Magazine

New Year, New Beginning!

Rev. Cheol Soon Park

Every year, we begin a new chapter of our lives. It is like a blank paper given to us, a new opportunity, full of possibilities, waiting to be filled up by us. Everyone has a resolution as the new year begins. Spending more time with the family, getting back into shape, quitting smoking, going back to daily prayer life, being more organized, etc. They may sound very easy and perfectly normal to follow, yet we know that they are the annual contests on our list. We start the year with great hope and determination but we tend to lose energy as soon as the decorations are put away. Making changes in our lives is not as easy as it seems.

Calvinism and Mission

Ken Stewart

Roel Smart/istockphoto

Upon … hearing this news, the church of Geneva at once gave thanks to God for the extension of the reign of Jesus Christ in a country so distant and likewise so foreign and among a nation entirely without the knowledge of the true God.

The year was 1556 and there had just come to Calvin a letter which was concerned with France, but originated in Brazil. The letter asked, “Would the Genevan church send some artisans and pastors to assist a struggling French colony on Brazil's coast?” The colony, European in composition, was France's attempt to establish a foothold in a continent which Spain and Portugal had claimed entirely for themselves. But John Calvin and Geneva, sensing an opportunity to take the Christian message to the colony and through it to the native peoples of the region, said “yes” in a heartbeat.

Colleague Covenant Groups

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Church leaders seeking to start peer support groups can take advantage of a new fund available through national offices. Intended to cover start-up costs and minor expenses like books and transportation, the funds can facilitate the creation of a meeting group with a focus on a particular form of ministry, prayer or study.

The Change Has Come

afaiz

A mere 20 years ago after Jesse Jackson's failed bid for the Democratic nomination, I recall reading an op-ed piece arguing that the United States of America was not ready for an African-American President and would not be in our life-time because of the deep racial rift in the country. The twentieth day of this month will prove the editorialist wrong.

Beyond Church Walls

amymaclachlan

Last year's General Assembly formally commended chaplains for their work and ministry. As recommended by the department of Ministry and Church Vocations, along with the Committee on Church Doctrine, the assembly agreed that ordination is not just for ministers heading off to a congregation, but to those who consider their pulpit to be in both Christian and secular institutions across Canada.

No shopping Sundays

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Alberni Valley Times – The government of Prince Edward Island will continue to outlaw shopping on Sundays for five months of the year, Attorney General Gerard Greenan announced in November.

Faiths carry hope

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ENI – Politicians, religious leaders and royalty, gathered in Uppsala, Sweden ahead of a key United Nations conference on climate change and were reminded that faiths carry a hope that can resist despair and fatalism.

Speaking of God

Joseph McLelland

Mark Strozier/istockphoto

In a Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch, a wrestling match between a bishop and an atheist is held to determine the question of whether God exists. After a stirring match, the result is declared: God exists, by two falls to a submission. That's what logicians call a “solid, knock-down argument.” It's very funny because that's quite the wrong way to wrestle with religious questions.

Does God exist? Yes and No. Yes, there are compelling reasons to believe, but No, “God” does not “exist” in the same way we do. The greatest Western theologian, Augustine, asked: “What is God?” and answered, “More than we can say or think.” That “more” is the key: this Reality is so far above our life and thought that our knowledge comes through sign, symbol, parable, metaphor.

Daddy is Awake

Phil Callaway

When I was a boy of eight or nine, my parents saw fit to give me a room of my very own far removed from the rest of the family, in a rather dark area at the south end of our house. I'm sure they thought they were doing me a big favour. After all, a boy with some space of his own is a happy boy, a well-adjusted, confident child, ready to face the world. But parents can't be right about everything.

Surfing into the 21st Century

Keith Randall

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The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul has had a website since 2001, refurbished for our bicentennial in 2003, maintained at no charge, by a devoted Presbyterian webmaster in a distant city. While he responded promptly to all requests, we found over time we needed to be hands-on ourselves.

Specialized Ministries

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A December conference, sponsored by Canada Ministries, brought together these participants from missions as diverse as Evangel Hall, Boarding House Ministries, Armagh, native missions, refugee ministries, camping ministries and others involved in special Presbyterian ministries across the country.

The General Disease

Glenn Inglis

In July our watchman died. We had known Kondwani since 1980 when the Synod appointed him to keep an eye on our house. When we returned to Blantyre in 1997, Kondwani left the Synod to work full time with us. Those who have visited 'Canada House' know of whom I speak. Kondwani officially died of malaria, but everyone knew the underlying cause was HIV/AIDS. Malawians seldom mention AIDS but speak rather of 'our general disease' or 'the thinning disease.' Some years ago, Kondwani and his wife separated and eventually reunited a couple of years later. She died of 'the general disease' and so Kondwani's situation was not a surprise.

Christmas Around the World : Christmas in Taiwan

Lily Yen

There's no Christmas in Taiwan, or at least no Christmas in the same way you think of it here. Only five per cent of the population is Christian; the rest are Buddhist or atheist, so there's no national recognition and no big celebrations. It's not a national holiday (although a party holiday happens to coincide with it) and celebrations are modest even among Christian communities.

Mission of Justice

conniepurvis

After more than six years of detainment in Guantanamo Bay, 41-year-old Djamel Ameziane is “in urgent need of protection” according to a coalition of human rights organizations. The stigma of the former Montreal resident's suspected links to terrorism put him at risk of imprisonment and torture if he returns to his native Algeria, they allege.

Studying The Way

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Think of it as a Christmas present from the Presbyterian Record to you – an opportunity to spend 2009 with two eminent Presbyterians, one a philosopher, the other a theologian, discussing some interesting questions like Who is God?

Offense against God

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ENI – The United Reformed Church in Great Britain has condemned as “an offence against God” the assassination of Gayle Williams, a 34-year-old Christian aid worker in Kabul, and the chilling comments of those who said they killed her.