Sharing baked goods by the dozen
Frieda Woelk loves to bake. When she gets up in the morning, she thinks, “What can I bake today?” Although she is in her mid-80s and lives in a seniors apartment in the Leamington (Ont.) Mennonite Home complex, she keeps very busy with cooking, baking and socializing. She is so busy that when her children…
Funk crop
Cornelius R. Funk shows plant growth in his new home in Menno Colony, Paraguay. In 1926, Funk and 1,785 other Mennonites from Saskatchewan and Manitoba left for Paraguay because they did not trust the Canadian government. New York banker Samuel McRoberts helped them sell their land and acquire new land. McRoberts saw successive waves of…
What’s in a name?
We eyed each other’s books and wondered who would ask the “Mennonite” question first. Our names, Donita Wiebe-Neufeld and K.V. Doerksen, were emblazoned across our books (Thirty Bucks and Blessed are the Dead, respectively), and since book sales were slow at the library, we had time to talk. Although we discovered some shared heritage, the…
Staying afloat in a sea of change
For some in Mennonite Church Canada, this might be a frightening time, as the denomination faces an uncertain future. It might be cold comfort, but you are not alone; most denominations in Canada are facing the same uncertainties today. I know this because last year I interviewed people who do fundraising for 15 Canadian denominational…
Deepening our faith journeys
“Jesus calls us to life-long journeys of faith—shaped in part by our age and stage in life. Faith practices are deepest and richest when our Christian community embraces and nurtures all these different ages and stages of our lives in a variety of contexts.” These words from an overview of the goals of the planners of…
Readers write: January 2, 2017 issue
‘A timely rebuke’ to MC B.C.’s ‘professional’ church leaders Re: “No more closed doors” editorial, Nov. 7, 2016, page 2. Dick Benner hit the nail on the head with that timely rebuke! His emphasis on the fellowship grappling with issues as they emerge lies at the heart of community building. True leadership, in its many…
Hope across generations
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40: 30-31). In my new role as moderator of Mennonite…
Going home
One of the sweetest phrases in the Bible, “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14), is often heard at Christmas. With joy and gratitude, we celebrate the incarnation, God taking on human flesh in Jesus, and making a home with us. Similarly, the vision of Revelation 21:3 proclaims in The Message: “Look!…
Generosity superheroes
Superhero movies are all the rage. One website says it is the most popular movie genre around. We all want someone to put things right in turbulent times. Even Lego Batman might do. When we feel like things are spinning out of our control, we tend to hold on tighter to what we have. What…
Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 3)
One of the most overlooked fruits borne in the life of someone who genuinely follows the way of Jesus and lives in the Spirit, is wisdom. If we put into practice what Jesus teaches us, we will become increasingly wise. Wisdom was central to Jesus’ identity, even as a child. The only passage of Scripture…
