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
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write to me personally - waholst@telus.net
*****
Dear Friends:
This is the first issue of volume XVI of Colleagues List
and I hope I will continue to bring you a freshness and
refinement that I believe you deserve.
I continue to share material on the "Creation" theme
introduced a month ago by Donald Schmidt and then
joined by geologist Colin Outtrim.
I introduce a third in the series of worship guides
created by David Sparks and published by Wood Lake.
We enter the summer months, and even though our
activity may be reduced this year, we still have much
to engage our lives and a lot for which to be grateful.
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 -
RESPONSIVE PRAYERS
For Every Week of the Church Year (Year B)
Revised Common Lectionary
Author: David Sparks
Editor: Ellen Turnbull
Wood Lake Publishing, 2020
Kindle $10. CAD. Paper $24. CAD
ISBN #978-1-77343177-2
Publisher's Promo:
By inviting the congregation to participate in the worship
prayers, leaders will nurture the growth and engagement
of everyone in the gathered community.
Responsive Prayers offers an entire year’s worth of
responsive prayers that can be adapted to a variety
of settings and circumstances. This collection includes
full prayers for the Call to Worship, Opening Prayer,
Words of Assurance, Offering Prayer, and Commissioning,
as well as an outline for the Pastoral Prayer, for each
Sunday of the lectionary year. Some weeks include
additional prayer options.
Includes a scripture index. Authorization to reproduce
and freely adapt all the prayers in the collection for use
in worship in the local congregation is included with -
the purchase of the book.
--
David Sparks, Author
David received his theological education in England and in Canada and has served for 38 years with The United Church of Canada. David’s previous lectionary-based, three-volume prayer collections – Prayers to Share, and Pastoral Prayers to Share – have been welcomed and widely used in North America. David is a prolific and well-received contributor to the worship leader’s resource Gathering, and has had prayers and hymns published in other ecumenical and national Worship publications. David and his wife, Kathy, live in Summerland, British Columbia.
--
Author's Words:
My thanks to those who have found my previous worship
books (Prayers to Share and Pastoral Prayers) helpful.
This series is the third in a three-volume set, involving
materials for both leaders and people. Public prayer is not
the exclusive preserve of the worship leader. but a dynamic
and responsive act that faithfully involves everyone. We are
all involved in this essential part of the service - praying to
God together!
In this series, I stress the value of a thematic format for the
service. I have also focused on the non-Gospel scriptures
emphasized in my previous books. This is done to broaden
the scope of your worshipful selection and attentiveness.
While the worship leader usually plans the prayers, I hope
those that are used on these pages will be changed, added to,
or simply used as inspiration or as a focus point for worship.
There is opportunity for silence and silent prayers in all
that I have laid out here. I hope that you will use these spaces
for individual use by members of the gathered community.
Please feel free to use internet imagery to enhance the
meaning of the words that appear.
"What does the Lord require of us" as worship leaders?
Only that we engage ourselves wholeheartedly in bringing
praise and glory to God, and that we are about the active
prayers of doing justice, loving kindness, and walking
humbly with the Holy One.
--
My Thoughts:
As with the previous books in this worship series, I
am grateful that David Sparks presents his material
as a guide for use by the whole People of God.
Many of our congregations are declining in numbers,
but worship leaders can indeed emerge for those
remaining. A book like this can help local congregations
who must find ways to worship without a specially
trained guide every week.
I am also pleased that David Sparks continues to follow
the Revised Common Lectionary readings. I grew up in
a tradition that respected the Common Lectionary and
am quick to notice when the worship leader drifts into
"hobby horse" thinking and focuses normally on special,
personal interest themes.
It takes effort to lead well the people in worship - at least
if one wants to do a responsible piece of work. This book -
and others in this series - can be a real asset to those who
take the worship privilege seriously as leaders and followers.
--
Buy the book -
From Wood Lake Publishers (Paper):
https://tinyurl.com/y8llvtnr
From Amazon.ca: (Kindle)
https://tinyurl.com/ycksnp9b
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
INTRODUCED BY DONALD SCHMIDT
Author of "Creation for Progressive Christians"
Presented here on CL June 7th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/yc9fbe6t
Responded to by Colin Outtrim, CL June 28th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/ybu7mhgp
June 27th, 2020
Donald Schmidt writes:
I did read the comments in the Colleagues List mailing.
While I find his points interesting, I also note that even the
Wikipedia article he refers to states that global warming is
not only a threat but also is what is wiping out the nation of
Tuvalu. I would also refer you to their own government
website which points out how little land they have left.
I point no fingers at any individual or corporation, but I
do get a bit tired of those who frantically try to pit details
against overwhelming scientific study. There’s lots of room
for conversation for sure, and I welcome it - but I also am
concerned when people hide behind any discipline to
deny obvious reality. There’s too much of that going on
these days about COVID-19; I find it concerning in other
arenas as well.
Thanks for passing this along.
Donald
(I connected Colin and Donald, hoping they continue discussion.)
Wayne
--
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS (Continued)
Isabel Gibson,
Ottawa, ON.
Personal Mailing:(June 27th, 2020)
Scientific American (undated article)
"What Would Happen if Everyone
Truly Believed Everything is One?
https://tinyurl.com/yafeertj
--
Jim Taylor,
Okanagan, BC
Personal Weblog
June 28th, 2020
"Don't Waste My Wife's Last Sacrifice"
https://tinyurl.com/ybp6cu66
--
Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX
Personal Website
June 29th, 2020
"Praying When We Don't Know How"
https://tinyurl.com/y972gybz
*****
NET NOTES - July 5th, 2020
HALTING THE HAJJ
A Significant Decision
Sightings,
July 2nd, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/y9vptqrd
--
THE FIVE DOCTRINES
OF EX-MORMONISM
A Personal Report
Religion News Service,
June 30th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/y8vchuzc
--
TREATMENT BETTER
FOR EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS
Current Government More
Attentive to Religious Minorities
Christian Post,
July 2nd, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/y6ur3nx7
--
C OF E SHOULD RECONSIDER
PORTRAYING JESUS AS WHITE
Welby Wants Review of Statues
The Guardian, UK
June 26th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/yaoykz5z
--
BRAZIL'S MASSIVE REPLICA
OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON
Pentecostals Think Big Biblically
The Christian Century,
June 15th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/yawttp3x
--
THE GIFT OF NURTURING SMALL
THINGS DURING ISOLATION
A Good Way to Spend the Time
The Christian Century,
June 15th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/ycqxhf2o
--
AS AN INDIGENOUS PERSON
I IDENTIFY WITH BLACK STRUGGLES
A Canadian Minority Group Perspective
Broadview,
June 25th, 2020
https://tinyurl.com/y9m8kb7j
*****
Provided by Sojourners and the Bruderhof
All that you touch / You Change. / All that you Change /
Changes you. / The only lasting truth / is Change. /
God / is Change.
- Octavia Butler
--
Here is the mystery, the secret, one might almost
say the cunning, of the deep love of God: that it is
bound to draw on to itself the hatred and pain and
shame and anger and bitterness and rejection of
the world, but to draw all those things on to itself
is precisely the means, chosen from all eternity
by the generous, loving God, by which to rid his
world of the evils which have resulted from human
abuse of God-given freedom.
- N. T. Wright
--
I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in
the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is
the friend of silence – we need to listen to God
because it’s not what we say but what he says
to us and through us that matters. Prayer feeds
the soul – as blood is to the body, prayer is to
the soul – and it brings you closer to God. It also
gives you a clean and pure heart. A clean heart
can see God, can speak to God, and can see the
love of God in others
- Mother Teresa
--
Put your sword back! These are the last words –
a definitive rebuke – the disciples hear from Jesus
before they run away. If ever there was a moment
in God’s eyes when violence would be justifiable,
this is it! But Jesus is clear: Put your sword back!
His followers are not allowed to respond with violence.
They are not allowed to kill. They are not allowed to
harm others. They are not allowed to threaten others.
They are not permitted to “deter” violent crime with
the use of violence.
- John Dear
--
True individuality is measured by this: how long or
how far one can endure being alone without the
understanding of others. The person who can endure
being alone is poles apart from the social mixer.
This person is miles apart from the one who manages
successfully with everyone – the one who possesses
no sharp edges. God never uses such people. The
true individual, anyone who is going to be directly
involved with God, will not and cannot avoid the
human bite. The true individual will be thoroughly
misunderstood. God is no friend of cozy human
gathering.
- Søren Kierkegaard
*****
MOMENT IN TIME
Globe and Mail
July 3rd, 2020
Americans Invade Canada
July 3rd, 1814
In 1814, during what would later be known as the War of
1812,the United States wanted to invade Upper Canada
near Kingston. However, British ships had command of
Lake Ontario, so the invasion was switched to the southern
part of the Niagara Peninsula. On this date in 1814, U.S.
troops from Buffalo crossed the Niagara River for an attack
on the heavily fortified Fort Erie, which the Americans wanted
for a staging point.
Under the command of Major-General Jacob Brown, U.S.
forces landed brigades north and south of the fort. Fort Erie,
with its 137 British soldiers under the command of Major
Thomas Buck, fired only a few meager shots toward the
advancing Americans. Brown, whose total forces numbered
about 4,500, gave Buck an ultimatum – two hours to
surrender.
Without another shot, and with no loss of life, the British
capitulated. (Buck’s boss, Lieutenant-General Gordon
Drummond, later had Buck court-martialled for his rapid
surrender.)
The Americans held the fort another four months before
abandoning it. Now, showing there are no hard feelings,
the crossing between Canada and the United States, about
a kilometre from the old fort, is via the Peace Bridge.
- Philip King
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - Curtis Ramsey-Lucas
Justice is not something we form or fashion.
It is woven by God into the very fabric of creation.
(end)
It is woven by God into the very fabric of creation.
(end)
*****
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