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Lifted by laughter
“Dad, would you rather give up coffee or potatoes for the rest of your life?” This is a game my 16-year-old son likes to play with me. Pitting things I like against one another, to see which one I’ll choose. Coffee has been the champ for a while now. “Potatoes.” He continued. “Okay, coffee or…
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A second helping of grace
I recently visited a church on communion Sunday and watched with delight as a child approached the table not once but twice. He was hungry, it seemed, and the table was open for folks to help themselves. Grinning, he returned to his pew with a second helping of grace. The scene brought me back seven…
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Never Alone
As a child, I had a deep sense of faith and a strong connection to God. I benefitted from being the fourth generation of my mom’s family to participate in Waterloo-Kitchener United Mennonite Church. But as I grew older, I began to struggle with organized religion and the hate that came from many involved in…
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Gifts for the church
Gloria* communicated with loud and disruptive noises. Her face was disfigured. Everything about my mother’s cousin revealed her disability—and yet one gesture reflected her ability to love. Gloria was born at a time when people with developmental disabilities were ostracized from society. I rarely saw her, even though her father went to the same church…
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Life in the 90s
Angus Martin, 96, is a retired mechanic and teacher. He was married to Florence Martin, who died in 2016, and is the father of Bryan Martin and the late Bonita Martin (who died in 1982). Angus Martin has attended Hamilton Mennonite Church since 1964. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What is your earliest…
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The art of living
I was recently at a conference that required me to spend time commuting by train. One day, I noticed a strange thing: a young man reading a book. With a cover and pages and everything. The bare fact of this fascinated me. Who reads books anymore? Almost everyone else was either staring at their phones…
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Just as interested in life
Hugo and Doreen Neufeld, 84 and 88 respectively, co-directed the Welcome Inn Community Centre in Hamilton before they were both ordained. Doreen was one of the first ordained Mennonite women in Canada. They are now deacons at Trinity Mennonite Church in Calgary. What is your earliest memory of church? Doreen: I remember being about three or…
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The blessings of life with Opa
Throughout my 20s, I’ve struggled with feeling “behind.” Whether it’s marriage, finances or career success, I’m tempted to look at the blessings others have and to resent the fact that I don’t have the same things. It’s not that there are set paths—people in my generation choose incredibly diverse ways of life. And yet, as…
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A localized pilgrimage
As I write this, the birds are flying south. Their migration has me thinking about pilgrimage. I wonder about Mennonite understandings of pilgrimage, and what place pilgrimage might have in our lives and faith. For much of Western Christian history, pilgrims went from their home to a sacred place, often one where the relics of…
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Follow the water
It’s Sunday afternoon, and I’m staring at a storm drain. The “Adopt-A-Drain” website led me here. The commitment seems simple. Name the drain, check it regularly and clear debris before and after storms. The promise? Cleaner rivers and less flooding. I name it “Singing in the drain.” Others in my neighbourhood include “Catherine the Grate”…
