[Editor’s Note: Computer
problems prevented us from getting out the second mailing last week and kept us
from gathering articles for this week.
We are getting new equipment and hope to be back to normal soon.]
"To be hopeful in bad times is not just
foolishly romantic, it is based on the fact that human history is a history not
only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness -- and if
we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian
future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live
now, as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad
around us, is itself, a marvellous victory." - Howard Zinn
'Frontier Gandhi' brings Pashtun peace icon to life
Badshah Khan was so close to Mahatma Gandhi they shared reading glasses,
inspiring jokes about their shared vision, but unlike his friend, the Pashtun
champion of non-violent struggle has been almost forgotten by his people. Now Canadian filmmaker Teri McLuhan hopes to
drag the man dubbed "Frontier Gandhi", and his role in winning
independence from British rule, back into the limelight… "For a man born
into a warrior culture, to believe he could take on an Empire just by the
strength of his beliefs, and to actually make his people believe the moment you
become violent you become a stooge; boy, was that difficult," says M.J
Akbar, editor-in-chief of The Asian Age, in the film. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/lifestyle/frontier-gandhi-brings-pashtun-peace-icon-to-life_439728.html
Strong on Zeal, Thin in Knowledge
Lessons from Haiti's
arrest of American Christians trying to take children out of the country - Passion
alone is simply not sufficient; it must be consistently paired with wisdom.
Zeal without knowledge can be a destructive force. A compassionate impulse may
indeed be God's nudging, and certainly should not be ignored. But the hard work
of education, preparation, and planning most always stands between us and a job
well done. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/februaryweb-only/15-31.0.html?start=1
£10,000 grant for Christian police who believe prayer can cut crime
A Christian policing group which believes that the power of prayer can
catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000
grant from the [UK]
Home Office to widen its involvement with local church groups. The Christian
Police Association (CPA) wants members of the public to "adopt a cop"
by praying for the safety of local officers as they ply their beats. Subjects
that the association says congregations should be encouraged to pray for
include "helping officers make on-the-spot decisions" and encouraging
them to "resist corruption". Click
Here
Segregated in a Whole New Way
A church family from the same generation isn't much of a family… Whether
or not young adults are leaving churches forever or just for a couple of years,
I'm not sure age-segregated worship is a wise strategy. No one was more
surprised than I that I kept attending church when I moved 2,000 miles away
from my family after college. But part of it was that I had been taught that
congregations are families that, by definition, include people of all ages and
circumstances. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/january/27.62.html?start=1
Erasing Ezekiel's Jewish identity
The future of Jewish sacred sites looks grim in
the intolerant current climate of post-Saddam Iraq, where only eight Jews are
left, the Christian minority is severely persecuted by the fundamentalists and
ancient Shi'ite mosques are blown up…Iraq, the biblical Aram Naharaim, is rich
in Jewish religious sites. Not only Ezekiel is buried there, but also Ezra,
Daniel, Nehemiah, Nahum and Jonah. http://www.worldpress.org/link.cfm?http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?page/JPArticle/ShowFull&c
New Book: The Book of Sins
By Angie O’Gorman, Plain View Press The Book of Sins offers a
cautionary look at life in America
after Christianity has become a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of
capitalism. Government is finally out of the way and what remained of America’s
social safety net has been outsourced to the Chambers of Commerce. Christianity has become businesses’
philanthropic arm, it is how charity is done, and charity is about all religion
has left.
Protagonist Millie Parker Clee will
tell you the problems began when America took Adam Smith’s invisible
hand for God’s own. At 80, Clee has no
use for religion – although she has a vast respect for God – and even less
tolerance for business as usual.
The novel follows Clee and five
other WardWomen as they go up against the powers. Clee handles strategy,
calling it Bible Study for reasons of safety. When the powers push back in the
form of Gemma Bradley, frontline pastoral worker and companion to Cardinal
Terrance Walters, life gets complicated.
Bradley’s only scripture is the
Book of Sins, the compendium of dogmas for the new order, resting on every
authorized altar across America.
At times humorous, at times tragic,
often peppered with satire, the novel is based on long term trends in American
life, christianity and capitalism. Maybe not so fictional after all. http://thebookofsins.wordpress.com/about/
New
Book:As Resident Aliens: Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank,
1995-2005
Beginning
with CPT’s initial project in Hebron, the book covers the work of CPT’s
Palestine teams over the next ten years as team members adapted to changing
political realities and forged relationships with Palestinians, Israelis, and
internationals who were nonviolently resisting the Israeli military occupation
of Palestine. http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2010/02/06/chicagotoronto-cpt-announces-release-resident-aliens-christian-peacemaker-teams-we
New Book:ASK THIRD WAY CAFÉ 50
Common and Quirky Questions about Mennonites
Collecting 50 of the common and quirky questions about Mennonites, the Mennonite-related Third Way
Café (a ministry of Mennonite Mission Network and Mennonite ChurchUSA)
website, www.thirdway.com , has received over the years. This book, Ask Third WayCafé, also records straight-up, no-nonsense
answers. Mennonites will find it helpful and interesting to know what other
people wonder about them. And anyone new to the Mennonite church or simply
curious about Mennonites—their history, theology, lifestyle, and more—can
benefit from this FAQ (frequently asked questions) resource. http://www.cascadiapublishinghouse.com/atw/atw.htm
Henri Nouwen Meditation: Be Yourself
Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be
someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with
others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as
generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty,
ashamed, or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden
in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to
realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context
of the here and now. We will never find
our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than
others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself! http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/
Anabaptist Story: The Naked Anabaptist - an extract
What is attracting Christians to a tradition that has no historical
roots in their culture? What does Anabaptism look like without the Mennonite,
Hutterite or Amish culture in which it was usually clothed in North America?...
“The naked Anabaptist”... ‘Anabaptism stripped down to the bare essentials.’ http://www.anabaptistnetwork.com/node/539
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