God"s love is for all creation
God has many names
The Center’s primary purpose is to stimulate discussion and action on social justice, poverty, environmental and peace issues from a faith perspective; it is both Interfaith and Ecumenical. We learn from each other and believe that together we can accomplish more than we can apart.
God has many names
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TEACHING FROM GANDHI
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win."
Help End Homelessness
Congratulations to the Diocese of Calgary for establishing an Affordable Housing Task Force and encouraging Anglicans to learn about homelessness.
Susan Scott a key leader in the plight of women and homelessness in Calgary will launcher her new book, All Our Sisters, on Friday May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the John Dutton Theatre, W.R. Castell Central Library at 616 Macleod Trail SE. Wayne Stewart, President and CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation will host the evening.
Plan to attend, learn and become part of the solution to this critical problem.
An Evening with Stephen Lewis
St. Thomas United Church Calgary is sponsoring an evening with Stephen Lewis. Stephen is Chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and author of “Race against Time”; he also served as the United Nations Secretary General’s special envoy on HIV/AIDS.
I have heard Stephen speak many times and can assure you that he is a knowledgeable, dynamic and passionate orator.
He will be speaking on the evening of May 24th at Knox United Church (506 – 4th Street SW, Calgary). Further details may be obtained at either of the following web sites:
http://www.stthomasunited.ca/stephenlewis/index.html
Or
http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/news_event_item.cfm?event=1768&year=2007&month=5
From Integrity Canada
The cost of discipleship! The Anglican Journal - "Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck, an Anglican priest in the diocese of Saskatoon, will lose his licence to minister after March 31 if he does not reconsider his declaration that he intends to marry gay couples, if asked, said diocesan bishop Rodney Andrews." Is Shawn leading us out of the wildnerness? Please hold this friend in your prayers, and the Bishop and people of Saskatoon. On the diocese' website is a banner calling us to "Be the Salt of the Earth".
CORRELATION BETWEEN POVERTY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY
Is terrorism the only threat to our security? Many people believe that poverty, climate change and environmental degradation pose even greater threats.
Paul Carrick, founder of CAUSE Canada will speak on these issues as well as our Federal Governments failure to meet its commitment to increase our commitment to foreign aid.
Be informed. Be active. Be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Mark your calendar for May 5, 7pm, Canmore Collegiate High School. Plan to attend this informative evening with Paul Carrick.
Earth Day - Where are the Bow Valley Faith Communities?
With Earth Day almost upon us I am disappointed that there is no indication that any of the faith communities in Canmore or Banff have planned any activities to promote Earth Day and to use it as a stewardship teaching opportunity.
I am particularly disappointed that my former parish of St. Michael's Anglican Canmore is one of those communities which appears to have nothing planned. In the 2002 - 2003 period I made the parish board aware of the Environmental Covenanting Program of the National Council of Churches. I asked board members to carefully study the program and decide if they wanted St. Michael's to participate and sign the covenant. Just before the board voted on a motion to sign the covenant I asked them not to vote in favour of signing the covenant if they had no intention of carrying it out. The Board voted unanimously to sign the covenant. To date I am unaware that they have taken any follow up action to live up to the commitments which they made. Perhaps the current St. Michael's board should hold a vote withdrawing their support for the environmental covenant. At least that position would be honest and in keeping with their lack of action.
Let's get going Bow Valley faith communities; live up to your call to be stewards of that which God has entrusted to your care!
Earth Day Yogathon
April 22, 2007 - Canmore Earth Day Celebration with Pink & Green Ribbon Annual Fundraising Yogathon at the Seniors Centre, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. $25 minimum donation to enter. Registration at 9:30 a.m. The Biosphere will have some activities for the whole family.
During the Earth Day Yogathon there will be:
Tea from Communitea.
Fruit, nuts and water from Nutters.
Free massages from Back At It Mobile Massage.
Leanne Allison (Being Caribou) is leading the yoga with visualization and earth poses, etc (90 minutes of yoga).
A closing meditation by Karen Barker.
There will be great prizes for the participants and volunteers.
Environmental Awareness Activities such as Earth Hug, Yoga for fun and Recycling Relays for children.
An education booth by the Biosphere Institute.
And more, the Bow Valley is being very generous and is keen to be a part of the event.
See you there.....
The Pink & Green Ribbon Campaign
Contact: mherwig@telus.net
To directly donate on-line go to
Go to: http://www.canadahelps.org
write "Tidlund" in the charity spot - then click on Mary Tidlund Charitable Foundation and select "Medical - Pink and Green Health Program" in the Fund/Destination selection.
THANKS!
WE ARE CALLED TO BE ACTIVISTS NOT SPECTATORS
If any of you happens to see an injustice, you are no longer a spectator: you are a participant. And you have an obligation to do something.
--June Callwood, rest in peace
BULLYING IN THE CHURCH
Thursday, April 12, 9 - 9:30 a.m. CBC radio on The Current will broadcast a program on bullying in the church. Often clergy are on the receiving end of the bullying either by parishioners or church officials. Tune in to learn about this important and often hidden aspect of church life.
Living God"s Blessing
Living God's Blessings is a movement within the Anglican Church whose purpose is to encourage members of the Anglican General Synod in June to support the blessings of same-sex unions. Living God's Blessings has developed a letter to be sent to all members of General Synod. You are invited to sign the letter. To do so visit their web site at http://gods-blessing.ca
Public Rally
April 13, 2007 - 12:00 Noon - McDougall Centre (455 - 6th St. S.W. Calgary -- The Balzac-Red Deer River water transfer, the clear cut logging of East Kananaskis, the pine beetle strategy and the construction of the Horse Shoe Lands Development and developments near Nanton are all jeopardizing ecosystems and water resources. The purpose of the rally is to stress to the Alberta Government the need for a comprehensive provinical land use strategy. Spred the word and be present to support your environment. Contact Dr. David Swann MLA at 403-216-5445 with any questions.
Our Journey for Peace
"Our journey for peace begins today and every day.
Each step is a prayer,
each step is a meditation,
each steop will build a bridge. "
- Samdech Preah Maha Ghosananda, the boundlessly kind monk whom many have called Cambodia's Gandhi, died on March 12, 2007. Ghosananda was elected a Supreme Cambodian Buddhist Patriarch by fellow Buddhist monks in 1988 for restoring Buddhism in Cambodia. During the 1990's he led the Dhamma Yatra movement to rebuild religious life in Cambodia.
Needed: A Culture of Peace
The Roman Catholic archbishop in the Philippine capital has urged instituting "a culture of peace" in his countryin appealing to both the government and rebel groups to "put astop" to unsolved killings and violence ripping the SoutheastAsian nation apart. "You see how widespread this evil is in theworld. We must cultivate a culture of peace, a culture of helping each other," Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, the archbishop of Manila, told journalists.
Radiant City - A Film by Gary Burns and Jim Brown
Odeon Films and the Sierra Club of Canada present a benefit screening of Radiant City on March 29, 7 pm at the Uptown Stage and Screen 612 8th Ave. SW. Calgary with a post screening discussion with filmakers and guests.
Sprawl is eating the planet. Across the continent the landscape is being levelled - blasted clean of distinctive features and overlaid with zombie-like monoculture. Politicians call it growth. Developers call it business. The Moss family calls it home. View this advance benefit screening of Radiant City which opens in theatres across Canada on March 30th.
Tickets to this advance presentation and discussion are $10 with the proceeds going to the Sierra Club of Calgary.
For ticket purchase and other details contact:
info@sierraclubchinoook.org
Holocaust Memorial Service
Tuesday April 14, 2007 - 7:30 pm
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews
Hall 709-7th Street, Canmore
All are welcome
Contact Robin 673-3955
Ostrich Award
The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd. is getting ready to start awarding our not so prestigious Ostrich awards.
These awards go to faith groups or those in positions of influence in faith communities that in your opinion are not doing enough to strive for equality and justice for all, sustainability and environmental stewardship, or spend too much time in prayer or courses on spirituality and avoid getting on with being God's change agents for good in the world.
Send us your nominations along with the reasons why you feel they are so deserving of the Ostrich Award to faithtowork@yahoo.com
UN Millennium Development Goals
The World Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Challenge should be recognized for all of their hard work educating the public and helping faith groups to help achieve the 8 Millennim Development Goals. Most mainline denominations have said or done something about these goals. What about your local church, mosque, temple or synagogue? Do the local members of your faith group even know what the 8 goals are?
"WITH JUSTICE FOR ALL"
"The only purpose of the gospel is to reconcile people to God and to each other. A gospel that doesn't reconcile is not a Christian gospel at all. But in America, it seems as if we don't believe that. We don't really believe that the proof of our discipleship is that we love one another (John 13:35). No, we think the proof is in numbers ... Even if our "converts" continue to hate each other, even if they will not worship with their brothers and sisters in Christ, we point to their "conversion" as evidence of the gospel's success. We have substituted a gospel of church growth for a gospel of reconciliation."
- John Perkins from "With Justice for All"
Thank You
Thank you to everone who has written since our web site first went up. We have had visitors from coast to coast all across North America.
Perhaps those farthest afield have been from Australia and China.
It may take some time for us to respond to all of your notes but we intend to answer each one personally.
Once again, thank you and God's peace be with you.
Gay Rabbis
The highest legal body in Conservative Judaism, the centrist movement in worldwide Jewry is to be commended for their courage and integrity. After serious consideration they have voted to allow the ordination of gay rabbis and the celebration of same-sex commitment ceremonies.
Liberal Reform Judaism and the Reconstructionist movements have accepted openly gay clergy for more than ten years.
Qur"an
In the Qur'an it is twice written (2:62, 5:69):
Surely, those who believe, the Jews, the Christians, the converts; all those who believe in God and in the Hereafter, and do righteousness, will receive their recompense from their Lord; they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
Hindu Temple Devi Mandir
Thank you to the folks at Devi Mandir Hindu Temple in their efforts to put their faith to work by helping to prevent global warming. The Temple has undergone an energy audit to reduce its environmental footprint.
Congratulations to Peggy Nash, the MP for Parkdale-High Park (Toronto)
Ms. Nash introduced a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to establish a national water policy.
Ms. Nash's motion states: “That, in the opinion of the House, the government should develop and present a comprehensive water policy based on public trust, which would specifically: (a) recognize that access to water is a fundamental right; (b) recognize the UN Economic and Social Council finding, in General Comment 15 on the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural, and Social Rights (2002), that access to clean water is a human right; (c) prohibit bulk water exports and implement strict restrictions on new diversions; (d) introduce legislation on national standards for safe, clean drinking water; (e) implement a national investment strategy to enable municipalities and aboriginal communities to upgrade desperately needed infrastructure without resorting to privatization through public-private partnerships; (f) oppose measures in international agreements that promote the privatization of water services; and (g) commit to ensure water does not become a tradable commodity in current and future trade deals.”
ACCOUNTING HELP NEEDED
If you are an accountant with two to three hours of time to donate, the center has a couple of reports we would like you to examine and provide us with some feed back. You will be doing a great service if you could help. Please call our director at 403-678-5503 and ask for Frank or email us at faithtowork@yahoo.com And thank you for taking the time to read this and respond.
Thumbs Up to Parkdale United
Congratulations to Parkdale United - Calgary
Parkdale United Church in Calgary has joined the Greening Sacred Spaces program. They are encouraging other United Churches to join them. The Parkdale Green Team has done some homework and discovered the following:
If every Calgary household put in one compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), which can last for seven years, each bulb would eliminate 60 kg of greenhouse gases (GHG) per year.
Mid-sized cars produce approx. 4 tonnes of GHG a year, SUVs 6 tonnes. So, if 300,000 Calgary houses put in one bulb, it would be equivalent to taking 15,750 mid-sized cars or 10,500 SUV's off the road for one year
Why not plan to worship with the good people at Parkdale United. They are putting their faith into concrete action and not just engaging in feel good spirituality about the environment.
Do you agree?
What are the real Issues
The most senior committee of the Anglican Church of Canada met recently. One of the comments coming out of the meeting was: "We are being sidetracked from the real issues facing the church by sexual issues."
Do you agree? Are concerns about homosexuality and same-sex marriage a non-issue. Do you think God doesn't care about them?
Meditation
Meditation Group in Canmore
Two of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works helped found a meditation group in Canmore. Margaret Doe one of our Directors continues to help lead the group which meets on Thursday evenings in Canmore. New people wanting to learn Christian meditation are always welcome. Contact Margaret at (403) 678-5503
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Church had been at fault, he said. “We should have done more on what it means to be a Catholic Church; we should have done more on the use of scripture.” In particular, mindful of the text of Lambeth 1.10, more should have been done to “offer a safe space” for homosexual people. “Again and again, we have used the language of respect for their human dignity; again and again, we have failed to show it effectively.
- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Friday, March 2, 2007
Site Data
About Me
- themysticalkurmudgen
- Rev. Doe has served in a variety of parish settings. He has also held many church and community offices: Regional Dean, Archdeacon, Director of Communications, Diocesan Executive Committee, Diocesan Budget Committee and a member of a diocesan financial campaign; a member of the Pastoral Care committee and Sudbury Memorial Hospital and an On-Call Chaplain at the Port Arthur Hospital in Thunder Bay. He and his wife Margaret have attended Cursillo and Marriage Encounter. Margaret and Frank have a keen interest in all forms of meditation and started and contiune to support a meditation group in Canmore. Prior to entering the ordained ministry Frank was the first chairman of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo’s Ecological and Environmental Advisory Committee. He served as Special Assistant to the Minister of Mines, Resources and Environmental Management for the Province of Manitoba and later as Chief of Manitoba’s Environmental Assessment and Review Support Services for the Province. During that time he served on the Federal Government’s Polar Gas Pipeline Environmental Assessment Panel and was chairperson of the Federal/Provincial Lake Winnipeg Water Quality Study.
Here is How You Can Help
The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd is an advocacy center concerned with individuals, societies and all God's creation. Because of our advocacy work we have not applied for charitable status and do not issue charitable tax receipts.
Our work is made possible only through the generousity of donors like you.
Please consider making a one time donation or becoming a regular donor. You can make a very big difference.
Donations can be sent to The Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd., 340 Hoodoo Crescent, Canmore, Alberta T1W 1A9
Please include your name and address in order that we might send you a thank you letter.
From time to time we will be sending out an email newsletter and we would be pleased to send it to you as a donor. If you would like to receive our e-newsletter please also send your email address.
Thank you for making a difference.
Rev. Frank Doe, Director
for the
Rocky Mountain Center for Progressive Faith and Works Ltd.
What does the Lord require of us, to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.
- Micah 6:8
Buddhism
"Cut down the forest of desire, not the forest of trees."
The Buddha, Dhammapada 283