Friday, July 24, 2020

Colleagues List, July 26th, 2020

Vol XVI. No. 4
Archive - Dec 2009 - Oct 2019                                                                                          http://colleagueslist.blogspot/.ca http://colleagueslistii.blogspot.com/

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:

My Special Item this week is a new contribution to the
Orbis Spiritual Masters Series, focused here on Rabbi
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. He began his spiritual
formation in Europe and matured it in America.

I also note the passing this week, of J.I. Packer. He was
born in the UK but contributed much through his long
career as an evangelical Anglican in Canada.

Hopefully, you will find items to your enrichment in
this issue of Colleagues List.

Wayne

NOTE A REMINDER - If a link, below seems to be dead, 
cut and paste it into the address bar at the top of your
web page and it should work.

*****

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice:

RABBI ZALMAN SCHACHTER SHALMI
Writings and Essential Teachings

Selected with an Introduction by
Or N. Rose, Netanel Miles-Yepez

Modern Spiritual Masters Series
Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY.
2020. 243 pages. Paper. $25. US  $30. CAD.
ISBN #978-1-62698-363-2.

Publisher's Promo:
 
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (1924-2014) was one of 
the most creative and influential Jewish spiritual teachers 
in the late twentieth-century. Reb Zalman (as he is known) 
made several distinctive and lasting contributions to Jewish 
and inter-religious life in North America and beyond. 

Originally trained as a Hasidic rabbi in the Chabad-Lubavitch community, he became a great teacher and translator of 
Jewish mystical tradition. Weaving together strands of 
Hasidism and Kabbalah with teachings from a wide range 
of religious and wisdom traditions, including Christianity, 
Islam, Buddhism, psychology, history, and the sciences, 
he created the Jewish Renewal Movement, which seeks 
to infuse contemporary Jewish life with greater spiritual 
depth through increased attention to contemplative and 
embodied practice along with joyous service to God, the 
Jewish people, and the world as a whole.

--.

Introduction:

Zalman was a rabbi who focused on the riches of the
Jewish mystical tradition. He has helped many on their
faith journeys, no matter what their spiritual path.

He didn't care who you were: Jewish, not-Jewish;
committed Sufi; Christian monk or nun; Buddhist
practitioner - everyone was welcome in his community.

Zalman reached into the background sources of his
Lubavicher Judaism and sought to make it relevant 
to modern spiritual seekers.

The Holocaust strongly influenced this thought and he
often referred to Jewish spiritual masters who had been
lost to the tradition. He sought to resurrect what he 
could and open the doors of Jewish thought to the world;
and was influenced by other spiritual traditions in the 
process.

The Hasidic Judaism of his formation was very important
to him and he sought to invite everyone to consider its
richness. This, above all, was his way of contending with
and overcoming the evil perpetrated by the Holocaust.

- interpreted from the Introduction by Arthur Green

--

Author's Bio: https://tinyurl.com/yyvluyp3

--

My Thoughts:

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was one of those rare
spiritual leaders who, like Merton, Rumi, the Dalai Lama
and a few others, was able to transcend the barriers
between religions in order to draw a broad variety of
spiritual seekers into a shared mystical faith community.

Modern spiritual seekers are becoming more exposed
to the wealth of shared mystical meanings. At the same
time, guides like Shalomi demonstrate a strong allegiance
to their formative traditions. This does not cut them off
from others, but helps to contribute to a greater shared
richness.

Orbis books continues to offer a growing treasure trove
of spiritual guides. I have 71 different ones in my 
collection (thanks to general editor Robert Ellsberg)
and I both treasure this set and recommend a book
like this for your edification.
______

Buy the book from:

Orbis/Maryknoll: https://tinyurl.com/y5f7n4py

Amazon.ca - https://tinyurl.com/y3wwk6g3

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

Mark Whittall,
Ottawa, ON.

Sermons and Blog
July 16th, 2020

"The Alchemist"
  https://tinyurl.com/y5lwf78o


-

Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX

Personal Web Site
July 20th, 2020

"Sacred Permission to Feel Human"
 https://tinyurl.com/y2kcppdf


--

Jim Taylor,
Okanagan,  BC

Personal Web Log
July 21st, 2020

"White Privilege is Not About Guilt"
  https://tinyurl.com/y5e4ka7k

--

Philip Yancey,
Colorado

Philipyancey.com
July 20th, 2020

"The Surprising Gift of Solitude"
  https://tinyurl.com/y6tbne8l


*****

NET NOTES  - July 26th, 2020

THE CHANGING HAGIA SOPHIA
Shift to a Religious Site is a Risk

New York Times,
July 22nd. 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y5cu32sx

--

J.I. PACKER DIES AT 93
Influential Evangelical Thinker

Christianity Today,
July 17th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y2cdlxwx


--

REMEMBERING J.I. PACKER
His Canadian Contribution

Regent College News,
July 17th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y452rowz


Wiki Bio:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._I._Packer

--


(Spiritual Travel)

PILGRIMS' BEST VIRTUE
IS PATIENCE
Postpone - is the Word

Catholic Register, Toronto
July 16th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y3drhttq

--


JOHN LEWIS - 
AN AMERICAN TREASURE
American Evangelical Perspective

The Christian Post,
July 24th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y3ctxx9r


--

SWEDISH WOMEN PASTORS
NOW OUTNUMBER MEN
In a Progressive Church

Novena Europe News
July 18th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/yyau2lqm

--

RUSSIAN COURT FINES
MONK VIRUS DENIER
Influential Voice Challenged

Religion News Service,
July 21st, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/y4q8toot

--

IS MONUMENT DESTRUCTION
A RE-WRITING OF HISTORY?
Taking an Honest Look at the Past

Christian Century,
July 17th, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/yccve9q8

-

MOST AMERICANS DON'T
NEED GOD TO BE GOOD
But Conservative Christians Do

The Christian Post,
July 22nd, 2020

https://tinyurl.com/yxwbk3dy

*****

MOMENT IN TIME

Globe and Mail,
July 20th, 2020

July 20th, 1964

OSCAR PETERSON LAUNCHES "CANADIANA SUITE"

The Canadian jazz giant Oscar Peterson had good reason
to be satisfied in 1964. The year saw the release of his best-
known work, Cana
diana Suite, a “musical portrait of the
Canada I love,” he said, with eight patriotic pieces each
inspired by a different region of the country.

The Grammy-nominated album begins with Ballad to the
East, journeying westward with melodious stops on a
conceptual railway journey at Laurentide Waltz, Place
St. Henri, Hogtown Blues, Blues of the Prairies, Wheatland,
March Past and Land of the Misty Giants. Such a cross-
country journey by rail would take five days. With trio-mates
Ray Brown (on double bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums),

Mr. Peterson made it in 35 minutes  – first-class, naturally.

- Brad Wheeler

--
Wikipedia Bio: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK 

Provided by Sojourners and the Bruderhof online:


Sometimes the best thing we can do for each other
is talk honestly about being wrong.

- Nadia Bolz-Weber


--

People say, what is the sense of our small effort?
They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time,
take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond
causes ripples that spread in all directions.

Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like
that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless.
There is too much work to do.

- Dorothy Day

--

In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but
it seems that God continually chooses the most
unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we
are qualified, we tend to think that we have done
the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our
evident lack of qualification, then there's no danger
that we will confuse God's work with our own, or
God's glory with our own.

- Madeleine L'Engle


--

Let us go forward quietly, forever making for the light,
and lifting up our hearts in the knowledge that we are
as others are (and that others are as we are), and that
it is right to love one another in the best possible way –
believing all things, hoping for all things, and enduring
all things.…

And let us not be too troubled by our weaknesses, for
even he who has none, has one weakness, namely that
he thinks he has none, and anyone who believes himself
to be so perfect or wise would do well to become foolish
all over again.

- Vincent van Gogh

-

I have seen almost all the beautiful things that God
has made; I have enjoyed almost every pleasure that
God has planned for us; and yet as I look back I see
standing out above all the life that has gone four or five
short experiences when the love of God reflected itself
in some poor imitations, some small act of love of mine.

And these seem to be the things which alone of all one’s
life abide. Everything else in all our lives is transitory.
Every other good is visionary. But the acts of love which
no one knows about, or can ever know about –

They never fail

- Henry Drummond

*****


CLOSING THOUGHT - John Lewis

Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and
get in good trouble.


(end)

*****

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Colleagues List, July 24th, 2022

  Vol. XVIII. No. 1 Archive - Dec 2009 - Oct 2019                                            http://colleagueslist.blogspot / .ca           ...