*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
In This Issue -
Special Items This Week:
"Early Protestant Missionaries
in Southern Alberta"
---
"Remembering David Somerville"
Including -
My Book Review from the Archives:
"Sing a New Song - Portraits of
Canada's Crusading Bishops"
___
Colleague Contributions:
Ron Rolheiser
Lorna Dueck
Jim Taylor
Martin Marty
___
Net Notes:
End of Empire
Massive Shock to the System
Lady Gaga and Christian Imagery
Monogamy in the Age of Dan Savage
Mumbai to Get Christian Art Museum
Rome Gives Special Youth Concession
More People Face Religious Restrictions
Adam and Eve Questioned by Evangelicals
Vatican Should Adapt to Local Conditions
Religious Leader Charged in Sex Assaults
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Sixteen ENI Geneva stories this week.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Mark O. Hatfield
Sara Miles
Pat Conroy
David Buttrick
Thomas Moore
Thomas Merton
___
On This Day:
Aug. 6, 1945 -
US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
Aug. 8, 1974 -
Nixon Resigns Over Watergate Scandal
Aug. 13, 1961 -
Berlin Wall Erected, Dividing City
Aug. 14, 1945 -
Truman announces Japanese Surrender
Aug. 15, 1947 -
India/Pakistan Independence Declared
Aug. 17, 1969 -
"Woodstock" Ends in Upstate New York
Aug. 18, 1963 -
Meredith is first black Ol' Miss Grad
___
Closing Thought: Ernesto Cardenal
***************
Dear Friends:
To begin, I want to commemorate the life
of Larry Fisk, long-time member of our
Adult Spiritual Development (ACTS)
ministry at St. Davids, Calgary. His
memorial service was held this week.
He died of colon cancer.
Larry, rest in peace.
---
We are now past the mid-point of August
and life begins to point toward the end
of summer.
One of the more interesting events Marlene
and I attended recently was the Chinook
Historical Society presentation at the
McDougall Memorial United Church, west
of Calgary. It took place in one of our
province's prettiest settings.
Check out the pictures in these links:
http://tinyurl.com/4ypvwww
Click to enlarge photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3eohtqc
The theme of the lectures was:
"Early Protestant Missionaries in
Southern Alberta" and I hope you will
enjoy reading my notes of the talks.
---
I would like to acknowledge the recent
death of David Somerville, the former
Anglican archbishop of the Yukon and
British Columbia. I never know him, but
several years ago I reviewed a book that
included his very interesting story for
the Anglican Journal.
Today, I share an obituary and my review.
---
Colleague Contributions:
Ron Rolheiser - offers us his desire for an
improvement in the climate of our moral
discourse at a time when the quality of the
rhetoric is much less than it should be.
Lorna Dueck - writes in the Globe and Mail
about the work of prayer currently taking
place as a result of the riots in the UK.
Jim Taylor - gives his us views on the
"reasons" behind that same UK violence.
Martin Marty - introduces two recent
books by American evangelical authors.
They differ significantly on issues -
such as the meaning of heaven and hell.
___
Net Notes:
"End of Empire" - the recent debt ceiling
talks in Washington and the theatrics that
surrounded those talks are dissected by
an excellent editorial (The Tablet, UK)
"Massive Shock to the System" - another
good editorial from the same paper concerns
the UK riots (The Tablet, UK)
"Lady Gaga and Christian Imagery" -
Christians need to take seriously the
dangerous symbolism employed by the
current cultural star (America Magazine)
"Monogamy in the Age of Dan Savage"
- I glance at Savage's weekly column
in a weekly entertainment newspaper,
but this article helps me read his
advice with greater discernment
(Christian Century)
"Mumbai to Get Christian Art Museum"
- an important cultural development
is signalled from India. A new museum
displays Indian Christian art going
back 2,000 years (Times of India)
"Rome Gives Special Youth Concession"
- World Youth Day is underway in
Spain, and the Catholic Church
is offering something unique as part
of the event (The Guardian, UK)
"More People Face Religious Restrictions"
- an important study on extensive evidence
of contemporary religious persecution;
especially against Christians (Ucan News)
"Adam and Eve Questioned by Evangelicals"
- American evangelical scholars demonstrate
the same dichotomy over issues that have
long separated them from more liberal
Christians (National Public Radio)
"Vatican Should Adapt to Local Conditions"
- the recent conflict between the Vatican
and the communist Chinese government over
the naming of bishops is described from
the communist perspective (People's Daily)
"Religious Leader Charged in Sex Assaults"
- Islam in Canada is not immune to the
same scandalous behaviour practiced by
other trusted clergy (Toronto Star)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Sixteen ENI Geneva stories this week
bring us up-to-date on global faith news.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Provided by Sojourners.online:
Mark O. Hatfield, Sara Miles, Pat Conroy,
David Buttrick, Thomas Moore, and Thomas
Merton - share their wisdom with us.
___
On This Day:
Provided courtesy of the archives of the
New York Times:
US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima (1945)
Nixon Resigns in Watergate Scandal (1974)
Berlin Wall Erected, Dividing City (1961)
Truman announces Japanese Surrender (1945)
India/Pakistan Independence Declared (1947)
"Woodstock" Ends in Upstate New York (1969)
Meredith is first black Ol' Miss Grad (1963)
*****
Closing Thought - this week
Ernesto Cardinal offers his take on the
importance of feminist interpretations
of God, and Mathew Fox comments as well.
---
While summer is still with us here in
Calgary, I begin to sense that fall is
not far away.
Blessings to you during transitional times.
Wayne
************************
CELTIC TOUR REUNION WEEKEND AT ST. DAVID'S
"Report to the Congregation and Reflection"
Sunday, Sept. 11th, and Monday, Sept. 12th
As St. David's congregation returns from
the summer break, we plan a special weekend
of gathering/worship for those participating
in our Fiftieth Anniversary Tour of the Celtic
Lands, April 26th - May 10th, 2011.
Sunday, September 11th - worship with a
Celtic theme, and a special "Sight and
Sound Report" to the congregation prepared
by Jock McTavish (some of this material will
be posted on Colleagues List).
A CD Jock has produced will be given gratis
to all tour participants and extras will be
made available for those who are interested.
Monday, September 12th, TM Room, 7-9PM
the venue of a special reunion for persons
who took the tour. It will be an opportunity
for reflection and suggestions for future
spiritual travel projects sponsored by
the ACTS Ministry of St. David's.
David Rostad of Rostad Tours, the person
whose tour company planned and organized our
experience in the UK and Ireland, will be
present to join our reflections and suggest
future possibilities.
Mark your calendars!
Here is a beautiful poem, birthed while on
the tour, by Jock McTavish:
http://tinyurl.com/3q3qrjt
*****
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Book sale begins at the end of August!
Registration: $50.00 for class fees,
the two books and special hospitality
Purchase only the books - $35.00
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHTS
Two Study Programs Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
Recommended books:
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Register:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4
---
"Paul the Apostle" (ten sessions)
Wednesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
September 28th - November 30th
Register:
http://tinyurl.com/mh2dto
*****
SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS
Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/
Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/services.htm
___
ST DAVID'S ACTS WEB PAGE
Created and maintained by Colleague
Jock McTavish
http://stdavidscalgary.net/
NOTE: This page is being reconstructed.
*****
STUDY ARCHIVES
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
In this issue:
SPECIAL ITEMS
HISTORIC CALGARY
CHINOOK HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTATION
MCDOUGALL MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH,
SUNDAY, JULY 31ST, 2011
This presentation is in two parts. The first is a historical
overview of the First Nations in the area and the church
itself. The second concerns the history of the McDougall
missionary founders. Key presentations were given by
society members Leon Hampton and Iris Morgan. The
articles below are transcriptions from notes taken by
Wayne Holst.
MCDOUGALL CHURCH OVERVIEW
By Leon Hampson
The church is situated on a beautiful location, west of
of the Stoney First Nation. Below the church site runs the
cold, glacier-fed Bow River originating in the Rocky
a safe, easy river ford was possible.
When the missionaries first arrived, the Stoney people
were friendly and accommodating. They were constituted
into three bands – Goodstoney, Bearspaw and Chiniki.
When the first Protestant church was constructed in
Southern Alberta by George McDougall the family
patriarch (1875) there were 500 people living in
.
It was a larger settlement than Calgary
NWMP (North West Mounted Police - now known as the
RCMP) - arrived in 1883, the first white settler families
were the Sibbalds and Berrets whose descendents still
live in the area. The majority of the settlers were First
Nations people. (In the audience today is Gerald
McDougall, a great-great grandson of George
McDougall. George continues to have many regional
descendents.
The church was built of logs with wooden floors, sidings
nd a ceiling. A bell tower was also constructed of wood
(not of stone as in Europe .)
An early discovery on the part of the whites was the
changeable nature of the weather. There is an old legend
about the man who drove his horse and cart to town as a
chinook arrived. The horse was walking in a snowstorm.
The driver was soaked with rain, and the dog languished
behind in the dust.
A tragic outcome of this natural phenomenon was that
George McDougall perished in a storm east of the
settlement in what is today North Calgary . His son
John came here to continue his dad’s work (note details
below.) The McDougall family represented courage,
pragmatism and conviction for many others who settled
here.
Beside the church, other buildings were constructed
in subsequent years. These included a schoolhouse,
Indian agent’s home and parsonage. In 1883 an
orphanage was built to house more than 20 native
children. Most of these had lost their parents due to
smallpox, but inter-tribal warfare created some orphans
as well.
The church was abandoned in 1921. It was refurbished
in 1951 as a United Church of Canada historic site. In
1979 it was designated a provincial historic site. Now,
new designations are being registered as this location
is an attraction for tourists from around the world. It is
truly a beautiful western landmark and indeed, an
attractive place.
***
A Few Brief Notes on the First Nations
Archeologists now believe that there has been human
habitation in this area for 8,000-10,000 years. The Stoney
people originated among the Sioux of the American Great
Plains. They had various groupings – Nakota, Lakota,
Dakota – from the eastern woodlands bordering the plains.
Some may have originated from as far south as the current
state of Mississippi
allies who were frequently at war with the Blackfoot and
Beaver nations.
***
THE MISSIONARY STORY
By Iris Morgan
As early as 1821 George Simpson of Winnipeg – a Methodist
mission superintendent with responsibilities for the Canadian
west - sought missionaries in Eastern Canada and even the
white settlement.
In 1840, James Evans and Robert Rundle projected a western
mission strategy from Norway House, located in what is
today Northern Manitoba . (Evans is credited with the early
development of syllabics – the first attempts to translate
the oral native languages into a written form.) They strongly
advocated native ministry and fluency in the indigenous
languages because they rightly believed it would build trust.
George McDougall and Elizabeth (who had Oji-Cree
background from Northern Ontario ) came west. They followed
the river and trade routes and arrived first in Central Alberta .
From the beginning, the Methodists advocated indigenous
missionary leadership. As Rundle came west, so also did
native missionaries named Steinhauer and Erasmus.
They encountered the Catholic and French Oblate and Grey
Nuns missionaries who had also been arriving from Europe
and Quebec
conflicted and co-operative relationships between these
two missionary groups.
John McDougall (b. 1842) arrived in Alberta
learned Cree and began mission work near Edmonton.
In 1864, the Hudson Bay Company withdrew support for
missionaries and from that time the work had to be
self-supporting and sustained by the sending-churches.
They made early native converts. A native chief,
Mesapatoon was very supportive. He earned a significant
reputation as an inter-tribal peacemaker. The Blackfoot -
natural enemies of the Cree and Stoney - were mainly
Catholic and Anglican converts. The southern Alberta
tribes were slower to seek peace, but the decline of the
bison population on which the Blackfoot depended,
ultimately forced them to forge new agreements such
as Treaty Seven (an inter-tribal alliance with Great
Britain.) Since the natives were starving and sick –
indeed facing great hardship and extinction – the treaty
offered the best way to survive.
In 1867 Canada
Rebellion and the emergence of Louis Riel, the Metis
leader. This marked the beginning of western cultural
and political nationalism.
John was married to Abigail. They raised three offspring
in Alberta
soon arrived from Fort Gary , Manitoba
McDougall family tradition that was business-oriented
as well as religious.
An interesting phenomenon of the early years was the
“tent revival” – an annual native gathering that combined
hunting and Christian religious ceremonies.
For their part, the McDougalls were greatly concerned
for the souls of the First Nations. From a euro-Christian
perspective, they considered the Blackfoot “physically
beautiful but morally degraded” because of their sexual
and other cultural practices.
When John’s wife Abigail died, along with many other
natives, he went through “dark times.” As his writings
reveal. John returned east to Fort Gary
Elizabeth Boyd. They married and returned to Morley
History recounts that a large convoy of wagons and
stock, led by McDougall family members, departed
from Manitoba
in the fall of 1873. James Dixon, a native Christian
scout, developed a route and negotiated passage for
them. In essence, this was the beginning of the Morley
townsite as we know it today.Treaty Seven was signed
by the crown and the Blackfoot, Stoney and Sarcee
peoples of Southern Alberta . The agreement anticipated
an alliance against American whiskey traders. The
NWMP/RCMP were mandated to protect the native
people from unscrupulous whites. Cree became the
lingua franca of regional native people when negotiating
with the crown.
Soon after the treaty was signed, John died - worn out
by his many travels.
****
the missionaries as “pawns’ of the crown, and their noble
attempts to rescue the native people from smallpox and
the white incursion that would change their way of life
forever.
*****
REMEMBERING DAVID SOMERVILLE
Globe and Mail Tribute
Archbishop, Agent of Change
August 6th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3j2jmk8
---
Book Review from the Archives:
"Sing a New Song - Portraits of
Canada's Crusading Bishops"
My Anglican Journal Review
Continuing Education Project
Online Community Listing
October 27th, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/3odzjnp
***
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX
Personal Blog
August 14th, 2011
"Climate of Our Moral Discourse"
Civility and Respect are Needed
http://tinyurl.com/42z49qu
---
LORNA DUECK
Burlington, ON
Backrounder:
Ecumenical News International
August 10th, 2011
10 August 2011
At peace service, Londoners pray
for city and country
London (ENI news) The annual peace
service at Westminster Roman Catholic
Cathedral acquired fresh significance
onthe evening of 9 August as Londoners
gathered to pray for their city and
other British communities torn by
rioting. A fourth night of unrest
brought total arrests in London to
more than 700, according to police,
and looting and arson continued to
spread to other cities in Britain.
One manhas been reported killed and
dozens of citizens and police officers
have been injured, authorities said.
The rioting began on 6 August after
a peaceful demonstration in north
London over the police killing of a
29-year-old man. One attendee among
the 200 people at the peace service
said she needed a feelingof hope.
"Faith gives hope that current fears
and insecurities will pass and we
will feel safe on the streets again
and trust our young people," said
Ellen Teague.
___
Globe and Mail
August 12th, 2011
Lorna writes:
"London Riots Revive Prayer"
http://tinyurl.com/3tbg7et
---
JIM, TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Weblog,
August 14th, 2011
"Rioters Gore Society's Sacred Cows"
http://tinyurl.com/3cnsn5v
---
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago. IL
Sightings
August 15th, 2011
"Who Wins?
Two Books about Heaven and Hell"
Evangelicals Debate the Afterlife
http://tinyurl.com/3vr8zcq
*****
NET NOTES
END OF EMPIRE
US Dominance Falters
The Tablet, UK
August 6th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3vdbl6w
*****
MASSIVE SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM
What Has Gone Wrong in the UK?
The Tablet, UK
August 13th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3qyfw6q
*****
LADY GAGA AND CHRISTIAN IMAGERY
Confessions of a Dangerous Diva
America Magazine
August 15th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gyq9oe
*****
MONOGAMY IN THE AGE OF DAN SAVAGE
Advice and Consent
The Christian Century
August 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3kkgnpz
*****
MUMBAI TO GET CHRISTIAN ART MUSEUM
Indian City Founded in 6 CE
First Century Christians of India
The Times of India
August 16th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/44mpfl2
*****
ROME OFFERS SPECIAL WYD CONCESSION
Youth Receive Abortion Absolution
The Guardian
August 16th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/43e54wv
*****
MORE PEOPLE FACE
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS
Persecution Escalates
Ecumenical News International
August 9th, 2011
Religious restrictions increased
for two billion, study says
Washington, D.C.(ENI news) One-
third of the world -- about 2.2
billion people -- live in nations
where restrictions on religion
have substantially increased,
according to a new report. The
Pew Forum on Religion & Public
Life study, released 9 August,
also shows intolerant countries
growing more hostile to religious
freedom, and tolerant ones growing
more accommodating, Religion News
Service reports. "There seems to
be somewhat of a polarization,"
particularly in countries with
constitutional prohibitions
against blasphemy, said Brian
Grim, the primary researcher of
the report.
---
Ucan News
August 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3zkyzje
*****
EVANGELICALS QUESTION EXISTENCE
OF ADAM AND EVE
Scholars Doubt Creationism
National Public Radia
August 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3th9x9a
*****
VATICAN SHOULD ADAPT
TO LOCAL CONDITIONS
China on Bishop Conflict
The People's Daily (China)
August 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gg8ut7
*****
TORONTO RELIGIOUS LEADER
CHARGED IN SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Islamic Community Stunned
Toronto Star
August 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3q7fqwg
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
4 August 2011
Christian activists in India seeking
stronger rules to curb alcoholism
Bangalore, India (ENI) Officials in
Kerala, a state in southern India, have
announced steps to curb the growing
problem of alcoholism, but church groups
and prohibition activists seek more
stringent measures. The state has the
highest alcohol consumption figures in
the country, as well as the largest
number of Christians. "We welcome these
measures. But we want more concrete and
stronger steps to address alcoholism,
which is causing havoc here," said Rev.
M.T. Tharian of the Christian Temperance
Movement (CTM) of Kerala, an ecumenical
movement against alcoholism organized
by the Kerala Council of Churches.
_____
Lutheran leader calls for political
solution to Somalia drought crisis
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI) A political solution
to the crisis in Somalia is urgently needed
to stem the influx of refugees into Kenya
and Ethiopia, according to Rev. Martin
Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Junge spoke at a
news conference in Nairobi on 3 August,
a day after visiting the Dadaab refugee
camp in northern Kenya, where thousands
of Somali refugees fleeing drought and
insecurity continue to arrive.
_____
5 August 2011
Australian clergy critical of
government approach to asylum seekers
Sydney (ENI news) Australian church
leaders are criticizing a government
solution to deport hundreds of asylum
seekers to Malaysia as a "swap" to
settle 4000 refugees from Malaysian
detention centers. The government is
funding the $292 million plan, and has
said force may be used to ensure asylum
seekers board planes. The first 55 of
800 mostly-Malaysian boat people,
nearly a third of whom were children,
were flown to Malaysia on 4 August.
*****
9 August 2011
In England, faith groups work
to heal riot-scarred neighborhoods
London (ENI news) Many faith
communities in England are working
together on the front line this week
after three days of rioting in which
hooded youths ransacked hundreds of
businesses and shops in many parts
of London, Birmingham, Bristol,
Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham and
smaller towns. Parishes around the
country have been offering support
to shellshocked residents. The
Anglican church of St. Mary the
Virgin in Tottenham, where the
unrest began on 6 August, is
distributing meals, providing
hot water and phone charging
facilities to those left without
electricity. St. Ignatius Catholic
Church innearby Stamford Hill is
offering food and counselling.
The Rev. Valentin Dedji of St.
Mark's Methodist Church in Tottenham
is caring for the family of Mark
Duggan, a 29-year-old whose killing
by police last week sparked a
peaceful demonstration on 6 August
that spiraled into violence.
_____
Northern Sudan Christians face
challenges after south's secession
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) As
Christians in South Sudan mark one
month after independence, churches
in the Muslim north are facing
pressure from government officials
and members of the public who are
demanding their closure. The
development is causing some church
leaders to close schools and
congregations and consider moving
to the south, but even those actions
are difficult because they see
themselves as northern Christians.
*****
10 August 2011
At peace service, Londoners pray
for city and country
London (ENI news) The annual peace
service at Westminster Roman Catholic
Cathedral acquired fresh significance
onthe evening of 9 August as Londoners
gathered to pray for their city and
other British communities torn by
rioting. A fourth night of unrest
brought total arrests in London to
more than 700, according to police,
and looting and arson continued to
spread to other cities in Britain.
One manhas been reported killed and
dozens of citizens and police officers
have been injured, authorities said.
The rioting began on 6 August after
a peaceful demonstration in north
London over the police killing of a
29-year-old man. One attendee among
the 200 people at the peace service
said she needed a feelingof hope.
"Faith gives hope that current fears
and insecurities will pass and we
will feel safe on the streets again
and trust our young people," said
Ellen Teague.
_____
Church of Norway thanks
ecumenical fellowship for support
Oslo, Norway (ENI news) The Church
of Norway said it wants to express its
deep gratitude towards the international
ecumenical fellowship for prayers and
support after the terror attacks in Oslo
and at Utoya on 22 July. The church
said in a news release that from all
over the world, condolences were sent
to the churches and people of Norway
as soon as the news broke. A bomb
detonated in downtown Oslo killed
eight people and a gunman murdered
69 people,mostly young men and women,
at are treat on the island of Utoya.
Anders Breivik, a Norwegian, has been
arrested in connection with the attacks.
*****
Religious groups in Nepal
start campaign for equal rights
Kathmandu, Nepal (ENI news) With less
than a month left until the adoption of
a new constitution, Nepal's religious
minorities -- Christians, Muslims and
Buddhists -- have started a campaign
against religious discrimination. The
Inter-Religious Secularism Protection
Movement (IRSPM) is asking the communist-
led coalition government to allow
churches, mosques, monasteries and
other non Hindu institutions to be
registered as religious bodies and
waive the taxes they have to pay as
they are still regarded as personal
properties.
*****
12 August 2011
Tutu: lingering effects of apartheid
include "self-hate"
Cape Town, South Africa (ENI news) -
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu
has said apartheid had left South Africans
suffering from "self-hate" which is partly
to blame for the country's vicious crime
rate and road carnage. "Apartheid damaged
us all; not a single one of us has escaped,"
said Tutu on 11 August during a book launch
at Stellenbosch University's Institute for
Advanced Study near Cape Town.
*****
15 August 2011
Sir Paul Reeves, New Zealand
archbishop and statesman, dies
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI news) - Sir
Paul Reeves, an Anglican archbishop and
primate who became New Zealand's first
Maori governor-general, died on 14 August
from cancer at the age of 78. His body
was taken on 15 August to Holy Sepulchre
Church in Auckland, where members of his
tribe, Te Atiawa, welcomed the hearse
with a waita, or song. More than 5,000
people are expected to pay their
respects during the tangi, or Maori
lying-in-state mourning ritual.
_____
In Australia, Christian leaders
support asylum seekers
Melbourne, Australia (ENI news)
Australia's Christian leaders are
praising a court injunction to prevent
asylum seekers being deported as part
of the federal government's 'Malaysian
solution' to people trafficking. One
Melbourne church has offered to care
for 13 unaccompanied children. The
government wants to trade 800 asylum
seekers who arrived by boat for 4,000
confirmed refugees in Malaysia. The
first of the 4,000 refugees arrived
in Australia on 12 August.
_____
Ohio pastor elected to lead
breakaway Lutheran church
Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Members
of the North American Lutheran Church
(NALC) have elected an Ohio pastor as
their new head bishop, making him the
first non-provisional leader of the
year-old denomination, Religion News
Service reports.The Rev. John Bradosky
was elected 11 August by 800 NALC
members who met in Columbus, Ohio,
to elect new leaders and conduct
official church business during the
church's annual meeting. The NALC was
founded in 2010 as part of a split
from the more liberal Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America after the
ELCA voted to allow openly gay clergy.
The breakaway body now counts more
than 100,000 members nationwide, many
of whom were previously affiliated
with the ELCA.
*****
17 August 2011
German website allows
congregations to rate clergy
Berlin (ENI news) - Does your pastor set
a glowing example to his or her flock?
Or does the herd tend to drift? A new
website launched in Germany allows
churchgoers to rate their "shepherd's"
performance on worship, youth work,
work with seniors, credibility, and
engagement with current issues. "The
idea behind Hirtenbarometer [shepherd
barometer] is that pastoral work should
be and often is qualitative," one of
the website's founders, Andreas Hahn,
said in an email interview. "We wanted
to create ... an open platform for
dialogue between priests and the members
of congregations."
_____
Asian ecumenical group opposes
South Korea base construction
Tokyo (ENI news) - A delegation from
an Asian ecumenical group has called
upon the South Korean government to
stop building a naval base on Jeju
Island off the country's southern
tip. In a statement following their
visit from 8 to 10 August to the
site, the delegation from the
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said
that they have identified concerns
about U.S.-led militarization,
destruction of the environment and
community, undemocratic process, and
overwhelming police presence during
the base construction.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
August 9th, 2011
"We all deserve a full life, not a life
cut short by hunger and homelessness. I
can't think of a more pernicious violence
we face today on our body politic, nor a
more just cause we should all work to
correct."
- Senator Mark O. Hatfield, died age 89
---
August 10th, 2011
"The church doesn't own Communion.
It's God's meal. That made it possible
for me to even take Communion in the
first place. It also made it possible
for me to look at the church not as a
way to divide people from each other,
but as a way of joining people
together."
- Sara Miles
---
August 11th, 2011
"'Tell me a story' still comprise four
of the most powerful words in English,
words that are intimately related to
the complexity of history, the origins
of language, the continuity of the
species, the taproot of our humanity,
our singularity, and art itself."
- Pat Conroy
---
August 12th, 2011
"God passionately loves our true selves
so we have to seek approval of our false
selves elsewhere."
- David Buttrick, from
"The Mystery and the Passion"
---
August 15th, 2011
"Earth has no sorrow
that heaven cannot heal."
- Thomas Moore
---
August 16th, 2011
"The important thing about protest is
not so much the short-range possibility
of changing the direction of policies,
but the longer range aim of helping
everyone gain an entirely new attitude
toward war. Far from doing this, much
current protest simply reinforces the
old positions by driving the adversary
back into the familiar and secure
mythology of force. Hence the strong
'patriotic' reaction against protests
in the United States. How can one
protest against war without implicitly
and indirectly contributing to the war
mentality?"
- Thomas Merton, from
"New Seeds of Contemplation"
*****
ON THIS DAY
On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped
an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, that
instantly killed an estimated 66,000 people
in the first use of a nuclear weapon in
warfare.
http://tinyurl.com/3oxs89d
***
On Aug. 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon
announced he would resign following damaging
revelations in the Watergate scandal.
http://tinyurl.com/3wlb585
***
On Aug. 13, 1961, Berlin was divided as
East Germany sealed off the border between
the city's eastern and western sectors in
order to halt the flight of refugees.
http://tinyurl.com/3t252hj
***
On Aug. 14, 1945, President Truman announced
that Japan had surrendered unconditionally,
ending World War II.
http://tinyurl.com/3f9ffum
***
On Aug. 15, 1947, India and Pakistan became
independent after some 200 years of British
rule.
http://tinyurl.com/3qltn34
***
On Aug. 17, 1969, the Woodstock Music and
Art Fair concluded near Bethel, N.Y.
http://tinyurl.com/3gg63d4
***
On Aug. 18, 1963, James Meredith became the
first black to graduate from the University
of Mississippi.
http://tinyurl.com/4xhs273
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
We have come from the heart of God
and are as much a part of Him as
the fetus is a part of the mother.
We all tend to return to Him as humans
tend to return to the maternal womb.
- Ernesto Cardenal
Cardenal operates from the metaphor
of God as mother. Many changes in our
perception of Divinity flow from such
a theology.
How does your theology change as you
acknowledge a maternal side of Divinity?
- Matthew Fox
(end)
