Vol. VII. No. 18
*****
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:
"The United Church of Canada: A History,"
edited by Don Schweitzer
___
Colleague Comments:
Joan Gray
Ian MacDonald
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
Ron Rolheiser
___
Net Notes:
Comfort Women Protest
Giving Only at Christmas
Another Noah's Ark 'Finding'
Christopher Hitchens is Dead
Koreans Fast Over 'Corrupt' Group
Paulo Friere - The Man from Recife
Abuse Victims Claim Church 'Payoff'
Canada Withdraws from Kyoto Accord
Protester - Time's Person of the Year
Persecution of Christians Grows in Egypt
Attacked Pakistan Buildings - Unfinished
The High Cost of the Now-Defunct Iraq War
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eighteen ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Henry Ward Beecher
Thomas Raymond Kelly
Amma Sarah
Rachel Naomi Remen
Thich Nhat Hanh
___
On This Day:
Dec. 12, 1963 - Kenya gained its
independence from Britain.
Dec. 14, 1981 - Israel annexed the
Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967.
Dec. 16, 1978 - Margaret Mead, world
famous anthropologist, dies of Cancer
___
Closing Thought: Meister Eckhart
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
As we near Christmas I want to inform
you of Colleagues List issues I plan to
send through year end.
I hope to send one issue - it will
include our family letter - before
December 25th, and one more by
December 31st.
The last issue of the year usually
contains a collation of all book notices
and personal articles I have shared with
you in the past twelve months. That way,
you should be able to catch up with a
notice or article you may have missed.
It represents an annual summing up. This
year I intend to send a total 42 issues of
Colleagues List - one more that the average
for the past seven years.
---
This week I introduce the first critical
history of the United Church of Canada.
It was edited by Don Schweitzer of
St. Andrews College, Saskatoon, and
contains contributions from fourteen
others. Wilfrid Laurier University Press
of Waterloo, Ontario serves as publisher.
The book is entitled:
"The United Church of Canada: A History"
and it officially appears at year end.
___
Colleague Comments:
Two Calgary colleagues from St. David's
United Church share their thoughts -
Joan Gray - offers a link to the story of
an Edmonton congregation's vision.
Ian MacDonald - a semi-retired engineer,
enjoys science and religion articles.
This week, the big one comes from
CERN (European Organization for
Nuclear Research located in Geneva.)
It tells of the Higgs boson experiment
relating, in part, to the "God particle."
There is more to come on this story.
I remember visiting CERN while a graduate
student in Geneva, and know that its
scientists are frequently on the cutting
edge of experiments linking science and
other disciplines.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Martin Marty (Chicago) - this week
turns his attention to atheism in America.
Jim Taylor (Okanagan) - writes about being
adopted and its impact.
Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio) - digs into
his archives for a Christmas reflection.
___
Net Notes:
"Comfort Women Protest" - the quest for
an apology from the Japanese government
continues (ENI, Ucan)
"Giving Only at Christmas" - an article
on the benefits of year-end giving for
different reasons (EFC - Faith Today)
"Another Noah's Ark 'Finding'" - every
so often, another project surfaces, intent
on finding pieces of the 'real ark.'
Here is the latest (Christian Post)
"Christopher Hitchens is Dead" - the
outspoken critic who fixed his sharpest
attacks of recent years on religion,
succumbed to cancer (New York Times,
Guardian UK)
"Koreans Fast Over 'Corrupt' Group" - a
group of Protestants are fasting to bring
about the demise of a church agency it
considers evil (Ucan News)
"Paulo Friere - The Man from Recife" -
here is a good biography of one of the
twentieth century's most revolutionary
educational thinkers. He is a longtime
hero of colleague Mathew Zachariah
(Englewood Review)
"Abuse Victims Claim Church 'Payoff'" -
persons who suffered from clergy abuse
claim the church wanted to pay to shut
them up (Vatican Insider)
"Canada Withdraws from Kyoto Accord" -
this expected move, long intended by
the current Canadian government, is
decried by many others in Canada and
beyond (Guardian UK, ELCIC, Toronto Star)
"Protester - Time's Person of the Year" -
the story of protest was repeated often
in 2011 with "Occupy" the most visible
(Newsmax)
"Persecution of Christians Grows in Egypt"
- growing concern over the fate Christians
in the "new" Egypt (Christianweek.org)
"Attacked Pakistan Buildings Stay Unfinished"
- several years ago, Christians who suffered
from sacked facilities were promised new
ones. They still wait (Ucan News)
"The High Cost of the Now-Defunct Iraq War"
- quietly the US has left Iraq, and there
is precious little to cheer about at a cost
of one trillion (National Catholic Reporter)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
This week, I include eighteen religion
stories provided by Ecumenical News
International, Geneva.
By the way, colleague David Harris,
editor of the Presbyterian Record,
(Canada) heads up the ENI project.
__
Quotes of the Week:
Henry Ward Beecher, Thomas Raymond Kelly,
Amma Sarah, Rachel Naomi Remen and
Thich Nhat Hanh share their wisdom with us.
___
On This Day:
Kenya gained independence from Britain (1963)
Israel annexed the Golan Heights, seized
from Syria in 1967 (1981)
Margaret Mead, anthropologist, died (1978)
___
Closing Thought: Meister Eckhart, a
medieval mystic concludes our letter
for this week, with comment from
Matthew Fox.
Blessings on your last minute
Christmas preparations.
Wayne
*********************************
SPECIAL WINTER STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY
WINTER 2012
"The Other Face of God:
When the Stranger Calls Us Home"
by Mary Jo Leddy
Ten Monday Nights -
January 16th - March 26th
(except February Family Weekend)
Information about the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/c6aror6
*****
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
January 24th - March 27th, 2012
Course Information:
http://tinyurl.com/2fc7xr4
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
LENTEN STUDIES 2012
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Winter Series for 2012:
"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.
Reviews of "An Altar in the World"
http://tinyurl.com/7gkvq9r
Cost of the book: $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
An accumulation of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
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:
THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
A History, edited by Don Schweitzer
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Dec. 2011. 306 pages. $39.95 CAD
ISBN #978-1-55458-331-7.
*****
Publisher's Promo:
From its inception in the early 1900s,
The United Church of Canada set out to
become the national church of Canada.
This book recounts and analyzes the
history of the church of Canada’s
largest Protestant denomination and
its engagement with issues of social
and private morality, evangelistic
campaigns, and its response to the
restructuring of religion in the 1960s.
A chronological history is followed by
chapters on the United Church’s worship,
theology, understanding of ministry,
relationships with the Canadian Jewish
community, Israel, and Palestinians,
changing mission goals in relation to
First Nations peoples, and changing
social imaginary.
The result is an original, accessible,
and engaging account of The United
Church of Canada’s pilgrimage that
will be useful for students, historians,
and general readers. From this account
there emerges a complex portrait of the
United Church as a distinctly Canadian
Protestant church shaped by both its
Christian faith and its engagement
with the changing society of which
it is a part.
---
Author's Words:
The United Church of Canada has had a
significant presence in English-speaking
Canada for over eighty years... (since)
the late-1950s when roughly 20 percent
of Canada's population belonged to it,
the United Church has been present in
most English-speaking Canadian communities.
When it was founded at an inaugural service
June 10th, 1925 (it saw itself as playing)
a decisive role in shaping the moral ethos
of Canadian society by infusing the values
of Evangelical British Protestantism into
Canadian citizens and society through
evangelism, Christian education, social
service, public activism and advocacy.
While its influence on Canadian society
has greatly decreased in recent decades,
it remains the largest Protestant
denomination in Canada and Christianity
continues to exert a significant influence
on the Canadian imagination...
(For all this) there exists no academic
history of the United Church of Canada
itself. This book attempts to fill this
gap in Canadian historiography...
The United Church itself is at a point
where it needs a critical account of
its history (as most of the books written
on the church over the years have been
celebrations, not critical assessments.)
(At the time of its formation and up until
recent decades the United Church has had
"a unifying vision that is compelling,
attainable, and shared," - that saw
itself as being and becoming a national
church.)
(Now) there is a call for a new vision,
which arises partly from the United
Church's inability to be what it formerly
was. To find a new vision for itself,
leaders and members of the United Church
need to study its past and learn from its
history. This anthology was written
to help in this process.
The UCC deserves study because of its
place in Canadian culture, and because it
has been a significant ecclesiastical
entity, an experiment in church union in
it own right.
The United Church is also a unique church
within Canada. (Because it lacks) primary
identification with any one international
church body, it has an autonomy that
distinguishes it from most other Canadian
denominations. Being both uniquely
Canadian and unique within Canada, it has
a fascinating history that is worth
telling.
(The editor outlines the two main sections
of the book - a series of chronological,
historical chapters divided largely into
decades from pre-union, then from the
1930s into the twenty-first century. In
the second part of the book he invites
others to take up particular thematic
foci that are helpfully traced for us
through the eras of the church's history.
He closes with a chapter on "The Changing
Social Imaginary of the United Church of
Canada.)
Tracking how its social imaginary has
changed reveals that this is only part of
the story. The United Church's history is
also one of faithfulness, of gains and
achievements that, at present, are often
overlooked.
I hope to provide a resource for all who
desire to understand the United Church
more fully. We hope that it will be
supplemented in the future by many more
studies.
- from the Introduction
In 2006, Moderator Peter Short noted
that (the) original vision is no longer
an animating part of the United Church's
social imaginary. (I examine why this is
so and what this change has meant for
the church.)
As the United Church (came to) accept
disestablishment, confidence about its
place in Canadian society gave way to
a crisis concerning its future. It
began to examine many of its teachings
and practices.
(We have apologized a lot to various
groups, and we are a much humbler church
than we used to be.)
In the course of the 1970s, the social
ethic of the United Church became more
radical. Official statements began to
express a preferential option for the
poor... The United Church now began,
in theory, to see Canada very
differently from the way it had in its
originating social imaginary...
measured against the hopes and goals of
its originating social imaginary, the
United Church's history has been
predominantly one of failure and loss...
this is not only about a loss of members,
privilege and power. It is also about a
loss of vision, a sense of identity
and purpose that the idea of becoming
a "national" church provided...
Its originating vision of becoming a
"national" church is gone partly because
changes in Canadian society make it no
longer feasible, but also because while
the United Church continues to affirm
these underlying values, it now understands
their meaning and implications very
differently.
- from the final chapter
"The Changing Social Imaginary"
---
My Thoughts:
The two most valuable contributions
of this attractive new book edited by
Don Schweitzer of Saskatoon are these:
It offers:
- a critical, historical assessment of the
life of the United Church of Canada (and)
It issues:
- a call to engage in an intelligent,
focused discussion on a new vision for the
United Church of Canada, in light of the
great changes in Canadian society and the
subsequent loss of vision this church has
experienced over its almost ninety years
of history.
---
I became a member of a local United
Church in Calgary (twenty-two years ago)
because I felt accepted in the community
and learned that I could share many of
the gifts I had to offer the people
there. My mother had been raised in
the United Church (Ontario) and had
moved to another mainline Canadian
Protestant denomination through marriage.
In an unexpected turn of fate, I
reversed that move on my mother's part.
When I joined St. David's United Calgary,
I determined that I would be a "layman"
in that community (after serving for 25
years as a pastor) and that I would support
the clergy and congregation with the gift
of critical affirmation, not negative
criticism. To a large extent, I think I
have been able to honour that commitment.
So, if I were to constructively assess
my United Church community, two key
concerns stand out for me:
1. It is unfamiliar with its history
2. It lacks an inclusive future vision
That is why Schweitzer's book serves
an important purpose for me, and I
suspect, it would for many within and
beyond the United Church of Canada.
There have been many detractors of
the United Church over the years, but
I would encourage those too to join in
this constructive assessment and the
call for a new vision based on the
experience of the church's past.
I believe that studying this book
could help to foment that vision.
Those who criticize from the position of
some current "ecclesiastical ascendancy"
outside of the United Church of Canada
should patiently be reminded that it is
not hard to be dislodged from a position
of ascendancy. The United Church of Canada
has learned this. The viability of many
Canadian denominations is in jeopardy
today - as the studies by Reginald Bibby,
for example, keep telling us.
Those who have experienced a humbling
similar to that of the United Church
should gain some courage to revisit
the valuable lessons of their own
church's past, and to join a similar
vision quest. Hopefully, this will
happen within individual communities
as well as ecumenically.
The challenges we face are larger
than those confronting individual
denominations. The benefits that
we could experience together are
much greater than we may sometimes
imagine.
*****
It takes a lot of courage to face
one's past critically. It takes
much boldness to face one's future
with vision, rather than pessimism.
Strength and temerity in a humble
spirit are values reflected in this
book. I honour Don Schweitzer, his
colleagues, and the United Church
of Canada for presenting this history
for all of us to engage.
A book like this should be in the
hands of all thoughtful and concerned,
members of United churches across the
country.
It should also be in the hands of
many others who have a vision for
the whole church; not simply their
own faith family.
_____
Buy the book from:
The Publisher:
http://tinyurl.com/cdkgbtb
ChaptersIndigo.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/7qg6b95
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMENT
JOAN GRAY
Calgary, AB.
December 14th, 2011
Hi Wayne, You share so much with us.
I wanted to share this article with you.
This is the church in Edmonton that
brought me into the fold of the United
Church and the one that (my son) Matthew
grew up in.
Sincerely,
Joan Gray
"Farsighted Church Investment"
Edmonton Journal
December 13th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/ce7fu2x
---
IAN MACDONALD
Calgary, AB.
December 14th, 2011
Wayne:
I found the last paragraph
of the Globe editorial the best...
To paraphrase Psalm 14: "The fool has
said in his heart there is no Higgs
boson. Tuesday's announcement is a
testament to our constant search for
meaning and understanding, and proof
that whether we look for answers
inside an atom or inside a place of
worship, it is the search that makes
us divine."
Ian
"The Higgs Boson and
the Search for God"
Globe and Mail
December 14th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/ceebvuw
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL
Sightings
December 12, 2011
"Atheism in America"
http://tinyurl.com/87w87rn
---
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Personal Web Log
December 14th, 2011
"Growing Up Adopted"
http://tinyurl.com/74fbywa
---
RON ROLHEISER
Personal Blog
"Reasons to Celebrate Christmas"
(December 2009)
http://tinyurl.com/887woo9
*****
NET NOTES
'COMFORT WOMEN' PROTEST
Ecumenical News International
December 14th, 2011
Christian women join demonstration
by victims of Japan's wartime sexual
slavery
Tokyo (ENI news) - Christians in South
Korea, Japan, and elsewhere, led mostly
by women, joined on 14 December to mark
the 1,000th Wednesday demonstration in
Seoul demanding dignity and justice for
victims of the Japanese military's sexual
slavery during the Second World War. In
Seoul, about 2,000 people participated
in the weekly demonstration in front of
the Japanese embassy, demanding Japan's
official apology and reparations to the
victims, the so-called "comfort women."
Similar demonstrations reportedly took
place in 27 other places in South Korea.
The demonstration's organizer, the Korean
Council for the Women Drafted for Military
Sexual Slavery by Japan--led by a female
Christian minister, Rev. Han Kukyom, and
Yoon Mee-hyang--urged the Japanese
government to "stand up for the solution
of the problem." Among the council's
founding member organizations is Korean
Church Women United.
---
"Too Frail to Continue Quest for Apology"
Ucan News
December 14th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/cfxdb5o
*****
GIVING ONLY AT CHRISTMAS
Is This a Bad Thing?
Faith Today
Nov/Dec, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6v5cqdj
****
ANOTHER NOAH'S ARK "FINDING"
"Overwhelming Evidence" Sited
The Christian Post
December 13th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/792g6ua
*****
CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS IS DEAD
Ecumenical News International
December 16th, 2011
Renowned writer and polemicist
Christopher Hitchens dies, aged 62
New York (ENI news) - Both opponents
and advocates of religious faith are
mourning the death of author, polemicist,
and atheist Christopher Hitchens, who
died 15 December after a long battle
with esophageal cancer. Though known
principally for his iconoclastic political
writings - which included sharp barbs,
bordering on contempt, for political
figures as varied as Henry Kissinger
and Bill Clinton - in recent years
Hitchens became known for his criticism
of religion, arguing that human decency
is not derived from religious faith.
---
New York Times
December 16th, 2011
Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist
in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George
Orwell who trained his sights on targets as
various as Henry Kissinger, the British
monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-
seller attacking religious belief, and
dismayed his former comrades on the left
by enthusiastically supporting the American-
led war in Iraq, died Thursday at the M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was 62.
Read More: http://tinyurl.com/c7uyts5
---
The Guardian, UK
December 16th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/c72qndt
*****
KOREANS FAST OVER 'CORRUPT' GROUP
Protestant Christian Protest
Ucan News
December 13th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6mflkuu
*****
PAULO FRIERE - THE MAN FROM RECIFE
The Englewood Review of Books
December 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7o37sxb
*****
ABUSE VICTIMS CLAIM CHURCH 'PAY OFF'
Cash Offered in Belgium for Silence
Vatican Insider
December 14th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/d9qlbs4
*****
CANADA WITHDRAWS FROM KYOTO
Our Position Opposed by Many
The Guardian, UK
December 14th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/dydzqnz
---
Comment by colleague Susan Johnson
National Bishop, ELCIC
NEWS RELEASE
From the National Office of the ELCIC
December 14th, 2011
ELCIC National Bishop Expresses
"Disappointment and Concern" at
Government's Decision to Withdraw
Canada from Kyoto Protocol
Winnipeg, 14 December 2011 - The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's
(ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson
wrote to The Honourable Peter Kent,
Minister of the Environment, to express
her "disappointment and concern" over
the recent decision of the government
to withdraw Canada from participating
in the Kyoto Protocol.
In her letter, Bishop Johnson urges the
government to set a national target to
cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 25
per cent from 1990 levels by 2020,
implement an effective national plan
to reach this target, and help developing
countries reduce their emissions and adapt
to climate change.
"Climate change is very real," writes
Bishop Johnson. "It is urgent that we
reduce green house gas emissions in
order to limit the effects of climate
change."
The letter references a decision made
by delegates at the 2009 ELCIC National
Convention which affirmed, "that global
warming is the greatest threat to life
on earth--that entire populations and
ecosystems are threatened by devastating
impacts such as drought, heat waves,
fires, floods, storms and rising sea
levels."
Bishop Johnson urges the Canadian
Government to match the commitment
made by members of ELCIC congregations
and reduce emissions by 25 per cent,
and to support a national plan that
helps reduce emissions.
Read the full text of the letter here:
http://tinyurl.com/dxnsjgd
---
Canada Hits Bottom
Withdrawing from Kyoto
Toronto Star
December 16th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7yg7zmy
*****
TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR -
"THE PROTESTER"
A Composite Image
Newsmax.com
December 14th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6m4kqq8
*****
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
INTENSIFIES IN EGYPT
Christianweek.org
December 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6qx4zus
*****
ATTACKED BUILDINGS IN
PAKISTAN STILL UNFINISHED
Ucan News
December 12th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/cqy2adg
*****
THE HIGH COST OF THE
NOW-DEFUNCT IRAQ WAR
National Catholic Reporter
December 15th, 2011
"It's much harder to end
a war than to start one"
- President Obama
Open with Mozilla Firefox:
http://tinyurl.com/6vme52x
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
12 December 2011
Norway sees sharp increase in
Catholic population
Oslo, Norway (ENI news) - The Roman Catholic
population of Norway almost doubled from 2005
to 2011, mainly due to immigration, according
to a Statistics Norway report. The latest
figures show the number of Catholics in Norway
is about 83,018, up from 43,118 six years ago,
the agency said on 6 December. The main reason
is immigration of artisans, mainly from Poland.
_____
Churches in Congo slam presidential
election process
Kinshasha, Congo (ENI news) - As international
observers say that general elections in the
Democratic Republic of Congo were flawed,
churches also have been highly critical of
the process that re-elected President Joseph
Kabila, but are appealing for peace among a
restless electorate. "We are telling the people
to keep peace and avoid violent protests. We
reminding them that we have been at war for
long and we need to preserve what is remaining
of the country," Pastor Josue Bulambo
Lembelembe, vice-president of the Church of
Christ in Congo in South Kivu told ENI news
in a telephone interview from the town of
Bukavu on 12 December. Churches said the
28 November polls were marred by
irregularities, fraud and violence.
_____
Evangelicals in Colombia express
concern over law changes
Bogota, Colombia (ENI news) - Evangelical
leaders in Colombia say they're concerned
about the future of their nation in the wake
of recent legislation that has decriminalized
euthanasia, eased abortion restrictions and
could legalize same-sex marriages, reports
the Latin America and Caribbean Communication
Agency (ALC). "These matters that the
Colombian Congress is considering are nothing
other than the sociopolitical, cultural and
religious changes of the times to come, that
affect our country considerably," said
evangelical Senator Edgar Espindola Nino
at the "First Pro Ecclesial Forum: Human
Rights and the Church," held 28 November
in Bogota.
_____
Russian Orthodox voices
join cries of election fraud
Moscow (ENI news) - After a week of
mounting protest over alleged fraud in
Russia's 4 December parliamentary election,
the Russian Orthodox Church has called for
stricter control over the election process
-- evidence of the extent to which anger has
spread in Russian society. A demonstration
in Moscow on 10 December drew 25,000 people,
according to police, but opposition leaders
said the numbers were at least 80,000.
Smaller protests were held across Russia.
The voice of the church could play a
significant role as activists plan for
demonstrations on 17 and 24 December.
_____
13 December 2011
Pope meets with British rabbi as part
of ongoing interfaith outreach
Rome (ENI news) - Pope Benedict XVI on 12
December met with Lord Jonathan Sacks,
the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew
Congregations of the Commonwealth in a
closed-door meeting in which the Vatican
says the two discussed the economic and
political situation in Europe and the
role that faith should play in the modern
world. After the meeting, Sacks presented
Benedict with a copy of The Koren Siddur,
a Hebrew and English Jewish prayer book
Sacks translated.
_____
Tree planting in Luther Garden
signals unity among Christians
Wittenberg, Germany (ENI news) - On a
cold, blustery day in the German town of
Wittenberg, Bishop Yuri Novgorodov of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan
patted down the dark soil at the base of
a freshly-planted linden tree. Not more
than a hundred yards away, the tower of
the Castle Church soared into the bright
winter sky. Bishop Novgorodov's linden
tree is the latest addition to the Luther
Garden, and is flanked by trees planted
by representatives of the Evangelical
Lutheran Churches of Tanzania and Latvia.
With the 500-year anniversary of the
Reformation approaching in 2017, the
Luther Garden hopes to have 500 trees
planted by then.
_____
Evangelical Church of El Salvador
recognized for century of service
San Salvador, El Salvador (ENI news) - As
part of the nation’s ongoing bicentennial
celebrations, the Evangelical Church of El
Salvador was recognized in early December
for its more than 100 years of service.
The Legislative Assembly, on the occasion
of the Bicentennial of the First Cry of
Independence, celebrated 5 November,
noted the establishment of the evangelical
movement in El Salvador coincided with the
rise to power of rulers favoring
secularization, freedom of worship and
legalizing of civil marriage, according
to the Latin America and Caribbean News
Agency.
_____
Pope to visit Cuba in first papal
trip in more than a decade
Rome (ENI news) - Vatican officials
confirmed this week that Pope Benedict
XVI would visit Cuba and Mexico some
time before Easter next year, in a
]landmark trip that would mark the
first papal visit to Cuba since Pope
John Paul II visited the communist but
predominantly Catholic island state in
1998. During the celebration of a mass
in St. Peter's Basilica honoring
Mexico’s Virgin of Guadalupe, Benedict
mentioned the travel plans and said he
hoped God would guide residents of Latin
America to "build a society based on the
development of good, the triumph of love,
and the spread of justice."
*****
14 December 2011
Sri Lankan government apologizes for
arrest of Catholic nun
Colombo, Sri Lanka (ENI news) - The
Sri Lankan government has made a public
apology for the arrest of a Catholic nun
on child trafficking charges. The nun
belonged to the Missionaries of Charity
(MC) order founded by Mother Teresa.
"This is a serious and very sensitive
issue. The apology ... is a clear
indication of the government's stand on
this matter," said Minister Keheliya
Rambukwella, a Sri Lankan cabinet
spokesman, in a news statement on
8 December.
_____
American city will
see 'multi-faith neighborhood'
Omaha, Nebraska (ENI news) - Omaha,
Nebraska may not be the place that
some imagine as fertile ground for
the prospect of the three Abrahamic
faiths finding common ground but, the
vision of such peaceful co-existence
has taken a major step towards becoming
reality. The Tri-Faith Initiative of
Omaha announced on 13 December that
it has completed the purchase of four
adjacent parcels of land, amounting
to about 35 acres, on a former golf
course in the heart of Omaha, Episcopal
News Service reports. The course is
being turned into Sterling Ridge, a
development that will also include
single-family homes, an assisted-
living facility, office and retail
space and a hotel.
_____
Outcome of climate talks not good
for poor nations, say global
Christian leaders
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - United
Nations climate talks achieved minimal
success, say Christian leaders and
activists, who claim the outcome does
too little to respond to the impact
of climate change on poor countries.
At the 17th Conference of Parties to
the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change talks, political
leaders agreed to retain the Kyoto
Protocol - though Canada withdrew
from it - and start negotiations in
2015 for a new legally binding deal
to take effect in 2020. A fund for
climate aid to poor countries was
also agreed upon at the conference,
which ran from 29 November to 9
December in Durban, South Africa.
*****
15 December 2011
Anglican bishop pleads for agreement
on Zurbaran paintings in Britain
Durham, England (ENI news) - The Anglican
bishop of Durham is urging a wealthy
businessman and the commissioners who
manage the Church of England's assets to
"look afresh at what can be done" to keep
a set of 17th-century religious paintings
in northeast Britain as the center of a p
lanned historical visitor attraction.
Bishop Justin Welby's intervention follows
reports that Jonathan Ruffer, an investment
fund manager, has withdrawn an offer of 15
million British pounds to save a set of
paintings called "Jacob and his Sons" by
the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran.
The paintings have hung at Auckland Castle,
see of the Anglican bishops of Durham, for
the last 255 years.
_____
Philippine church leaders join movement
against big mining firms
Baguio City, Philippines (ENI news)
Leaders from Philippine Roman Catholic and
Protestant groups have joined non-government
and indigenous peoples' organizations in a
renewed campaign against big mining firms.
"The campaign against large-scale mining is
also a campaign against greed," the Rev.
Eduardo Solang, a retired priest of the
Episcopal Church of the Philippines, told
ENI news on 14 December.
_____
Primate of Traditional Anglican Communion
resigns after dissension
Adelaide, Australia (ENI news) - Archbishop
John Hepworth, the primate of the Traditional
Anglican Communion (TAC), has said he will
resign from office in May in the wake of
dissension within the College of Bishops over
recent events, including the terms of his plan
that would include the TAC in the ordinariate
of the Roman Catholic Church. "Profound
doctrinal and moral differences have grown
between us. It is my intention, provided
the membership of our college is
substantially clarified in the next few
months, to tender my resignation as primate
at Pentecost," Hepworth said in a news release.
*****
16 December 2011
In Canada, Jewish, Muslim comedians joke
about Christmas
Toronto (ENI news) - Christmas can be a lonely
time for non-Christians in North America. Jews
have Chanukah--and traditionally go to Chinese
restaurants on Christmas Day. Muslims, well,
can always go to the movies. On the other hand,
the Christmas season can be pretty funny for
Christianity's fellow Abrahamic faiths.
Certainly, "Kosher Jokes for the Halaladays"
comedy revue thinks so. (The terms Kosher
and halal refer to ritual dietary laws for,
respectively, Jews and Muslims.) Bringing
together Jewish and Muslim comics for a
three-city Canadian tour this month, the
show tries, as its news release states,
"to laugh and be very merry."
_____
Christian group presses for passage of
communal violence bill in India
Andhra Pradesh, India (ENI news) - The
All India Christian Council (AICC), an
ecumenical advocacy group, has urged the
Indian government to expedite the passage
of a bill which can "effectively curb
communal violence and bring justice" to
victims of religious intolerance and
violence. The AICC, along with other
Christian groups, has made a nationwide
call for a prayer campaign in favor of
the bill, a draft of which is in
circulation ahead of being introduced
in the Indian parliament.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
December 9th, 2011
"The habit of taking each other before
God in prayer, familiarly and by name,
is eminently beneficial. It will cleanse
you. It will sweeten your disposition.
It will take away from you every particle
of the raven that loves to feed on carrion."
- Henry Ward Beecher, from "Familiar Talks"
---
December 12th, 2011
"In worship we have our neighbors to right
and left, before and behind, yet the Eternal
Presence is over all and beneath all. Worship
does not consist in achieving a mental state
of concentrated isolation from one’s fellows.
But in depth of common worship it is as if we
found our separate lives were all one life,
within whom we live and move and have our
being."
- Thomas Raymond Kelly
---
December 13th, 2011
"If I pray to God that all people might be
inspired because of me, I would find myself
repentant at the door of every house. I
would rather pray that my heart be pure
toward them than that I changed something
in theirs."
- Amma Sarah
---
December 14th, 2011
“Wounding and healing are not opposites.
They're part of the same thing. It is our
wounds that enable us to be compassionate
with the wounds of others. It is our
limitations that make us kind to the
limitations of other people. It is our
loneliness that helps us to to find other
people or to even know they're alone with
an illness. I think I have served people
perfectly with parts of myself I used to
be ashamed of. ”
- Rachel Naomi Remen
---
December 15th, 2011
"We are all children of society, but we are
also mothers. We have to nourish society.
If we are uprooted from society, we cannot
transform it into a more livable place for
us and for our children."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided from the archives
of the New York Times
On Dec. 12, 1963 - Kenya gained its
independence from Britain.
http://tinyurl.com/6vor8jt
---
On Dec. 14, 1981 - Israel annexed the
Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967.
http://tinyurl.com/ct6zj7l
---
On Dec. 16, 1978 - Margaret Mead,
famous anthropologist, dies of cancer
http://tinyurl.com/6me79dy
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
"We sink eternally from letting go,
to letting go into God."
Meister Eckhart
Eckhart reminds us how radical and forever
are our experiences of letting go. There is
no stopping them. Life is a series of letting
go moments from when we leave the womb to
the hour of our death and final leave-taking.
Every new beginning involves a letting go and
since life is about letting go, it's good to
develop the habit now, and with a smile on
our faces!
(end)
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