Gathering matters more than you think
I am a huge advocate for the local church. It is the gathering of people around the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus that frees our imaginations and forms our hearts to be a different kind of nation on the earth. Yet, it seems we often are pulled into the sexy idolatry of the…
The maize of peace
By avocation, I am an historian with a strong interest in global geopolitics, so it feels odd to be a subsistence farmer. I spend much of my time just meeting my daily needs, while hearing about wars in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere. Does my life ignore others’ pain? Could I do more? I constantly seek…
One more on unity and diversity
I’ve been writing this column for four-and-a-half years, and I’m sure I’ve used the same ideas more than once. In this, my last column, I return to the two core ideas that I get passionate about the most often. There is plenty of danger in a single story, and yet my story is not dissimilar…
Lessons from the medicine wheel
Each year, A Common Word Alberta brings Muslims and Christians together in Edmonton to plan an annual interfaith dialogue. As the facilitator of Mennonite Church Alberta’s Bridge Building network (a re-imagined role that continues the good work of Donna Entz, who retired in 2022), I have played a significant part in planning the last two…
Nothing new under the sun
In Ndebele, my language, we have a proverb that says, Inala kayihambi, kuhamba indlala. It says that times of abundant harvest are not reported, but times of hunger and famine make good news. Too true. All news worth reporting, in worldly standards, is that of horrendous happenings, such as wars and all forms of affliction…
Responding to God’s call
New Year’s Day is often a time we reflect on the events and experiences of the past year. It is also the time we look forward to what might lie ahead. At the beginning of 2023, I received an email from Terry Stefaniuk, who was then the moderator of Mennonite Church Saskatchewan. Terry asked if…
Seek the blessing of your city
“That’s great!” That is my usual response when I speak with individuals and churches who name a desire to engage their neighbourhoods more actively, or to be a mission presence in their community. And yet, at some point in every one of these conversations, I need to ask the question, “Why?” Why do you want…
The state of community in 2024
Last year was a tough one. Global concerns raged around us, including images of climate crisis and state-led violence that continued to swirl. I watched my church community formally come apart, by vote, in a deeply divisive scenario. Of course, there are many dynamics at play in such situations, but the element I find most…
The church cannot be silent
We have entered the days of Advent. It’s usually one of my favourite periods in the church calendar, but this year, the waiting is heavy. The candle is a tiny flicker in a world of darkness, and Christmas music rings false with its promises of joy and celebration. Advent hymns, like “Comfort, Comfort, O My…
False unity vs. true unity
In B.C. we’ve heard stories of churches in at least two denomina- tions choosing to use secondary or tertiary doctrines and opinions as litmus tests for belonging. These groups are doubling down on the wrong ways of trying to maintain unity. The more you focus on secondary sources of unity, the farther away you get…
