Can we talk?
Are you finding yourself divided from loved ones in your family, church or neighbourhood on any number of challenging issues? Are you finding fewer opportunities to talk with others across differences? Are the chasms leading to heightened stress and fractured relationships? Do you wonder if this is the best we can do in our families…
Lessons from a Thai refugee camp
Back in 1988, my wife and I chaperoned 17 high school students on a trip to visit refugee camps in Thailand. We thought the students would learn about missions and life outside of Canada. We had no idea the experience would change us forever. Our first stop in Thailand was the remote Ban Vinai Refugee…
Sexsmith dormitory
This is a photo of the dormitory duplex at Sexsmith Bible Institute in Alberta. The building used to function as the meeting house of the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren at Bear Lake and the General Conference Mennonites at Wembley Ranch. What was the official name of the Bible institute that used this building and the church…
A perfect spot for gratitude…on the farm
Growing up, I never wanted to be a farmer. It seemed like farm machinery always had precedence over a new couch, curtains or nice shoes. Then I met my husband Bob at Rosthern Mennonite Collegiate in Saskatchewan, and he wanted to be a veterinarian. Naively, I never thought this would involve farming, so I taught…
Solitude and community
A peculiar thing happened to me last Sunday while I was on holidays. I felt a strong desire to attend a church service. Curious, to say the least. You see, by the time summer arrives, I’m usually churched out. As a pastor, church is not only my work life but a significant part of my…
Readers write: July 23, 2018 issue
Calling suicide selfish is uncharitable Re: “Suicide may not be painless, but it is selfish,” July 2, 2018, page 7. Victor Huebert writes that suicide “is a very selfish act and inconsiderate of family.” Really? Is it also selfish and inconsiderate to die of pancreatic cancer, a brain tumor, heart disease, or leukemia? Mental illness…
Regionalism is coming. No thanks!
I’m more and more dismayed by the regionalizing trajectory we seem to be on. From national and international politics to neighbourhoods and churches, it feels like we are contracting our boundaries rather than expanding. To be honest, it’s not so bad working in a silo. In fact, there are advantages. One can have real relationships…
Food and love are entangled
Like many women I know, my mother carries a deeply ingrained impulse to feed others. Once I watched her tend Penguin, her black and white tuxedo cat, clucking and fussing as she prepared and set food before him. To my eyes, the hefty Penguin was doing just fine, and the fuss seemed to be unnecessary.…
Mosquitoes are part of life
I recently told someone that our family holiday plans this summer included tenting for 10 days in northern Ontario. They replied, “Why on earth would you do that? That sounds awful.” Unfortunately that’s the same reaction I get when I tell certain people I go to church. I reflected on this last week while our…
Response to ‘From belief to belonging’
Update: In October 2020, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada announced the termination of the ministerial credentials of John D. Rempel, on the basis of ministerial sexual misconduct. To learn more, see ‘Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor.’ In her article “From belief to belonging” (July 2, 2018, page 4), Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe describes how open communion is on the rise…
