A church once sacred and safe is now suspect
Categories: OpinionMy grandfather smoked, but I didn’t know it. Grandma didn’t want us to see him smoking and pick up the habit, but they agreed he could continue as long as it was out of sight. I had no idea until…
What can a white church do?
Categories: OpinionWhen the death of George Floyd sparked race-related demonstrations across North America earlier this year, one of our deacons asked, “What can we do in response to this?” My church, Eigenheim Mennonite in Rosthern, Sask., is racially homogeneous. The community…
Readers write: November 23, 2020 issue
Categories: OpinionResponses to termination of John D. Rempel’s ministerial credential Re: “Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor,” Nov. 9, page 18. I am disappointed that this Canadian Mennonite report includes an extensive quote from John D. Rempel, in which he emphasizes his own…
Insiders versus outsiders
Categories: Opinion“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us” (Mark 9:38, NIV). John’s exclusionary attitude remains a prevalent attitude in our churches: “You are…
Victor Neumann
Categories: OpinionMennonite Central Committee (MCC) began work in Thailand in 1960, but from 1963 to 1975 it had no programs there. In 1979, MCC started working with Indochinese refugees coming into Thailand with job creation, social services, agriculture and education programs.…
Marriage and conflict
Categories: OpinionMy husband and I have been married for 13 years; long enough to have weathered some difficult seasons. We’ve walked alongside other couples in turmoil lately, causing us to reflect together on what makes our marriage work and how we…
Going to church
Categories: OpinionI’ve been a “church-goer” my whole life. I remember my dad polishing our shoes on Saturday evening so we would all look bright and shiny for church on Sunday morning. I remember Sunday evenings watching Walt Disney on TV, getting…
Judgment versus discernment
Categories: OpinionWhat does Jesus mean when he says “Do not judge”? How do we respond to injustice, oppression, racism, sexism and prejudice without judgment? I’ve contemplated this for years, and here is where I’ve landed, for now at least. In the…
Readers write: November 9, 2020 issue
Categories: OpinionColumnist has ‘a gift’ Re: “Two stories clamour to be shared” column by Ed Olfert, Oct. 12, page 10. Ed is the current pastor of Grace Mennonite Church in Prince Albert, Sask. During the strict coronavirus lockdown here in Nashville…
Expert, doubt thyself
Categories: OpinionEver since the arrival of the coronavirus, there have been segments of the church that have been criticized for not taking the pandemic seriously. Christian sceptics and those who criticize them are well-represented on my social media feed. Large religious…
Festival of Peace
Categories: OpinionParticipants in a Festival of Peace at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ont., embrace during a small group session. On Peace Sunday 1993, the congregation abandoned its typical Sunday morning routine to follow the Mennonite Central Committee Ontario Peace…
Two ‘rough’ men and a gravel hauler
Categories: OpinionIt can probably be said, with a reasonable helping of truthfulness, that the family that I was born into didn’t put big energy into teaching social niceties. Certainly we were taught respect, but “No, no, you take the biggest piece,”…
See all of me
Categories: OpinionWe don’t talk about mental health much in the church. When we do, we tend to see it as deviation from a presumably healthy “normal.” This is deficit thinking. Maybe our standards of “normal” are a problem. Maybe we could…
God as our inheritance
Categories: OpinionIn late August, my wife and I became first-time homeowners. There had been many times we wondered if we would ever be able to afford a house, ever save up enough for a down payment, or if we even wanted…
Does the church have varicose veins?
Categories: OpinionThe Oct. 24 Mennonite Church Canada study conference asked the question: “Does the church have legs?” The consensus of conference presenters, based on mini-interviews posted prior to the event, was “yes.” I’m trying to tame my cynicism, but that answer…
Readers write: October 26, 2020 issue
Categories: OpinionVoluntary service important in cross-border interaction Re: “Cross-border interaction in decline since integration” letter, Sept. 14, page 9. I appreciated Fred Martin’s letter listing some of the lost relations between Mennonite Church Canada and MC U.S.A. One area that was…
Reaping what you sow
Categories: OpinionAs I finish off another growing season on the farm, I reflect on how things grew, what went well, and what to tweak for next year. Aside from our various pastured livestock, I also grow a market garden and, after…
Brubacher House
Categories: OpinionWithin this Mennonite hearth, we can read an environmental history. By 1850, when John E. and Magdalena Brubacher built this house, the forest stands of southwestern Ontario were well on their way to being transformed into farmland. The harvesting and…
The neighbourhood community
Categories: OpinionSince living in a pandemic that has suddenly limited indoor socializing, I have been particularly thankful for the neighbourhood friendships we’ve created. In March and April, when we were all isolating, we actually got to know our neighbours far better.…
‘You must be a Mennonite!’
Categories: OpinionAs a young adult I entered a Mennonite college knowing little about Mennonites. I grew up (mostly) Baptist. I was astonished to hear people say over and over again, “You must be a Mennonite!” I sputtered that just because my…
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