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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//colleagueslist2.bogspot.com
*****
Dear Colleagues:
It is always special when I can discuss
a book written by a colleague. That is
true this week as I introduce the latest
effort by Brian Arthur Brown of Niagara
Falls, Ontario. Thanks for sending me
a copy, Brian!
I can supply links to the distributor,
Wood Lake Books (see below).
I hope you enjoy the Colleague Contributions
by three of our regulars. Enjoy also the
Net Notes, Wisdom, and On This This Day
selections as well. I work hard to make
them interesting for you my readers.
Thanks for joining me!
Wayne
*******
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice -
TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE -
New Ways of Looking at Canada
on the 150th Birthday of the Country
by Brian Arthur Brown with
Maps Curated by Ward L. Kaiser
Printed by Marquis Imprimeur
Published by 3T Publishing
Available from Wood Lake Books
2017. $24.95 CAD. 136 pp.
Publisher's Promo:
A Canadian author and an internationally renowned
map maker, both United Church of Canada ministers
team up with Canada's National Chief of the Assembly
of First Nations, Perry Bellegarde; the leader of the
Green Party, Elizabeth May; David W. Parsons, Anglican
Bishop of the Arctic and other visionaries who want to
see the recommendations of Canada's Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (2015) accomplish some
real, tangible results.
About the Author:
Writing is a hobby that has never overshadowed
Brown's professional ministry, and sometimes
contributed to it.
Noah’s Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible
and the Qur'an was the first to attract my attention
and I reviewed it for the Anglican Journal in 2009:
http://tinyurl.com/lj4ecvh
Three Testaments: Torah, Gospel and Quran (2012)
was written to encourage local three-way scripture
studies between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
More recently, Brown has published Four Testaments:
Sacred Scriptures of Taoism, Confuscianism, Buddhism,
and Hinduism (2016) to encourage representatives of
the globe's eastern religions living with us to join and
expand our studies to include their sacred scriptures.
Colleagues List Sept. 25/16 http://tinyurl.com/h5jur9x
Brown has written the 2017 souvenir book,
True North, Strong and Free to contribute to Canada's
sesquicentennial celebrations.
Author's Prologue (edited extensively) -
Brown outlines how immigration to Canada began
with the arrival of refugees from many European nations.
Later, these were joined by many New Canadians from
the rest of the world. The spirit of hospitality, shown
a continuing flow of immigrants by the established First
Nations hosts at the beginning, continues today.
Blending newcomers has not been an easy adjustment and
there have been many sad stories we wish we could have
avoided. But most New Canadians were able to leave their
pasts behind them in order to create a hopeful future together.
Established Canadians needed only to remember what
their own ancestors had to endure, to accommodate.
How did we create what is the best country in the world
in ways that matter to us? How do we improve it? We
learn to be honest, in this souvenir book, about both
the good and the bad of our history.
The physical beauty of our country, the mutually
respectful and normally tolerant character of our people,
and Canada's place in the world, are all to be claimed
and celebrated. It is quite amazing, when you consider it.
The final reconciliation with First Nations is a work
in progress in which the sesquicentennial could well
be a turning point.
My Thoughts:
Changing our perspective about ourselves and the
world seems to be a key intention of the author -
colleague Brian Arthur Brown - and those who helped
him write this book.
That is why mapping is so important. Simply looking
at a number of the first maps in this "souvenir" but
much more than a "coffee table" book, convinces
me that changing perspectives is central here.
As a northern nation looking south, then globally,
our perspective dramatically changes. We are not
simply an extension of the United States. While those
ties will always be there, we are a special nation in
the global family, and we have a unique, significant
contribution to make. History has been preparing us.
I have been used to thinking about Brown as a writer
and scholar who wants to bring our multi-cultural and
multi-faith nation together through sacred scripture
studies in local communities. This book takes us a
major step further and attempts to re-focus our
entire perspective as a people because our's is more
than a multi-faith quest. Religion is only part of it.
Our experience as inheritors of First Nation traditions
upon which to build, and our attempts to be more
discriminating about European and American influences,
provide us with a unique opportunity to "give back" and
"go beyond" what we have seen ourselves doing in the past.
In the sixty years that I have travelled outside Canada,
first to the United States and then globally, I have been
able to claim an evolving Canadian identity.
Visiting recently in Egypt I was pleasantly surprized
that many of my Islamic hosts were quite familiar with
Canada. I was not an American in their eyes. That, I
took, as a compliment.
At this time in history, we are in a situation that will
make us an increasingly valuable member of the global
family. It could even be a gift to our American friends!
If you want to experience help in changing your
perspective about Canada, I encourage you to
obtain and spend time with this book; then talk
about your discoveries with others!
Buy from Wood Lake Books:
http://tinyurl.com/hgwysnq
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
Jim Taylor,
Okanagan, BC
Web Log,
March 8th and 9th, 2017
"The Urge to Embellish"
http://tinyurl.com/he4asjj
"How We Treat Our Immigrants Defines Us"
http://tinyurl.com/jahaqbz
--
Martin Marty,
Chicago, IL
Sightings,
March 6th, 2017
"Alien Citizens"
http://tinyurl.com/zwp3rlh
--
Ron Rolheiser,
San, Antonio, TX
Personal Web Site
March 5th, 2017
"The Flavor of God's Energy"
http://tinyurl.com/jjmgqnz
*****
NET NOTES
IS THE REFORMATION OVER?
"Yes" and "No" - Find Out Why
The Christian Century,
March 1st, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/hdppydh
--
IS THE POPE ANTI-TRUMP?
Two Very Different People
New York Times
March 4th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/hl6o78s
"The Sanctuary Movement
US Churches React to Trump"
New York Times Video
March 6th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/zja5e85
--
CHANGING BELIEFS IS A PROCESS,
NOT AN EVENT - Faith Evolves
Christian Week Online
March 5th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/gu7lla6
--
WESTERN AND INDIGENOUS SCIENCE
"The Two Can Complement Each Other"
CBC.ca Edmonton,
March 3rd, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/hxhb99g
--
SINCE 2013 FRANCIS HAS ATTEMPTED
TO SHIFT CHURCH CULTURE
Two Assessments After Four Years in Office
National Catholic Reporter
March 9th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/zf72tzm
The Tablet
March 9th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/j8z46cc
--
WHY NOTHING SEEMS TO
GET PEOPLE BACK TO CHURCH
What Are We Inviting Them To?
Christian Week Online
March 7th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/jpdbkov
--
SEXUAL HARASSMENT RIFE ON
SRI LAKAN PUBLIC TRANSIT
High Percent of Women Abused,
but Few Speak Out
UCA News, Asia
March 8th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/gqm5jmy
--
CHURCH 'SHOCKED' AT MASS GRAVES
OF CHILDREN IN IRELAND
Unwed Mother Saga Continues
The Guardian,
March 7th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/zyrwdlv
--
LIBERAL U.S. CHRISTIANS TEST THEIR FAITH
AGAINST A DEMAGOGUE
United Church of Canada Observer,
March 8th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/jksqdmf
--
MAJOR CHRISTIAN CHARITY CLOSING IN INDIA
DUE TO GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Indian Government Opposed Its Work
New York Times
March 8th, 2017
http://tinyurl.com/zyzdjxa
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
From Sojourners and the Bruderhof
In a sea of human beings, it is difficult, at times
even impossible, to see the human as being.
This is where the obligation of the media lies...
- Aysha Taryam
--
Our faith calls us into a position of non-compliance.
Our resistance is an act of supreme faithfulness to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Alison Harrington
--
The beginning of love is the will to let those we love
be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist
them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not
love what they are, but only their potential likeness to
ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the
reflection of ourselves we find in them.
- Thomas Merton
--
If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the
cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely
no need for it. What the world needs is not “a little bit
of love,” but major surgery. If you think you are helping
lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you
are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-
standing relationship with him yourself, and pour your
life out in helping others in his way – not in a human
way that ignores God.
- Oswald Chambers
*****
ON THIS DAY
From the New York Times Archives
"Russian Revolution Begins With Riots in St. Petersberg"
http://tinyurl.com/axgelxa
"State Troopers Break Up Rights Demonstration in Selma"
http://tinyurl.com/n7j6ukd
"Churchill Delivers 'Iron Curtain' Speech"
http://tinyurl.com/bzc5eoj
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - Aysha Taryam
In a sea of human beings, it is difficult, at times
even impossible, to see the human as being.
This is where the obligation of the media lies...
(end)
****
For Those Interested -
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MONDAY NIGHT WINTER STUDY
A Ten Week Series January 23rd - April 3rd, 2017
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.
Book only: $20.00
35 copies were secured for sale.
All copies have been sold.
Our Evolving Course Design:
http://tinyurl.com/j3nv7nd
--
Here is the total course content from our
completed Monday Night Autumn 2016 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 books
studied since 2000:
http://tinyurl.com/q3bw6dh
During the 2016-2017 two session-term -
Total class registrations: 70
Total books sold: 75
Our best year ever, since 1998!
***
ST. DAVID'S ACTS THURSDAY MORNING STUDY
Ten Sessions February 2nd - April 6th, 2017
"Joshua and Judges" - Formative Hebrew History
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
***
ST.DAVID'S SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS PROJECT, 2017
South Africa has been chosen as our destination!
We plan a nineteen-day tour that combines a focus
on faith, social justice, culture, and nature, and it
will begin October 21st 2017.
A beautiful brochure with trip cost, itinerary, and
many helpful travel hints has been published.
http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7
Our optimal group size for maximum trip meaning
and value is 28-29 persons.
Twenty-eight persons have either put down deposits
to claim a special saving (or intend to do so.)
WE ARE CLOSE TO REACHING OUR DEPARTURE GOAL.
YOU CAN STILL REGISTER. When we have 29 deposits
you will be added to a waiting list and still join us
in the event someone has to drop out.
Seven months from now we leave for South Africa!
Contact Rostad Tours: http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7
Follow our notices for weekly updates.
*****
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