He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak (Mk 7:37)

This year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity brings together two themes, two invitations extended to Christian churches and people: to pray and strive together for Christian unity, and to join together in responding to human suffering. These two responsibilities are deeply intertwined. Both relate to healing the body of Christ, hence the principal text chosen for this year's week of prayer is a story of healing.

Service schedules for Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Québec, and Alberta are now available. Additional services will be listed when they come to our attention. Please send this information to .

Note: the early bird registration deadline is March 15. Please register early using the registration form in the SEI 2007 brochure.

Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. Yet in the churches there is a fear of conflict, and a tendency to go for peace at any price, sweeping conflict under the carpet until it cannot be contained. The 2007 Summer Ecumenical Institute aims to help church people build a vision of how conflict can become a force for good in our communities, and to equip participants with the basic skills they need to become active peace-builders in their own settings.

The theme is a timely one. Many Canadian churches are experiencing conflict, often more within than between denominations. Liberals and conservatives in many churches are in tension over issues such as human sexuality and the interpretation of scripture, and the 'heat' seems to be rising. The skills of courtesy, listening and dialogue, developed in the ecumenical movement, are today needed just as much within our churches as between them.

With God's help, conflict within the Body of Christ can be transformed into a source of life-giving energy. We will explore the biblical and theological foundations for conflict transformation, discuss current research, and provide an introduction to practical training in conflict transformation skills.

The Summer Ecumenical Institute (SEI) -- scheduled for June 26 to 29 in Saskatoon -- is sponsored by the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism.

Jerusalem church leaders offer to mediate in Fatah, Hamas conflict

Jerusalem (ENI). Church leaders in Jerusalem have warned warring Palestinian factions they could trigger civil war and, offering to play a mediating role, they are urging an end to violence in order for them to focus on the true priority of their people - independence.

"As leaders of the Christian churches in Jerusalem concerned at the present situation in the Palestinian Territories we feel we must voice our anxiety for all our people - Christian and Muslim alike - at the deteriorating relations between Fatah and Hamas leaders and the armed forces," they said.

Des responsables d'Église de Jérusalem proposent de jouer les médiateurs entre le Fatah et le Hamas

Jérusalem, le 16 janvier (ENI) - Des responsables d'Eglise de Jérusalem ont averti les factions palestiniennes en conflit qu'elles risquaient de déclencher une guerre civile et, proposant de jouer les médiateurs, ils les ont exhortés à mettre fin à la violence afin de pouvoir se concentrer sur la priorité absolue de leur peuple : l'indépendance.

"En tant que responsables des Eglises chrétiennes à Jérusalem préoccupés par la situation actuelle dans les territoires palestiniens, nous tenons à exprimer nos craintes pour nos populations, qu'elles soient chrétiennes ou musulmanes, en raison de la détérioration des relations entre les leaders du Fatah et du Hamas et entre leurs forces armées," ont-ils déclaré.

Once again, ScriptureFest will be held at Queen's House, Saskatoon. Scheduled for January 27, the theme is "The bread that we break – the cup that we bless: Scriptural perspectives on the Lord's Table." Our keynote speaker will be Christian Eberhart. 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Cost: $35 (with lunch).

The Friends of Sophia will be hosting Dr. Barbara E. Reid, O.P. on January 28 & 29, 2007. Dr. Reid is professor of New Testament at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. An educator, scholar, and retreat director, she is the author of "New Collegeville Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew," "Parable for Preachers," "Chossing the Better Part? Women in the Gospel of Luke," and various articles.

Dr. Reid will be giving three presentations:

• The Passion through the eyes of women
• Audacious obedience in biblical women
• Blood and water from the side of Jesus (John 19:34): A Christ who gives birth

Further details are TBA.

The Friends of Sophia is an interdenominational group of women based on the university campus which is dedicated to nurturing Christian feminist spirituality through educational opportunities, shared experience, and liturgical celebration.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be observed January 21-28, 2007 across Canada. This year's theme: "He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." (Mark 7:37) The Saskatoon schedule of services is now available. We encourage you to publish these dates in your church bulletins and newsletters, and email the page to anyone who might be interested.

This year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity brings together two themes, two invitations extended to Christian churches and people: to pray and strive together for Christian unity, and to join together in responding to human suffering. These two responsibilities are deeply intertwined. Both relate to healing the body of Christ, hence the principal text chosen for this year's week of prayer is a story of healing.

Resources

   The WPCU page on ecumenism.net
   Biblical reflections and Prayers for the "eight days"
   2007 Worship Service: He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak
   Songs for the week of prayer for Christian Unity 2007
   Resources for the Week of Prayer 2007
   The Ecumenical Situation in South Africa
   Additional Prayers for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2007
   A brief history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
   A Model for Visits to Neighbour Churches during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Friends of Sophia will be hosting Dr. Barbara E. Reid, O.P. on January 28 & 29, 2007. Dr. Reid is professor of New Testament at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. An educator, scholar, and retreat director, she is a dynamic speaker and the author of New Collegeville Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Parable for Preachers, Choosing the Better Part? Women in the Gospel of Luke, and various articles.

Dr. Reid will be giving three presentations:

• Sunday January 28, 2-4 p.m. • The Passion through the eyes of women • St. Andrew's College Lounge

• Monday January 29, 11:30 a.m - 12:20 p.m. • Audacious obedience in biblical women • St. Thomas More College, room 344A

• Monday January 29, 7:30 p.m. • Blood and water from the side of Jesus (John 19:34): A Christ who gives birth • St. Thomas More College Auditorium, Reception to follow

Posters are available for download in the following formats: doc, wpd, and rtf.

The Friends of Sophia is an interdenominational group of women based on the University of Saskatchewan campus which is dedicated to nurturing Christian feminist spirituality through educational opportunities, shared experience, and liturgical celebration.

Bishop Douglas Albert Ford, who stressed ecumenism as diocesan bishop of Saskatoon, died Jan. 23 at the age of 89. When he was consecrated bishop in 1970, "it was the aftermath of Vatican II and (Archbishop of Canterbury) Michael Ramsey's visit to Pope Paul VI," recalled Archbishop Michael Peers, former primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in an interview.

Bishop Ford was instrumental in starting a twice-yearly meeting of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in Saskatchewan, noted Archbishop Peers, who was a colleague of Bishop Ford in Saskatchewan, having served from 1977 to 1986 as bishop of Qu'Appelle, based in Regina. "We did joint statements around uranium mining, which was destined for weapons production – a very controversial issue. We were also against low-level cruise missile testing," Archbishop Peers noted. Bishop Ford was the first chair of the Saskatoon Council of Churches and strongly supported union with the United Church of Canada, a move that failed in 1975.

Bishop Ford retired from the episcopate in 1981. He returned to parish ministry in the Calgary suburb of Cochrane, retiring from that ministry in 1985. In retirement, he acted as priest-in-charge when parishes had vacancies and assisted the diocesan bishop in confirmations and other functions. He was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Emmanuel College, Saskatoon.

He is survived by Doris, his wife of 62 years; two sons and a daughter; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held Jan. 27 at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary.

Read the complete Anglican Journal obituary of Bishop Douglas Ford.

by Kristine Greenaway

Toronto (ENI) A new Canadian television series, "Little Mosque on the Prairie" has attracted worldwide media attention since its debut on 9 January. Coverage of the show has made the pages of newspapers such as The New York Times, the Jerusalem Post and the Saudi Arabian daily newspaper, Arab News, and further afield.

The series is a humorous look at the efforts of a young imam, fresh from a career as a big-city lawyer, to lead a small group of Muslims who have just persuaded the local Anglican priest to allow them to set up a mosque in the church basement.

Toronto (ENI\Kristine Greenaway) - Une nouvelle série télévisée canadienne intitulée "La petite mosquée dans la prairie" attire l'attention des médias du monde entier depuis son lancement le 9 janvier. Des journaux comme The New York Times, le Jerusalem Post, le quotidien saoudien Arab News et d'autres ont parlé de la série dans leurs colonnes.

Cette série suit d'un regard humoristique les efforts d'un jeune imam, fraîchement débarqué de la grande ville où il était avocat, pour mener un petit groupe de musulmans qui a réussi à convaincre un prêtre anglican de les laisser établir une mosquée dans la cave de l'église locale.

It is with great sadness that "Ecumenism in Canada" notes the passing of Dr. George Vandervelde, an ecumenist widely known and respected in Canada, the United States and around the world. Vandervelde was emeritus professor at the Institute of Christian Studies in Toronto since his retirement in 2004, and lecturer at Wycliffe College in the Toronto School of Theology. A lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church, he was for many years an active participant in the Canadian Council of Churches' Faith and Witness Commission, and the U.S. National Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission. He was convenor of the World Evangelical Alliance's Ecumenical Issues Taskforce and secretary of the WEA's dialogue with the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Although it is an exaggeration to credit him with single-handedly establishing the Evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue, his passion for this important work marked his entire career.

Dr. Vandervelde will be remembered fondly by all his students and colleagues. The WEA announced his death with these words: "We are grateful to have had his input and influence. We are comforted to know that he has gone on before us and now belongs to the "cloud of witnesses" cheering us on (Hebr.12,1 and Hieronymus)" A brief obituary and photos of George are available on the Institute for Christian Studies website.