Category: Events

CMU Opera Workshop class presents H.M.S. Pinafore

Post author By CMU
Post date February 23, 2017

Canadian Mennonite University’s Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop is proud to present Gilbert and Sullivan’s famed comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor next month.

Directed by David Klassen, the production will run for four shows: Thursday, March 9 through Saturday, March 11 at 7:00 PM, and Sunday, March 12 at 2:30 PM. The performances take place in the Laudamus Auditorium (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, and are available at the door.

Written by librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan in the 1870s, the opera takes place aboard the titular ship.

The captain intends for his daughter, Josephine, to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of Admiralty. At the same time, she is in love with Ralph Rackstraw, a lower-class sailor. The opera follows the characters as Josephine and Ralph declare their love for each other and eventually plan to elope.

The four performances are the culmination of six months of hard work by the 26 students enrolled in Klassen’s Opera Workshop course.

The course gives students an understanding of the energy and effort it takes to communicate when performing operative works, and students learn how to work as part of an ensemble.

The course is made accessible to students at all skill levels.

“The cast is very enthusiastic,” says Klassen, Instructor of Music at CMU. “What’s great about these students is that they are really eager to grow as singers on stage. They’re attentive and they are moldable, which makes it a real joy to work with them all.”

A key goal is to develop each student’s comfort level as a communicator onstage.

Klassen says that the lessons they learn in the class and while performing have significance in everyday life.

“When you understand what you’re reacting against in other people’s creations of characters, it kind of helps you understand real life a little bit better, and understand the value and strength of communication,” he says.

Klassen employed a costumer to give students a sense of what it is like to do a production at an advanced level.

“They’re treated like professionals in that regard, and they look like professionals,” he says.

Opera Workshop students mount a full-scale production every second year. Past productions have included The Merry Wives of Windsor, a three-act opera based on William Shakespeare’s comedic play, and Die Fledermaus, a German operetta by Johann Strauss II.

In the years in between, students present scenes from a variety of different works.

For more information about CMU’s production of H.M.S. Pinafore, call 204-487-3300.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags David Klassen, H.M.S. Pinafore, opera workshop

Events News Releases

Sense of camaraderie marks 2017 Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition

Post author By CMU
Post date February 21, 2017

‘We’re all proud of each other,’ first place winner says

A pianist hailing from southern Ontario is the winner of the 12th annual Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition at Canadian Mennonite University. Anneli Loepp Thiessen’s performance, which included a piece by classical Austrian composer Joseph Haydn that she learned just one week before the competition, earned her first place and the $700 prize that comes with it on Wednesday, February 15. “It was very exciting,” said Loepp Thiessen, who grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo. “I still feel like I’m a little bit in shock.”

Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition winner Anneli Loepp Thiessen (center) with second place winner Emma Heinrichs and third place winner Nolan Kehler.

A gifted musician who has played her instrument for 16 years, Loepp Thiessen is in her fourth year of a music degree, with a double major in piano performance and music ministry. This was her third time participating in the competition. Part of what made this year’s competition so much fun is the sense of camaraderie among the finalists, she said. “There’s a sense that we’re all proud of each other, which is a good feeling,” Loepp Thiessen said. “We really had each other’s backs.” “We’re all technically proficient at our instruments, so making the music come alive was the goal,” she added. “I don’t know how the judges made their decision, because everyone of us was communicating so well.” Emma Heinrichs, a pianist in her second year of a Bachelor of Music, placed second and received $500. Third place and its $300 prize went to tenor singer Nolan Kehler, who is completing his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance this April. Alexander Milevic (piano), Elowen Braunstein-Black (soprano), and Alyssa Hildebrand (soprano) also competed in the finals, advancing from a group of 19 competitors. “I’m always very pleased to see how students rise to the occasion when it comes time to perform,” said Dr. Janet Brenneman, Dean of the School of Music at CMU. “The entire evening was a strong showcase of what our students can do.” Margery Koop, a performer, choral conductor, and teacher known for her work with singers of all musical genres, and Darryl Friesen, an acclaimed soloist and collaborative artist who has performed around the world, served as adjudicators for the finals. Brenneman was thrilled to see so many members of the community attend the event. “This event has a following of audience members that attend every year, who are excited to hear the finalists and witness the outcome of the competition,” Brenneman said. The competition possible made possible by thegenerous donations of Peter Janzen of Deep River, ON. The event is named in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989 at age 53. “We are very grateful to Dr. Janzen, whose generosity and strong commitment to music at CMU makes this event possible,” Brenneman said. For Janzen, sponsoring the event is a way to contribute toward the success of CMU. He wanted to support CMU via a music competition because he and Verna met through their interest in choral singing. “I always dreamed of someday dedicating a memorial to my wife—a wonderful, loving, sensitive, intelligent, and happy companion,” Janzen said in 2007. “Through the Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition at CMU, I can keep her memory alive.” [ photo gallery ] [ videos ]

About CMU A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Alexander Milevic, Alexander Milevic (piano), Alyssa Hildebrand, Anneli Loepp Thiessen, Elowen Braunstein-Black, Nolan Kehler, Verna Mae Janzen Competition

Events News Releases

Pastors, lay leaders invited to explore the transitions of young adulthood at conference at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date February 13, 2017

Canadian Mennonite University is inviting pastors and lay leaders to come together and think creatively about young adult ministry at a one-day conference later this month.

A Transformative Moment: Seeking God in the Transitions of Young Adulthood takes place from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on Saturday, February 25 at CMU. The event will feature a variety of talks, a panel discussion, and keynote addresses from Gil Dueck who has expertise in the area of young adults and the church.

“CMU is excited to provide resources to people in the church, no matter what their denomination is, who work with young adults,” says Peter Epp, Church Engagement Coordinator at CMU and one of the conference’s organizers. “I haven’t found a lot of conferences in Manitoba geared specifically toward working with young adults, so I’m looking forward to this event.”

Currently serving as program director at Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Gil Dueck previously spent 12 years at Bethany College in a variety of teaching, mentoring, and administrative roles.

He is currently in the final stages of doctoral work through the International Baptist Theological Study Centre and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. His research focuses on a theological and transformational reading of faith development among young adults.

Dueck’s two keynote speeches will bookend the conference.

During the morning, conference participants will have the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions looking at a handful of topics including prayer, baptism, Jesus, and sex.

The afternoon will include a panel discussion revolving around stories about young adults and churches searching for and finding each other.

The panel will include Janessa Giesbrecht, Pastor of Youth and College and Career at Fort Garry MB Church; Jamie Howison, Anglican priest and founding pastor at saint benedict’s table; Hilde Marsch, Young Adult Ministry Director at the Meeting Place; and Katrina Woelk, a University of Manitoba student.

“From young adults, to academics, to pastors from different denominations, I’m thrilled to have a variety of people involved in this conference,” Epp says, adding that he hopes people who attend will walk away with an enriched understanding of young adult ministry.

“I’m excited for us all to come together and bounce ideas off of each other,” he says. “I think the networking and discussion that will happen at this conference will be extremely valuable.”

For more information and to register, visit cmu.ca/transformative.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags A Transformative Moment, Centre for Faith and Life, workshop, youth ministry

Events General News News Releases

Ministry workers invited to conference at CMU that will focus on becoming global

Post author By CMU
Post date January 26, 2017

“Becoming global congregations” is the focus of an upcoming conference for those in ministry that will be held at Canadian Mennonite University.

ReNew: Resourcing Pastors for Ministry takes place Monday, February 6 to Wednesday, February 8 at CMU (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). The three-day event will feature stimulating Bible studies, inspiring worship, powerful stories, and enriching fellowship.

Dr. Jonathan Bonk, an expert in missions and evangelism, will appear at the conference as the keynote speaker. Bonk is Executive Director Emeritus of the Overseas Ministry Study Centre in New Haven, CT, a research professor of mission at Boston University, and author of Missions and Money: Affluence as a Western Missionary Problem.

“CMU and its predecessor colleges have a long history of holding conferences meant to resource pastors,” says Andrew Dyck, Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies and one of the conference’s organizers. “We are committed to helping support, encourage, and resource church leaders.”

The Christian Church is the body of Christ worldwide. It transcends geographical and denominational boundaries. Despite this conviction, and despite technology that makes the world smaller, it is easy for congregations to succumb to localism.

This year’s ReNew conference, titled, “Opening Our Maps: Becoming Global Congregations” will explore questions such as: How might congregations become more global in their worldview, practices, and endeavours? What might it mean to be a globally minded congregation, in relationship with the church in other lands, the church of other denominations, and the ethnically diverse church at home?

Representatives from a handful of churches in Alberta and Manitoba will share stories about what their congregations are doing. The churches range from a congregation doing evangelism in inner city Winnipeg, to a rural church where three different denominations gather together for worship services.

“We’ve worked really hard to include church leaders from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including newcomers to Canada, so that we can learn from their experiences,” Dyck says. “I’m excited to hear what they have got to teach all of us.”

CMU faculty will lead workshops exploring the theological foundations of the Church as the body of Christ; innovative congregational partnerships; indigenous peoples as part of the global church; and more.

“Christ calls us to take the extra mile of welcoming people that we haven’t welcomed before,” Dyck says. “I hope this conference helps all of us reach just a little further and take a little more initiative to extend grace and welcome to people that we haven’t welcomed before.”

ReNew is intended for all who are involved in ministry. For more information and to register, visit cmu.ca/renew.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Andrew Dyck, Centre for Faith and Life, conference, Jonathan Bonk, ReNew

Events Lectures News Releases Uncategorized

Panelists to explore how their different faiths intersect at Face2Face discussion

Post author By CMU
Post date January 23, 2017

A Jew, Muslim, and Christian will dialogue about what lies at the core of their faith heritages and how people from these distinct faith traditions might work together for peace and justice, at Canadian Mennonite University’s next Face2Face community discussion.

Titled, “A Conversation within an Abrahamic Tent: A Jew, Muslim, and Christian in Dialogue,” the event happens Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Participating in the discussion will be Dr. Karl Koop, Professor of History and Theology at CMU, who will represent the Christian tradition; Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, Judaic Studies Advisor at Gray’s Academy, who will represent the Jewish tradition; and Shahina Siddiqui, founder and Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association, who will represent the Muslim tradition.

Conversations like these are important because Jews, Muslims, and Christians share a common humanity as well as a significant portion of scripture and faith tradition, says Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at CMU, who will moderate the discussion.

“We’ve gone in different directions and we have different specific traditions, but we are part of a common people struggling for the meaning of life,” says Huebner, who also serves as Director of International and Inter-Faith Theological Initiatives at CMU.

Although there is significant divergence and diversity within each of these faith traditions, and only one person will be at the event to represent each tradition, dialogues like this can still have value, Huebner adds.

“It’s important that we speak and listen to each other, even out of a context of imperfection and incompleteness,” he says.

Panelists will talk about what lies at the core of their faith heritage, and what gift or contribution their faith tradition brings to its adherents and to society.

They will also discuss the challenges their faith traditions face, as well as what their faith tradition values most in the other two faith traditions represented.

Panelists will also share their thoughts on how Jews, Muslims, and Christians might be able to work together for peace and justice in the world.

“Adherents of these different faiths are often seen as in some ways competing with each other, and we don’t need to,” Huebner says. “I hope what people see in an event like this is the possibility for there to be mutual respect and significant openness for difference among the adherents of these different faiths. We don’t have to be the same in order to live in peaceful and just relationship with one another.”

Started in 2013, Face2Face is a series of conversations organized by CMU, designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

“A Conversation within an Abrahamic Tent” is the third of four Face2Face events CMU is scheduled to host during the 2016-17 school year. For details, visit cmu.ca/face2face.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Face2Face, Harry Huebner, Inter-Faith Discussion, Inter-Faith Theological Initiatives, Ruth Ashrafi, Shahina Siddiqui

Events News Releases

CMU welcomes renowned climate change expert as Scientist in Residence

Post author By CMU
Post date January 18, 2017

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe set to speak about science in a ‘post-truth’ world

Canadian Mennonite University is pleased to announce it will host acclaimed atmospheric scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe as its 2017 Scientist in Residence.

Hayhoe is a professor at Texas Tech University and the director of its Climate Science Center. In 2014, TIME magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Hayhoe will appear on campus January 30−February 1 to share her insights, observations, experience, and personal reflections in a number of speaking events open to the public.

As a means to minimize carbon emissions related to these speaking events on the topic of climate change, Hayhoe’s appearances will be via two-way video conference technology.

CMU is looking forward to hosting Hayhoe, says Dr. Tim Rogalsky, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Science and Faith Advisory Committee.

“Katharine is a renowned researcher with more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in the top journals in her field,” Rogalsky says. “More than that, she’s a fantastic communicator with a remarkable ability to talk about the connections between science and faith.”

Dr. Hayhoe’s confirmed speaking engagements are as follows:

A student forum titled, “Science in a Post-Truth World: A Climate Scientist’s Perspective,” on Monday, January 30 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the CMU Chapel (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.).

A chapel titled “Listening to God’s Creation – A Faith Story,” on Tuesday, January 31 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the CMU Chapel.

A lecture on Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave). The lecture is titled, “Talking Climate: Why Facts Are Not Enough.”

For the first time ever, all of these presentations will be streamed live on YouTube, allowing anyone from anywhere in the world to watch and participate in the discussion. It’s an exciting aspect of this year’s events, Rogalsky says.

“It really allows us to involve people from off campus in ways we haven’t in the past,” he says.

Hayhoe says she is looking forward to her time as Scientist in Residence because it will give her the opportunity to talk about both science and faith in the same breath.

“So often the two are completely separated in our society and even in our Christian communities,” she says. “The reality, though, is that if we truly believe that God created this amazing universe that we live in, then what is science, other than trying to figure out what He was thinking when He created it?”

While Hayhoe has been named one of Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers, as well as one of POLITICO’s 50 thinkers, doers, and visionaries transforming American politics, she may be best-known to many people because of how she’s bridging the broad, deep gap between scientists and Christians—work she does in part because she’s a Christian herself.

Together with her husband Andrew Farley, a professor of applied linguistics, pastor of Church without Religion, and best-selling author, Katharine wrote A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions, a book that untangles the complex science and tackles many long-held misconceptions about global warming.

Her work as a climate change evangelist has been featured on the Emmy award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously and The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers. In 2012, she was named by Christianity Today as one of their “50 Women to Watch.”

Hayhoe has a BSc in Physics from the University of Toronto and an MS and PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois. Hayhoe is currently serving as lead author for the upcoming Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and producing her new PBS Digital Studios short series, Global Weirding: Climate, Politics and Religion.

“My hope is that people walk away from these events with a better understanding of climate change and the role they can play in caring for our planet,” says Rogalsky.

All of the Scientist in Residence events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit cmu.ca/sir.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Climate Change, Katharine Hayhoe, Science, scientist in residence, Tim Rogalsky

Events News Releases

Canadian Mennonite University invites community to celebrate Christmas at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date November 18, 2016

Annual ‘create-your-own-concert’ event features something for everyone

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and Canadian Mennonite University wants you to join in the merriment at its annual Christmas at CMU concert.

The event takes place on Saturday, November 26 at the university (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). There are two concerts: one at 2:00 PM and the other at 7:00 PM. Admission for both concerts is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Dr. Janet Brenneman, Dean of the CMU School of Music, is looking forward to the concerts.

“I love how the CMU community comes together for this event,” Brenneman says. “Many people’s efforts go into this, and it really is representative of our entire CMU community.”

More than 100 performers are involved in the event, which features CMU choirs; vocal and instrumental jazz; a classical guitar ensemble; and performances by the university’s music faculty.

Christmas at CMU is a multi-generational, interactive event that allows family, friends, and neighbours of all ages to mingle in CMU’s beautiful heritage building.

Part of the event’s appeal is that people who attend do not have to sit in the same spot for an hour-and-a-half.

Music ensembles will be stationed in different parts of the university, allowing attendees to create their own concert by walking around the festively decorated campus—all while enjoying hot apple cider and cookies.

Now in its 16^th year, this year’s Christmas at CMU event will feature for the first time ever a Music Therapy Coffeehouse, where Music Therapy students will perform their own arrangements of classic holiday songs.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of items on the schedule specifically for children.

Dietrich Bartel, Associate Professor of Music, will read How the Grinch Stole Christmas in CMU’s Faculty & Staff Lounge. Following that performance, children and parents are welcome to make music with CMU alumna Rebecca Harder.

“Christmas at CMU is a family-friendly event, with short little concerts and many opportunities to get up, move around, and enjoy some cookies,” Brenneman says. “Plus, Father and Mother Christmas will be there.”

Christmas at CMU will end with an audience carol sing in the Loewen Athletic Centre, an annual tradition that always culminates with everyone singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

Since it was first held in 2001, Christmas at CMU has become an important event on the university’s calendar. Alumni and friends from across Canada travel to Winnipeg to attend.

“I love that alumni come back to this event—it’s a great place for them to connect,” Brenneman says. “I also love seeing people from the community here. There’s always some that are here for the first time, and that’s fun.”

For the complete Christmas at CMU schedule, please visit cmu.ca/christmas.

About CMU

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Christmas, Christmas at CMU

Events General News News Releases

CMU to celebrate publication of Philippians with book launch event

Post author By CMU
Post date November 17, 2016

Commentary by Gordon Zerbe emphasizes citizenship, partnership, and joy

Canadian Mennonite University invites the public to a book launch celebrating the release of Philippians, a new Bible commentary by New Testament scholar Dr. Gordon Zerbe.

The event takes place Thursday, November 24 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). In addition to hearing from Zerbe, who will lead attendees on a “virtual tour through Paul’s Philippi,” people will have the one-time opportunity to purchase copies of the book at a 30 per cent discount at CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre.

Admission to the book launch is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Published by Herald Press, Philippians is the 31^st volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series.

In the commentary, Zerbe challenges readers to allow Paul’s prison letter to interpret their own lives—not by extracting lessons out of historical and cultural context, but by imagining themselves in the ancient Roman world.

“Paul’s wisdom in the letter can mirror back to us some of our own circumstances and questions,” says Zerbe, who is Vice President Academic at CMU. “Once we live into the world of that text, we can look back at ourselves in a new way.”

He adds that to understand Paul and his beloved and beleaguered congregation in Philippi, we must learn to see him as a leader transformed by grace and passionate about enlivening patriotic loyalty to Jesus alone.

In the commentary, Zerbe emphasizes four main themes: citizenship, partnership, high-low inversion, and joy.

“What it means to fully realize the vision of partnership and mutuality that Paul articulated, and what it means to faithfully practice the way of being in solidarity with the lowly, are imperatives as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago,” Zerbe says.

He adds that he accepted the invitation to write the commentary because he has been absorbed in work on Paul and his letters ever since the days of his doctoral studies at Princeton Theological Seminary.

“This was a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of one letter,” Zerbe says. “In addition, I was already convinced that some new thinking about Paul and Philippians could make for an exciting new venture in a commentary.”

The Believers Church Bible Commentary series is designed to be accessible to lay readers, useful in preaching and pastoral care, helpful for Bible study groups and Sunday school teachers, and academically sound. The series also carries an underlying Anabaptist reading of Scripture.

The volumes are a cooperative project of Brethren in Christ Church, Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Brethren Church, Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite Church USA.

In addition to a PhD from Princeton, Zerbe holds degrees from Western Washington University, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Tabor College, and Columbia Bible College. He is the author of Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics.

After growing up in Japan as a child of mission workers, a highlight in his career was a series of years (1996–98, 2002–04) in the Philippines as visiting professor at the Silliman University Divinity School under the auspices of Mennonite Central Committee.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Believers Church Bible Commentary, Book Launch, Gordon Zerbe, Philippians

Events Lectures News Releases

Scientists to explore why beauty matters at upcoming Face2Face discussion event

Post author By CMU
Post date October 25, 2016

Three scientists will take audience members on a guided tour into the wonder of nature at Canadian Mennonite University’s next Face2Face community discussion.

Titled, “Why Beauty Matters: Radical Amazement, Spirituality, and the Ecological Crisis,” the discussion will feature Dr. Tim Rogalsky, Associate Professor of Mathematics at CMU; Dr. Rachel Krause, Assistant Professor of Biology at CMU; and Randy Herrmann, an engineer who works at the University of Manitoba.

The event happens Wednesday, November 2 at 7:00 PM at Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

“All three of us are going to introduce things that we study within our disciplines that can be fairly easily understood and that are just totally amazing,” Rogalsky says, adding that his talk will explore spiral patterns found in flowers, and what we can glean from this natural display of beauty.

The phrase “radical amazement” comes from the Jewish rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who has argued that the root of the environmental crisis lies in the way that we as humans have changed our posture toward the natural world—from awe, wonder, and amazement, to detachment, control, and manipulation.

In 1955, Heschel wrote, “As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. Humankind will not perish for want of information; but only for want of appreciation.”

“Seeing nature through eyes of radical amazement may be exactly what our world needs today,” Rogalsky says. “It is also precisely the natural posture of the religious person… Science has the power to explain. Religion has the power to inspire. Inspiration has the power to galvanize people to action. The presentations (on November 2) will attempt to bring all of that together.”

He adds that for each of the scientists who will present, scientific inquiry is an act of worship that helps them connect to God. Some people think about science as being a dry, boring process, when in fact, it’s the exact opposite: Scientific inquiry is a creative act that reveals how interconnected everything in the natural world is.

“Scientists are uniquely positioned to reveal (the) beauty (in our world),” Rogalsky says. “I want people to be inspired by the beauty we can’t always see, but that we can investigate.”

Started in 2013, Face2Face is a series of conversations organized by CMU, designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

“Why Beauty Matters” is the second of four Face2Face events CMU is scheduled to host during the 2016-17 school year. For details, visit cmu.ca/face2face.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Face2Face, Rachel Krause, Randy Herrmann, Tim Rogalsky

Events News Releases

‘The theology of lament’ topic of 2016 J.J. Thiessen Lectures at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date October 11, 2016

Award-winning scholar Dr. J. Richard Middleton scheduled to speak on campus

If you have ever been angry with God, wondered if it’s OK to ask “Why?” or had nothing left to pray, this year’s J.J. Thiessen Lectures at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) are for you.

Renowned scholar Dr. J. Richard Middleton will present the three-part series, titled “The Silence of Abraham, The Passion of Job: Explorations in the Theology of Lament.” The lectures will take place in the CMU Chapel (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.) on Tuesday, October 25 at 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM, and Wednesday, October 26 at 11:00 AM.

Middleton, Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY, will explore what sort of prayer is appropriate in situations of difficulty and suffering.

“Richard thinks deeply, and yet communicates straightforwardly and is extremely approachable,” says Dr. Gordon Matties, Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, who is on the organizing committee for the J.J. Thiessen Lectures. “I’m so pleased that he’s coming.

The lecture topics are as follows:

Lecture #1: “Voices from the Ragged Edge” – In the face of violence, pain, and suffering, the lament or protest psalms offer us theologically significant models of prayer. They open space for a rich and meaningful relationship with God that isn’t resigned simply to ascribing the suffering to God’s will.

Lecture #2: “Abraham’s Ominous Silence in Genesis 22: How the Patriarch of Israel Lost Both His Voice and His Son” – Arguing for the justice of God’s actions, Abraham protested vigorously over the fate of Sodom (Genesis 18). Yet a few chapters later (Genesis 22), in response to God’s instructions to sacrifice his son, he is reduced to silence. What are we to make of that transformation?

Lecture #3: “How Job Found His Voice: Learning the Wisdom of Lament from a Gentile Patriarch” – Job’s passionate lament in response to the death of his family and his own suffering offers a possible alternative to Abraham’s silence. Indeed, while God’s first speech from the whirlwind corrects Job’s understanding of God’s justice, the second speech nevertheless affirms Job’s lament as right and proper.

“Richard’s topic for these lectures is really important in our time, when people are experiencing so much fear in our world and life becomes confusing and difficult,” Matties says.

Middleton holds a PhD from the Free University of Amsterdam and is the past president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association.

His books, which include A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014) and The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Brazos, 2005), have been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Founded in 1978 by one of CMU predecessor institutions, Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC), the J.J. Thiessen Lectures are named in honour of a founder and long-time chairperson of the CMBC Board. The lectures seek to bring to the CMU community something of Thiessen’s breadth of vision for the church. Visit cmu.ca/jjt for details.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags J. Richard Middleton, J.J. Thiessen Lectures