Colleagues List, December 4th, 2016

Vol. XII. No. 13  

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GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE

Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net
 
Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslistII.blogspot.com 

***** 

Dear Colleagues:

We are now well into the season of Advent
and Colleagues List reflects that in some of
the items noted below.

I introduce "Love, Henri" a letter collection 
by friends of the deceased but still popular
spiritual guide, Henri Nouwen. For Nouwen
lovers this would make a good Christmas gift.  

The US election and its impact on various
religious groups in the country are likely
to be of interest to Colleagues List readers,
so I continue to share pertinent pieces 
with you. Wearily.  

Also included are the typical range of themes
that I try to build into each issue.

At the end of this issue, I provide information
on the new year of St. David's Calgary ACTS 
Ministry program. It is the first time I share  
this material for those interested. 

See the end of the blog for details.

Thanks to all those who continue to supply me
with e-mail addresses for new readers. 

Thanks, also, for continuing to follow CL, and 
I hope that at least some of what you read 
is helpful.

Wayne          


***** 

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice for:

LOVE, HENRI
Letters on the Spiritual Life,
by Henri J. M. Nouwen

With contributions by
Garbrielle Earnshaw, Rene Brown
and Sue Mosteller.  

Convergent Press, 
Penguin/Random House, New York
October, 2016. $30.00 CAD
Hardcover, 351 pages.
ISBN #978110190635-4

Publisher's Promo:

Seven million copies of his books in print! 
This collection of over 100 unpublished letters 
from the bestselling author of such spiritual 
classics as The Return of the Prodigal Son 
and The Wounded Healer offers deep spiritual 
insight into human experience, intimacy, 
brokeness, and mercy.

Over the course of his life, Henri Nouwen wrote 
thousands of letters to friends, acquaintances, 
parishioners, students, and readers of his work 
all around the world. He corresponded in English, 
Dutch, German, French, and Spanish, and took 
great care to store and archive the letters decade 
after decade. He believed that a thoughtful letter 
written in love could truly change someone's life. 
Many people looked to Nouwen as a long distance 
spiritual advisor.

Love, Henri consists of over a hundred letters 
that stretch from the earliest years of Henri's 
career up through his last 10 years at L'Arche 
Daybreak. Rich in spiritual insights the letters 
highlight a number themes that emerged in both 
Henri's work over the years, including vocation, 
solitude, prayer, suffering, and perseverance in 
difficult times. These deeply spiritual letters, 
sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, ulimately 
demonstrate the rich value of communicating 
with God through others.

--

Foreword (edited):

Like love itself, Henri's letters are demanding and
generous... but I did not want to study him, I 
wanted to be in connection with him...

I agree with Henri that "we have no time." No time
for prayer. No time to write letters. No time to be
still.
  
Listening has also become a challenge... The world 
is so much louder than it used to be (even when
he was with us.)... To survive the constant 
barrage of noise, we've stopped listening.

The combination of time scarcity and not listening
has made being present with God, ourselves, and
each other almost impossible

Henri wrote: "We should live in the present where
love can touch us"...

Closing:

Henri, your timeless words and loving spirit are
quiet prayers that will forever live in my heart. 

- from the Preface by Gabrielle Earnshaw

--

My Thoughts:

The letters in this collection cover a period
in Henri Nouwen's life from 1973 to 1996 -
23 years.

Over his lifetime, in addition to his many
books and articles, Henri received more
than 16,000 letters. He kept every bit of
written communication he received, and
responded to every one of them.

This collection (divided into three periods
of his life - 1973-85, 1986-89, 1990-96 -
when he died) - contains some of his most
significant exchanges. 
 
They have been saved and edited 
by people close to him like our mutual 
friend, Sue Mosteller.  

I knew Henri best during the period of 
those last six years while he was still 
living at Daybreak, near Richmond Hill 
Ontario. I had several personal encounters
with him while I was going through some 
of the most difficult times of my life.

Even though I never knew many of 
the people to whom he wrote in this
special collection, I can quite often 
identify with him during the times 
that he wrote.

I will be ever grateful to L'Arche for
bringing Henri and Sue into my life
and for the lasting impression for
good that this provided.

Henri lived a frenetic life. He also
carried much pain with him; especially
due to his homosexuality. His ceaseless
activity was known to me; his sexual
orientation was not.

When I think back on all that now, I
am just so sorry that he suffered the
way he did. He did not let his problems
get in the way of helping me with mine.

But, out of that suffering came many
glorious gifts of advice and example.
That is one of the benefits we have
in living through our own difficulties, 
rather than trying to escape them.
We can help others in spite of our 
own pain.

No one reading this book will feel that
Henri does not touch on personal issues
in his/her own life and that is one of
the reasons this volume is so valuable.

There have been many good biographies
of Henri Nouwen since he died 20 years
ago. But this book of letters is real Henri.  
He did not write it in order for it to become 
a book, but - thanks to some of his closest 
friends - that is what it has became.

Probably his very last at that.                               

--

Reviewed by Religion News Service:
Nouwen Letters Shed Light on
Religion of the Heart:
http://tinyurl.com/h5s8nk2 
 
---   

Buy the book from Amazon.ca: 
http://tinyurl.com/glsz8a2

*** 
   
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

Mark Whittall, 
Ottawa, ON

Personal Blog
December 2nd, 2016

"Can You See It?"
  http://tinyurl.com/jzo8g5d

--

Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX 

Personal Blog,
November 28th, 2016

"The End of the World"
  http://tinyurl.com/gn24t8l 
  
***

NET NOTES

THE LAST PRIESTS OF IRELAND?
Many Seem Overworked and Depressed

National Catholic Reporter
December 1st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hvvq2ws

"Can Francis Heal Church Relations in Ireland"

The Tablet, UK
December 3rd, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/guxy8wg

--

WHY WHITE EVANGELICAL AMERICANS
FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT TRUMP

The Atlantic Online
December 1st, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/zdsu4hp

"Could Trump Be Part of God's Plan? -
  God Used Balaam's Donkey," 
  says Garrison Keillor

The Hartford Current
December 2nd, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hdhawc2

--

CATHOLIC BISHOPS DECISION TO QUIT
KAIROS IS A BLOW TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
Canadian Conference Makes Surprize Move

Prairie Messenger, Saskatoon
November 26th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/gp78q4h

--

AMERICAN LUTHERAN PASTORS CREATE
A UNIQUE ADVENT DEVOTIONAL SERIES
Appeal to Those Unfamiliar With Advent

Religion News Service
December 2nd, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/jclwh4u

--

CLIFF BARROWS, BILLY GRAHAM'S LONGTIME
MUSIC DIRECTOR, DIES AT AGE 93

New York Times,
November 25th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/hv45pmv

--

EVANGELICALISM OF OLD WHITE MEN IS DEAD
Something New is Needed

New York Times
November 29th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/jtb9yt5

"Are American Evangelicals Shedding the Label?"'
  Post-Election Survey Clarification

Christianity Today
November, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/zk3luhq

--

CHINA TAKES CHAIN SAW TO A
CENTRE OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM
A Strong Sign of Religious Persecution

New York Times
November 29th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/j4zjsa5

--

WHEN READING CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
SKIP THE JUNK FOOD SECTION
An Appeal for Substantive Guidance

Christian Week Online
November 27th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/zkahys9

--

UTAH AND MORMONS MOST GENEROUS GIVERS
They Top the Giving List Among US States

Religion News Service
November 29th, 2016

http://tinyurl.com/jm57qcc

***

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

The celebration of Advent is possible only to those
who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to
be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to
something greater to come.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

--

[Stories] touch something that is human in us,
and is probably unchanging ...

It's what holds a culture together.

- Rachel Naomi Remen

--

The smallest indivisible human unit is two people,
not one; one is a fiction. From such nets of souls
societies, the social world, human life springs.

- Tony Kushner

--

I don’t think we could have ever loved God if 
Jesus had not become one of us. So that we 
might be able to love God, he became one of 
us in all things, except sin. If we have been 
created in the image of God, then we have 
been created to love, because God is love.

In his passion Jesus taught us how to forgive 
out of love, how to forget out of humility. 

Find Jesus, and you will find peace.

- Mother Teresa

--

Each galaxy, each star, each living creature, 
every particle and subatomic particle of creation, 
we are all made in God’s image.… How?

Genesis gives no explanations, but we do know 
instinctively that it is not a physical image. God’s 
explanation is to send Jesus, the incarnate One, 
God enfleshed. Don’t try to explain the Incarnation
to me! It is further from being explainable than the 
furthest star in the furthest galaxy. It is love, God’s 
limitless love enfleshing that love into the form of 
a human being, Jesus, the Christ, fully human and 
fully divine.

- Madeleine L’Engle

***

ON THIS DAY

"Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin Meet 
  in Tehran During World War II"
  http://tinyurl.com/nx3fpyh

"Bill Clinton is First US President 
  to Visit N. Ireland"
  http://tinyurl.com/kkco3up

"4,000 Die of Poisonous Gas in Bhopal, India"
  http://tinyurl.com/aedaugw

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - Mary DeMuth

We cannot love our enemies until we see those
twin truths: God loves me. God loves them.

(end)

*****

For Those Interested -

ST. DAVID'S ACTS MONDAY NIGHT WINTER STUDY

A Ten Week Series January 23rd - April 3rd, 2017
Family Day session exempted, February 20th
Monday Evenings, TM Room 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 

"How Jesus Became God -
  The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee"
  http://tinyurl.com/gqzkcbx

Author: Bart D. Ehrman  
Registration/Hospitality and Book: $60.00.
Purchase the book only: $20.00
Sale begins Sunday, December 11th, 2016

--

Here is the entire course content from our just-
completed Monday Night Autumn Study:

"Reclaiming the Bible for a Non-Religious 
  World" by Bishop John S. Spong

http://rtb.stdavidscalgary.net/

Check our entire archives for all 48 book studies 
since 2000: http://tinyurl.com/q3bw6dh

*** 

ST. DAVID'S ACTS THURSDAY MORNING STUDY

Eleven Sessions January 26th - April 6th, 2017

Theme: To be announced, early 2017

Ten sessions 10-11 AM
Gathering at 9:30 AM
In the St. David's TM Room.

No charge.

Study resource -

"The DK Complete Bible Handbook"
  Edited by John Bowker
  http://tinyurl.com/odxlv7q

Students will select the biblical theme for 
the new term at the first session, Jan. 26th.   

***  

ST.DAVID'S SPIRITUAL TRAVEL PROJECT, 2017

We have selected South Africa as our location!

We plan a nineteen-day tour that combines a
focus on faith, social justice culture, and nature, 
and it will happen the month of October 2017.

A beautiful brochure with trip cost, itinerary, and
many helpful travel hints is being published.
Follow our notices for weekly updates.

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