Christian leaders speak out, and trek, on Day for Creation Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT
German Protestant who sought media independence, remembered Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Focus on human aspect of Holy Land conflict, says churches' leader Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Indian churches hail halting of permission for Vedanta's mining Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Patriarch unveils Kremlin icon hidden after Russian Revolution Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Express train will carry Mother Teresa's message across India Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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A consultation on gender, power and leadership, sponsored in part by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, was held in Kenya over the summer. I was privileged to participate, along with 48 others from 17 countries, including seven students from St. Paul's United Theological College (the other co-sponsor) in Kenya.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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The Presbytery of Barrie has delayed deciding whether to dissolve the congregation of Trinity, Oro, until February. In August, most of the congregation of the church, about 100 kilometers north of Toronto, decided to leave the denomination and form a new non-denominational church.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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ENI — Leaders of Britain's Hindu community are expressing disbelief and outrage at claims by two English church ministers that yoga should be banned from churches. Amarjeet-singh Bhamra, a Hindu spokesperson in Britain said, “It is very disappointing that such medieval-like irrational prejudice is still allowed to flourish in the Christian church in 21st century multicultural Britain.”
posted on November 1, 2007 in Communion
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On Friday night the community gathered in the cramped choir of the Abby Church at Iona. The order of service seemed similar to ours: familiar prayers and hymns were included; after the sermon, the feast. Following a communion hymn, a few members got up and brought to the table the ewer, the loaf and two chalices. The celebrant began with familiar words, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” After the Great Eucharistic Prayer, he turned, breaking the loaf and having eaten of it, passed halves in two directions. Each person in turn passed each piece on to the next, and it continued until all were fed. After eating, he raised the ewer with the familiar words, then poured into each of the two large chalices. No one moved from his or her place. Everyone served each other.
posted on November 1, 2007 in Features
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There's been a lot of crazy, even murderous religion in the news lately. Some of it Muslim, some of it Christian, all of it nuts.
posted on November 1, 2007 in For the Journey
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November is deer hunting season. When you live a rural lifestyle, in my neck of the woods at least, you grow most of your vegetables in a garden, gather a lot of your fruit in the bush, collect a good portion of your fish from a stream or lake and hunt for most of your meat and fowl in the woods. Anything less and you are missing out on what a rural lifestyle in the Cariboo-Chilcotin has to offer; you might just as well be living in the city. Each hunting and gathering endeavour has a month assigned to it. November is deer hunting.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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ENI — Claire Randall, a lay Presbyterian leader and the first woman to serve as general secretary of the US National Council of Churches, is being remembered for her leadership of the council during a turbulent era.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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Students in Yonge Street Mission's scholarship program partner with a mentor - like Shahriar Salehuddin and his mentor Andrew Phillips.
When fewer than 25 per cent of youth in one of Toronto's most poverty-stricken neighbourhoods apply to college or university, it's easy to understand why the Yonge Street Mission is promoting education. The mission's scholarship program is helping 25 Toronto youth receive post-secondary education this year—and the funds are renewable for up to four years.
“In our community of Regent Park, we know that education can act as a catalyst for change and allow young people to break the cycle of poverty. Without further education many doors remain closed and our youth may end up trapped in low-paying, dead-end jobs,” said Barbara Walkden, YSM's director of development. To receive a scholarship, youth must demonstrate financial need and be nominated by two staff members. “While the money is very important, the expression of confidence from mission staff may be even more valuable,” said Walkden. “Many recipients have no family support and it is very meaningful for them to hear someone say, 'We believe in you.'” At a special dinner in August, those students taking multi-year education programs were awarded laptops donated by Dell Computers.
The mission also offers early and sustained support for children through preschool programs, homework clubs and computer classes, and training and employment support for homeless youth through the Evergreen Centre for Street Youth, which is headed up by Presbyterian Karen Bach.
YSM has served Toronto for 110 years, with 140,000 visits each year. For more information, visit www.ysm.on.ca. – AM
posted on November 1, 2007 in One Life
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St. Columba-By-The-Lake, Montreal, has meant a lot to me. It was the community into which my first-born daughter came to life, and where she was given the new life of baptism. I suppose it was also our “house of prayer,” although Presbyterian churches are rarely distinguished as prayer centres. Of course St. Columbans do pray and, like Leap year, prayer occasionally is a topic.
posted on November 1, 2007 in For the Record
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Authority comes in at least two guises. The first is given to a person by an organization through position and responsibility. The second is an inner gift or charism. Rev. Carey Nieuwhof was given authority by the Presbyterian Church when he was ordained a minister of word and sacrament and called to Trinity, Oro. The latter is a gift he has in spades: Tall, eloquent and bright, he is a charismatic presence leading worship.
posted on November 1, 2007 in Features
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Philosopher Karl Popper talks about having an attitude of reasonableness in a debate. The attitude of reasonableness suggests that two combatants come to the table on either side of a debate knowing that they are right, willing to convince the other person they are right, but accepting that the other person has a viable view and that they may have to adopt the opponent's viewpoint. My position is that believers have an attitude of reasonableness. Atheists do not. In fact atheists cannot be reasonable for reasons I intend to explain.
posted on November 1, 2007 in Progressive Lectionary
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Gospel for Nov. 25, 2007:Luke 23:33-43
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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After 24 years of helping to fight hunger around the world, Canadian Foodgrains Bank has distributed its one-millionth tonne of food. That's enough to fill more than 15,000 box cars with bags of grain—a train that would stretch approximately 290 kilometres.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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The National Presbyterian Museum, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, is open Sunday afternoons until Dec. 16. The museum stores over 400 years of artifacts from the Presbyterian Church including missionary memorabilia, Communion tokens, books and clerical robes. It also features a reproduced minister's study with numerous out-of-print books including writings by John Calvin and Institutes of the Christian Religion, published in 1608. A small 19th-century chapel, featuring oil lamps and a pump organ, provides a place for groups to worship while stepping back in time. Admission is free though donations are appreciated. To make an appointment call 416 469-1345, or email presbymuseum@sympatico.ca. The museum is located at 415 Broadview Ave., Toronto.
posted on November 1, 2007 in From the Moderator
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My first trip after assembly was to Winnipeg to celebrate the anniversary of a covenant our church and other Canadian churches made with aboriginal people-promising to walk together in new paths of healing and reconciliation-as well as to visit some of the congregations in the presbytery. I took and read Peter Bush's recent book, Western Challenge: The Presbyterian Church in Canada's Mission on the Prairies and North, 1885-1925. After all, Winnipeg was once the railhead and supply capital of the west, and the advance of the gospel from that city by Presbyterians, who were passionately committed to reaching those who had settled in the west and the north, was nothing short of phenomenal. These pioneering missionaries, under the supervision of the legendary James Robertson, were keen for the Lord and they were innovative. They established new churches; they touched the lives of aboriginal people and new settlement communities alike. Thus, in spite of numerous bureaucratic holdups, the gospel fell into fertile ground and produced abundantly rich harvests.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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Lindsey Hepburn is the Presbyterian Church's new Mission Interpretation Coordinator. The Glenview, Toronto, member is a Dalhousie graduate with an honours degree in International Development and Spanish. Hepburn has participated in a few short term mission programs and brings great enthusiasm to developing this portfolio. The mission interpretation coordinator helps congregations experience mission by facilitating short term mission trips, study tours and volunteer experiences in Canada and overseas for congregations and individuals; connecting mission speakers with congregations, including international staff, short term volunteers, participants in study tours, and national church staff; and preparing resource material to help congregations and individuals learn how they can do mission at home, nationally and internationally. Hepburn started in September, replacing Barbara Nawratil who has moved into the finance office.
posted on November 1, 2007 in Pop Christianity
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Can you buy a better car than a Honda Civic? Or for that matter a Toyota Corolla? I don't know if you can. For approximately $15k you get a really decent car—four wheels plus a steering wheel, comfortable seating, a decent trunk, pretty good fuel efficiency and intermittent windshield wipers. For roughly the same amount of money you can get a Pontiac G5 or Vibe or a Kia Rio5. There are equally fine cars in that price range offered by Chrysler, Mazda and Ford. The Ford Focus is a perfectly acceptable choice.
posted on November 1, 2007 in Features
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Record readers first met Doug Lackie in the April issue as he was anticipating his work as an Ecumenical Accompanier serving on the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The following are excerpts from his reports during his time in Israel this Spring. The opinions expressed are Mr. Lackie's.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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The man who fought ceaselessly to have a suicide barrier erected over one of Toronto's most notorious bridges was honoured by the city with a memorial plaque in July. Al Birney, who died of a heart attack in June, 2006, was described by his friend Rev. Greg Dickson, as “absolutely sold out for Christ. He didn't care what people thought. He just wanted everyone to know that Jesus was foremost in his life.” The two participated in a weekly men's prayer group at St. Andrew's, Scarborough.
posted on November 1, 2007 in News
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ENI—LIBYA — “People are respecting us. They accept us. We are free,” said Roman Catholic Bishop Giovanni Martinelli of growing religious freedom in Libya. For three decades, following the 1969 revolution led by Moammar Gadhafi, the tiny Christian community in this overwhelmingly Muslim country faced restrictions and hostility. But a new wave of religious freedom is sweeping the country.
