Healing the Mennonite class divide
The recent coverage of three issues raises the delicate question of how we mainstream Mennonites relate to our more traditional Anabaptist cousins, especially when their troubles surface.
Viewpoints
Lament and let go
Recently I was asked to deliver a devotional at a seniors condominium complex. The suggested theme was, “How do we live with aging and illness and loss of abilities in light of the hope we have in heaven?” Good question, I thought.
Gimme, gimme never gets!
My son takes after his father. He’s a picky eater. It’s no surprise that our family isn’t very adventurous when it comes to menus and cultural cuisine.
Lost and found
2013 marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, a foundational but forgotten “scroll” for Canada. Steve Heinrichs, Mennonite Church Canada’s director of indigenous relations, plays with the Josiah story in II Kings 22 to ponder what could happen if we remembered the covenants of this land.
Readers write
Portrayal of Old Colony Mennonites called ‘irresponsible and unethical’
Steve Jobs: Prophet of a new religion
The new movie about Steve Jobs is short on anything explicitly religious. Like its main character, however, it’s got a thread of transcendence running through it.
The truth about Jobs and religion may be that, in this arena as in others, he was ahead of the cutting edge.
Revisiting the legacy of John Howard Yoder
Time has its way. As does the Spirit.
The accelerating interest in and widespread appreciation for John Howard Yoder’s theological work has also provoked renewed calls for the Mennonite church, including Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), to revisit unfinished business with his legacy.
‘Torn from home’ hits close to home
Mark Diller Harder stands beside a display that includes family members. In the casket is his great-grandfather, Gerhard Neufeld; on the left is his great-great-grandfather, Johan Friesen; third from left is his great-grandmother, Maria (Friesen) Neufeld; fourth from left is his grandfather, Cornelius K. Neufeld.
I have always appreciated hearing stories of refugees to Canada, so I eagerly joined our St.
Boxing up the Old Colony Mennonites
In his July 8, 2013 editorial, Dick Benner considers “the trouble with labels.” He says that in our pluralistic society we tend to put people into boxes with a smug “now we know who you are.” This stereotyping, he says, “de-humanizes,” divides and tends to “self-righteousness.”
Walking humbly
The quest for truth and reconciliation is a high and holy one that inspires us even with its flaws and imperfections. Those who have observed and participated in the first nations’ Truth and Reconciliation events across Canada have found it to be a sacred experience.
A call for support as I parent
Right now, my family and I are living in mild chaos. Boxes are stacked against the walls, bookshelves are empty, the give-away piles mount and to-do lists abound. We’re moving from Winnipeg to Vancouver, so my partner Glenn can study at the Vancouver School of Theology.
Becoming Onesimus
I just turned 41. Finding new aches that never used to be there. Peculiar. Discovering a nap is disturbingly easy to slip into. Odd. Found some hair growing on my ear. Just plain weird. My belly is officially a well-insulated one-pack even though I don’t eat near what I used to. Depressing.
Readers write
Movie ‘gave me something to rankle against’
COMMENTARY: Connecting online and in person
A tech writer’s obituary for PCWorld’s print magazine — part tongue-in-cheek, part nostalgia riff — reminded me that I once devoured that magazine, now kaput.
It was an early lens into the fascinating world of personal computing. Its ads and articles stoked dreams of power and speed.
Spirit led, Spirit fed
“Can I get a ride sir?”
Living alone/ with others
Something about the placement of the living room furniture caught my attention. With its cozy circle of a comfy couch and chairs, it subtly signaled invitation and welcome.
Grandchildren: Growing from self-centredness to unrestrained generosity
November of 2012 brought us our first grandchild and with our grandson came a myriad of hopes and dreams. What will he be like? What will he contribute to society? How will his faith be shaped? Recently, his parents dedicated themselves to teaching him about God. So they are off to a great start!
Wild with a paint brush
The pictures I coloured in grade school were neat and tidy, coloured within the lines. Darker lines marked the borders, every section clearly separated from the other; emerald green, lemon yellow and sky blue, each in their place.
Readers write
Columnist offers apology for Metzger character assessment
COMMENTARY: Learning to love complexity
Tumult in Egypt reminds me how complicated the world can be, especially for a culture like our own that is shaped by good guy vs. bad guy dramas.
Who are the “good guys” in Cairo? Is the ousted president a good guy for being democratically elected or a bad guy for pursuing isolationist Islamic policies? Is the military saving Egypt or preserving privileges?
New wave of homesteaders embody the Spirit
The best part of growing up in a close-knit church community is the sense that people who are not your relatives become your extended family. At Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver, and then at Peace Mennonite in Richmond, where I was baptized, I was part of a community with common values and lifestyles.
Don’t go or don’t eat?
The end of our kids’ sporting seasons brings about the obligatory team party. As a parent, such events feel a bit like a high school reunion. Most of us are generally the same age and in the same quirky cliques and divisions that existed about two decades ago.
A faith in jeopardy?
Recent Canadian statistics reveal that as many as half of first nations children and about a third of immigrant children live below the poverty line. How is it possible that in Canada there are people who lack the fundamental basics like food, shelter and safety?
Readers write
Metzger’s servant leadership should be applauded, not criticized
GUEST COMMENTARY Apologies are too late when the damage is already done
After almost 40 years, Exodus International is closing its doors. It was the oldest Christian services group of its kind and a market leader in reparative/ex-gay/sexual orientation change therapy.
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