Friday, November 16, 2012

Colleagues List, November 17th, 2012


Vol. VIII No. 8

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

*****


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

Canadian Anglicans Google Groups:
http://tinyurl.com/d44wbyc


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

*****

Dear Friends:

Colleagues List does not carry a
large amount of United Church of
Canada material, although Marlene
and I are members of St. David's
United, Calgary.

In this issue, however, I want to
introduce to you a book that I hope
reflects renewal in the UCC, even
as it evidences values traditionally
valued by that church.

I hope you enjoy my presentation of:

"Intercultural Visions: Called to be
 the Church" edited by Rob Fennell
 of Atlantic School of Theology,
 Halifax, NS.

--

Colleague Contributions:
this week come to us from -

Marty Marty (Chicago)
http://tinyurl.com/bjdxd4h

Lamin Sanneh (New Haven)
http://tinyurl.com/b8ll2vf

Ryan Slifka (Vancouver)
http://tinyurl.com/cngv6c9

Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio)
http://tinyurl.com/d79ar83

---

Net Notes:

"Stem Cell Research" - is it possible
to do stem cell research without using
human life to do so? (Christian Week)
http://tinyurl.com/ck3tyxc

"Religion and Separatism" - when the
Canadian PM Stephen Harper visited
India this past week, he talked with
his audiences about Canada's way of
trying to practice interfaith integrity.
This piece was written by a University
of Calgary graduate student (Sightings)
http://tinyurl.com/cz59t5v

"The Future of the Church" - once more
we listen to wisdom from Joan Chittister
who ranks as one of our best religion
writers (National Catholic Reporter)
http://ncronline.org/node/39421/

"I was the First Woman Priest" - an
Church of England priest, the first
woman to fill this role, expresses
her desire to see a woman bishop
(The Guardian, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/bczd3nt

"Atheists Target Children in US" -
more news on the agressive efforts
of American atheists (Uca News)
http://tinyurl.com/c92dffb

"Historic Reformation Declaration" -
Catholic and Lutherans hope to build
on their mutual statement on the
doctrine of Justification by issuing
a joint, healing 500th anniversary
statement when Reformation Sunday
celebrated in October, 2017
(The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/ax46yox

"Self-Immolation as a Sacred Duty" -
is suicide ever a good thing? Can the
cause ever be just? Read this piece
on the demonstration of Tibetan monks
and nuns (Huffington Post, Canada)
http://tinyurl.com/a9wqkzq

"New Experiments in Clergy Training" -
changing society/changing churches -
here is an update on theological
education in light of these changes
(The Alban Weekly)
http://tinyurl.com/bjpwve9


"Keeping Your Balance in the Church" -
a Goan (Indian) theologian writes from
his Christian/Asian perspective on
change in the church (Uca News)
http://tinyurl.com/d526m4p


"Canadian Lutheran Seminary in Trouble" -
a 100 year old institution is facing
serious survival problems and is taking
steps to prevent demise. We wish them well
(news release from Lutheran Theological
Seminary, Saskatoon)
(see full text, below)

---

Global Faith Potpourri:

Publication interrupted due to an
unfortunate funding shortfall at
Ecumenical News International,
Geneva.

---

Wisdom of the Week comes to us
via Sojourners Online and this
time we hear from:

Meister Eckhart, John Scotus Eriugena,
Willa Cather, Benedict De Spinoza and
George Bernard Shaw

---

On This Day:

The New York Times offers these
stories, among others, to help
us recall what happened during
these days, though some time ago:

"Armistice Ends WWI"
 http://tinyurl.com/a5yga6t

"Anti-Viet War Demonstrations Begin"
 http://tinyurl.com/9kwo4

---

Closing Thought - is
provided by the medieval woman
mystic Hildegard of Bingen with
commentary by Matthew Fox

--

I hope you enjoy this issue.

Wayne

********************************

St. David's and ACTS Ministry Announce:

Our Spiritual Travelers Tour for 2013
TURKEY AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

April 23rd - May 9th, 2013

Tour sale requires a $300 deposit, with
full payment due, and of January, 2013.

Our major tour themss are: Clsssic Greek and Roman,
Early Christian, Muslim-Christian and the beautiful
scenery of the Mediterranian coast of SW Turkey.

*Enjoy Istanbul (Constantinople) - long a link
between East and West.

*Classical cities like Troy will be visited and
intriguing ancient sites will be revealed.

*Pilgrims from many of the regions we will visit
were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost - people
from "Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia" -
(Acts 2.)

*Saint Paul founded churches in many of the centers
of central and western Turkey and we will spend
quality time in places like Ephesus.

*We will come to know cities mentioned in the
Book of Revelation (chapters 1-3) by Jobn.
Cities like Pergamon, Thyatira, Philadelphia,
Sardis and Smyrna

---

Details such as costs and prep notes have been
edited into a beautiful travel brochure. This
was just sent to all who have thus far expressed
interest. If you are interested, let us know!

The brochure will also be posted to the St.
David's Spiritual Travelers Discussion List Group.
which is your place to express yourself!

To join this unique internet discussion contact:
Deb. Charnusaki - debcharnuski@hotmail.com

Your tour hosts:

Marlene and Wayne Holst
waholst@telusplanet.net (or)
marleneaholst@gmail.com
403-286-7416

*****

OUR WINTER AND SPRING 2013 PROGRAMS

With more to be announced -

AT ST.DAVID'S UNITED CHURCH

'WELCOMING THE STRANGER' WEEKEND AT ST. DAVID'S

Postponed until March or April, 2013
More information to come shortly.

Special Guest:
Mary Jo Leddy, Romero House, Toronto.

Guests are presently being secured for
panels, workshop and seminar leaders.

Watch for new information on this
special weekend focused on Canada's
policy for welcoming new Canadians
as information becomes available.

*****

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

Postponed until January, 2013
Dates to be announced soon

"'Wisdom' in the Biblical Literature"
A Six week series running through
fall and winter. 10-11 AM

All welcome. No cost.

*****

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

Tuesday Night University Study sponsored
by the Faculty of Continuing Education:

HERESIES AND HERETICS - The Real Story of
Early Christianity. Cont Ed Course 198-001

Ten Sessions - Jan. 22nd - Mar. 26th, 2013

Click this link for books, costs and details:
http://tinyurl.com/77xuwnu

---

Faith and Spirituality Centre Fall Study
Sponsored by the Christian chaplains of
the University of Calgary

TWELVE STEPS TO A COMPASSIONATE LIFE
A Study of Karen Armstrong's latest book.

Postponed until Lent, 2013

Six Weeks - Native Centre Board Room,
McEwan Student Centre, University of Calgary.

Cost of the book only: $15.

More details to be announced in the new year.

*****

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/St_Davids_United_Church/Audio.html

*****

STUDY ARCHIVES

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

This collection of study resources represents
more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at
St. David's, plus extra courses too!

You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.

******************************************

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice:

INTERCULTURAL VISIONS
Called to be the Church
Edited by Rob Fennell
United Church Publishing House,
Toronto, ON. 2012. $14.95 CAD
ISBN # 978-1-55134-202-3

Publisher's Promo:

What new visions of church are emerging
in the United Church today? Diverse voices,
each taking a line from A New Creed, explore
the interplay between our call to be the
church and our commitment to become
intercultural.

As Rob Fennell writes in the Preface,
"Sometimes these voices challenge us all
to see with new eyes and to love with new
hearts. Sometimes they push against our
comfort zones. Sometimes these voices
inspire deep hope and great excitement.
In every case, each writers unique
theological and spiritual understandings
come through." Includes a study guide for
individuals or small groups.

Also available as an e-book.

---

Editor's Words:

Read the Preface by Rob Fennell
http://tinyurl.com/d67ymza

The reflections gathered in this book
find their keynotes in lines from
"A New Creed" that speak of our shared
calling to be the church in our time:

We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
   our judge and our hope

--

What an amazing, diverse, blessed
denomination we are in the United
Church of Canada!...

This book holds together an amazing
range of visions, needs,and hopes
from within the emerging conversation
in the United Church about becoming
an intercultural church...

New voices are coming to the fore,
and we are learning in new ways how
amazing, diverse and blessed we
truly are...

Some voices are missing, but you will
find ideas, memories and visions here
that reflect the power and the
possibility of an intercultural church.

This is a time for renewal and vision
in our United Church.

---

My Thoughts:

I keep looking for signs that the old
mainline Protestant denominations of
Canada are seeing the hand-writing on
the wall and are attempting to do
something about it.

The appearance of this book may be an
important signal that the United Church
of Canada - once the country's leading
denomination - is facing up to reality.

Coming into the United Church as I have,
it is possible to see things that lifelong
members do not. For one thing, I was never
part of a church that had national and
regional leaders among its membership.
To be Anglo-Saxon-Irish-Scottish as
most United Church members were, meant a
certain social privilege and responsibility.
Those times have passed.

But the UCC has always valued inclusivity -
both culturally and theologically. Those
traditional values may now serve this
church well as we enter a new Canadian era.

The contributors to this book represent a
wide range of backgrounds - much more
extensive than in the past. There are
persons of African, Asian, Latin American
and Aboriginal cultures represented here.
Each one is committed to the UCC but in
very different ways. Many would like to
contribute to the rich mix that is now
part of UCC communities from coast to
coast - a reflection of the changing
nature of Canada.

The European religious traditions that
so richly endowed this church in the
past are now discovering new riches
as new people join the community.

I think this is a good thing, and it
it is a phenomenon shared by a number
of other churches of the mainline
Protestant tradition.

Whatever your tradition, this book
will give you a sense of what is
happening in one denomination that
is seeking to reclaim the best of
it heritage, and to move forward
in new and important ways.

---

Purchase this book from UCPH Website:
http://tinyurl.com/bwd7eyv


*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

MARTIN MARTY

Sightings
November 12th, 2012

The Religious Right After US Election
http://tinyurl.com/bjdxd4h

---

LAMIN SANNEH

America Magazine
Catholic Book Club
October, 2012

"Summoned from the Margin"

http://tinyurl.com/b8ll2vf

--

RYAN SLIFKA

November 13th, 2012

Wayne:

I thought this lead would be
worth sharing.

Ryan

CBC Radio Series -
Myth of Secularity - Part I
Rethinking Secularism

http://tinyurl.com/cngv6c9

---

RON ROLHEISER

Personal Website
November 11th, 2012

SEXUALITY - ITS POWER AND PURPOSE

http://tinyurl.com/d79ar83

*****

NET NOTES

STEM CELL RESEARCH
Embryos Not Needed

Christian Week
November 9th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/ck3tyxc

---

RELIGION AND SEPARATISM
Canadian PM Speaks in India

Sightings
November 15th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/cz59t5v

---

THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH
Discernment or Intimidation?

Joan Chittister,
National Catholic Reporter
November 16th, 2012

http://ncronline.org/node/39421/

*****

I WAS THE FIRST WOMAN PRIEST
She Wants Female Bishops

The Guardian, UK
November 7th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/bczd3nt

---

ATHEISTS TARGET CHILDREN IN US
Young People Seen as Vulnerable

Uca News and Christian Post
November 14th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/c92dffb

---

HISTORIC REFORMATION DECLARATION
Catholics, Lutherans to Make History

The Tablet, UK
November 9th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/ax46yox

---

SELF-IMMOLATION AS SACRED DUTY
Tibetans Get World Attention

Huffington Post Canada
November 10th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/a9wqkzq

---

NEW EXPERIMENTS IN TRAINING CLERGY
Some Seminaries See Changes Coming

Alban Weekly
November 12th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/bjpwve9

---

KEEPING YOUR BALANCE IN THE CHURCH
Theologian from Goa Shares His View

Uca News
November 13th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/d526m4p

---

CANADIAN LUTHERAN SEMINARY IN TROUBLE
Financial Problems force Termination
of Tenure Track Professors

For Immediate Release:
Lutheran Theological Seminary Saskatoon
November 13, 2012

LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SASKATOON
DECLARES FINANCIAL EXIGENCY

The Board of Governors of Lutheran Theological
Seminary Saskatoon, meeting in Saskatoon from
November 3 - 5, directed the Seminary to declare
a state of financial exigency. The Board recognized
this step as a regretful but necessary measure to
ensure the long term viability of the Seminary,
which has been preparing men and women for ministry
in Western Canada for nearly 100 years.

Financial exigency is not bankruptcy or insolvency.
It is a mechanism by which academic institutions
can acknowledge the necessity of making serious
financial cuts in order to enable the school to
regain its financial health. The Seminary’s
accrediting body, the Association of Theological
Schools, encourages seminaries to be proactive
in making “difficult yet necessary changes” that
“may prevent them from reaching severe financial
crises.” Financial exigency is declared “when an
institution needs to take extraordinary action to
reduce expenditures and preserve resources.”

The success of the Seminary’s “Faithful for the
Future” capital campaign affirms the deep support
LTS has among laypeople, clergy, alumni/ae, and
others in the four western synods of the ELCIC;
over $2 million has been raised so far in cash
and pledges to support the campaign’s goals of
renovations (new chair lift and boiler), student
recruitment, and a new Parish Ministry and
Leadership professor. However, the Seminary’s
fundraising efforts for the Annual Fund that
supports general operations have not been able
to redress the financial shortfalls brought
about by a convergence of social and church
events: reduced endowment interest in the wake
of the financial downturn that began in 2007,
reduced funding from three of the four
supporting synods, reduced rental income,
and reduced enrollment in recent years.

The exigency mandates severe cuts to the
Seminary’s budget. These cuts are shared
across all departments. Effective January 1,
2013, the Board has directed President Kevin
Ogilvie to lay off two of the five tenure-
track professors. The Board trusted the
seminary administration to consider curricular
and other needs in making this decision.

The professors who have been laid off by the
administration are the Rev. Dr. Jann Boyd,
Professor of Worship and Homiletics since
1994; and Dr. Christian Eberhart, Professor
of New Testament Studies since 2004. The
Board deeply regrets having had to take
this necessary action and all wish Professors
Boyd and Eberhart well in new endeavours.
Other costs savings have or will be realized
through a reduction in administrative and
professional development travel, the closing
of the kitchen, a restructuring of the
Finance Office, and a reduction in hospitality
and public relations.

Despite this severe pruning, positive
things are happening at LTS. The Faculty
has implemented a new curriculum that
makes it possible for more students to
begin studies, both on-campus and at a
distance. Most classes will be offered
in a modular, intensive format. The
distance program will be launched this
winter. By the fall of 2013, LTS’s goal
is to offer most classes online as well
as on-site. The design of this new
curriculum also makes it possible for
a smaller, diversified faculty to
deliver the program without
compromising quality.

Exigent cuts, fully implementing the
new curriculum, and a stronger emphasis
on student recruitment will renew the
Seminary’s financial health in the next
several years.

---

The Rev. Dr. Kevin A. Ogilvie, President
Lutheran Theological Seminary Saskatoon
114 Seminary Cres
Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X3
Tel: 306.966.7863 Fax: 306.966.7852

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners Online

Do not think that saintliness comes from
occupation; it depends rather on what one is.
The kind of work we do does not make us holy,
but we may make it holy.

- Meister Eckhart

--

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

- John Scotus Eriugena

--

Where there is great love
there are always miracles.

- Willa Cather

--

Peace is not an absence of war;
it is a virtue, a state of mind,
a disposition for benevolence,
confidence, justice.

- Benedict De Spinoza in
  "Theological-Political Treatise"

--

The worst sin towards our fellow
creatures is not to hate them, but
to be indifferent to them: that's
the essence of inhumanity.

- George Bernard Shaw
  from "The Devil's Disciple"



*****

ON THIS DAY

From the New York Times Archives:

November 11th - 17th

ARMISTICE ENDS WORLD WAR ONE
Documents Signed in France

http://tinyurl.com/a5yga6t

--

ANTI-VIETNAM WAR DEMONSTRATIONS BEGIN
Washington hosts 200,000 protesters

http://tinyurl.com/9kwo4

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT

Hildegard of Bingen

"Holy Spirit, you are the mighty way
in which everything that is in the
heavens, on the earth, and under the
earth is penetrated with connectedness,
and relatedness.

Matthew Fox Comments:

Interdependence and interrelationship
are deep ways of seeing the world that
our premodern ancestors celebrated.
The modern age thought in terms of
subjects and objects. But today, and
in Hildegard's day, the key to
understanding self and others is
connection.

Ask yourself, am I attuned to my
connection with everything that is
in the heavens, on the earth and
under the earth? With all my relations?
For Hildegard, this is the Spirit's
work: Holy Spirit is the "mighty way"
of connection and relatedness.

(end)

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