Advent hymns and texts are disturbing.
Categories: Feature Articles“O come, O come Emmanuel,” a stock dirge of Advent, comes from a house of pain that once was, still is, and shall be again. The hymn is haunting. (HWB…
For discussion
Categories: Feature Articles1. Do you consider yourself as a rational being or more of an emotional being? Do you find others reacting more rationally or more emotionally? In what ways has the…
Culture and character
Categories: Feature ArticlesAfter many hours of methodical and systematic doubting of all that he held certain, seventeenth-century French philosopher Rene Descartes came to an astounding conclusion: the only thing that he could…
For Discussion
Categories: Feature Articles1. Carol Penner says, “sinning against our neighbours once removed just doesn’t feel so bad.” Do you agree? Who might be a “neighbour once removed”? What might be some examples…
Peace to our neighbour once removed
Categories: Feature ArticlesWhen I was little, I remember my dad explaining our relatives to us: “She’s my cousin, twice removed.” It’s an expression that talks about a relationship that is a bit…
Ethiopian Church grows in maturity
Categories: Feature ArticlesAs Fanosie Legesse and Steve Brnjas were driving through a small village in rural Ethiopia, their car slowed to pass through a narrow street when suddenly a boy darted into…
For discussion
Categories: Feature Articles1. What has been the history of how a pastor is chosen in your congregation? How many people from your congregation have entered the pastoral ministry? How did the congregation…
Growing young pastors
Categories: Feature ArticlesWhen a church is in need of a lead or associate pastor, do they nurture these characteristics in the youth and young adults in their congregation or search for ready-made…
Choosing a pastor
Categories: Feature ArticlesWhich is better for the church, a pastor with seminary training or a layperson groomed for the role and invited from the local context? While a seminary-trained pastor may be…
Communion on US election eve
Categories: Feature ArticlesMennonite pastors Mark Schloneger and Kevin Gasser hope they can get 100 churches in all 50 states to join them in a celebration of communion on the evening of Nov.…
For Discussion
Categories: Feature Articles1. What foods evoke memories of your childhood, your family or your church? If you have special foods for holidays such as Easter or Christmas, what role do they play…
Are we eating ‘Just’ Food?
Categories: Feature ArticlesMarlene Epp teaches History and Peace & Conflict Studies and is director of Mennonite Studies at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo.Among other things, she teaches a…
For discussion
Categories: Feature Articles1. What anniversary celebrations has your congregation participated in? How are these celebrations similar to or different from the one held in the Democratic Republic of Congo this summer? What…
Congolese Soccer and Song
Categories: Feature ArticlesWhen a Belgian school inspector needed to recruit singers for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, he entrusted the task to two missionary women, one of whom was Lodema Short.…
Congolese Mennonites celebrate 100 years of God’s faithfulness
Categories: Feature ArticlesFifty-some young musicians walked nearly 100 miles carrying their drums, luggage and a few babies to attend the centennial celebration of Communauté Mennonite au Congo—CMCO (Mennonite Community in Congo), July…
Care for creation and environmental justice
Categories: Feature ArticlesWhen Bob Lovelace, a chief of the Ardoch Algonquin of Northeastern Ontario, wrote about his people’s struggle over uranium exploration on their land, he did so from a Canadian maximum…
Stitch by Stitch, Seed by Seed
Categories: Feature ArticlesMennonite women in Canada have sown seeds of peace while they sewed blankets for relief, and they celebrated 60 years of service on July 14 when 130 women gathered for…
Bring back discipling and wisdom
Categories: Feature Articles“Never in Canada’s 150 year history has an emerging generation been exposed to such an explosion of change and choice,” Tim Froese said in his “Scripture in Exile” workshop Saturday…
Many young adult delegates attend Assembly
Categories: Feature ArticlesMany people remark that it’s difficult to get young adults interested and involved in church. But that wasn’t the case for the 44 registered young adults at the 2012 Mennonite…
Dusting off our DVD collection
Categories: Feature ArticlesFilm has become the most important entertainment medium of this time and can shed light on scripture, said Vic Thiessen, Chief Administrative Officer at Mennonite Church Canada, in his workshop,…
Feature articles
