The WCC and Keep on keepin on...

Hey Folks,

To all you who are students, let me first say: GO GO GO! You're almost there. The semester is almost over. You CAN do it! I have faith in you :)
Now, I'll wait a few seconds while you say the same thing back to me......(tick tick tick)....thanks! I needed that - this semester is a rough one.
Next I thought I'd tell you about the World Council of Churches (the following is blatantly stolen from their website, which can be found here...

The modern movement for the unity of the church may be traced to the latter days of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, when Christians began to pray together and work together across denominational boundaries. By the close of the 1920s, several pioneering movements had been formed to advance the cause of church unity worldwide.

In 1937, church leaders agreed to establish a World Council of Churches, but its official organization was deferred by the outbreak of the second world war until August 1948, when representatives of 147 churches assembled in Amsterdam to constitute the WCC.

Since then, a growing number of churches on every continent has joined in this search for Christian unity. They have built new bridges over ancient chasms separating believers from one another.

WCC member churches today include nearly all the world’s Orthodox churches, scores of denominations from such historic traditions of the Protestant Reformation as Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed, and a broad representation of united and independent churches.

The world’s largest Christian body, the Roman Catholic Church, is not a member of the WCC, but has worked closely with the Council for more than three decades and sends representatives to all major WCC conferences as well as to its Central Committee meetings and the assemblies. The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity appoints 12 representatives to the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission and cooperates with the WCC to prepare resource materials for local congregations and parishes to use during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The goal of the World Council of Churches is not to build a global "super-church", nor to standardize styles of worship, but rather to deepen the fellowship of Christian churches and communities so they may see in one another authentic expressions of the "one holy, catholic and apostolic church". This becomes the basis for joining in a common confession of the apostolic faith, cooperating in mission and human service endeavours and, where possible, sharing in the sacraments. All these acts of fellowship bear testimony to the foundational declaration of the WCC that the Lord Jesus Christ is "God and Saviour according to the Scriptures".

If you're interested in seeing the list of almost 350 churches that now make up the organization, go here (yup, the UMC is on the list...).
Have a good one.

Pax Christi,
Kevin

Would you like to try a sample?

Have you ever been to the supermarket, and there's someone at a table giving out free samples of something (meat, cheese, etc.)? That's kind of what this post is like...a sample of some of the info you can find here. Here we go:

Toronto houses more than 80 different ethnic groups, speaking more than 110 languages, making it the most ethnically-diverse city in the world.
In 1998 there were 80,000 new immigrants who came to Toronto from 169 different countries.
Toronto's Downtown Walkway, an underground city stretching beneath the streets of the downtown core, is one of the world's largest subterranean complexes. It extends over 6 miles, and the more than 1,000 retail stores and restaurants within its network make it the third-largest shopping center in North America.

Welfare benefits dropped by 22% in 1996.
Use of food banks increased by over 50% in 1996.
The demand on homeless shelters, particularly in the winter, has increased dramatically as a byproduct of cuts in social services.
In 1996, three homeless people froze to death while sleeping on the streets in Toronto.

Toronto is also a magnet for teenage runaways from across North America. It is estimated that over 10,000 teenagers live on the streets in Metropolitan Toronto. These young men and women are quickly lured into drugs, prostitution, and various forms of petty crime. You can see these teenagers all over the city--sleeping in doorways, cleaning car windows for spare change, and hanging out on Yonge Street, Toronto's "main street".

I encourage you to check out the website for more info. The young adult mission trip to Toronto will be August 5-11. Consider taking some time out of your busy schedules this summer to be the hands and feet of Christ. People need your help.
If you haven't already, let me know if you're interested in the trip or have questions: kolds{at}drew.edu. There are still some slots left to go, and the sooner we have our final count the better.

Blessings,
Kevin

Holy Holy Holy Week

Hey Group,

My hope is that you have taken a few moments this week to stop and think about Holy Week. If not, then now is your chance. Here is a rundown on what each day of Holy Week is about:

Palm Sunday: This is the remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The whole palm aspect of it comes from Matthew 21:8 “⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” and John 12:13 “¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord-- the King of Israel!’” Some churches also call it Passion Sunday and tell the gospel story all the way up through the crucifixion.

The next three days, Monday-Wednesday, aren’t typically celebrated in the UMC. But some Christian denominations do…

Holy Monday: Holy Monday is dedicated to the creation of the world, of Heaven and Earth, as the foundation of Christ's Second Creation (from the Armenian Church website). One of the Scriptural references is the story of Jesus and the barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22).

Holy Tuesday: The theme of this day is waiting and preparing for the coming of Jesus and asking for compassion. The Scripture is the parable of the ten maidens (Matthew 25:1-13).

Holy Wednesday: This day recalls the woman who anoints Jesus with the expensive oil (Matthew 26:3-16). Judas’ betrayal is also remembered on this day.

Maundy Thursday: The name comes from the latin word for mandate, a reference to Jesus’ commandment to his disciples to love one another. On this day we usually observe the Last Supper and the act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:3-15).

Good Friday: Kind of an oxymoronic name, because we lift up the crucifixion and death of Jesus. But that’s only in our modern English speaking context. It has other names in other Christian countries.

Holy Saturday: Is usually a day of solemn waiting. It is the period that we remember Christ in the tomb.

Easter: The day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ! This is most theologically important day of the Christian year (and for my money, in all of history). The rising of Christ is the defining moment and movement of our entire religion. St. Paul said that we are fools for the sake of Christ (1 Cor. 4:10)…and without the resurrection we’re just fools! As for where the word Easter comes from…I haven’t got a bloody clue as to the true answer. There are various notions out there, including the musings of a 9^th century monk named Bede. But as far as I can tell, it’s a word that predates our ability to prove its origins. There are several theories that seem to work, but quite frankly I’m not sure anyone knows for sure (especially those who claim to!).

Peace!,
Kevin