Colleagues List, October 20th, 2019

Vol XV. No. 15

GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE

Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address: waholst@telus.net 


This email 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:

I am just fresh from a Thanksgiving break in Banff and
last evening's Founding Assembly of the Calgary Alliance
for the Common Good (CACG) held at Knox United,
downtown.

My Special Item for this week comes in the form of
a few reflections about that event. In addition, I will
provide my regular selections of news and wisdom
from the world of religion and culture.

Thanks for reading.

Wayne

*****

Some Thoughts About the -

FOUNDING ASSEMBLY -
THE CALGARY ALLIANCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

If there was any doubt that there is still strength
in numbers for mainstream faiths and community
organizations in Canada today, that certainty was
confirmed at Knox United Church, downtown Calgary
last evening. 

From my vantage point of the choir loft behind the
main platform/the church sanctuary, this large facility
was packed to the rafters in a major demonstration of
ecumenical, interfaith, educational and social service
agencies of our city.

Mayor Nenshi, MP Kent Herr, and T'suu Tina Nation
(Blackfoot) chief Lee Crowchild (among others) came to
experience, address and celebrate this show of strength
and commitment to serve the common good. It was a great
collaboration of faiths, philosophies, values and constructive
(not divisive) politics as a counter-demonstration to so
much of what is happening today.

Greetings from sister cities (Edmonton and Victoria) having
similar organizations were heard and affirmed.

St. Mary's and Ambrose Universities are members, as
well a the Anglican Diocese of Calgary, the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Calgary, the Alberta Synod of the
ELCIC (Lutheran Church in Canada) numerous local
United, Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian and Unitarian
congregations, as well as several Jewish synagogues
and Islamic mosques, various labour unions, community
associations and the Calgary Interfaith Council. All
told, the alliance currently claims - now entering into
its official establishment - a total of 29 organizations.

By way of introduction to the CACG last May, I wrote
the following column for the Anglican Journal:
https://tinyurl.com/y2nysrdb

For official detail as to the range of its programming,
please click here for the official CACG Website:
https://www.calgarycommongood.org/

Since its formative stages, close to three years ago,
I have supported this organization and worked with
other members of St. David's United to bring us into
full and continuing membership. We have reached
a major point in our development as an agency for
social justice advocacy. It is probably the largest
organization of its kind that Calgary has ever had.

Last night was certainly an evening to remember.
It is worth stopping at this significant milestone in
our development to think about what we have
achieved and what we can continue to receive.

*****

Working together, our outreach is much greater than
if we were going it alone as individual groups.

We are learning how local, provincial and national
governments work so that effective public service 
structural change can take place where it counts.

Developing ahead of us are four strategic campaigns
emerging in our city -

Mental Health (for those currently without support)
Social Isolation (for those oppressed by loneliness)
Environmental Improvement (a Calgary response)
Truth and Reconciliation (enhanced relations with
First Nations)

If you wish to contribute to our efforts from where you are,
don't hesitate to respond at specific places on the alliance
website, noted above.

What is happening in Calgary can happen in many other
places in Canada. I hope this statement will get attention
and increase the number of local alliances across our nation.

I will continue to keep you updated.

Wayne

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTONS

Martin Marty,
Chicago, IL.

Sightings,
October 14th, 2019

"Searching for Hope"
  https://tinyurl.com/yxrwmf5w

--

Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX

Personal Web Site,
October 14th, 2019

"Grieving as a Spiritual Exercise"
  https://tinyurl.com/y35xx9z2

--

Jim Taylor,
Okanagan, BC.

Personal Web Log
October 14th, 2019

"The Eunuch and the Hitchhiker"
  https://tinyurl.com/y4x98s2z

--

Mark Whittall,
Ottawa, ON.

Sermons and Blog,
October 11th, 2019

"The Miracle Drug (Thanksgiving, 2019)"
  https://tinyurl.com/yyl95thj

*****

NET NOTES - October 20th, 2019

THE BLINDING IDOL
A Fitting Trump Image

Sightings,
October 17th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y5mweny4

--

BILLY GRAHAM, FRANKLIN GRAHAM
Dangers of Mixing Religion and Politics

Religion News Service,
October 15th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y48w7jzd

--

"SELF-INTEREST SEEMED
 ALMOST OMNIPOTENT"
 Langdon Gilkey's WWII Experience

The Christian Century,
October 11th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/yy6tpgae

--

"SLAVE PLAY" GRAPPLES
WITH POISONOUS LEGACY
Review of the New Broadway Play

America Magazine,
October 7th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y4h6yazd

--

GIRL POWER TAKES
CENTRE STAGE IN INDIA
New Day for Indian Women

UCA News
October 15th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y2x84upw

--

AIR CANADA NO LONGER SAYS
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN"
Opts for Gender-Neutral Terms

The Christian Post,
October 15th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/yy9g8lom

--

SIX THINGS YOU (PROBABLY)
DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
FLANNERY O'CONNOR

Publisher's Weekly,
October 18th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/yxdgyw25

--

ETHIOPIA'S EVANGELICAL PM
WINS THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Agreement With Eritrea Cited

Christianity Today,
October 11th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y6cogwsf

--

ZIMBABWEAN CHURCH LEADERS
CALL FOR A POLITICAL SABBATH
Concern for the Economy, Corruption

National Catholic Reporter,
October 16th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y54sboq3

--

OLDER U.S. CHRISTIANS ARE QUICKLY
BEING REPLACED BY YOUNG 'NONES'
Latest Pew Report Shows Key Shift

Religion News Service,
October 17th, 2019

https://tinyurl.com/y6bh28px 
 
*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners and the Bruderhof online:

Life can only be understood backwards;
but it must be lived forwards.

- Søren Kierkegaard

--

The “discovery of America” is a racist colonial concept
that assumes the dehumanization of native peoples.

- Mark Charles

--

Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment
is all we need, not more. Be happy now, and if you show
through your actions that you love others – including those
who are poorer than you – you’ll give them happiness, too.
It doesn’t take much; it can be just giving a smile.

The world would be a much better place if everyone
smiled more. So smile, be cheerful, and be joyous
that God loves you.

- Mother Teresa

--

When I lay these questions before God I get no answer.
But a rather special sort of “No answer.” It is not the locked
door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate,
gaze. As though he shook his head not in refusal but waiving
the question. Like, “Peace, child; you don’t understand.”

Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable?
Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are
unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is
yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we
ask – half our great theological and metaphysical problems –
are like that.

- C. S. Lewis

--

But in God's kingdom the presence of the greatest does
not depress the small. Redeemed man is still man. Story,
fantasy, still go on, and should go on. The Evangelium has
not abrogated legends; it has hallowed them, especially the
“happy ending.” The Christian has still to work, with mind
as well as body, to suffer, hope, and die; but he may now
perceive that all his bents and faculties have a purpose,
which can be redeemed. So great is the bounty with which
he has been treated that he may now, perhaps, fairly dare
to guess that in fantasy he may actually assist in the
effoliation and multiple enrichment of creation.

All tales may come true; and yet, at the last, redeemed,
they may be as like and as unlike the forms that we give
them as man, finally redeemed, will be like and unlike
the fallen that we know.

- J. R. R. Tolkien

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - Simone de Beauvoir

Defending the truth is not something one does out of a
sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself.

- Simone de Beauvoir

(end)

*****

For Those Interested - 

ACTS Ministry - some programs at St. David's this Fall

ST. DAVID'S ACTS  AUTUMN MONDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY

A Ten Week Series September 16th - November 25th, 2019
Monday Evenings, TM Room 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

"HOLY ENVY" Finding God in the Faith of Others

Author: Barbara Brown Taylor
Registration/Hospitality and Book: $60.00.
Book only: $25.00

38 copies of the book were made available for sale
before the study began at St. David's. These books
have sold out, with 38 registrations to date.
 
Book Description - https://tinyurl.com/y37g93rg

--

Some stats:
Autumn and Winter Series (2018-19) -
Total class registrations: 87 (2 series)
Total books sold: 102
Average weekly winter class attendance: 34

***

ST. DAVID'S ACTS THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

Our theme this autumn: "The Book of Revelation"
Ten Study Sessions - Thursday mornings,
September 26th-November 28th, 2019

During the second half of the course, we will
do some book comparisons between the Hebrew
Bible "Daniel", and the Christian Bible "Revelation".

Gathering at 9:30 AM in the St. David's TM Room
and meeting 10:00 - 11:00 AM.

12 persons comprise our core study group.

Study resource:

"The DK Complete Bible Handbook"
  Edited by John Bowker

http://tinyurl.com/odxlv7q

*****