Heinrich Winter
This photo tells the story of a congregation’s diaspora. The last ältester (ordained elder) of the Chortitza Mennonite Church in Ukraine was Heinrich Winter. The church was the first Mennonite congregation organized in Imperial Russia, and thrived up until the Soviet era, when the government made religious activities extremely difficult. In 1943, most of the…
Readers write: January 30, 2017 issue
Reader lauds ‘brilliant’ Christmas feature Re: “Spirit-heat to thaw your freezing blood” feature, Dec. 12, 2016, page 4. As my dental hygienist would say: “brilliant!” Thank you, Layton Friesen. May you enjoy a long and fruitful ministry. Wayne Nafziger, Alliston, Ont. Church goes nowhere when mired in talk of sexuality and abuse of power…
Unexpected consequences
When we as a church agree to help those in need and place our trust in God, we should anticipate unexpected consequences. As we serve, we might make new friends, learn a new skill or enrich our spiritual lives. God has unexpectedly blessed us by arranging us into congregations, area churches, a national church, schools,…
Healthy humility lightens the journey
I am in my 60s, as are many of my friends. Our parents, if they are living, are in their 80s and 90s, with the accompanying challenges and rewards of that season of life. The experiences of the parents impact their children significantly. Now, when I gather with my peers, we often talk about our…
Preventing prodigals
Many of us are familiar with the the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. There are great lessons in this story about grace and forgiveness, but I’ve never heard it used in the context of warning about giving children gifts before they are emotionally or spiritually mature enough to handle them properly. We…
Peter Toews
For much of Mennonite history, leaders were called from within the group to serve. This was in addition to working on their own farm or business to pay the bills. One of the longest-serving bishops of the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church, centred in Manitoba, was Peter A. Toews (1877-1961), pictured with his wife Maria Toews (1880-1970).…
Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 4)
How does one define wisdom? It’s difficult to put into words. Herman Hesse, in his classic novel, Siddhartha, writes: “Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish. . . . Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it,…
Readers write: January 16, 2017 issue
Being pro-Palestinian is not being anti-Jewish Re: “A better way than BDS?” letter, Nov. 21, 2016, page 10. One distinction that is often forgotten in discussions about Israel-Palestine is the difference between Jew and Israeli. The current State of Israel was brought about by violence after the Second World War. People who are citizens of…
All aboard for the future
The timing was tight. I had made it to the airport parking lot and was then shuttled to Terminal 1 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport to catch my flight to Winnipeg for yet another round of meetings with executive staff and moderators from each of the five area churches and Mennonite Church Canada. Security went…
Strengthen what remains
I wonder what it was like to be on the receiving end of those seven letters to the churches named in Revelation 2 and 3. The words of Jesus to fellowships in present-day western Turkey were both encouraging and at points sharp with direct challenge. Jesus is serious about the health and vitality of his…
