Collegues List, December 25th, 2016

Vol. XII. No. 15 

***** 

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 

*****

CHRISTMAS EDITION

Dear Friends:

As 2016 draws to a close, I share news of
the passing of two mentors of mine - one
from the world of faith and politics, and
the other from faith and business.

Both were successful integrating important
aspects of the Spirit and of daily work. They 
were both an inspiration to me and to many.  

Reginald Stackhouse died this week at the
age of 91 http://tinyurl.com/zy3qafu

For many years, Reg. was a Colleagues List 
reader and contributor. 

--  

Walter Hackborn also died this week at the 
age of 95 www.homehardware.ca

Click link above for memorial slide-show

Funeral Announcement
CBC.ca December 19th, 2016
http://tinyurl.com/gwk7ogk 

When I was a young teen, Walter Hackborn
was my Sunday School teacher.  

*****  

SPECIAL ITEM

HOLST FAMILY HOLIDAY LETTER, 2016 

This is the first time we have written our annual
yuletide missive from outside Canada. Our letter  
comes to you from Muscat, Oman* in the Arabian
peninsula where we are visiting family during 
the holidays. En route back to Canada we hope 
to tour Egypt and southern Spain.

2016 was a good year for us. Our health is good and
we lead very active lives. We enjoy a very generous
array of family and friends; educational, social and 
cultural activities; considerable travel within Alberta, 
across Canada and beyond. We continue to expand
our horizons and are amazed at what we experience
at this time of life. 

In terms of travel, we anticipate hosting a trip to
South Africa in October of 2017. It will be our fourth 
"St. David's Spiritual Travelers" project since we 
began hosting with the Rostad tour company six 
years ago. So far, we've visited the Celtic Lands 
(Scotland, Ireland and Wales); Turkey; the Holy 
Land and Jordan.

We consider this a special time in our lives and want 
to make the most of it. As we are blessed, we desire
to share our good fortune and gifts with others.

Julia Grace Hamm, daughter to Carmen and Mark,
and sister to Emily and Owen, joined our family this 
year - and we now celebrate eight grand-children.  
Marlene loves them all. She is a great "nana" and
continues to teach Wayne about what family means.
She also serves as backup office staff at the church.

Currently, the family is spread around the globe, 
but we keep in close contact due to the wonders 
of modern technology and aerodynamics.

In 2017 Wayne will celebrate his fiftieth anniversary 
as a pastor-turned-teacher. He enjoys continued 
growth  in that dual role while approaching his tenth 
retirement year as staff coordinator of Adult Spiritual 
Development at St. David's United Church, Calgary.

Wayne continues to produce his weekly religion and 
culture blog "Colleagues List" - an important discipline
for him. It keeps him growing and learning how to 
function in the ever-evolving cyber-world. 

He also writes a monthly column for the Anglican
Journal, national online publication of the Anglican
Church in Canada. He finds this very satisfying and
had a chance to visit with associates at this fine
publication while in Toronto recently.

On the same trip east, we had an opportunity to meet 
with friends from St. James Lutheran Church, St. Jacobs  - 
Wayne's home congregation. That community celebrated 
its 150th anniversary this year, and we were happy to 
be able to contribute, even though we could not be
present for the actual event.  

We also had a wonderful dinner together with an old 
friend, retired Catholic bishop John Knight who has 
shared fifty years of life experience with Wayne

When we visit Ontario, we always enjoy our
visits to the Stratford and Shaw Festivals - which
we consider the best quality theatre in Canada.  

Both of us are recognizing the signs of ageing in
our lives. We will not be here forever. But we are
enjoying each day, and are grateful.

Marlene and Wayne

*Muscat, Oman 
(cut and paste this link into your browser)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscat,_Oman


*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTION

Jim Taylor 
Okanagan BC

Jim Taylors Web Log
December 14th, 2016

"The White Helmets of Hope"
  http://tinyurl.com/j8g8kck 

***

NET NOTES  

BETHLEHEM'S DECLINING CHRISTIAN POPULATION
CASTS SHADOW OVER CHRISTMAS

National Catholic Reporter
December 19th, 2016 

http://tinyurl.com/hzqh6ul

--

OLIVE WOOD CARVING IN PALESTINE

Wikipedia Website
http://tinyurl.com/zloa3de

***

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love
and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the
shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us.

We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant
and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that
the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth
and lays claim to us. The coming of God is truly not only glad
tidings, but first of all frightening news for everyone who has
a conscience

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
 
(end)