A tender touch of gospel paradox
Categories: OpinionJean Vanier, who died on May 7 at age 90, was a spiritual leader who shared the gospel in a way few, if any, had before. Born into near-aristocracy—his dad became Governor General of Canada—Vanier withdrew from a promising…
Readers write: May 27, 2019 issue
Categories: OpinionEasy to sympathize about abortion, but hard to rationalize it Re: “Can we talk about abortion?” April 29, page 10. In reading Melissa Miller’s column, it is easy to sympathize with the women who are in a position to make…
A conversation with a Buddhist
Categories: OpinionI was recently invited with a handful of other clergypersons to lunch at a local seniors home. Between the main course and dessert, the conversation turned, predictably, to the decline of the church. There was talk of the good old days…
Nipawin streetscape
Categories: OpinionStreetscape of Nipawin, Sask., in the 1920s. Mennonites first began moving to Lost River in the Rural Municipality of Nipawin in the early 1900s. By 1906, they were meeting in homes for worship. In 1913, Bishop Abraham Doerksen of the…
Pray for the city
Categories: OpinionNearly 20 years ago, my husband accepted a job offer in Winnipeg that resulted in our family’s move from Ontario, a place we had called home for 22 years. While I appreciated his opportunity, I was also quite distressed. Like…
The holy task of parenting
Categories: OpinionIt was at the baseball diamond on my 36th birthday that I stumbled upon a breaking point. It came as a deep gut conviction, a weary heartfelt and tear-filled prayer, and a holy call from my Lord. After an embarrassing…
God’s love will ignite the church’s future
Categories: OpinionWhen you live on the west side of the Rocky Mountains and sometimes feel isolated from the rest of the country, what does it mean to be part of our nationwide family of faith? This summer’s nationwide gathering in Abbotsford…
Healthy interpersonal confession
Categories: OpinionAs the saying goes, “Confession is good for the soul but bad for the reputation.” Have you ever wondered what Jesus thought about his reputation? Word around town alleged he was an illegitimate child, a glutton, traitor, blasphemer and drunkard…
Opioid crisis: A view from the inside
Categories: OpinionTimothy King found himself addicted to opioids when complications after surgery led to intense pain and serious illness. In Addiction Nation, he describes what it feels like to be trapped in a cocoon of addiction and how he was able…
What Rachel Held Evans taught me
Categories: Web First – OpinionSince Rachel Held Evans’s sudden death on May 4, the internet has been filled with tributes to the beloved Christian author and her work. Her willingness to be honest about her faith journey left many readers, especially those who grew…
Readers write: May 13, 2019 issue
Categories: OpinionA shotgun is ‘a tool to put meat on the table’ Re: “Swords into ploughshares, guns into art,” March 4, page 23. A great sculpture. Irian Fast-Sittler does great work; keep it up! But I do have a problem with…
Morden motorcycles
Categories: OpinionSummer is a time when many set aside time to explore. Pictured are five men on their motorcycles on Railway Street in Morden, Man., in 1913. From left to right on the motorcycles are: Isaac G. Brown, George G. Brown,…
Walking together
Categories: OpinionThis year, Mennonite Church Saskatchewan has been “deepening our walk with one another” as part of a three-year initiative to call us to deeper life with Christ, ourselves and our neighbours. In a report prepared by the regional church’s reference…
In court with ‘Clifford’
Categories: OpinionRecently, I attended a provincial court session. A released offender friend, “Clifford” (a pseudonym), had messed up rather significantly. It wasn’t a violent offence, but it was the third breach of his conditions. It was a reasonable assumption that the…
Readers write: April 29, 2019 issue
Categories: OpinionStory makes you wonder why church is actually leaving Re: “Church of the Way to leave MC B.C.,” March 4, page 15. The article says Church of the Way is joining the Evangelical Free Church of Canada (EFCC) because…
Experiencing God’s love affair with the world
Categories: OpinionSo I’m out walking in the beautiful spring sunshine and I pass a church that has a large empty parking lot with a sign that says “No Parking.” As I turn the corner, I see the official church sign that…
Can we talk about abortion?
Categories: OpinionAt a recent gathering of pastors, one man spoke of “a woman’s right to choose” with respect to pregnancy, then added, “I assume everyone here would agree with that.” In a room of Mennonite pastors, I was not so confident…
Harold Schmidt cook
Categories: OpinionWe “both have white uniforms,” joked Harold Schmidt in a letter to his girlfriend (later, wife) Enid Culp in 1942. Schmidt, left, was a cook at the Seymour Mountain conscientious objector (CO) service camp in British Columbia; Enid was in…
Hold them close
Categories: OpinionIt was a year ago now, when we were packing up our life in Manila, embracing in tearful goodbyes and embarking on a new path. On our departure day, our home was still full of our dear Filipino friends who…
What ‘confessing your sins to one another’ isn’t
Categories: OpinionConfession is primarily between the individual and God, as I wrote about last month. Yet Scripture encourages us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Why is this important, and how do we do this in healthy and…
Opinion/columns
