GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address: waholst@telus.net
This e-mail is sent only to a voluntary subscriber list.
If you no longer wish to receive these weekly columns,
write to me personally waholst@telus.net
*****
Dear Friends:
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address: waholst@telus.net
This e-mail is sent only to a voluntary subscriber list.
If you no longer wish to receive these weekly columns,
write to me personally waholst@telus.net
*****
Dear Friends:
As Christmas approaches, there is always something to be said about the "real meaning" of the season. Sometimes, a word from the past is better than something new.
My Special Item this week is one I have shared twice on Colleagues List over the years, and feel it important to repeat it now.
"The First Christmas" by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan is a title I keep referring to because the material in this small volume continues to pack a punch worth re-reading.
President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem over Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel prompted a lot of reaction this week (as it was an attention-getter and a diversion from other matters.) I have selected a number of clarifying articles amid the chaos and hope you find them helpful.
Thanks for continuing to read Colleagues List.
Wayne
*****
SPECIAL ITEM
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
What the Gospels Really Say About Jesus's Birth
by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan
HarperOne: Toronto, ON. 2009
$18.00 CAD. 259 pages.
ISBN #9780--06-143071-8
First Presented on Colleagues List, December 5th, 2009
and December 6th, 2012 http://tinyurl.com/bmwfqqv
Publisher's Promo:
Borg and Crossan join forces to show how history has biased our reading of the nativity story as it appears in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
As in a previous study entitled: "The Last Week" - their review of Jesus' story during Holy Week and Easter - they here explore the beginning of the life of Jesus, peeling away the sentimentalism that has built up over the last two thousand years to reveal the truth of what the gospels really say.
The authors help us to see this well-known narrative afresh by answering the question: "What do these stories mean?" in the context of both the first and the twenty-first centuries. They successfully show that the Christmas story, read in its original context, is far richer and more challenging than many people imagine.
___
Authors' Words:
(Consider Christmas.) No other religious holiday is so widely
commemorated by people who are outside of the tradition that
originated it.
This book is an obvious sequel to "The Last Week" which is
about the end of the life of Jesus. "The First Christmas" is
about the beginning. Together, the stories of his birth and
the stories of his last week are like bookends that frame the
gospel stories of his public activity, his mission and message.
The stories of his birth, as we suggest, are like overtures to
the story of Jesus, just as Holy Week is its finale.
Holy Week is the most sacred time of the Christian year, while Christmas is the second most sacred time. Indeed, in contemporary Western culture and even for many Christians, the commemoration of Christmas exceeds that of Easter.
The story of Jesus birth matters. What we think they are about
and how we hear them, read them, interpret them - matters.
While they are often sentimentalized, the stories of Christmas have emotional power and are richer and more challenging than is commonly considered.
We are not concerned with the factuality of the birth stories.
Our concern is neither to defend them as factual nor to trash
them as nonfactual. Rather, we focus on their meanings.
What did and do these stories mean?
There is a political meaning and challenge in these stories,
both in their ancient setting and today. Of course, these
stories are not "only" political - they are also deeply
personal.
They are about light in our darkness, the fulfillment of our
deepest yearnings, and the birth of Christ within us... God's
dream for us is not only peace of mind, but peace on earth.
___
My Comments:
I was impressed by the way Borg and Crossan were able to recreate the original context for Jesus' passion and death and present it in a manner that speaks to people today. Their book was entitled "The Last Week."
They bring similar skills to their newer title "The First Christmas."
Both authors apply particular gifts to this new project (including an accumulative total of 90 years as biblical scholars who have immersed themselves in the material all their professional lives.) Two lifetimes of insight are poured into "The First Christmas" which makes for rich and satisfying reading.
___
Of course, I relish the mystical aspects of the Season!
For me, the imagery and experience of Christmas remains very significant. I am inclined to lay aside my critical mind at this time of year and simply enjoy it!
Yet, Borg and Crossan make an important point. Christmas is becoming more an more important as a universal human celebration. It speaks to people across religious and cultural boundaries. It is no doubt celebrated - after a fashion - by more non-Christians than Christians. I am convinced that there is more to its attraction than only the materialist aspects of it.
Christmas has something to say to the human heart and the human spirit that transcends the traditional "Christian" interpretation of Christ's birth. That is good reason to go deeper into the story and its meaning in order to better understand its unique capacity to attract people. I believe this book helps me to do that.
People have long bemoaned the secularization of Christmas. Perhaps it is time to take another look at a story that suffers from overkill on the one hand as well as having a message that is too religiously confined.
I encourage those who would like to delve more deeply into the real meaning of Christmas to read this book over the holidays.
--
Buy the book from Amazon.ca: http://tinyurl.com/yj4z9y8
*****
NET NOTES
HISTORICAL JUSTICE IN AN ERA OF #ME TOO
Legacies of John Howard Yoder
Sightings,
December 7th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/y8rqoc5y
HISTORICAL JUSTICE IN AN ERA OF #ME TOO
Legacies of John Howard Yoder
Sightings,
December 7th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/y8rqoc5y
--
CHARLES DICKENS STILL HAUNTS CHRISTMAS
How a 19th Century Story Still Informs our Times
Christianity Today,
December, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/y8582stn
--
MODI:
FROM DEMOCRACY TO DEMAGOGUERY
India's Leader Assessed
UCA News,
December 8th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/y8kc8xov
--
CONTINUED DECLINE FOR BORN AGAIN
BELIEVERS IN THE USA - Only a Minority
Say They Must Share the Gospel
Christian Week
December 1t, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/ybuazrng
--
3 in 10 WHITE AMERICAN EVANGELICALS SAY
"THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING TRUMP WOULD
DO TO MAKE THEM LOSE THEIR APPROVAL"
The Christian Post
December 5th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/y7g2znu7
--
WILL TRLUMP VOTERS EVER SEE REALITY?
It's Pointless, They Never Will
La Croix International
December 6th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/yc84ety3
--
A CENTURY AFTER THE GREAT EXPLOSION
CITY OF HALIFAX MARKS ANNIVERSARY
New York Times
December 7th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/yc8r9nuq
--
CHEERS, RAGE AND SHRUGS AFTER TRUMP
RECOGNIZES JERUSALEM AS ISRAEL'S CAPITAL
Controversy, if Not Progress, is the Result of It All
Religion News Service,
December 6th, 2017
https://tinyurl.com/ycxx3wk4
"Reactions of Various Commentators Around the World"
https://tinyurl.com/ybtx3aku
National Catholic Reporter,
December 7th, 2017
"Middle East Religious Leaders Tell Trump that
Peace is Impossible Without a Neutral Jerusalem"
https://tinyurl.com/yb4c7pnl
Religion News Service,
December 8th, 2017
"Why Trump's Evangelical Voters Welcome His Move -
It is a Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy"
--
"WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT
AGAINST NORMALIZING EVIL"
The Globe and Mail,
December 4th, 2017
"Not all Nazis wear armbands and not all racists wave Confederate flags. A low-key white supremacist attacked me in Vanderbilt Hospital's parking garage when I was an intern in general surgery, eager to take care of my patients and assist in the operating room. But the only thing I learned that day was how white supremacy, formerly hidden in the deep bowels of our society, can violently belch forth and swallow us whole if we aren't vigilant."
– Eugene Gu, surgical resident in Tennessee
--
HOLLYWOOD AND THE SEXUAL PREDITORS
"Imagining movies – and the world – without sexual predators"
Globe and Mail,
December 7th, 2017
Since its inception, those who ran the American film industry decreed that the stories that matter are about sexy women and tough men.
Anyone who didn't fit that mould or tried to protest was told, or forced, to be quiet. Until now. … Advocates are often criticized for having complaints without solutions, but it's hard to imagine a world without misogeny and violence when we live on earth as it exists now. These ills are so pervasive that surmounting them requires a high, steep climb, and no one knows what's on the other side. Perhaps it's fitting that the film industry lead the way – we're ready for stories that show us who we really are and who we could eventually be."
– Denise Balkissoon
*****
"WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT
AGAINST NORMALIZING EVIL"
The Globe and Mail,
December 4th, 2017
"Not all Nazis wear armbands and not all racists wave Confederate flags. A low-key white supremacist attacked me in Vanderbilt Hospital's parking garage when I was an intern in general surgery, eager to take care of my patients and assist in the operating room. But the only thing I learned that day was how white supremacy, formerly hidden in the deep bowels of our society, can violently belch forth and swallow us whole if we aren't vigilant."
– Eugene Gu, surgical resident in Tennessee
--
HOLLYWOOD AND THE SEXUAL PREDITORS
"Imagining movies – and the world – without sexual predators"
Globe and Mail,
December 7th, 2017
Since its inception, those who ran the American film industry decreed that the stories that matter are about sexy women and tough men.
Anyone who didn't fit that mould or tried to protest was told, or forced, to be quiet. Until now. … Advocates are often criticized for having complaints without solutions, but it's hard to imagine a world without misogeny and violence when we live on earth as it exists now. These ills are so pervasive that surmounting them requires a high, steep climb, and no one knows what's on the other side. Perhaps it's fitting that the film industry lead the way – we're ready for stories that show us who we really are and who we could eventually be."
– Denise Balkissoon
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Freedom is never granted; it is won.
Justice is never given; it is exacted.
Justice is never given; it is exacted.
- A. Philip Randolph
--
But I want to tell you this evening that it is not enough
for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points
of the Christian face, faith. There is another side called
justice. And justice is really love in calculation. Justice
is love correcting that which revolts against love.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points
of the Christian face, faith. There is another side called
justice. And justice is really love in calculation. Justice
is love correcting that which revolts against love.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
--
Every child, every person needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be celebrated. Only when all of our weaknesses are accepted as part of our humanity can our negative, broken self-images be transformed.
- Jean Vanier
--
The gospel does not merely teach about the history of Christ. No, it enables all who believe it to receive it as their own, which is the way the gospel operates. Of what benefit would it be to me if Christ had been born a thousand times, and it would daily be sung into my ears in a most lovely manner, if I were never to hear that he was born for me and was to be my very own? If the voice gives forth this pleasant sound, even if it be in homely phrase, my heart listens with joy, for it is a lovely sound which penetrates the soul.
The gospel does not merely teach about the history of Christ. No, it enables all who believe it to receive it as their own, which is the way the gospel operates. Of what benefit would it be to me if Christ had been born a thousand times, and it would daily be sung into my ears in a most lovely manner, if I were never to hear that he was born for me and was to be my very own? If the voice gives forth this pleasant sound, even if it be in homely phrase, my heart listens with joy, for it is a lovely sound which penetrates the soul.
- Martin Luther
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - Noam Chomsky
If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee
that there will be no hope. If you assume that there
is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities
to change things, then there is a possibility that you
can contribute to making a better world.
that there will be no hope. If you assume that there
is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities
to change things, then there is a possibility that you
can contribute to making a better world.
(end)
*****
For Those Interested -
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MONDAY NIGHT FALL STUDY
A Ten Week Series September 18th - November 27th, 2017
Monday Evenings, TM Room 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday Evenings, TM Room 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
"CONVICTIONS - How I Learned What Matters Most"
http://tinyurl.com/ybyu3msx
http://tinyurl.com/ybyu3msx
Author: Marcus Borg
Registration/Hospitality and Book: $60.00.
Book only: $20.00
Registration/Hospitality and Book: $60.00.
Book only: $20.00
40 copies of the book have been sold.
35 persons have registered for the course.
35 persons have registered for the course.
Classes have ended for the term. They went well with strong, enthusiastic attendances.
Read my background information on the study book:http://cep.anglican.ca/convictions/
Read my background information on the study book:http://cep.anglican.ca/convictions/
--
During the 2016-2017 two session-term -
Total class registrations: 70
Total books sold: 75
Total class registrations: 70
Total books sold: 75
Our best year ever, since 1998!
***
ST. DAVID'S ACTS THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
Ten Sessions September 21st - December 7th, 2017
Biblical book(s) to be studied this autumn were determined by
the class at the first session of the term, Thursday, Sept. 21st.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN - THE LETTERS OF JOHN
A Study of Similarities and Differences
Ten sessions 10-11 AM
Gathering at 9:30 AM in the St. David's TM Room.
No charge
Classes for this series have ended.
Classes for this series have ended.
Study resource -
"The DK Complete Bible Handbook"
Edited by John Bowker
Edited by John Bowker
***
ST. DAVID'S SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS EVENT, 2017
South Africa was our destination! We planned a nineteen-
day tour that combined a focus on spirituality, social
justice, culture, and nature, and it ran October 21st
thru November 8th.
day tour that combined a focus on spirituality, social
justice, culture, and nature, and it ran October 21st
thru November 8th.
A beautiful brochure with trip cost, itinerary, and
many helpful travel hints was published.
many helpful travel hints was published.
Twenty-five persons registered and paid in full to
take the trip. This was our tour group.
take the trip. This was our tour group.
All together, thirty-two persons made deposits
but some had to withdraw for health or other
reasons.
but some had to withdraw for health or other
reasons.
We have activated a South Africa Spiritual Travelers
discussion list group to and used it to build community
amongst the participants, and to share news and
resources.
All 25 travelers filed evaluations of the trip.
95% said the trip surpassed expectations.
5% said it met expectations.
They rated the travel hosts at 8.4 out of 9.
They rated the travel company at 8.2 out of 9.
discussion list group to and used it to build community
amongst the participants, and to share news and
resources.
All 25 travelers filed evaluations of the trip.
95% said the trip surpassed expectations.
5% said it met expectations.
They rated the travel hosts at 8.4 out of 9.
They rated the travel company at 8.2 out of 9.
We will report our experiences to St. David's congregation
as part of the worship service Sunday, January 14th, 2018.
For information click Rostad Tours: http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7
as part of the worship service Sunday, January 14th, 2018.
For information click Rostad Tours: http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7
Follow these notices for weekly updates.
*****
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