marched on 5
October with other members of Brooklyn's
Greenpoint Reformed Church in a "Occupy
Wall Street" protest that has captured
national and international attention.
"Jesus stood with the 99 percent [of
society that is not wealthy]," said
Thorsell, a student at New York's Union
Theological Seminary. Thorsell and the
members of his church and seminary were
among people of faith who have joined
the protests in lower Manhattan against
what activists are calling "corporate
greed" and growing economic inequity
in the United States.
_____
Peace Prize winner Gbowee says
faith helped in peace campaign
New York (ENI news) One of the 2011
Nobel Peace Prize winners, Leymah Gbowee,
a Liberian activist who helped bring her
country out of a brutal civil war, said
on 7 October that the best way to achieve
global peace is to start in local
communities. "It is time for us to do
justice in our communities ... one day
the world's problems will meet you at
your doorstep," she said at the
Interchurch Center in New York. Gbowee,
Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
and Yemen's Tawakkul Karman, who leads
opposition to dictatorial President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, shared the prize.
*****
10 October 2011
Egypt still rocked by sectarian violence
in post-Mubarak regime
Jerusalem (ENI news) As Egypt approaches
the anniversary of the protest movement
that overthrew former president Hosni
Mubarak, the country still finds itself
torn by sectarian violence. On 9 October,
a demonstration in Cairo protesting an
attack against a Coptic church in the
Aswan province last week erupted into
the worst violence since Mubarak's ouster
in February. Between 17 and 24 people were
killed and between 180 and 200 people were
wounded.
_____
Archbishop of Canterbury commends
courage of displaced Anglicans in Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news)- The Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, praised Anglicans
in Zimbabwe for remaining firm in the face of
assaults by followers of an excommunicated bishop
who has seized church property, forcing people to
find other places to worship. "You know very well,
dear brothers and sisters, what it means to have
doors locked in your faces by those who claim the
name of Christians and Anglicans," Archbishop
Williams told the approximately 15,000 people
who attended a communion service at a sports
stadium on the outskirts of the capital, Harare,
on 9 October.
*****
11 October 2011
Philippine church seeks support
for probe into bishop's murder
Manila, Philippines (ENI news) A homegrown
Philippine church is seeking international
backing to help pressure the government to
reinvestigate the unresolved murder of a
bishop five years ago. "We continue to ask
our partner churches -- such as the Anglican,
Episcopal and Old Catholic Churches -- in
the international community for solidarity
and support for the case," Bishop Ronelio
Fabriquier of the Philippine Independent
Church told ENI news in an interview in
early October.
_____
UN condemns Coptic killings in Egypt
Geneva (ENI news) - U.N. officials
condemned the sectarian violence in
Cairo on 9 October that left at least
two dozen dead and hundreds injured. A
protest against a church attack in Aswan
turned violent as some Christians and
Muslims battled each other and others
joined forces to protest military rule
and oppose soldiers and riot police.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ENI news,
the U.N.'s special rapporteur (or reporter)
on religious freedom said that governments
must create an atmosphere of religious
tolerance and communication.
*****
12 October 2011
Ecumenical Cuban seminary
celebrates 65th anniversary
Matanzas, Cuba (ENI news) - The Evangelical
Theological Seminary of Matanzas marked its
65th anniversary with a celebration from 3
to 4 October that focused on the theme
"The Mission of the Church and Theological
Education in Cuba today," according to a
news release from the Latin America and
Caribbean Communication Agency (ALC).
"In the complex religious and ecumenical
situation, but also the economic, political
and social one that we are living, God calls
us each one of us who attempt to respond to
that call [and gives] a reason for hope,"
said Reinerio Arce Valentin, dean of the
seminary.
_____
After Japan disaster, faith leaders
explore "another way of living"
Tokyo (ENI news) - Will the 11 March
earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-plant accident
cause the Japanese people to re-evaluate
their society and re-consider the balance
between spiritual and material things?
What role does religion have in this
environment? These were some of the
questions considered at a 10 October
interfaith symposium in Tokyo called
"Thinking about Natural Disasters and
Religion: Looking for Another Way of
Living," supported by several Buddhist
groups and the Japan Religion
Coordinating Project for Disaster
Relief. Spiritual-material balance is
the key for building a new civilization
following the 11 March disasters, said
Ahangamage Tuda Ariyaratne, leader of
Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement,
a Buddhist-based relief and development
organization centered on small communities.
*****
13 October 2011
Repression of religious minorities
is increasing, says human rights group
Geneva (ENI news) - Intolerance and violent
repression of religious and ethnic minorities,
often the most vulnerable groups in many
societies, is on the increase, said a
prominent human rights advocacy group.
"There is a growing trend of growing
intolerance," Philippe Dam, acting Geneva
director of Human Rights Watch, told ENI
news. Recently, he said, the advocacy body
studied repression a gainst Shia Muslims
in Saudi Arabia, Tibetan monasteries, and
Coptic Christians in Egypt.
*****
14 October 2011
Zimbabwe judges rule in favor of
established Anglican church
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - Zimbabwe's
high court has ordered Anglican Church
staffers back at a mission hospital from
where they were evicted by an excommunicated
bishop last month and ordered another
renegade bishop to hand back control of
a church building. Former bishop for the
Harare diocese Nolbert Kunonga evicted
nurses, teachers and office staff from
Daramombe mission south of the capital
in a series of property grabs before a
9 October visit from Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams. On 12 October,
High Court Justice Chinembiri Bhunu
ordered that the staffers be reinstated
and Kunonga refrain from interfering with
Daramombe.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online
October 3rd, 2011
"We do not arm ourselves against any
nation; we do not learn the art of war;
because, through Jesus Christ, we have
become the children of peace."
- Origen of Alexandria
---
October 4th, 2011
"I add my breath to your breath/
that our days be long on the Earth,/
that the days of our people may be long,/
that we shall be as one person,/
that we may finish our road together."
- Laguna Pueblo Prayer
---
October 5th, 2011
"Place your mind before the mirror of
eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance
of glory! Place your heart in the figure of
the divine substance! And transform your
whole being into the image of the Godhead
itself through contemplation!"
- Clare of Assisi
---
October 6th, 2011
"Yes, the highest things are beyond words.
That is probably why all art aspires to the
condition of wordlessness. When literature
works on you, it does so in silence, in your
dreams, in your wordless moments. Good words
enter you and become moods, become the quiet
fabric of your being. Like music, like
painting, literature too wants to transcend
its primary condition and become something
higher. Art wants to move into silence,
into the emotional and spiritual conditions
of the world. Statues become melodies,
melodies become yearnings, yearnings
become actions."
- Ben Okri
---
October 7th, 2011
"We can create a world as yet unimagined,
a world undreamed, yet dimly felt. We are
like the corn. Mysteriously hidden within
each of us are the seeds that can germinate
into a new society, a new planet. Like the
corn, we have hidden deep within our living
process a wisdom that reaches back to all
knowledge and beyond to all possibilities."
- Anne Wilson Schaef
---
October 10th, 2011
"We shall not cease from exploration/
And the end of all our exploring/
Will be to arrive where we started/
And know the place for the first time."
- T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets:
“Little Gidding”
---
October 11th, 2011
"You gain strength, courage and confidence
by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face. You are able
to say to yourself, 'I have lived through
this horror. I can take the next thing that
comes along.' You must do the thing you
think you cannot do."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided by the New York Times
On Oct. 3, 1990 - West Germany and East Germany
ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring
the creation of a new unified country.
http://tinyurl.com/4556s8v
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 - the Space Age began as the
Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first
man-made satellite, into orbit.
http://tinyurl.com/3ok4vzj
*****
Oct. 14, 1964 - Martin Luther King Jr.
named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
http://tinyurl.com/3lxv6su
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
The truly wise person kneels at the feet
of all creatures and is not afraid to
endure the mockery of others.
- Mechtild of Magdeburg
Maybe our ecological crises today are the
result of our failure to show reverence to
all creatures, to kneel at their feet, and
in doing so invite the mockery of an
anthropocentric, human-centered, rationalistic
mindset and economic system that rewards those
"above" and exploits or ignores those "below."
- Matthew Fox in "Christian Mystics"
(end)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Colleagues List, October 1st, 2011
Vol. VII. No. 8
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
In This Issue -
Special Item This Week:
A Personal Reflection
"On Smelling the Roses"
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
Ron Rolheiser
Jonathon Bonk
Doug Shantz
___
Net Notes:
Normal Mormons
Why Priests are Happy
Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online
Benedict's Listening Challenge
Roman Persecution Rears Ugly Head
Metal Thieves Damage British Churches
Muslim Killed Leaving Prayers in Nepal
Russian Priest Seeks "Pedophile" Book Ban
WCC Posts Online Theology/Ecumenism Library
Anglicans/Lutherans Honour Women's Ordination
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eleven ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Brenda Ueland
Richard Foster
Stephanie Paulsell
Garrison Keillor
Fannie Lou Hamer
___
On This Day:
Sept. 24, 1996 -
Many nations sign treaty to end the
testing/development of nuclear weapons.
Sept. 27, 1964 -
The Warren Commission reports Oswald
acted alone in killing Kennedy
Sept. 30, 1938 -
Allied leaders agree in Munich that
Nazi Germany will be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland
___
Closing Thought: Ernesto Cardenal
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
Colleagues Tom Cotrell and Paul Verhoef
have recently reminded me that colleague
Miroslav Volf, recently the author of "A
Public Faith" - introduced a few weeks
ago on Colleagues List - is coming to give
a talk at Ambrose University, Calgary,
on November 18th.
http://tinyurl.com/3arhdhg
---
Barbara Brown Taylor, author of "An Altar
in the World" - introduced last winter on
Colleagues List, will be in town, thanks
to the Wisdom Centre, Calgary, at Christ
Church, Elbow Park on the weekend of
December 2-4th.
http://www.wisdomcentre.ca/events.html
*****
In this issue I offer a personal reflection -
"On Smelling the Roses" - which implies that
Marlene and I are taking a week off at the
beginning of October. It means the next
issue of Colleagues List will be coming
to you dated Saturday, October 15th.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty - writes about the changing
nature of "Papal Headlines" in the media.
Jim Taylor - helps us to understand how
music offers another way of knowing.
Ron Rolheiser - reflects spiritually on
unconscious images that influence us.
Jonathon Bonk - takes on the subject of
alternate approaches to interfaith studies.
Doug Shantz - introduces the next Craigie
Lecturer at the U. of C. She speaks on
"Muslim Women and Gender Studies."
___
Net Notes:
"Normal Mormons" - the church of Jesus
Christ LDS is becoming a mainstream faith
(Christian Century)
"Why Priests are Happy" - a recent survey
supports the view that most priests are
happy in their vocation (Publishers Weekly)
"Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online" - these
ancient documents are becoming generally
available study (Huffington-Post Canada)
"Benedict's Listening Challenge" - the
pope's visit to Germany suggests he is
not listening to the German people
(The Tablet, UK)
"Roman Persecution Rears Ugly Head" -
far eastern Christians are not respected
for their faith traditions by the Vatican
(Ucan News)
"Metal Thieves Damage British Churches" -
the theft of metal from UK church buildings
is becoming a concern (Anglican Journal)
"Muslim Killed Leaving Prayers in Nepal" -
Hindu Kingdom demonstrates religious bias
is common to many faith traditions
(Ucan News)
"Russian Priest Seeks 'Pedophile' Book Ban"
- concern about what is considered pedophile
literature in Russia prompts priest's reaction
(The Guardian, UK)
"WCC Posts Online Theology/Ecumenism Library"
- World Council of Churches offers its vast
ecumenical resource library on the web
(ENI and Anglican Journal)
"Anglicans/Lutherans Honour Women's Ordination"
- two Canadian churches celebrate the 35th
anniversary of women's ordination this year
(Anglican Journal)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eleven stories are offered this week
from Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
____
Quotes of the Week:
Brenda Ueland, Richard Foster, Stephanie Paulsell
Garrison Keillor and Fannie Lou Hamer offer their
wisdom.
___
On This Day:
Provided from the archives of the
New York Times -
Many nations sign treaty to end nuclear
weapons testing/development (1996)
The Warren Commission declares Oswald
acted alone in killing Kennedy (1996)
Allied leaders agree in Munich that
Nazi Germany will be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland (1938)
___
Closing Thought:
This week, Ernesto Cardenal writes
of the magic of requited love, and
Matthew Fox adds his perspective.
___
Thanks for reading Colleagues List.
I will be back in touch with you
very soon!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $50.00 for class fees,
the two books and special hospitality
Purchase only the books - $35.00
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Register:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
October 21st - November 25th - six Friday noon sessions
---
Series Two -
"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 an official U of C Spirituality Centre Liaison
Cost of the books: $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
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection -
"On Smelling the Roses"
Next week, my wife Marlene and I are going
to Ontario - hoping we will see, among other
things, the beautiful autumn-coloured leaves
of that part of Eastern Canada.
In the forty years I have lived in Western
Canada I have rarely been to the east at
this time of year (I was always too busy.)
Marlene, a native Calgarian, has only the
experience of seeing the brilliant fall
yellows, common in this part of Canada.
We decided that we would celebrate our
wedding anniversary (October 8th) and my
completion of all procedures related to
my cancer surgery of last year, with a
brief but adventure-filled time in the
province of my birth.
We hope to visit Gatineau (north of Ottawa)
Algonquin Park, and Muskoka. During that time
there should be at least some good weather
to enjoy the colours. Also, as a memento,
we purchased a print of a Tom Thompson
painting - "The Canoe" set in Algonquin
Park!
When I lived in Ontario, I rarely paid
attention to things like coloured leaves
and art. For most of my time in the west
I was - as already noted - usually too
busy.
I had church staff work to look after...
I had a new congregation to develop...
I had doctoral studies to complete...
I had university courses to teach...
---
I'm sixty-nine now. While I have not slowed
my work pace much, I do find more time to
"smell the roses" and the trip east will be
such an occasion.
What has caused this change of attitude?
Why have I evolved from task orientation
to a more balanced lifestyle? I give you
a few reasons.
Firstly, I seem to have grown less consumed
with myself and my accomplishments.
It took some major life shocks during my 50's
to cause me to realize that all the work I
was doing was not all that important. I had
compromised my family life, and I had not
endeared myself to many colleagues. I may
have rationalized that I was doing great
things for God, but that is not how many
others seemed to interpret my activity.
Since I have begun to learn important
lessons about relational balance in life,
others seem to relish my accomplishments,
and we can all feel better about them.
I cannot undue the past, but I can live
more wisely into the future.
Secondly, I feel I have grown wiser in
terms of how to invest my energies. Before
rushing into a new direction or project,
I am more inclined to reflect on the
implications of what I am doing. Indeed,
I still make mistakes, but experience has
helped me to avoid some of the wasted
efforts and dead ends previously encountered.
Thirdly, I needed and was granted family
love in my life. When this great gift was
offered to me again, I was determined not
to blow it! Two of the most recent benefits
have been the care and concern I received
during my health challenges. Also, grand-
children provide joy beyond compare. I wish
I had invested more in my children, but
at least I have another opportunity.
---
"If I knew then what I know now" - is one
way of describing my current state. At least
I believe I see things in a maturer way.
I think I am less consumed with myself.
I believe I am a better steward of life energy.
I am convinced that family is invaluable.
Taken together, it should not be surprising
that Marlene and I are heading off for a
week of enjoyment; during a time of year
I would not have considered doing this
previously!
Thanks to people like Jock McTavish who
are covering for me. Thanks also to those
in my classes who are giving me "time off."
If the last rose of summer is no longer
blooming in the Royal Botanical Gardens of
Burlington, Ontario, you can be sure we will
find other flowers to smell!
*****
COLLEAGUES CONTRIBUTIONS
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL
Sightings 9/26/2011
"Papal Headlines"
http://tinyurl.com/6gtmrq9
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
September 28th, 2011
"Music: Bypassing the Intellect"
http://tinyurl.com/477vect
*****
RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX
Personal Blog
September 25th, 2011
"Unconscious Images that
Deeply Influence Us"
http://tinyurl.com/65xg8v5
*****
JONATHON BONK
New Haven, CT.
Editorial
International Bulletin of
Missionary Research
October, 2011
"Religions and the Common Good"
http://tinyurl.com/664pq3y
*****
DOUG SHANTZ
Calgary, AB.
Peter Craigie Memorial Lecture -
"Muslim Women and
the Jihad for Gender Justice"
Wednesday, October 12, at 7:30 in the Rozsa
Centre on the University of Calgary campus,
Zayn Kassam, Professor of Religious Studies
at Pomona College and Claremont Graduate
University in California, examines how
Muslim women are framed in western discourse
and explores how Muslim thinkers historically
situated in patriarchal contexts interpreted
the Qur’an’s verses dealing with women and
the family for legal and social purposes.
She will explore some of the challenges
facing Muslim women as they struggle for
gender justice and consider how Muslim
gender activists have turned their attention
to reading the Qur’an from a fresh perspective
to ascertain whether it can be read as a
women-friendly document.
Dr. Zayn Kassam holds her Ph.D. from McGill
University and has been honoured with two
awards for Distinguished Teaching. The author
of a reference work on Islam as well as an
edited volume on Women and Islam, she has
lectured on Islam and gender in North America
and in the United Kingdom, and has published
articles dealing with gender, ethics, pedagogy
and philosophy. Professor Kassam is currently
working on a feminist theology in Islam.
*****
NET NOTES
NORMAL MORMONS
A Minority Blends In
The Christian Century
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/4246e9x
*****
WHY PRIESTS ARE HAPPY
Survey Reveals Contented Clergy
Publishers Weekly
Sept. 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3fzoho2
*****
DEAD SEA SCROLLS NOW ONLINE
Once exclusive scholarly
documents now available to all
Huffington-Post Canada
September 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3k7l4fy
*****
BENEDICT'S LISTENING CHALLENGE
Reflection on His German Visit
The Tablet, UK
Oct. 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3kslbjy
*****
ROMAN PERSECUTION REARS UGLY HEAD
Rome wants global church to be
much like Southern Europe
Ucan News
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6k8xnc2
*****
THIEVES DAMAGE CHURCHES IN BRITAIN
Loss of metal is becoming problem
Anglican Journal
September 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3u5welu
*****
MUSLIM KILLED LEAVING PRAYERS IN NEPAL
Killing Stirs Interfaith Concern
Ucan News
Sept. 27th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3bldt9h
*****
RUSSIAN PRIEST URGES BAN ON
BOOKS 'SUPPORTING PEDOPHILIA'
Orthodox Church Crackdown
The Guardian, UK
September 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3g85pyd
*****
WCC LAUNCHES ONLINE LIBRARY
FOR THEOLOGY AND ECUMENISM
Documents for universal use
ENI News Report
September 23rd, 2011
WCC launches online library
for theology and ecumenism
Geneva (ENI news) - The World Council of
Churches (WCC) launched on 23 September
the first online digital library covering
theology and ecumenism, called GlobeTheoLib,
saying it will help close the information
gap between North and South. "The time has
come to launch a new model of ecumenical
sharing of theological resources in order
to prepare world Christianity for the 21st
century," said WCC general secretary the
Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit.
---
Anglican Journal
Sept. 23rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wsqbw3
*****
ANGLICANS/LUTHERANS MARK 35 YEARS
YEARS OF WOMEN'S ORDINATION
Celebration of Major Breakthrough
in Ministry Orders
Anglican Journal
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3pkflh2
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
23 September 2011
South Koreans' visit to North Korea
aims to ease tensions
Tokyo (ENI news) - A four-day visit to
North Korea by representatives of several
South Korean religious denominations is
a sign tensions may be easing between the
two nations, observers said. Led by Roman
Catholic Archbishop Kim Hee-joong of
Kwangju, the 24-member delegation planned
to deliver wishes for peace from South
Korea's faith community, hold talks with
religious counterparts and participate
in joint prayer meetings. Members of the
group represented Buddhist, Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Confucian and other faith groups.
They belong to the Korean Conference of
Religions for Peace and are visiting the
North Korean capital of Pyongyang and
other cities from 21 to 24 September.
_____
Pope's trip to Germany
fails to meet ecumenical hopes
Berlin (ENI news) - Pope Benedict XVI's
visit to Germany on 23 September featured
an ecumenical worship service in the town
of Erfurt that was meant to reach out to
German Protestants, but for many felt like
a missed opportunity. In his sermon,
Benedict said that "there was some talk
of an 'ecumenical gift' which was expected
from this visit Â… Here I would only say that
this reflects a political misreading of faith
and of ecumenism." Many were disappointed
there was no indication that the pope
intended to relax a ban on non-Catholics
taking communion in Catholic churches, or
recognize Protestant denominations as
"true churches" as opposed to
"ecclesiastical communities."
*****
26 September 2011
Suicide bomber attacks
packed Indonesian church
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI) - A suicide bomber
blew himself up on the porch of an Indonesian
church packed with hundreds of worshippers on 25
September, injuring 28 people, some critically.
The bombing of the protestant Bethel Injil
Sepuluh church in Solo, a city in central
Indonesia's Java province, was the latest in
a series of deadly attacks on minorities in
the in the world's most populous Muslim-majority
nation. Witnesses reported hearing the blast 500
meters away. Religious Affairs Minister
Suryadharma Ali strongly condemned the attack
and urged the police to investigate.
_____
Scotland's gay marriage discussion
stirring controversy among faith groups
Edinburgh, Scotland (ENI) - The Scottish
government has begun a 14-week public
consultation, running from 2 September to
9 December, on the question of legalizing
marriage for gay couples, encouraging
individuals and groups such as religious
organizations to take part. Catholic
church leaders have already begun to
criticize the idea. Cardinal Keith
O'Brien, in a homily given in early
September at St. Patrick's Church,
Edinburgh, said "the view of the Church
is clear. No government can re-write
human nature: the family and marriage
existed before the state and are built
on the union between a man and a woman."
_____
Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai
was influenced by faith
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) - Church leaders in
Kenya paid tribute to Wangari Maathai, the
first African woman Nobel Peace prize winner,
who died on 25 September, as a person who
cared for God's creation through campaigning
for environmental protection. Maathai, who
was a Roman Catholic, died at 71 in Nairobi
Hospital from cancer.
_____
25-year-old Belhar Confession
still relevant for South African churches
Cape Town, South Africa (ENI) - Twenty-five
years after a Christian statement of belief
known as the Belhar Confession was adopted,
the issues it raised are still important,
according to a South African theologian.
"We have not united, we have a lot of
challenges, we do seek authentic church
unity, but issues dealing with restorative
justice have yet to be fully tackled," said
Rev. Thias Kgatla, Uniting Reformed Church
in Southern Africa (URCSA) moderator.
*****
28 September 2011
Lutheran pastor appointed dean
of Anglican cathedral in Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba (ENI) - In a historic move,
the Anglican diocese of Rupert's Land appointed
a Lutheran pastor, the Rev. Paul Johnson, as
dean of the diocese and incumbent for St. John's
Cathedral in Winnipeg, reports the Anglican
Journal. This is the first time a Canadian
Lutheran pastor has been appointed dean in an
Anglican cathedral in Canada. A dean is the
priest in charge of a cathedral ("mother church")
and occupies a senior position in a diocese.
_____
Asian ecumenical group sees
Philippines as "model" for peace
Manila, Philippines (ENI) - Despite its
protracted and often obstacle-ridden peace
processes, the Philippines is seen as a
"model" for peace building in the region,
says an Asian ecumenical leader. "We look
to the Philippines as a good model for
church leaders actively engaged in supporting
peace negotiations, and we will continue to
monitor developments in that area," said
Carlos Ocampo, executive secretary for
Justice, International Affairs, Development
and Service at the Christian Conference of
Asia (CCA).
*****
29 September 2011
Partisan politics affecting role of faith
groups in U.S., says prominent journalist
New York (ENI) - The role of the diverse US
faith community in debates about the future
of the United States is essentially unsettled
right now due to partisan politics, says a
prominent broadcast journalist and former
White House communications director. Speaking
Wednesday, 28 September, to members of the
National Council of Churches Communications
Commission, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News
said that the Christian religious right is
only one strand of the larger Tea Party
movement, a conservative movement that has
opposed many of the policies of the
administration of President Barack Obama.
_____
Interfaith relief efforts continue
to thrive in Uganda
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) - Faith leaders in
Uganda are celebrating ten years of successful
inter-faith service to citizens in the east
Africa nation that has rebounded from civil
war and economic catastrophe. Working through
the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRC),
the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox
Seventh Adventists groups together with
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council have delivered
services in health, peace, human rights,
democracy, good governance, and HIV and
AIDS sectors.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
September 26th, 2011
"I have been writing a long time and have
learned some things, not only from my own
long hard work, but from a writing class
I had for three years. In this class were
all kinds of people: prosperous and poor,
stenographers, housewives, salesmen,
cultivated people and little servant
girls who had never been to high school,
timid people and bold ones, slow and quick
ones. This is what I learned: that everybody
is talented, original, and has something
important to say."
- Brenda Ueland
---
September 27th, 2011
"We have real difficulty here because
everyone thinks of changing the world,
but where, oh where, are those who
think of changing themselves?"
- Richard Foster
---
September 28th, 2011
"The bath of baptism gathers up the
tension between sacredness and
vulnerability, for baptism is not
a pleasant soak in a tub but an
immersion in death. As anyone who
has ever felt the pull of an ocean
undertow knows, water not only has
the power to support and comfort us,
it has the power to destroy us as
well. Waters that close over our
head might never open again. Naked
and unguarded, we are vulnerable
when we bathe."
- Stephanie Paulsell
---
September 29th, 2011
"Some people think it is difficult to be
a Christian and to laugh, but I think it's
the other way around. God writes a lot of
comedy, it's just that [God] has so many
bad actors."
- Garrison Keillor
---
September 30th, 2011
"Christianity is being concerned about your
fellow [people], not building a million-dollar
church while people are starving right around
the corner. Christ was a revolutionary person,
out there where it was happening. That's what
God is all about, and that's where I get my
strength."
- Fannie Lou Hamer
*****
ON THIS DAY
Sept. 24, 1996, the United States and the
world's other major nuclear powers signed
a treaty to end all testing and development
of nuclear weapons.
http://tinyurl.com/3jn9y4x
*****
Sept. 27, 1964, the Warren Commission issued
a report concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald
acted alone in assassinating President John
F. Kennedy.
http://tinyurl.com/3dn7v5l
*****
Sept. 30, 1938, British, French, German and
Italian leaders agreed at a meeting in Munich
that Nazi Germany would be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.
http://tinyurl.com/67bvhs3
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
From "Christian Mystics"
When we feel a person we love requites our love,
this intensifies our own love. Nothing, in fact,
incites our love more than the knowledge that the
beloved returns our love, and any increase of love
on the part of the beloved, intensifies in turn
the love that burns in ourselves.
- Ernesto Cardenal
When another says yes to our love and returns it
to us, love doubles and triples in its presence
and intensity. Love begets love. Love births love.
The burning deepens and goes on and on.
- Matthew Fox
(end)
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
In This Issue -
Special Item This Week:
A Personal Reflection
"On Smelling the Roses"
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
Ron Rolheiser
Jonathon Bonk
Doug Shantz
___
Net Notes:
Normal Mormons
Why Priests are Happy
Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online
Benedict's Listening Challenge
Roman Persecution Rears Ugly Head
Metal Thieves Damage British Churches
Muslim Killed Leaving Prayers in Nepal
Russian Priest Seeks "Pedophile" Book Ban
WCC Posts Online Theology/Ecumenism Library
Anglicans/Lutherans Honour Women's Ordination
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eleven ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Brenda Ueland
Richard Foster
Stephanie Paulsell
Garrison Keillor
Fannie Lou Hamer
___
On This Day:
Sept. 24, 1996 -
Many nations sign treaty to end the
testing/development of nuclear weapons.
Sept. 27, 1964 -
The Warren Commission reports Oswald
acted alone in killing Kennedy
Sept. 30, 1938 -
Allied leaders agree in Munich that
Nazi Germany will be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland
___
Closing Thought: Ernesto Cardenal
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
Colleagues Tom Cotrell and Paul Verhoef
have recently reminded me that colleague
Miroslav Volf, recently the author of "A
Public Faith" - introduced a few weeks
ago on Colleagues List - is coming to give
a talk at Ambrose University, Calgary,
on November 18th.
http://tinyurl.com/3arhdhg
---
Barbara Brown Taylor, author of "An Altar
in the World" - introduced last winter on
Colleagues List, will be in town, thanks
to the Wisdom Centre, Calgary, at Christ
Church, Elbow Park on the weekend of
December 2-4th.
http://www.wisdomcentre.ca/events.html
*****
In this issue I offer a personal reflection -
"On Smelling the Roses" - which implies that
Marlene and I are taking a week off at the
beginning of October. It means the next
issue of Colleagues List will be coming
to you dated Saturday, October 15th.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty - writes about the changing
nature of "Papal Headlines" in the media.
Jim Taylor - helps us to understand how
music offers another way of knowing.
Ron Rolheiser - reflects spiritually on
unconscious images that influence us.
Jonathon Bonk - takes on the subject of
alternate approaches to interfaith studies.
Doug Shantz - introduces the next Craigie
Lecturer at the U. of C. She speaks on
"Muslim Women and Gender Studies."
___
Net Notes:
"Normal Mormons" - the church of Jesus
Christ LDS is becoming a mainstream faith
(Christian Century)
"Why Priests are Happy" - a recent survey
supports the view that most priests are
happy in their vocation (Publishers Weekly)
"Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online" - these
ancient documents are becoming generally
available study (Huffington-Post Canada)
"Benedict's Listening Challenge" - the
pope's visit to Germany suggests he is
not listening to the German people
(The Tablet, UK)
"Roman Persecution Rears Ugly Head" -
far eastern Christians are not respected
for their faith traditions by the Vatican
(Ucan News)
"Metal Thieves Damage British Churches" -
the theft of metal from UK church buildings
is becoming a concern (Anglican Journal)
"Muslim Killed Leaving Prayers in Nepal" -
Hindu Kingdom demonstrates religious bias
is common to many faith traditions
(Ucan News)
"Russian Priest Seeks 'Pedophile' Book Ban"
- concern about what is considered pedophile
literature in Russia prompts priest's reaction
(The Guardian, UK)
"WCC Posts Online Theology/Ecumenism Library"
- World Council of Churches offers its vast
ecumenical resource library on the web
(ENI and Anglican Journal)
"Anglicans/Lutherans Honour Women's Ordination"
- two Canadian churches celebrate the 35th
anniversary of women's ordination this year
(Anglican Journal)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eleven stories are offered this week
from Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
____
Quotes of the Week:
Brenda Ueland, Richard Foster, Stephanie Paulsell
Garrison Keillor and Fannie Lou Hamer offer their
wisdom.
___
On This Day:
Provided from the archives of the
New York Times -
Many nations sign treaty to end nuclear
weapons testing/development (1996)
The Warren Commission declares Oswald
acted alone in killing Kennedy (1996)
Allied leaders agree in Munich that
Nazi Germany will be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland (1938)
___
Closing Thought:
This week, Ernesto Cardenal writes
of the magic of requited love, and
Matthew Fox adds his perspective.
___
Thanks for reading Colleagues List.
I will be back in touch with you
very soon!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $50.00 for class fees,
the two books and special hospitality
Purchase only the books - $35.00
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Register:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
October 21st - November 25th - six Friday noon sessions
---
Series Two -
"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 an official U of C Spirituality Centre Liaison
Cost of the books: $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
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection -
"On Smelling the Roses"
Next week, my wife Marlene and I are going
to Ontario - hoping we will see, among other
things, the beautiful autumn-coloured leaves
of that part of Eastern Canada.
In the forty years I have lived in Western
Canada I have rarely been to the east at
this time of year (I was always too busy.)
Marlene, a native Calgarian, has only the
experience of seeing the brilliant fall
yellows, common in this part of Canada.
We decided that we would celebrate our
wedding anniversary (October 8th) and my
completion of all procedures related to
my cancer surgery of last year, with a
brief but adventure-filled time in the
province of my birth.
We hope to visit Gatineau (north of Ottawa)
Algonquin Park, and Muskoka. During that time
there should be at least some good weather
to enjoy the colours. Also, as a memento,
we purchased a print of a Tom Thompson
painting - "The Canoe" set in Algonquin
Park!
When I lived in Ontario, I rarely paid
attention to things like coloured leaves
and art. For most of my time in the west
I was - as already noted - usually too
busy.
I had church staff work to look after...
I had a new congregation to develop...
I had doctoral studies to complete...
I had university courses to teach...
---
I'm sixty-nine now. While I have not slowed
my work pace much, I do find more time to
"smell the roses" and the trip east will be
such an occasion.
What has caused this change of attitude?
Why have I evolved from task orientation
to a more balanced lifestyle? I give you
a few reasons.
Firstly, I seem to have grown less consumed
with myself and my accomplishments.
It took some major life shocks during my 50's
to cause me to realize that all the work I
was doing was not all that important. I had
compromised my family life, and I had not
endeared myself to many colleagues. I may
have rationalized that I was doing great
things for God, but that is not how many
others seemed to interpret my activity.
Since I have begun to learn important
lessons about relational balance in life,
others seem to relish my accomplishments,
and we can all feel better about them.
I cannot undue the past, but I can live
more wisely into the future.
Secondly, I feel I have grown wiser in
terms of how to invest my energies. Before
rushing into a new direction or project,
I am more inclined to reflect on the
implications of what I am doing. Indeed,
I still make mistakes, but experience has
helped me to avoid some of the wasted
efforts and dead ends previously encountered.
Thirdly, I needed and was granted family
love in my life. When this great gift was
offered to me again, I was determined not
to blow it! Two of the most recent benefits
have been the care and concern I received
during my health challenges. Also, grand-
children provide joy beyond compare. I wish
I had invested more in my children, but
at least I have another opportunity.
---
"If I knew then what I know now" - is one
way of describing my current state. At least
I believe I see things in a maturer way.
I think I am less consumed with myself.
I believe I am a better steward of life energy.
I am convinced that family is invaluable.
Taken together, it should not be surprising
that Marlene and I are heading off for a
week of enjoyment; during a time of year
I would not have considered doing this
previously!
Thanks to people like Jock McTavish who
are covering for me. Thanks also to those
in my classes who are giving me "time off."
If the last rose of summer is no longer
blooming in the Royal Botanical Gardens of
Burlington, Ontario, you can be sure we will
find other flowers to smell!
*****
COLLEAGUES CONTRIBUTIONS
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL
Sightings 9/26/2011
"Papal Headlines"
http://tinyurl.com/6gtmrq9
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
September 28th, 2011
"Music: Bypassing the Intellect"
http://tinyurl.com/477vect
*****
RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX
Personal Blog
September 25th, 2011
"Unconscious Images that
Deeply Influence Us"
http://tinyurl.com/65xg8v5
*****
JONATHON BONK
New Haven, CT.
Editorial
International Bulletin of
Missionary Research
October, 2011
"Religions and the Common Good"
http://tinyurl.com/664pq3y
*****
DOUG SHANTZ
Calgary, AB.
Peter Craigie Memorial Lecture -
"Muslim Women and
the Jihad for Gender Justice"
Wednesday, October 12, at 7:30 in the Rozsa
Centre on the University of Calgary campus,
Zayn Kassam, Professor of Religious Studies
at Pomona College and Claremont Graduate
University in California, examines how
Muslim women are framed in western discourse
and explores how Muslim thinkers historically
situated in patriarchal contexts interpreted
the Qur’an’s verses dealing with women and
the family for legal and social purposes.
She will explore some of the challenges
facing Muslim women as they struggle for
gender justice and consider how Muslim
gender activists have turned their attention
to reading the Qur’an from a fresh perspective
to ascertain whether it can be read as a
women-friendly document.
Dr. Zayn Kassam holds her Ph.D. from McGill
University and has been honoured with two
awards for Distinguished Teaching. The author
of a reference work on Islam as well as an
edited volume on Women and Islam, she has
lectured on Islam and gender in North America
and in the United Kingdom, and has published
articles dealing with gender, ethics, pedagogy
and philosophy. Professor Kassam is currently
working on a feminist theology in Islam.
*****
NET NOTES
NORMAL MORMONS
A Minority Blends In
The Christian Century
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/4246e9x
*****
WHY PRIESTS ARE HAPPY
Survey Reveals Contented Clergy
Publishers Weekly
Sept. 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3fzoho2
*****
DEAD SEA SCROLLS NOW ONLINE
Once exclusive scholarly
documents now available to all
Huffington-Post Canada
September 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3k7l4fy
*****
BENEDICT'S LISTENING CHALLENGE
Reflection on His German Visit
The Tablet, UK
Oct. 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3kslbjy
*****
ROMAN PERSECUTION REARS UGLY HEAD
Rome wants global church to be
much like Southern Europe
Ucan News
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6k8xnc2
*****
THIEVES DAMAGE CHURCHES IN BRITAIN
Loss of metal is becoming problem
Anglican Journal
September 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3u5welu
*****
MUSLIM KILLED LEAVING PRAYERS IN NEPAL
Killing Stirs Interfaith Concern
Ucan News
Sept. 27th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3bldt9h
*****
RUSSIAN PRIEST URGES BAN ON
BOOKS 'SUPPORTING PEDOPHILIA'
Orthodox Church Crackdown
The Guardian, UK
September 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3g85pyd
*****
WCC LAUNCHES ONLINE LIBRARY
FOR THEOLOGY AND ECUMENISM
Documents for universal use
ENI News Report
September 23rd, 2011
WCC launches online library
for theology and ecumenism
Geneva (ENI news) - The World Council of
Churches (WCC) launched on 23 September
the first online digital library covering
theology and ecumenism, called GlobeTheoLib,
saying it will help close the information
gap between North and South. "The time has
come to launch a new model of ecumenical
sharing of theological resources in order
to prepare world Christianity for the 21st
century," said WCC general secretary the
Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit.
---
Anglican Journal
Sept. 23rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wsqbw3
*****
ANGLICANS/LUTHERANS MARK 35 YEARS
YEARS OF WOMEN'S ORDINATION
Celebration of Major Breakthrough
in Ministry Orders
Anglican Journal
September 26th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3pkflh2
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
23 September 2011
South Koreans' visit to North Korea
aims to ease tensions
Tokyo (ENI news) - A four-day visit to
North Korea by representatives of several
South Korean religious denominations is
a sign tensions may be easing between the
two nations, observers said. Led by Roman
Catholic Archbishop Kim Hee-joong of
Kwangju, the 24-member delegation planned
to deliver wishes for peace from South
Korea's faith community, hold talks with
religious counterparts and participate
in joint prayer meetings. Members of the
group represented Buddhist, Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Confucian and other faith groups.
They belong to the Korean Conference of
Religions for Peace and are visiting the
North Korean capital of Pyongyang and
other cities from 21 to 24 September.
_____
Pope's trip to Germany
fails to meet ecumenical hopes
Berlin (ENI news) - Pope Benedict XVI's
visit to Germany on 23 September featured
an ecumenical worship service in the town
of Erfurt that was meant to reach out to
German Protestants, but for many felt like
a missed opportunity. In his sermon,
Benedict said that "there was some talk
of an 'ecumenical gift' which was expected
from this visit Â… Here I would only say that
this reflects a political misreading of faith
and of ecumenism." Many were disappointed
there was no indication that the pope
intended to relax a ban on non-Catholics
taking communion in Catholic churches, or
recognize Protestant denominations as
"true churches" as opposed to
"ecclesiastical communities."
*****
26 September 2011
Suicide bomber attacks
packed Indonesian church
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI) - A suicide bomber
blew himself up on the porch of an Indonesian
church packed with hundreds of worshippers on 25
September, injuring 28 people, some critically.
The bombing of the protestant Bethel Injil
Sepuluh church in Solo, a city in central
Indonesia's Java province, was the latest in
a series of deadly attacks on minorities in
the in the world's most populous Muslim-majority
nation. Witnesses reported hearing the blast 500
meters away. Religious Affairs Minister
Suryadharma Ali strongly condemned the attack
and urged the police to investigate.
_____
Scotland's gay marriage discussion
stirring controversy among faith groups
Edinburgh, Scotland (ENI) - The Scottish
government has begun a 14-week public
consultation, running from 2 September to
9 December, on the question of legalizing
marriage for gay couples, encouraging
individuals and groups such as religious
organizations to take part. Catholic
church leaders have already begun to
criticize the idea. Cardinal Keith
O'Brien, in a homily given in early
September at St. Patrick's Church,
Edinburgh, said "the view of the Church
is clear. No government can re-write
human nature: the family and marriage
existed before the state and are built
on the union between a man and a woman."
_____
Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai
was influenced by faith
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) - Church leaders in
Kenya paid tribute to Wangari Maathai, the
first African woman Nobel Peace prize winner,
who died on 25 September, as a person who
cared for God's creation through campaigning
for environmental protection. Maathai, who
was a Roman Catholic, died at 71 in Nairobi
Hospital from cancer.
_____
25-year-old Belhar Confession
still relevant for South African churches
Cape Town, South Africa (ENI) - Twenty-five
years after a Christian statement of belief
known as the Belhar Confession was adopted,
the issues it raised are still important,
according to a South African theologian.
"We have not united, we have a lot of
challenges, we do seek authentic church
unity, but issues dealing with restorative
justice have yet to be fully tackled," said
Rev. Thias Kgatla, Uniting Reformed Church
in Southern Africa (URCSA) moderator.
*****
28 September 2011
Lutheran pastor appointed dean
of Anglican cathedral in Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba (ENI) - In a historic move,
the Anglican diocese of Rupert's Land appointed
a Lutheran pastor, the Rev. Paul Johnson, as
dean of the diocese and incumbent for St. John's
Cathedral in Winnipeg, reports the Anglican
Journal. This is the first time a Canadian
Lutheran pastor has been appointed dean in an
Anglican cathedral in Canada. A dean is the
priest in charge of a cathedral ("mother church")
and occupies a senior position in a diocese.
_____
Asian ecumenical group sees
Philippines as "model" for peace
Manila, Philippines (ENI) - Despite its
protracted and often obstacle-ridden peace
processes, the Philippines is seen as a
"model" for peace building in the region,
says an Asian ecumenical leader. "We look
to the Philippines as a good model for
church leaders actively engaged in supporting
peace negotiations, and we will continue to
monitor developments in that area," said
Carlos Ocampo, executive secretary for
Justice, International Affairs, Development
and Service at the Christian Conference of
Asia (CCA).
*****
29 September 2011
Partisan politics affecting role of faith
groups in U.S., says prominent journalist
New York (ENI) - The role of the diverse US
faith community in debates about the future
of the United States is essentially unsettled
right now due to partisan politics, says a
prominent broadcast journalist and former
White House communications director. Speaking
Wednesday, 28 September, to members of the
National Council of Churches Communications
Commission, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News
said that the Christian religious right is
only one strand of the larger Tea Party
movement, a conservative movement that has
opposed many of the policies of the
administration of President Barack Obama.
_____
Interfaith relief efforts continue
to thrive in Uganda
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) - Faith leaders in
Uganda are celebrating ten years of successful
inter-faith service to citizens in the east
Africa nation that has rebounded from civil
war and economic catastrophe. Working through
the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRC),
the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox
Seventh Adventists groups together with
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council have delivered
services in health, peace, human rights,
democracy, good governance, and HIV and
AIDS sectors.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
September 26th, 2011
"I have been writing a long time and have
learned some things, not only from my own
long hard work, but from a writing class
I had for three years. In this class were
all kinds of people: prosperous and poor,
stenographers, housewives, salesmen,
cultivated people and little servant
girls who had never been to high school,
timid people and bold ones, slow and quick
ones. This is what I learned: that everybody
is talented, original, and has something
important to say."
- Brenda Ueland
---
September 27th, 2011
"We have real difficulty here because
everyone thinks of changing the world,
but where, oh where, are those who
think of changing themselves?"
- Richard Foster
---
September 28th, 2011
"The bath of baptism gathers up the
tension between sacredness and
vulnerability, for baptism is not
a pleasant soak in a tub but an
immersion in death. As anyone who
has ever felt the pull of an ocean
undertow knows, water not only has
the power to support and comfort us,
it has the power to destroy us as
well. Waters that close over our
head might never open again. Naked
and unguarded, we are vulnerable
when we bathe."
- Stephanie Paulsell
---
September 29th, 2011
"Some people think it is difficult to be
a Christian and to laugh, but I think it's
the other way around. God writes a lot of
comedy, it's just that [God] has so many
bad actors."
- Garrison Keillor
---
September 30th, 2011
"Christianity is being concerned about your
fellow [people], not building a million-dollar
church while people are starving right around
the corner. Christ was a revolutionary person,
out there where it was happening. That's what
God is all about, and that's where I get my
strength."
- Fannie Lou Hamer
*****
ON THIS DAY
Sept. 24, 1996, the United States and the
world's other major nuclear powers signed
a treaty to end all testing and development
of nuclear weapons.
http://tinyurl.com/3jn9y4x
*****
Sept. 27, 1964, the Warren Commission issued
a report concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald
acted alone in assassinating President John
F. Kennedy.
http://tinyurl.com/3dn7v5l
*****
Sept. 30, 1938, British, French, German and
Italian leaders agreed at a meeting in Munich
that Nazi Germany would be allowed to annex
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.
http://tinyurl.com/67bvhs3
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
From "Christian Mystics"
When we feel a person we love requites our love,
this intensifies our own love. Nothing, in fact,
incites our love more than the knowledge that the
beloved returns our love, and any increase of love
on the part of the beloved, intensifies in turn
the love that burns in ourselves.
- Ernesto Cardenal
When another says yes to our love and returns it
to us, love doubles and triples in its presence
and intensity. Love begets love. Love births love.
The burning deepens and goes on and on.
- Matthew Fox
(end)
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