Vol XVI. No. 31
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 at - waholst@telus.net
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Dear Friends:
Welcome to the latest issue of my Colleagues List. I hope you will find it helpful, as it takes some effort to bring an issue together and I'm only gradually working through recent changes in the internet and my health.
I welcome the book title We Carry the Fire which was suggested to me by colleague John Badertscher of Winnipeg. In many ways, John has had a career with interests not that different from author Hoehn. We, however, have had the good fortune of welcoming John as an American become Canadian. I have introduced John's books on Colleagues List in the past, and now welcome the contribution of his friend Richard. As usual, we need to apply terms and themes from this book into ways understandable and workable in this country.
Blessings on your Lenten journey!
Wayne
PLEASE NOTE - 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.
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SPECIAL ITEM
WE CARRY THE FIRE Family and Citizenship As Spiritual Calling
by Richard A. Hoehn, Church Publishing, Inc. New York, NY.
Paperback, 2021 pp. 231. $25.41 CAD, Kindle $10.86 CAD. ISBN #978-1-64065-382-5
Publisher's Promo:
We Carry the Fire describes a social and political spirituality defined by actions that save families, civilization, and the planet.
These actions, based on values articulated in religious congregations, result in tangible outcomes in the real world: people live instead of die, democracy is strengthened, nature is restored, and the human spirit flourishes.
The author shows how an action-spirituality is different from me - and escapist - spiritualities. Spiritual meaning is found by working in solidarity with people around the world to love our neighbors, as well as those who aren't our neighbors, as ourselves.
As congregations are struggling to adjust to contemporary realities, Hoehn brings the passion and knowledge of a pastor, academic, author, activist, and grassroots organizer down to earth in real time.
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Author's Words:
More than half a century ago. my first English assignment at Capitol University was to write a five page paper on any topic. I laboriously pecked out "The Meaning of Life" on my1950's portable Underwood, ignorant of Dag Hammarskjold's "When a seventeen year old speaks of the meaning of life, he is ridiculous because he has no idea of what he is talking about." Professor David Owens shared Hammarskjold's sensibility. Handing the essay back, he grinned and in his androgynous lilt advised "read some pulp fiction before you write a second draft."
I have wrestled with religious institutions, politics, spirituality, theology, ethics, justice, values and the meaning of life in marriage, and as a single parent, from the pew and pulpit, as student and professor, local activist and grassroots organizer, policy wink (not quite a wonk) and institute director working with non-profits and official agencies in the United States and abroad. I have watched Pulp Fiction, Pulp Fiction Art, and The Adventures of George the Projectionist (a comedic combination of Cinema Parsadiso, and Pulp Fiction).
So, Professor Owens, wherever you are eating apple pie in the sky, here is my final draft. I am emboldened to write in the faith that most of us desire more robust family and civic lives that are safer, saner, more satisfying, beautiful, sustainable, just, peaceable, and also more spiritual.
- from the Preface
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Author's Bio:
RICHARD A. HOEHN is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the author of Up From Apathy (Abingdon) and more than sixty scholarly and popular booklets, articles, and reviews. He was the director of the Bread for the World Institute, an associate professor of Church in Society at Brite Divinity School, and has worked as a grassroots organizer, speaker, and consultant for non-governmental organizations around the world.
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My Thoughts:
The local church is an essential place of grounding for the message of the Gospel. If faith is not workable in our real-life communities, it has little meaning or lasting substance.
At the same time, the Gospel that is proclaimed at worship and lived in the various ministries of the congregation must also apply to the social and political worlds within and beyond the local church.
I am grateful for pastors like Richard Hoehn who have honed their ministry skills in the wider world as community organizers, speakers and administrators and in NGO's beyond the places where Christians gather.
This book offers wisdom that is a blend of what good theological and real-life practice can offer. Readers will find Hoehn's writing to be the result of much experience and years of skilled interpretation
Thanks to colleague John Badertscher for suggesting this book to me in the hope that I would then introduce it to you. I continue to read and work with the material offered here.
______
Buy the book from: Amazon.ca
https://tinyurl.com/u4u2zbst
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COLLAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
Mark Whittall, Ottawa, ON.
Sermons and Blog,
March 12th, 2021
"In This Way"
--
John Griffith
Calgary, AB.
What Was I Thinking (blog)
March 4th, 2021
"Hanging on to Hope"
--
Elfrieda Schroeder
Winnipeg, MB.
In Transit Blog
March 3rd, 2021
"A Rabbit Tale"
--
Jim Taylor,
Okanagan BC
Personal Web Log
February 28th, 2021
"When Life Becomes Intolerable"
--
Ron Rolheiser
San Antonio, TX
Personal Web Site,
March 8th, 2021
"Opening Our Secrets to the Light"
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NET NOTES
LIVING SEASONALLYFollowing the Church Calendar
Christian Week,
Mrch 5th, 2021
--
MINISTRY IS AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB
Clergy Burnout Is Something to Care About
Anglican Journal
March 5th, 2021
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WHY I SYMPATHISE WITHHARRY AND MEGHAN
Aren't We All Screwed Up?
March 8th, 2021
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MARTYR'S SHRINE IN MIDLAND
CANCELS 2021 SEASON
Famous Church is Currently Closed
Catholic Register, Toronto
March 9th, 2021
https://tinyurl.com/5casxdht
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THE DALAI LAMA
GETS A VIRUS SHOT
He Urges Others to Do the Same
Religious News Srvice,
March 9th, 2021
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AS A PASTOR I PRAY THATPOST-VIRUS MY FLOCK RETURNS
But I Must be Realistic
Religion News Service,
MArch 9th, 2021
https://tinyurl.com/5md4bw3u
THE POPE IN IRAQA Youtube Presentation
National Catholic Reporter,
March 10th, 2021
https://tinyurl.com/3s4479zw
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ANGLICAN AND UNITED COLLEGES
CONSIDERING MERGER IN MONTREAL
A Move Considered for Quite Some Time
United Church of Canada,
January 22nd, 2021
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BRITISH PAGANS' COURT CONVICTIONSUPHELD OVER STONEHENGE
"Religious Beliefs" are No Excuse
Religion News Service,
March 11th, 2021
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A MEDITATION ON JAZZ
DURING THE LENTEN SEASON
The Christian Century,
March 8th, 2021
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WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Our collective voices and the divine, sacred wisdom that we
hold from the women who came before us, are necessary to
heal a world plagued by injustice, pain, and death.
- Kat Armas
--
We are all implicated when we allow other people to be
mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the
decency of a community, a state, a nation.
- Bryan Stevenson
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CLOSING THOUGHT - Millard Fuller
There are sufficient resources in the world for the needs
of everybody, but not enough for the greed of even a
significant minority.
(end)
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ACTS programs beginning soon at St. David's United, Calgary:
ACTS MINISTRY STUDIES BEGIN IN LATE JANUARY!
This Winter, Our Groups Meet on Zoom
Monday Night Study 7:00PM to 8:30PM (90 minutes)
Ten Online classes run from January 25th to March 29th.
Our Book - "Braving the Wilderness" by Brene Brown
You buy it from Amazon.ca or Indigo
It will be your only cost for the series.
Thursday Morning Bible Study 10:00AM to 11:00AM (60 min.)
We meet January 28th to make our winter study Bible selection
Classes run until the end of March, 2021
We decide on our study agenda during our first class
Invite new friends to join us via Zoom.
If you have questions, contact Wayne at waholst@telus.net
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