Friday, January 22, 2016

Colleagues List, January 24th, 2016

Vol. XI.  No. 22

*****


GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE

Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net

Colleagues List Web Site:

http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com

"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog.


*****

Dear Friends:

As we move though the month of January,
I am pleased to share with you my column
for the Anglican Journal (online national
newspaper of the Anglican Church in Canada)

It is dedicated to a long-term friend and
colleague, Herb O'Driscoll of Victoria BC.

Special Item:

"Herbert O'Driscoll - the storyteller"
  http://tinyurl.com/zp6xf3z

***

Colleague Comment:

Last week, I posted here my notes of a
lecture given in Calgary by Larry Hurtado
of Edinburgh University. It was entitled:

"Early Christianity - A Bookish Religion"

Colleagues List, January 17th, 2016
http://tinyurl.com/zhvcyqc

Then I received a response from
John Horman of Waterloo ON.

Thanks, John.
Please scroll down to read him.

***

Colleague Contributions this week:

Jim Taylor of the Okanagan, BC wrote
the following on his web log:

"Epiphany - Suddenly the Light Goes On"
  http://tinyurl.com/j7solpp

-

Ron Rolheiser of San Antonio TX shared
from his personal web site:

"On Bowing and Raising Our Heads"
  http://tinyurl.com/hcghew9

-


Martin Marty of Chicago IL offers from
"Sightings" - clarification amid confusion:

"Fractured Christian Worlds"
  http://tinyurl.com/h8b3wew

Marty helps us read with more guidance
many of the following "Net Notes" items:

***

Net Notes that caught my eye this week:

"Destroyed by ISIS in Iraq" - the oldest
Christian monastery in that part of the
world was wantonly destroyed this week
(UCA News) http://tinyurl.com/hocg4rh

--


"Francis Opens Rite to Women" - for many
churches, rites have been inclusive for some
time. Not so for Catholics. But the current
pope is beginning to change all that as
foot-washing is now a sign of inclusion
(National Catholic Reporter)
http://tinyurl.com/zdv9545

--

"Canada Second Best Nation in the World" -
Canadians in general would probably be OK
with this recent headline from US News and
World Report (The Weather Network)
http://tinyurl.com/hocg4rh

--

"Fate of Orthodox Unity Hangs in Balance" -
More on the current power and influence
struggles between members of an ancient
family of churches, the 'Eastern' Orthodox
(Sightings) http://tinyurl.com/h862ku2

--

"Violence Rising Against India's Christians" -
more trouble seems ahead for Christians
in the Asian sub-continent as conservative
Hindu political forces assert themselves
(UCA News) http://tinyurl.com/heqrxyx

--

"What Divides and Unites Chinese Christians?" -
another Asian-based story about unity and
division among the Christians of China today
(UCA News) http://tinyurl.com/jaeecjt

--

"Faith-Life Financial Donates $36,000
  to Syrians" - a Canadian Lutheran church-
  founded insurance company seeks to
  multiply its financial gift to refugees
  (Christian Week) http://tinyurl.com/gv6a2so

--


"Five Tips for Lasting Change
  in Our Congregations" -  here are learnings
  from a Union of Reformed Judaism study on
  building strength through change 
  (Alban Weekly) http://tinyurl.com/gp5lqdb

--


"Primates Pull Anglican Church Back from
  the Brink" - American Episcopalians are
  sitting it out in order to keep other members
  of the Anglican World Communion together
  (The Tablet, UK) http://tinyurl.com/h8loajz

--

"A Very Different Movie Portrayal of the 
  Catholic Church" - gone are the "Bells
  of St. Mary's" film days, as the RCC
  is under the "Spotlight" for sexual abuse
  (The Tablet, UK) http://tinyurl.com/hjq8dzg

--

Wisdom of the Week is offered by:

Jim Wallis, G.K. Chesterton and Elie Wiesel

Please scroll down to read them.

--

On This Day from the archives
of the New York Times:

"Lenin Dies in Moscow"
  http://tinyurl.com/a7f9ha7

"Reagan Succeeds Carter -
  American Hostages Released in Iran"
  http://tinyurl.com/l3aphz8
 

--

Closing Thought - is from Teilhard de Chardin.
Please scroll to the end to read him.

(end)

--

If you're interested:

Winter 2016 Adult Spiritual Development
ACTS Ministry, St. David's
United Church, Calgary
Plans for our Program Season are now complete:

This info is added at the end of the blog, so
feel free to scroll down to read about it.

--

I am always happy to complete another
Colleagues List issue and hope you enjoy it.

Wayne

*****

SPECIAL ITEM

Anglican Journal Column for January
"Herbert O'Driscoll - the storyteller"

http://tinyurl.com/zp6xf3z

*****

COLLEAGUE COMMENT


John Horman
Waterloo, ON

Re: "Early Christianity - A Bookish Religion"
Lecture by Larry Hurtado
Colleagues List, January 17th, 2016
http://tinyurl.com/zhvcyqc

January 17th, 2016

Dear Wayne:

While Larry is going against powerful tides
in U.S. biblical scholarship, he clearly has a
good case. He could add that there is more
than one way of "using" a text. Some scholars
make a great deal of Paul's statement that
"not many" were "wise according to the flesh".
But the obvious corollary here is that some were,
back then in the middle of the first century.

Those were the ones who were expected to
read Paul's letters to the rest. This is sometimes
called "secondary orality", and is used to explain
or explain away instances where an author may
show influence by a text, but is obviously not
copying. But "secondary orality" is another
word for secondary literacy. When Diocletian
went after the books of the Christians, he was
going for the jugular, and he knew it. I believe
that much of the emphasis on "oral culture" in
early christianity is simply a hangover from late
eighteenth and early nineteenth century
romanticism. The authentic folk, it is believed,
were not the effete products of literary culture,
but the real Galilean "folk" telling sub-literary
stories about Jesus in the Galilean and Syrian
hillsides. These "folk", I suggest, are a figment
of the romantic imagination.

John

Editor's note:

Readers, what do you think about the early 
appearance of written texts in the Christian
community?

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS


JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Jim Taylor's Web Log
January 20th, 2016

"Epiphany - The Light Goes On"
  http://tinyurl.com/j7solpp

--

Ron Rolheiser
San Antonio, TX

Personal Web Site
January 17th, 2016

"On Bowing and Raising Our Heads"
  http://tinyurl.com/hcghew9

--

Martin Marty
Chicago. IL

Sightings
January 17th, 2016

"Fractured Christian Worlds"
  http://tinyurl.com/h8b3wew

 
*****

NET NOTES


DESTROYED BY ISIS IN IRAQ
The Oldest Christian Monastery

UCA News
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hocg4rh

--
FRANCIS OPENS RITE TO WOMEN
Foot-washing a Sign of Inclusion

National Catholic Reporter
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/zdv9545

--

CANADA SECOND BEST NATION IN WORLD
US News and World Report Survey Results

The Weather Network
January 20th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hocg4rh

--
 
FATE OF ORTHODOX UNITY HANGS IN BALANCE
Council May or May Not Move Churches Forward

Sightings
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/h862ku2

--

VIOLENCE RISING AGAINST INDIA'S CHRISTIANS
Conservative Hindu Politics a Major Cause

UCA News
January 19th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/heqrxyx

--

WHAT DIVIDES AND UNITES CHINESE CHRISTIANS?
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity a Case in Point

UCA News
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/jaeecjt

--

FAITH-LIFE FINANCIAL DONATES $36,000 TO SYRIANS
Canadian Lutheran Based Insurer Supports CLWR

Christian Week
January 14th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/gv6a2so

--

FIVE TIPS FOR LASTING CHANGE IN CONGREGATIONS
Learnings from Union of Reformed Jewish Study

Alban Weekly
January 17th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/gp5lqdb

--

PRIMATES PULL ANGLICAN CHURCH BACK FROM BRINK
Canterbury Meeting - Communion Survival Struggles

The Tablet, UK
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/h8loajz
 --

VERY DIFFERENT MOVIE PORTRAYAL OF CATHOLIC CHURCH
"Spotlight" Oscar Nominee Paints Church as Self-Serving

The Tablet, UK
January 21st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hjq8dzg

*****


WISDOM OF THE WEEK


Provided from Sojourners and the Bruderhof -

When racism is tolerated, the reconciling work
of Christ on the cross is contradicted.


If white Christians acted more Christian
than white, black parents would have less
 to fear for their children.


- Jim Wallis

--

There is no such thing as Success… That a
thing is successful merely means that it is;
a millionaire is successful in being a millionaire
and a donkey in being a donkey.

- G.K. Chesterton

--

As long as one dissident is in prison, our
freedom will not be true. As long as one
child is hungry, our life will be filled with
anguish and shame. What all these victims
need above all is to know that they are not
alone; that we are not forgetting them, that
when their voices are stifled we shall lend
them ours, that while their freedom depends
on ours, the quality of our freedom depends
on theirs.

- Elie Wiesel

***

ON THIS DAY


From the archives of the New York Times:

"Lenin Dies in Moscow"
  http://tinyurl.com/a7f9ha7

"Reagan Succeeds Carter -
  American Hostages Released in Iran"
  http://tinyurl.com/l3aphz8

***

CLOSING THOUGHT - Teilhard de Chardin


Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves,
the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God
the energies of love. And then, for the second
time in the history of the world, man will have
discovered fire.


(end)

***


Beginning Our Program Season -
Winter 2016 Adult Spiritual Development
ACTS Ministry at St. David's
United Church, Calgary

WINTER 2016 MONDAY NIGHT STUDY

Theme: "The Other Two Religions of Jerusalem"
                Judaism and Islam

Books: "Chosen? Reading the Bible
              Amid the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"
              by Walter Brueggemann

             "Islam: A Short History"
               by Karen Armstrong
              
http://tinyurl.com/jzbybmj
http://tinyurl.com/hr4ohvd
 
A  ten-week investigation into the religious 
sources of modern global unrest centered
in the Mid-East:

Ten Monday evenings, 7-9PM
In the St. David's TM Room
January 18th - March 21st, 2015
Including Monday of Family Weekend

Books and Registration/Hospitality - $60.00
Books only - $35.00

Total book sets available for sale: 32.
All sets have now been sold.

Now beginning seventeen years
of Monday Night Studies
Our thirty-second series of
(usually) ten week sessions!

Course design:
http://chosen.stdavidscalgary.net/

Check our complete archives
for all 46 book studies:
http://tinyurl.com/q3bw6dh

***

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

Theme: The Book of Ruth and other
Hebrew Bible themes of justice for
vulnerable people in society

Five sessions 10-11 AM
Gathering at 9:30AM
In the St. David's TM Room
January 28th - February 25th.

No charge.

Study resource -

The DK Complete Bible Handbook
http://tinyurl.com/odxlv7q

(copy available in our church library)

The Bible Study Group provided the
service reflection Sunday, Jan. 17th, 2016
and it was well received.

*****

ACTS LENTEN RETREAT, 2016

SOMETHING TO ANTICIPATE
IN THE NEW YEAR

Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre
Cochrane, Alberta
http://www.mountstfrancis.ca/

Mark your calendars!

Sunday February 28th
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM

John Griffith is on sabbatical this year.
Reflections will be led by a Franciscan on staff.

***


ST. DAVID'S SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS

Coming Soon - our "Memories Project" --
Sight and Sound Packet contributed by those
taking the "Jerusalem and the Lands of Three
Great Faiths" tour last October.

Available free to all who took and tour with
additional packets at a modest price for those
interested.

--

New Project Later This Winter --

"Where Would You Like to Travel Next?"

Beginning our process to find a destination
for a trip somewhere in the world in 2017.

*****




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