Among the Stars

Called to Question

presents

Among the Stars

with guest speaker 

Isajah

Isajah is a Singer, Actor, Dancer, Writer, Musician, Composer, Artist. He strives for connection through his art and does that by prioritizing honesty. His music is defined as Alternative Miscellaneous, also known as, whatever he wakes up feeling. He believes all music has something unique to offer whether it's country, pop, rock, hip hop, classical, metal, or any other genre. 

He has performed at studio bell in Calgary, busked in Australia and Amsterdam, and performs as much as he can.

What makes an artist captivate? Is it hype, fantastic lyricism, showmanship, or is it just luck? Perhaps, it is all of it?  We are dazzled by Freddie Mercury’s voice, Michael Jackson’s style, and Eric Clapton's musical arrangements. Some talent doesn’t seem to have a lot, but still they get recognized. 

I’d like to unpack why. 

Date and Time:

Saturday December 7, 2019 at 7pm

Coffee and snacks provided.

*Please let us know if you plan on attending as seating is limited.

The Sikhs

Called to Question

presents

The Sikhs

with guest speaker 

Michael Hawley, Ph.D.

Michael (MRU Stories) is Professor of Religious Studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. Michael's scholarly interest and expertise are in Sikhs and Sikhism; Hinduism; South Asian religious diasporas (particularly in Canada); religion and violence; religion in the public sphere; religion and multiculturalism 

With 30 million adherents, Sikhism is the fifth largest of the world’s religions.  And outside India, Canada is home to the largest number of Sikhs.  Sikhs have a long history in Canada and enjoy a rapidly growing public profile.  Yet, Sikhs and Sikhism remain very much misunderstood.  This presentation highlights some of the key history, teachings, and accoutrements of the Sikhs from 16^th century Punjab to 21^st century Alberta. 

Date and Time:

Saturday November 2, 2019 at 7pm

Coffee and snacks provided.

*Please let us know if you plan on attending as seating is limited.

Taking God's Name in Vain?

Called to Question

presents

Taking God's Name in Vain?

A Closer Look at a Misinterpreted Passage of the Bible (Exodus 20:7) 

with guest speaker 

Carmen Joy Imes, Ph.D.

Carmen is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta. Carmen's primary areas of research are Exodus and Psalms. She is the award-winning author of Bearing YHWH's Name at Sinai: A Reexamination of the Name Command of the Decalogue (Eisenbrauns, 2018) as well as the forthcoming Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (IVP, December 2019), which makes the results of her doctoral study available accessible to non-specialists. 

This evening's talk will examine Exodus 20:7 (or the "command not to take the Lord's name in vain"), which is usually interpreted as a prohibition against speaking Yahweh's name in a particular context: false oaths, wrongful pronunciation, irreverent worship, magical practices, cursing, false teaching, and the like. However, it lacks contextual clues needed to support the command as speech related. Taking seriously the narrative context at Sinai and the closest verbal parallels, a different picture emerges-one animated by concrete rituals and their associated metaphorical concepts. The result is a command that has much broader implications for faith communities.

Date and Time:

Saturday October 19, 2019 at 7pm

Coffee and snacks provided.

*Please let us know if you plan on attending as seating is limited.

Good Enough Or Not?

Good Enough Or Not?

The Importance Of Self-Improvement

with speaker:

Philip Phillips

(Philip is the founder and director of 'Called to Question'. He has a deep desire for learning and sharing his knowledge with those who care to listen. He loves organizing events like 'Called to Question' in order to give attendees an opportunity to gain new wisdom and insight from the differing views of others. Philip believes that wisdom can be gained anywhere as long as one is willing to search.)

Are you good enough just the way you are? The answer is both 'Yes' and 'No'. In an age of confusion and liquidity it is difficult to ascertain what you are, who you are and just where on earth you are going. You are bombarded with the opposing messages of being 'good enough' and 'not good enough'. Yet, there is one ever constant, that constant is you, and that you is constantly awaiting self-acceptance and self-improvement.   

Date and Time:

Saturday September 21, 2019 at 7pm

Coffee and snacks provided.

*Please let us know if you plan on attending as seating is limited.

Life is Anti-Entropic

Called To Question 

presents: 

Life is Anti-Entropic

with guest speaker:

Wendi L. Adamek Ph.D.

(Wendi is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Religion at the University of Calgary and holder of the Numata Chair in Buddhist Studies. Her research interests include medieval Chinese Buddhism and living systems theory. Her forthcoming book Practicescapes and the Buddhists of Baoshan centers on a community in Henan, China. Previous publications include The Mystique of Transmission: On an Early Chan History and its Contexts 

I began to think in terms of “AntiEntropics” through taking an online permaculture course designed by Geoff Lawton and his team at Daytuna farm in Australia. Lawton was a student of the permaculture pioneer Bill Mollison. A key permaculture design-principle is slowing the energy that flows through a system. Lawton illustrates this by the flow of water, which manifests low life-form diversity and high energy at its alpine source. Water is “high energy” as it moves quickly through many small channels, but there is little life because this energy is not easily captured by life forms. Flow-energy decreases as water consolidates, moves more slowly, and develops the winding patterns of rivers and the collection points of pools and lakes. A low-energy pattern corresponds with increases in organic life and decay inputs, as flows converge and slow into deltas, wetlands, and reefs of immense life-diversity. Energy leaves the relevant system by merging with the open ocean. This is “entropy” from the perspective of the permaculturist, who can no longer capture its flow or cultivate the life-forms that flourish along the edges of its pathways. In this talk, I will discuss analogies between these principles and dynamic practices of self-development and cultural development. 

Date and Time:

Saturday August 17, 2019 at 7pm

*Please let us know if you plan on attending as seating is limited.

How Never to Worry Again

Called to Question

presents

"How Never to Worry Again:

When Ancient Stoic Philosophy and Modern Psychology Collide."  

with the return of guest speaker 

Stephen Brown, Ph.D.

(Stephen completed his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience in 2015 at Leiden University (The Netherlands). His dissertation focused on the role of the locus coeruleus, a small brainstem nucleus, and noradrenaline (a signalling chemical in the brain) in attention and learning.)

We will begin with a very brief history of the Stoic school, it's main players(casually skipping the middle stoa) and then discuss some of the school's central tenets. With a number of discussion points, we can explore Stoic thought in more detail. Along the way, we will learn how never to worry again, how modern clinical psychology was partially inspired by Stoicism, and quite possibly the meaning of life too...

Date and Time:

Saturday, July 27, 2019 

Last night we hosted this event with return guest speaker Stephen Brown. My wife and I have had the privilege of getting know Stephen more and more over the last half year. His knowledge seems bottomless and his presentation is wonderful. Learning from the likes of Stephen is as easy as breathing.