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Hi <<First Name>> !
Did you see your shadow earlier this month? How many more weeks of winter? We're staying warm from the glow of meeting new people and seeing old friends at things like CCS Fridays, or online Black History Month activities, or our online Living Scripture learning circle. Come warm your hands on this month's Common Threads! -- Scott
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 From the Principal's Desk
Lent is here. We are familiar with this 40-day journey to Easter; a journey of reflection, contemplation, and preparation. In the next several Sundays, we will hear stories again such as Jesus’ battling of temptation in the wilderness, his encounter with a woman in Samaria, and his healing of a blind man.
These texts are meant to invite us to think, contemplate, and struggle. This Lent, I invite us to prepare ourselves to be open for an unexpected encounter of another kind. No! I don’t mean extraterrestrial aliens, but what we refer to as “others”: people, culture, and perspectives. Otherness is a political idea. We call some people others because we see ourselves at the centre, and from there we see them with a different set of lenses. But from the perspective of those we call others, we are their others. Marginality isn’t static; often, it is a reflection of where one stands. It is comparable to taking a photograph: one’s chosen location affects what one sees.
The world hasn’t become diverse. The world has always been pluralistic in terms of cultures and peoples. We at the Centre for Christian Studies are trying out different ‘locations’ to see things through different lenses. While some of the staff are busy preparing reports for the AGM, we are also pondering questions such as how best to connect ourselves to the larger world and the communities we hope to serve. It is because of our desire to make a difference in the world that we are having conversations with new immigrants from Hong Kong, hosting online conversations with Black diaconal ministers and deacons, reconnecting with intercultural liaisons, strengthening our relationship with Indigenous friends, and exploring new ways to make ourselves understood. The list goes on.
Lenten blessings!
Alan Lai, Principal
Centre for Christian Studies
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On the Web...
(click a title to read the whole article)
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As part of Black History Month we hosted an online conversation with Black diaconal ministers and deacons.
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CCS students spent 6 weeks diving into biblical interpretation.
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Jen Carter-Morgan attended the online Festival of Biblical Storytelling.
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Video from February's CCS Friday presentation with Glenn Morison
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Glenn Morison followed up his CCS Friday with the first of two workshops on personal finances for clergy.
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Monday, February 27, 6pm Central (7pm Eastern, etc.)
Join us for an online community celebration of African/Caribbean cultures in Canada. Short worship followed by breakout rooms to explore music, cooking, fabrics, storytelling, poetry, etc.
This event is free. Please click [HERE] to register.
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Mark your calendars - online Thursday, March 30 at 6pm Central.
Please click [HERE] to register so we know who to expect.
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Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15 in Winnipeg.
The Centre for Christian Studies is excited to be offering a 2-day continuing education event with renowned Brazilian theologian and liturgist Cláudio Carvalhaes! "Humor, Laughter, Foolishness: Performing Love, Resilience and Resistance".
Tell your friends. You don't want to miss this.
Workshop cost: $200
Register online for "Humour, Laughter, Foolishness"
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CCS Annual Service of Celebration weekend
Mark your calendars - April 22 and 23. The CCS community will be gathering in person in Winnipeg this year to celebrate our graduates and honour this year's Companion of the Centre - Wenh-In Ing. The CCS Banquet will be on the evening of Saturday, April 22. (Tickets: $50). The Annual Service of Celebration with be on the afternoon of Sunday, April 23. (We are also hoping to livestream the service.)
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Other Events and Learning Opportunities
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Prayers
- For the family and friends of Sister Anne Keffer who died earlier this month. Sister Anne was an influential and highly respected deaconess in the Lutheran community of Canada and the US.
- For the family and friends of Dawn Wood who died at the end of January.
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Upcoming Learning Circles
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Make It Monthly starts March 1!
For the entire month of March, you can sign up for monthly giving through CanadaHelps with a bonus! The Centre for Christian Studies will receive a one-time extra $20 donation for every new person making a monthly gift of $20 or more using CanadaHelps.
Monthly donations are a great way to make a big impact and help the Centre for Christian Studies educate students for justice, compassion, and transformation. You can make sure a student like Jen will develop a practical and living theology to be used in her ministry. Jen says, “When I first came to CCS I had a lot of ideas and a lot of what I thought were good answers. I have learned to listen more deeply, and ask more questions.”
For the month of March, you can increase the impact of your gift.
Throughout March, create a new monthly gift of $20 or more in support of the Centre for Christian Studies through CanadaHelps, and CanadaHelps will make a one-time extra $20 donation to CCS!* You can read more about the full terms and conditions here.
Please consider creating a new monthly gift of $20 or more through CanadaHelps. Your donation will have a sustainable impact.
Thank you for your support!
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Common Threads
