Kathryn Lymburner. (Supplied photo.)
The other Sunday, the chairs in our sanctuary were pulled up to round tables. You know you’re in for something different when that happens, and this extrovert with opinions to spare was pumped. I was going to share the heck out of whatever needed sharing. I couldn’t contain my glee when I discovered there were news stories at each table. Best Sunday ever.
The question was how churches in North America could directly communicate their support to Palestinian churches. It came during a December 18 call that Mennonite Central Committee convened with four Palestinian pastors and several dozen North Americans.
Pastor Ashraf Tannous unmuted, then muted again; he hesitated and hedged, eventually responding with uncommon candour.
(Photo by Andre Ouellet/Unsplash)
“That’s great!”
That is my usual response when I speak with individuals and churches who name a desire to engage their neighbourhoods more actively, or to be a mission presence in their community.
And yet, at some point in every one of these conversations, I need to ask the question, “Why?”
‘I recently became the owner of an orange rotary telephone,’ writes Ryan Dueck.
In this new joint column, the four writers will take turns writing the primary column, with the other three offering replies.
God on the line
By Ryan Dueck
I recently became the owner of an orange rotary telephone. This artifact came to me via a Christmas gift exchange for which guests were instructed to repurpose something from their homes.
(Photo by павел гавриков/Pexels)
This most recent December terrified me.
Moving to Toronto in the first year of the pandemic and certain events since mean I haven’t made many social connections in this city.
Valley Road Church held its first service on January 7 in Kelowna, B.C. (Supplied photo.)
The new year has brought a new church to the Glenmore area of Kelowna, and it has given an old church building new life. Valley Road Church, a ministry of Mennonite Church B.C., held its first worship service on January 7 with Jordan Pilgrim as pastor.
‘From Here to There’ includes full-scale reproductions of some of Alvin Pauls’ large mural pieces. (Supplied photo.)
When it comes to making art, Alvin Pauls isn’t concerned with the outcome.
“It’s all in the doing,” the Winnipeg artist says. “The end result is not important.”
Dressed in a black sweater over a brown turtleneck, jeans and blue slip-on shoes, Pauls is walking around “From Here to There,” a retrospective exhibit of his work at MHC Gallery. His energy belies his 81 years.
Margaret Balzer of Langham, Saskatchewan. (Supplied photo)
Welcome to “Life in the 80s,” a semi-regular series in which we ask people in their 80s or 90s to share their wisdom.
