ANTS Student E-News Friday, March 9, 2007 OUTSIDE EVENTS

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"A Good Friday Agreement for Tibet?"
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A Lecture by Dr. Lobsang Sangay, S.J.D.

The Lay Committee on Contemporary Spiritual-&-Public Concerns (the "CSPC
Committee") of St. Paul Parish, Cambridge, will hold the eighth lecture of its series on Sunday, March 11, 2007, 3:30-5:00 P.M. Track II diplomat and scholar Dr. Lobsang Sangay, S.J.D., will speak on "A Good Friday Agreement for Tibet?" This may be the first time, anywhere in the world, that parallels have been drawn between Irish and Tibetan strategic and popular history. This unique event will be held at St. Paul Parish, 29 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA. A reception will follow.

Dr. Sangay has been widely interviewed by the media: the BBC, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, etc. An editorial consultant for Radio Free Asia, he has a weekly radio program and he has published several articles about Tibetan issues, e.g., in the Harvard Asia Quarterly and the Journal of Democracy. He is a major speaker on Tibetan issues in the United States and in East Asia.

Please contact Angela Jones for further information, 781-235-1942.

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Volunteers Needed for SOAR
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As you may know, SOAR, Service Opportunities After 55 is an RSVP program of the federal volunteer agency, The Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees VISTA, Americorps, and Learn & Serve America. Members of the SOAR program join nearly 1/2 million citizens, age 55 and over who give their time and talents to their local community.

SOAR, Service Opportunities after Fifty-Five is seeking volunteers to work with children an hour or two a week by helping elementary children with reading or math skills, mentoring a young child who has a parent in prison or teaching them how to protect themselves from assault.

SOAR is also seeking volunteers to work with adults by helping new immigrants improve their lives by tutoring English as a second language, mentoring an inmate who is enrolled in BU's College Behind Bars program, helping a student prepare for their GED (high school equivalency exam), providing companionship to an older isolated person or mentoring a woman as she finds a stable path to self-sufficiency.
No experience is necessary for any of these opportunities. Orientation, training and support are provided. Hours are flexible. Please call Jan Latorre-Stiller at 617-969-5906 ext 120 or email at jlatorre-stiller@ncscweb.org

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St. Andrew's Church to Host U2 Eucharist - Sunday, April 29
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In response to the movement to Make Poverty History, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church of Framingham, MA (508-875-5095, www.standrewsframma.org) will celebrate a special U2 Eucharist at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, at 3 Maple Street in Framingham. This special Eucharist will feature music from the catalog of the world-famous Irish rock band U2, including such favorites as "Where the Streets Have No Name", "Yahweh", "Love and Peace (or Else)", "Pride (In the Name of Love)", "Staring at the Sun", and "One." The Rev. Dr. Paige Blair, New England Coordinator for Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, will be the featured preacher. Dr. Blair's sermon title will be "What Can One Person Do?"

A light supper will follow the service. Reservations are required. Call St. Andrew's Church (508-875-5095) between April 1st and 22nd to make a reservation.

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Sexuality and the Church
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Three sessions in Lent focusing on the theology and psychology of sexuality, gender-consciousness, marriage, and their effect on how we do church. Sponsored by the Western Area Leadership Academy. Sat Mar 17, 9-3 Rev. Leanne Tigert (writer, activist, member of Andover Newton faculty) A Theology of Sexuality: Pastoral Care in Relation to Marriage, Divorce, Premarital Sex, Infidelity, Infertility and Abortion; Sat Mar 24, 9-1 Rev. Ann B.Day (Pastor, Past Coordinator of UCC's ONA Program) Sexual Orientation and the Open and Affirming Church; Sat Mar 31, 9-1 Rev Nancy Taylor (Pastor of Old South Church Boston, Past Minister and President of MACUCC) Marriage, Sexuality, and the Church.
All sessions will be held at Easthampton Congregational Church, UCC, 112 Main St, EAsthampton, MA
To register: Send check for $120* (made out to Western Area Office, UCC) along with your name, address, phone and email to Western Area Office, UCC, P.O. Box 443, Ludlow, MA 01095 *Scholarships are available. Contact Rev. Peter Wells at 413-589-7034 for more information.

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Journey to a Hate Free Millennium: A Film Presentation
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Congregational Church of Needham, UCC
Sunday, March 18
7-9 pm
Fellowship Hall
Discussion and Refreshments
Wheelchair Accessible

A story of compassion and hope, this gripping documentary tells the
stories of the vicious murder of Matthew Shepard, the horrendous
dragging death of James Byrd, Jr., and the Columbine High School
shootings, told through interviews with the families the victims. The
film also features interviews with a reformed neo-Nazi, as well as
students, teachers, celebrities and others moved by these events. This
film encourages dialogue and action to stop acts of violence and hate.
Come be part of the solution.

Songs by Elton John and Olivia Newton-John

Sponsored by the Open and Affirming (ONA) Committee
Congregational Church of Needham, UCC
as part of Needham's "No Place for Hate" Campaign

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Returning to God: An Interfaith Forum on Repentance and Reconciliation
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sponsored by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, UCC
Tuesday Evening Forums
6:30 p.m. refreshments
7:15 9 p.m. Lecture, Music & Conversation
at
Beth El Temple Center
2 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA *
child care and parking available

Tuesday, March 13th *€" Featured Speaker: Gregory Mobley, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Andover Newton Theological School and an ordained American Baptist minister.

Tuesday, March 20th *€" Featured Speaker: Farid Esak, Visiting Professor at Harvard Divinity School for the 2006-07 academic year and a South African Muslim theologian.

All three scholars will be available each night to respond to each other's reflections on the practices and theological understandings of repentance and reconciliation in their respective traditions. Each evening will also feature a brief performance by the widely acclaimed musical group DUNYA, who will present excerpts of "The Psalms of Ali Ufki", an interfaith concert of sacred music which explores the musical and textual traditions of Judaism, Turkish Sufism, Greek Orthodox and Protestant Christianity.

*At the corner of Concord and Blanchard Rd. opposite Fresh Pond Park
MBTA accessible by the #74 & #78 bus. Best bus stop: Sancta Maria Hospital

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Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM) Launches the Interfaith Youth Initiative (I-FYI)
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July 7-15, 2007 and beyond!

Save the date! Nominate youth and young adults today!

I-FYI is a uniquely powerful and transformative experience designed for teens (ages 15-18), as well as college and graduate students serving as mentors and staff.

The theme is "Living the Beloved Community." Together we will update and enact Dr. King's radical spiritual vision of justice and peace, through the eyes of the millennial/Hip-Hop generation.

I-FYI will focus on 5 Core Values: Building Bridges, Training Leaders, Engaging Faith, Making Peace, and Serving Others.

This program offers a powerful, fun, and dynamic mix of community building, workshops, service experiences, and learning trips which will engage urban and suburban realities. Participants will learn about their own leadership and peacemaking styles and develop new skills for transformation in their schools, communities, and congregations. Youth will create film, art, poetry/spoken word, dance and theological reflections on our vision of justice and peace.

Participants will come from diverse religious backgrounds and grow more deeply in their own faith traditions through dialogue and action with others. Leadership will come from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. All are welcome.

Come join us for this nine day residential immersion experience (July 7-15), with ongoing opportunities in the academic year for mentoring, retreats, and support in pursuing your academic and professional dreams.

For more information: contact Alexander Levering Kern and Matt Carriker at Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM), 474 Centre St. Newton, MA 02458, 617-244-3650, akern@coopmet.org or IFYI@coopmet.org,

www.coopmet.org

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"Little Women: Lesser-Known Characters from the Hebrew Bible"
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An interdisciplinary conference on the Jewish and Christian afterlives of scriptural women like the midwives of Exodus, the daughter of Jephthah, the wise woman of Abel and the wife of Job. Speakers will explore the appearance of these figures in exegesis, midrash, literature, and the visual arts.

All conference events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Program Coordinator Cristine Hutchison-Jones at 617-358-1754 or crissy@bu.edu.

http://www.bu.edu/luce/calendar/little%20women.htm

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Queering the Church: Changing Ecclesial Structures
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April 18th and 19th

Speakers: Mark D. Jordan, Emory University
Marcella Althaus-Reid, Professor of University of Edinburgh
Kelly Brown Douglas, Goucher University
Robert Goss, MCC Valley, North Hollywood
Carter Heyward, Episcopal Divinity School
Irene Monroe, Pine Manor College

The format of the conference is a conversation among pastoral leaders, practical theologians, systematic theologians, and critical theorists.

Synopsis: The conference will raise several important questions in its panels. What happens to the church when it is queered, where queering as a verb can denote a rethinking of sexual identities as well as a challenging of normative understandings of ecclesiology and liturgy? Can a queering of theology do more than critique and deconstruct traditional church structures, practices, performances, and self-understandings by pointing the way forward to the renewal of the church by suggesting new, more liberating and truthful structures, practices, performances, and self-understandings? Is ecclesiology a good meeting place for queer, practical, and classical theologies?

Boston University
745 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

Registration Fee: $60.00
Student Fee: $25.00
BU Student Fee: $15.00
Note: Scholarship available if attendance requires significant travel expense

To Register and RSVP visit us at www.bu.edu/ccrd/conference or e-mail ahj@bu.edu

Contact: Alex Hivoltze-Jimenez, Associate Director
E-mail ahj@bu.edu
Telephone: 617-358-3954
Fax: 617-353-3061

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THE TOUCH OF COMPASSION: A CHRIST-CENTERED APPROACH TO HEALING
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Join us for this two-part workshop lead by Patricia Warren, Reiki Master
Teacher, exploring the "story" of Reiki and what it has in common with
Christian healing. Through the use of meditation, icons, blessings,
scripture, prayer, we will learn how Jesus met the brokenhearted and
transformed, redeemed and healed. Self-treatments, meditation, the body's
natural energy centers, curing, healing, and the history of Christian
healing will be discussed.

To learn more about the instructor visit www.patriciawarren.com.

Sunday, March 4 and 11
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
First Parish Church, 349 Boston Post Road, Weston, MA

Fee: $125
To register call 781-893-7798 or email, journeys@firstparishweston.org

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New England Women Ministers Association Annual Spring Retreat
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April 24-26, 2007

Miramar Retreat Center
121 Park St.
Duxbury, MA 02331

The NEWMA (New England Women Ministers Association) is an organization of lay ministers, ordained clergy and religious from Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox backgrounds. Their purpose is to affirm the ministries of individual women, and to strengthen the ties which bind women ministers together. They are involved in many kinds of ministries: counseling, religious education, parish ministry, writing, arts, seminary teaching, social outreach, healing, music, hospice, hospital and institutional chaplaincy, and more.

They offer an annual Spring retreat at the Miramar Center in Duxbury, MA, and would like to invite women in ministry to join them at their retreat this year, entitled "Seeds of Shalom", to be held April 24-26, 2007. Please contact them with any questions you may have.

Email liz@significant.com or call 508-450-0431 for more information . Checks made out to NEWMA; Mail to:
Registrar, NEWMA
168 Church Street
Waltham MA 02452

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Worship, March, and Witness for Peace in Iraq - March 16, 2007
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Four years ago, as the buildup to war with Iraq heightened, 3,500 people attended a service hosted by Sojourners in the Washington National Cathedral and marched to the White House. Now, four years later, thousands of lives have been lost, billions of dollars have been wasted, and all of us have been diminished in the midst of so much destruction and heartache. On March 16, 2007, thousands of Christians will gather – in Washington, D.C., and at local vigils across the country – for the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq. We must reclaim the hope that stands at the center of our faith and declare, "Enough! The war must end."

Please join Jim Wallis and other national faith leaders at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16, for worship at the National Cathedral, followed by a march and late-night vigil at the White House.

Seating at the National Cathedral is limited, so registration is very important. Printed registration receipts will serve as your "ticket" to the worship service at the Cathedral. In addition, you may register online for denominational gatherings and nonviolence training. Please see the logistics portion of the Christian Peace Witness Web site for more information about ride-sharing and transportation options from across the country.

If you can't make it to Washington that weekend, there are still ways to make your voice heard. Consider hosting a local vigil and inviting others in your city or town to join you. Registering your event on the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq Web site is easy, and you'll find a downloadable toolkit to help you plan your event.

More information:
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.cpw&item=cpw_main

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Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University
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Dear seminary students,

The Jonathan Edwards Center (JEC) at Yale University has been working to publish the complete works of Jonathan Edwards, considered by many to be America's greatest theologian. Edwards was vastly prolific; he wrote over 100,000 handwritten pages in his lifetime. While Yale University Press has published about half of Edwards' theological corpus, the only place in the world to access the complete works of Edwards will be the JEC website. This is a free online scholarly database which is fully searchable by chronology, theme, keyword, or Scripture. While not all of Edwards' writings are currently online, we will be gradually adding to the website over the next few years until it is complete. The JEC website is now accessible by going to the following link:
http://edwards.yale.edu/

We, as the JEC, are trying to make sure that Edwards' legacy lives on, and that people have free and full access to the writings of such an important thinker. The website resources exist both for academic and pastoral purposes, or for any casual reader.

Enjoy!
Sincerely,
The JEC team

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Connections - The Christian Educators Newsletter - Massachusetts Conference, UCC
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Newsletter: http://www.macucc.org/education/cenews.htm

Read Connections, the Newsletter for Christian Educators, to learn about resources and upcoming events, such as:

Education for Effective Youth Ministry-Jan. 2007
Register in 2006--Pay in 2007 !!
More information: http://www.macucc.org/youth/EEYM.htm

NEAUCE Annual Conference on Christian Education
May 8-10, 2007
Craigville Conference Center
"Catch the Faith and Pass It On"
Rev. Dr. Dick Hardel and Rev. Dr. David W. Anderson
http://www.auce-educators.org/AUCE%20HomePage/New%20England.html

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Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue - March 16-24
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Author and activist Bill McKibben invites you to join the Interfaith
Walk for Climate Rescue, Northampton to Boston, March 16-24, 2007.

You can walk for an hour, an afternoon, a weekend, or the whole
nine days. You can walk as an individual, a family, or a team
from your community, school, or congregation. You can be of any
faith or none.

We'll call for swift, bold, and comprehensive political action
to address global warming. By the time we get to Boston on
Saturday March 24, we expect the largest global warming
demonstration in the history of the United States.

To learn more, walk, help, donate, or organize a team, please visit
http://www.climatewalk.org/

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Taize Youth Gathering in Montreal in April
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April 27-29, 2007

Some of the brothers of the Taize Community in France are coming to Montreal in April for a weekend gathering for youth and young adults. It will be a weekend full of song, prayer and fellowship.
More information can be found at:
http://www.comnet.ca/~cdjeunes/TaizeMontreal2007/en/promotion

Feel free also to contact Melissa Kreider at melissakreider@yahoo.com if you're thinking of going.

ANTS E-news
Karen Brockney and Jason Bachand
enews@ants.edu