Moving thinward (Pt. 4)
One of my atheist friends told me about a unique encounter with a “holy” man that ignited her spiritual awakening. She met a Buddhist monk visiting the city she lived in, and her friend offered to tour him around for the day. They were amazed at the monk’s sense of wonder and childlike excitement, he…
Readers write: May 11, 2015 issue
Polarizing sexual debate distresses reader I am distressed by the polarizing debate on sexuality in Mennonite Church Canada congregations. I wonder if adequate consideration is given to two questions that are central to a more productive dialogue: Is there cultural equivalence between the Old and New testaments and modern cultures? I find the biblical references…
Where are things not right in your world?
I have been caught by the need for justice in our world of late. I am on the e-mail list of Rabbis for Human Rights who are actively standing up for justice for all people who are getting a bad deal in Israel and Palestine. I just recently took in the Canadian Friends of Sabeel…
Do we love him?
My beautiful wife and I had the pleasure recently of leading a couple’s retreat on an island just off British Columbia’s mainland. It was a glorious weekend—sans kids for us—with glorious blue skies and majestic panoramic views of the coastal mountains. Precious memories. Nine other couples participated in the weekend. Some, like us, have been…
A different kind of disaster
My family and I often walk through the old-growth forests that surround the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus and then down to the waters of English Bay. There is lots to look for along the way: pileated woodpeckers and black-capped chickadees in the trees, slugs on the trails, and, when we get to the…
‘Burning bush moment’ leads to refugee children singing
It was a “burning bush moment” that got Marian Hooge Jones of Rosthern (Sask.) Mennonite Church started on her lengthy involvement with the sponsorship of refugee families from Myanmar (formerly Burma) living in refugee camps in Thailand. While glancing through a church bulletin one Sunday, she read that refugee sponsors were urgently needed by Mennonite…
Readers write: April 27, 2015 issue
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Bible’s answers were ‘cut and dried’? While I haven’t got any answers, I have been reading with interest the articles and letters about sexuality issues in Canadian Mennonite. All seem to be written with a biblical base by Spirit-led Christians but with widely differing and sometimes polar oppo-site points…
A unique synergy
“Yep, I have to get an annual membership.” That customer comment reflects growing excitement over CommonWord, the new resource venture of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), launched in January. While retail bookstores and service ministries within the wider church have experienced stress over the last decade, MC Canada’s online Resource Centre garnered…
What kind of God do you believe in?
On a lovely summer day while walking down the street, a young woman approached me and politely asked if she could show me a magic trick. Given a host of cues, I assumed she would lead into a conversation on Christian faith. Sure enough, after the magic trick with cards had been successfully, if a…
Developing our generosity skills
An early sign of spring in southern Ontario is seeing sports teams move their practices outside. The sight of children and youth in colourful uniforms on the soccer pitch is a sure sign that May is here. I am actively involved in our local soccer club and both my children have played for years. I…
