Let’s celebrate!
‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt. 19:19 NIV) In our frenzied, everyday lives, it’s essential that we celebrate important ministry anniversaries or family milestones that come along as we journey through the years that God has set aside for us. But with those celebrations—you guessed it!—comes the work of…
Readers write: July 7, 2014 issue
Keep national, area churches out of LGBTQ decisions The May 12 issue of Canadian Mennonite contains the recognition that the local congregation is gaining prominence within our denomination, both in the article “Mennonite churches caught up in ‘shifting stats’” by Dave Rogalsky and in the editorial “All ‘church’ is local” by Dick Benner. I trust…
Trouble with summer reading
I write this from what must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. We’re on a family holiday on one of the small Gulf Islands in British Columbia’s Strait of Georgia. I know; you’re already feeling sorry for me. I’m enjoying rest, playing with my kids, conversation with my wife and, sandwiched in small…
Diversity 101
This past spring, from March to May, I attended a series of classes at Spirit of Life Lutheran Church in Vancouver. The classes or “gatherings,” as they were called, were part of a program titled Caring for All Creation: Land, Water, and Our Communities. My partner Glenn was attending for class credit and since it…
Authority and influence
Cultural norms and values from one generation to the next are a moving target. While this isn’t a new concept, there are many challenges associated with the increased rate of change. Perceptions of authority and the shifting realities of influence are important as we consider the present and future church. The owner of a large…
Readers write: June 23, 2014 issue
Informed scientists agree global warming is man-made Stephen Kennel’s letter in the May 26 issue of Canadian Mennonite unwisely attacks editor Benner for suggesting Mennonites divest in fossil fuel industries. Benner is certainly correct in pronouncing the climate change problem urgent enough for us to try to reduce our carbon emissions. Kennel points to the…
Gathering under the Assembly tent
From July 3-6, our extended family of faith gathers underneath the Assembly “tent.” We welcome newcomers and greet old friends, drawing closer together through praise, worship, prayer, thought-provoking speakers and group discernment on matters of faith and life. Our time together culminates by sharing communion under one roof. Not so long ago, many families spent…
The deadly sin of envy
The green-eyed monster twined through my family tree in an almost funny way. It began with my 88-year-old grandmother. She was irritated because her older sister had just planted a garden. My grandmother was too unsteady on her feet that spring to do the same, and she fussed, “Why does she get a garden and…
How to plan your digital estate
The most surprising “friend” request I ever received on Facebook came from someone I knew only slightly. That may not seem unusual, except the person was dead. When I clicked the Facebook page, which has since been taken down, I found an unusual memorial. It spoke of being glad to be free of pain and…
Prayer is a way of being
As we seek to better understand how we attune ourselves to Divine Spirit, it’s helpful to look at how Jesus’ original disciples attuned themselves to the Holy Spirit. Acts 1 tells us how they prepared for Pentecost and reveals what they were doing that resulted in their Spirit baptism. “These [disciples] all with one mind…
