Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!

World AIDS Day Commemoration in Uganda

[World Council of Churches] Hundreds of Christians gathered at the Namirembe Cathedral - the oldest cathedral in Uganda - and Mackay Primary School on 1 December to commemorate World AIDS Day. Taking part in music, dance, and drama participants spoke out for gender justice and a world free from HIV.

Read the full Anglican Communion News Service article from which the excerpt is taken at the following link.

Hundreds mark World AIDS Day in Ugandan cathedral

Reference:

https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/12/hundreds-mark-world-aids-day-in-ugandan-cathedral.aspx

Hate Will Never Yield Ecumenism

Hate will never yield ecumenism. 

Two Seemingly Simple Quotes

  

Love your neighbor, as yourself.

- Jesus

Won't you be my neighbor?

- Fred Rogers

Jesus said, quoting Scriptures, to “love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.” That’s the first quote in the post followed by “Won't you be my neighbor?” The latter was a question Fred Rogers sang in the opening theme song to his old children’s TV program. Fred passed away back in 2003, but I am pretty sure he knew the Jesus quote quite well, trust me on that one. I don’t know if we understand Jesus these days, although many of us can quote him easily. I mean sometimes our actions don’t seem to reflect an interpretation of Jesus’ words. Of course, we all usually get away with our wrongful actions by using the excuse that nobody is perfect, and yes that is true.

I don’t want to make this post long and complicated. But, in a world where many of us probably find it difficult to love our neighbor for many justifiable reasons perhaps, it seems like a breath of fresh air to hear someone sing an invitation to anyone out there to become their neighbor. Fred would sing that to anyone who would listen. Of course, if we all said this to everyone knowing that Jesus wanted us to love our neighbor, it really takes the application of the saying a step above, or as they say now days “above and beyond.” Blessings, and won’t you be my neighbor?

WCC Article on Next Generation Ecumenists

"For the commission’s moderator, Rev. Dr Rudolf von Sinner, one of the highlights of the 2019 meeting will be the challenge of how ecumenical education answers the real questions asked today.  “To do ecumenical theological education is to equip, to nurture, to empower, sometimes to restrict, to ensure that we do our very best avoiding abuses and fostering good use (WCC)."


The previous excerpt is from an article on the WCC's website. Without a doubt ecumenical theological education is of utmost importance, and needs to be addressed. Read the full article at the link below.


https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/wcc-commission-gathers-to-focus-on-next-generation-of-ecumenists

Article on Yom Kippur and Early Christianity

"It is largely glossed over that early Christians used Yom Kippur to explain both why it was that people needed saving, and how the death of Jesus could save other people (thedailybeast.com)."

The foregoing excerpt well describes what the article is about. Since Yom Kippur begins at sundown, I thought I would share a relevant article by Candida Moss for the Daily Beast. Blessings, you can read the full article at the link below!

How Christianity Co-Opted Yom Kippur to Explain Jesus’ Death

Reference:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-christianity-co-opted-yom-kippur-to-explain-jesus-death?ref=author.

Shana Tova Greetings

“At the World Council of Churches we are currently observing the Season of Creation which has recently become a feature of the liturgical year in many Christian traditions,” Tveit wrote. “This focuses our attention both on the dignity of the whole human family, each one of us created in the divine image, and also on the challenge which we share as stewards of God’s good creation (oikoumene.org)."

The foregoing is an excerpt from an article at the World Council of Churches website. Read the full article at the link below, and Shana Tova to all!

WCC offers Rosh Hashanah greetings with an eye for collaboration — World Council of Churches

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/wcc-offers-rosh-hashanah-greetings-with-an-eye-for-collaboration

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.











Source:

Psalm 119:105 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

A Restaurant with a View

If you visit Switzerland and wish to dine with a view of Lake Geneva, you may wish to consider Chateau de Bossey.

"Chateau de Bossey, though mainly known for the Ecumenical Institute and its conference facilities, is open to and welcomes everyone from near and far (oikoumene.org)."

“Bossey is a friendly place, uses locally grown products, it is traditional and familial,” according to Chef Pheulpin.

Read more about it at the following link.

Behind-the-scenes in the kitchen at Bossey — World Council of Churches

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/behind-the-scenes-in-the-kitchen-at-bossey

Secretary General of the Anglican Communion on Education

Education and joint activities across different faiths will help move some of Nigeria’s most divided communities away from hatred and fear, according to the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. Speaking at the graduation of students from Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian – Muslim Relations in Nigeria, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, said: “education is the weapon that we must all be willing to use in our efforts to live in peaceful coexistence with one another. And that is why this institution is important . . . (www.anglicannews.org).”

The foregoing excerpt is from a recent ACNS article. Read more at the link below.

Anglican Communion’s Secretary-General says education is key to peaceful communities

Reference:

https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/07/anglican-communions-secretary-general-says-education-is-key-to-peaceful-communities.aspx.

“THERE we shall rest and we shall see; we shall see and we shall love; we shall love and we shall praise. Behold what shall be in the end and shall not end.”

- Saint Augustine of Hippo






Source:

The City of God 

A Brief Meditation

Sometimes a front can be mistaken for resilience. Sometimes silence is better than words, and vice versa. Sometimes the eyes we need to open are not physical, and vice versa. Appearances can deceive. Sometimes what we hear isn't necessarily a truth, although it is a sound, and our minds don't know the difference. Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear? Most importantly, do we have hearts to feel? Ultimately, the invisible is often spiritual.

Ravi Zacharias on the Question is Christianity the Exclusive Way to Truth?

Today on Facebook I found a post made by an old friend. Basically, in the post he shared a video that involved Ravi Zacharias during a Q & A. A person in the audience asked Zacharias the question: what brings us to believe or entitles us to believe that Christianity is the exclusive way to truth? Zacharias initially establishes the use of a foundation grid which includes origin, meaning, morality, and destiny to determine or reach his answer. In other words, all four of the foregoing should be met in establishing truth according to Zacharias. I am not going to say anything with relevance to my opinion. I am simply sharing the video to let you decide on whether you think his response is correct.

Reference:

https://youtu.be/3N77D4dUgP4

WCC and Globethics.net are Partnering

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and Globethics.net have signed a new contract that expands online education, publications and resources related to the ecumenical movement.

The foregoing excerpt is from a WCC article informing about the news. Read the full article at the following link.

WCC, Globethics.net partner to offer expanded online resources — World Council of Churches

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/wcc-globethics-net-partner-to-offer-expanded-online-resources.

Christos anesti!

https://www.goarch.org/

Happy Easter!

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. 

My Take on the Fire at Notre Dame

Saint Stephen and Saint Paul in the Book of Acts both said God doesn't dwell in houses/shrines (temples) made of/by human hands. Both were seemingly quoting the prophet Isaiah from chapter 66 and verse 1. Stephen said it in his speech in front of the Council before being stoned to death. Paul said it to the Athenians at the Areopagus. Ironically, Paul was a witness to Stephen’s speech and martyrdom when he was still named Saul and was a persecutor of Christianity. In his First Epistle to the Corinthians 6:19, Paul elaborates that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It sounds like we know where Paul stood with relevance to where God dwells. This is what most Christians believe that God dwells in us. Jesus also said: “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Basically, God is omnipresent. If we gather in a huge cathedral like Notre Dame to worship, God is also there because we are there present. This idea is like that philosophical question, if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound if no one is there to hear it? But, knowing all this about where God dwells, why do we build such magnificent lofty structures for places of worship?

I believe we build such magnificent structures for places of worship as an offering and adoration to God who has given us life and all. God truly deserves all from us, even our lives. But, even if we have nothing to give, it is enough since all comes from God. As the hymn says:

What can I give Him

Poor as I am

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring Him a Lamb

If I were a wise man,

I'd sure do my part

So what can I give Him

I'll give Him my heart

Why build beautiful structures for God? It is our gift of architecture, art, beauty, and the best we have to offer. We are filled with the presence of God during liturgy and it surrounds us in those places we have built for public worship. We walk into these houses from the world outside that can sometimes be filled with ugliness, and into a place of beauty and peace. Moreover, when we walk into a Cathedral such as Notre Dame in Paris which took hundreds of years to build, and is almost 900 years old, we walk into history, the past, and where we've been from the present place where we are. Beauty is one way we can glorify God. If you are opposed to art and iconography, I suggest reading the apologies made by John of Damascus centuries ago. I doubt you will have a solid counterargument. If you would have asked Frank LLoyd Wright or Gaudi about architecture, you would have probably not had time to listen to all they would have told you. A great structure like Notre Dame was/is a collaborative work of many who simply give an offering to the Savior who gave us all. Out of gratitude, we physically manifest the giving of our hearts. Sadly, the fire at the cathedral on April 15th was tragic and devastating.

Yes, the fire seemingly was very sad, evil, and destructive; however, in less than 24 hours many were donating millions of dollars to repair, restore, and rebuild. Sadly, sometimes a baptism by fire is what we need to reawaken our faith and get our focus on higher things, Godly things. Peace and blessings to all!

Article from ACNS on the Church in Cuba

Many Anglicans and Episcopalians know about Cuba, and know it as a Communist country; but I don’t think many of them know that there is an Anglican Church in Cuba, and if they do they probably know very little about the life and ministry of the Church.

The Episcopal Diocese in Cuba is one of those places where very little if any of what goes on there is reported or known in the Anglican Communion, and yet it is a Church that is mission focused, with a strong sense of purpose and confidence in the Gospel, very strong community engagement, and a (w)holistic outlook to mission, taking seriously all the Five Marks of Mission in mission and ministry (ACNS).

The foregoing excerpt is from an ACNS article on the Anglican Communion churches in Communist Cuba. I hope you enjoy reading the full article at the link below.

The church that provides water to the community: The Anglican Communion’s Director for Mission, the Revd Canon John Kafwanka, reflects on his recent visit to the Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba - the Episcopal Church of Cuba.

Reference:

https://www.anglicannews.org/blogs/2019/03/the-church-that-provides-water-to-the-community.aspx.

Film Prize Article on the WCC Website

"A film depicting a woman – Petrunya – who breaks church and social traditions by grabbing a cross thrown by an Orthodox priest into an icy river in an Epiphany ritual meant for young men has been awarded the prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 69th Berlinale film festival in the German capital (oikoumene.org)."

The above excerpt is from an article on the World Council of Churches website. I am not writing much about it, I prefer that you read about it yourself. The article read that Anna Grebe described the film as a “modern day parable for its daring portrayal of the transformation of a disempowered young woman into an outspoken defender of women’s rights.” Read the full article on the link below.

Ecumenical Jury awards Berlin film prize for portrayal of struggle with religious tradition — World Council of Churches

Reference:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/ecumenical-jury-awards-berlin-film-prize-for-portrayal-of-struggle-with-religious-tradition.

Churches in Zambia Unite on the Persecution Issue in Zimbabwe

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the Northern Hemisphere winter season. I know that for some winter can be a bit harsh and unpleasant, but down here in South Florida it is more enjoyable than our harsh hot summer. I am still undecided on whether I prefer an extreme winter or an extreme summer. Anyhow, in this post I just want to share an article from the Anglican Communion News Service.

The article was posted on January 22, 2019, and it is titled: Zambian Churches unite in call for an end to the “persecution of Zimbabwean citizens.” I suppose many in the US are bombarded daily by the media with stories on Wall Building and Government Shutdowns, and we forget that we are just one country amongst many on our planet. And, sometimes we are ignorant about what is going on in other places such as Zimbabwe. The following is an excerpt from the article:

'“Civil Society in Zambia remains deeply concerned with the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe and the reported human rights violations against citizens by the state”, the Zambian NGO joint statement said. “As civil rights groups, we are particularly concerned with the reported beatings, arrest and killing of unarmed citizens who were peacefully demonstrating against the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe. We also take note that it had to take a Court action to overturn the shutdown of the internet which had [been done] in an effort to silence the masses (www.anglicannews.org/)."'

I am sure that from just reading this brief excerpt one quickly understands that something is going on in Zimbabwe. Read the full article at the link below.

Zambian Churches unite in call for an end to the “persecution of Zimbabwean citizens”: The Council of Churches in Zambia has joined other NGOs and Christian groups to express their “deep concern” about the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Reference:

https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/01/zambian-churches-unite-in-call-for-an-end-to-the-persecution-of-zimbabwean-citizens.aspx.

Happy New Year!

A healthy and prosperous 2019 to all!