Colleagues List, March 10th, 2013

Vol. VIII No. 22 ***** Wayne A. Holst, Editor My E-Mail Address: waholst@telusplanet.net ***** Colleagues List Web Site: http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com "Quicklinks" are included with many items. Otherwise, scroll down to find your selection in the body of the blog. ***** Dear Friends: I was unable to produce an issue of Colleagues List last weekend because of the time and energy expended in having colleague Mary Jo Leddy of Romero House, Toronto with us in Calgary. To compensate this week, I include a special item entitled: Thoughts on "Welcoming the Stranger" - A Weekend With Colleague Mary Jo Leddy - and it contains some of the special discoveries I made from many presenters during those special three days. I hope you enjoy it. -- Colleague Comment - this week is from a friend from the early years of my ministry in the old Lutheran Church in America - Canada Section. Barry Bence was a pastor with me in the province of Manitoba, and we have not had contact for thrity-five years! Nice to hear from you again, Barry! I've added you to our mailing list! -- Colleagues and their themes this week: Jim Taylor - "Archives Reduce Society's Amnesia" http://tinyurl.com/d3azegt Ron Rolheiaser - "Honoring an Abundant and Prodigal God" http://tinyurl.com/b3329jo My thanks to both of you.! -- Net Notes: "R-Rated Bible" - some suggestions on how to introduce difficult concepts from the biblical narrative to children today (The Christian Century) http://tinyurl.com/be6h7fy "Revolutionary Iran - here is a review of a good history of Iran since the fall of the Shah in 1979 (The Tablet, UK) http://tinyurl.com/b6hp2se "The Bible - TV Series" - a new series on the History Channel is receiving rave reviews (Sojourners) http://tinyurl.com/b47tdcr NT Wright - 'Simply Jesus' - the famous evangelical Anglican bishop and educator from the UK talks about his new book on Jesus (Englewood Review of Books) http://tinyurl.com/bhx3oxg "A Pope for a Global Church" - a dean of American Cardinals, wrote before his death about the kind of pope his Catholic Church needs today (America Magazine)  http://tinyurl.com/akgdecz "Quellet: Others Could Do Better" - he is a modest man who has no great papal aspirations (Reuters Canada) http://tinyurl.com/a5tsrdn "Cardinal Says Sorry for Sexual Misconduct" - O'Brien of Scotland withdraws from the conclave as he admits to wrong-doing (Irish Times, The Guardian) http://tinyurl.com/brkl37e http://tinyurl.com/boqskga "Canadian Anglicans/Lutherans to Meet Together" - this summer, these two denominations will hold their assemblies at the same time and place - Ottawa, holding several joint sessions (Anglican Journal) http://tinyurl.com/avtsm3c "Will Catholicism Change Its Stance on Celibacy?" - the question is bound to surface as a new pontiff is selected by a conclave in the Sistine Chapel, Rome, which convenes this week (Pantheos) http://tinyurl.com/avtsm3c -- Wisdom of the Week, an eclectic collection, is offered as usual: Catherine Booth, Pandita Ramabai, Plato, Martin Luther King Jr; Eugene Cho and St. Augustine share insights with us. -- On this Day: Newsworthy events between Feb. 25th - Mar. 10th: Here are three stories provided from the archives of the New York Times - First Mass Immunization for Polio http://tinyurl.com/ass76pj Churchill Gives 'Iron Curtain' Speech http://tinyurl.com/bzc5eoj Russian Revolution Begins in St. Petersburg http://tinyurl.com/axgelxa -- Closing Thought: Again this week colleague Isabel Gibson of Ottawa writes of special gifts. This time, her theme is "humility" http://tinyurl.com/b6z2etn --- Lent is soon ending. Holy Week and Easter will be upon us in just about two weeks! Blessings, Wayne ****** Wayne's Study Programs: ST. DAVID'S AND UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES St. David's and ACTS Ministry - Our Spiritual Travelers Tour for 2013 TURKEY AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH THIS TOUR HAS 26 MEMBERS AND WILL DEPART APRIL 23rd, 2013 (17 days) Our major tour themes are: Classic Greek and Roman, Early Christian, Muslim-Christian and the beautiful scenery of the Mediterranean 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 --- The tour book will include reflection pages with the itinerary as well as answers to many traveller's questions. Your tour hosts: Marlene and Wayne Holst waholst@telusplanet.net (or) marleneaholst@gmail.com 403-286-7416 ***** OUR WINTER AND SPRING 2013 STUDY PROGRAMS With more to be announced - AT ST.DAVID'S UNITED CHURCH "WELCOMING THE STRANGER" WEEKEND AT ST. DAVID'S THIS EVENT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL! Friday March 1st - Sunday, March 3rd, 2013 Special Guest: Mary Jo Leddy, Romero House, Toronto. Mary Jo's presentations will take place at St. David's church. Other guests are presently being secured for panels, workshop and as seminar leaders. These activities will be held on the university campus. Watch for new information on this special weekend focused on Canada's policy for welcoming new Canadians and how Christians might respond. See Reflections on this event, Colleagues List, March 10th, 2013. ***** MONDAY NIGHT STUDY THIS STUDY IS NEARING COMPLETION! From Monday, January 14th through Monday, March 26th. 7:00 - 9:00 PM TM Room. We close, March 25th, holding a phone conference call with Mary Jo Leddy in Toronto to reflect on her books and her weekend with us. Study Book: "Radical Gratitude" by Mary Jo Leddy Review of book links: http://tinyurl.com/bemfdms (Western Catholic Reporter) http://tinyurl.com/awu94eq (Gospel and our Culture) Cost of the course: $50.00 Buy only the book: $20.00 We have a few remaining copies of "The Other Face of God" and have sold a total of 110 copies of Mary Jo's books at St.David's. If interested, call the office 403-284-2279. ***** THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY "Wisdom in the Books of Song of Solomon  and Ecclesiastes" Thursday, January 17th - April 11th, 2013 THIS SERIES HAS BEGUN!! Drop-ins welcome. All welcome. No cost. ***** AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY THIS COURSE WILL SOON BE COMPLETED!! 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 --- THIS COURSE IS UNDERWAY!! Faith and Spirituality Centre Winter 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. Fridays - March 1st - April 5th 12 noon - 1:00 PM Six Weeks - Native Centre Board Room, McEwan Student Centre, University of Calgary. 12 noon to 1:00 PM: Cost of the book: $15. ***** 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 THOUGHTS ON "WELCOMING THE STRANGER" - A WEEKEND WITH MARY JO LEDDY We at St. David's United Church and the University of Calgary were privileged to sponsor a weekend, March 1st-3rd, 2013 with author, professor, and founder of Romero House in Toronto - colleague Mary Jo Leddy. The following is a collection of discoveries and insights gathered from that weekend. They do not all come from Mary Jo. We heard an excellent panel discuss current government immigration policy; we learned about the extensive work of a number of organizations serving immigrants and refugees in Calgary; and we rejoiced at the "success stories' of guests who told us how they become Canadians. Mary Jo herself was a panel member, and gave a dinner speech as well as a worship meditation during her three-day stay. We appreciated the contributions of Fariborz Birjandian, Antoinette Godbout, Sultana Assar and Patricia Gallagher of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society. We enjoyed the fine contributions of Bill Phipps, former moderator of the United Church of Canada, Bob Liddle, member of St. David's, and Angelo Dut (with friends) from the 20,000-member Calgary Sudanese community. We were grateful for the support of Abe Janzen of the Mennonite Central Committee and from representatives of the Centre for Newcomers and the Calgary Women's Immigrant Society. We appreciated the support of many from our congregation who cooked and served as program and worship supporters during those days. -- What then are some of the insights gathered as rich fodder for my continuing reflection? "Remember that you, too, were strangers in  the land of Egypt" (Lev. 19:33-34.) "In truth I tell you that, in so far as you  served one of the least of these, brothers and sisters of mine, you served me" (Mt. 25:40.) 1. If you want to begin doing something, even just a small contribution - get to know a refugee. There are many agencies helping newcomers to Calgary. Start with the people who have experience working with them. They can provide support. 2. Find a person you come to care about and learn to see the world through their own eyes. 3. We live in a culture that does not pay attention to ordinary happenings. Paying attention - is a fundamental gift. 4. Assimilate, don't try to integrate. The model of our Canadian society (the mosaic) helps newcomers move gradually, and at their own pace, into the mainstream. That is the meaning of assimilation. 5. Get to know the stories of your own ancestors. Chances are, there are in our family trees stories not unlike those of people coming to Canada today. 6. Develop a sense of astonishment for you life and the wonderful gifts that are offered us daily. 7. Perform consistent acts of fidelity, over time, and sense how small steps can lead ultimately to big accomplishments for others, as well as for oneself. 8. Come to peace with who you are and what you have. Our lives - no matter how insignificant we think they are - are a unique gift from God. Knowing this allows us to connect meaningfully with other's lives which may seem at first to be insignificant. 9. The warmth of the welcome is the decisive factor for any immigrant or refugee. 10. Satisfaction comes to us as we see newcomers begin to discover a new life for themselves. The church continues to be one of the best situated places in our society for 'welcoming the stranger.' --- These and many other thoughts from the past weekend have stayed with me since then. I suppose they will continue to inspire and challenge me to do good things for new Canadian friends in the days ahead. ***** COLLEAGUE COMMENT: ... I recently found your (Colleagues List) website and almost right away I connected to a treasure... It was good to hear the interview (February 17th, 2013) with the family and friends of Fr. Henri Nouwen... My worship leadership is now focused at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Brunkild, MB. ... your blog is great and I hope that you and your family are doing well. - Pastor Barry Bence COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS JIM TAYLOR Okanagan, BC Personal Blog March 3rd, 2013 "Archives Reduce Society's Amnesia" http://tinyurl.com/d3azegt -- RON ROLHEISER San Antonio, TX Personal Website March 3rd, 2013 "Honoring an Abundant and Prodigal God" http://tinyurl.com/b3329jo ***** NET NOTES R-RATED BIBLE How to Read it With Children The Christian Century March 5th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/be6h7fy -- REVOLUTIONARY IRAN History of Islamic Republic The Tablet, UK March 9th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/b6hp2se -- 'THE BIBLE' TV SERIES Invitation to Change the World Sojourners March 7th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/b47tdcr -- N.T. WRIGHT ON 'SIMPLY JESUS' He Discusses His New Book Englewood Review of Books Video Interview March 1st, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/bhx3oxg -- A POPE FOR A GLOBAL CHURCH Senior American Cardinal's View America Magazine March 18th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/akgdecz -- OUELLET: OTHERS COULD DO BETTER JOB Modest Canadian Papal 'Candidate' Reuters Canada March 4th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/a5tsrdn -- CARDINAL APOLOGIZES FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Misconduct Occurred Early in His Career Irish Times March 4th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/brkl37e O'Brien Admits and Apologizes The Guardian, March 3rd, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/boqskga -- CANADIAN ANGLICANS, LUTHERANS TO MEET TOGETHER They Will Hold Their 2013 Assemblies in Ottawa Anglican Jourtnal March 8th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/avtsm3c -- WILL CATHOLICISM EVER CHANGE ITS STANCE ON CELIBACY? The Election of a New Pope Revisits the Question Pantheos February 28th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/byphele ***** WISDOM OF THE WEEK Cast off all bonds of prejudice and custom, and let the love of Christ, which is in you, have free course to run out in all conceivable schemes and methods of labor for the souls of [people]. - Catherine Booth -- People must not only hear about the kingdom of God,but must see it in actual operation on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration nevertheless. - Pandita Ramabai -- Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom. - Plato -- The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly in the air like birds and swim in the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers and sisters. - Martin Luther King, Jr. -- We can’t change the whole world, but we can impact the world of some. You can make a difference. Do what you can and do it well. - Eugene Cho -- In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery? - Augustine ***** ON THIS DAY Provided from the archives of the New York Times First mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh. http://tinyurl.com/ass76pj Churchill Gives Iron Curtain Speech in America http://tinyurl.com/bzc5eoj Russian Revolution Begins in St. Petersburg http://tinyurl.com/axgelxa ***** CLOSING THOUGHT - ISABEL GIBSON The Gift of Humility In the spirit of surprises, it turns out that the Hippocratic Oath does not include these words: First, do no harm.  Maybe the reason so many think it does is that the injunction is both pertinent and pithy.  Indeed, it neatly encapsulates the gift of humility, at least as it relates to our outcomes, medical and otherwise.  We charge about, convinced that we are doing good: merely ‘avoiding harm’ seems like a low standard to which to aspire.  Yet within our polities, organizations, and relationships, we can see how easy it is to make things worse by acting with insufficient information or with insufficient attention.  May we act or refrain from action in humble awareness of that fact, every day. http://tinyurl.com/b6z2etn Check out Isabel's Blog "Traditinal Iconoclast" http://www.traditionaliconoclast.com/ (end)