Belong, believe and behave
Which of these is most important to be a follower of Jesus: belonging, behaviour or belief? This is not a trick question, so chew on this one for a while and dissect its nuances before moving on too quickly. In his very helpful book, The Change in Conversion and the Origin of Christendom, Alan Kreider…
‘Install’ just may be the right word
“I’m not an appliance or computer program!” That’s a comment I’ve heard from ministers as we planned an installation service in their new congregation. “Can’t we find a better word than ‘install’ to describe what we’re doing?” It’s a question I’ve pondered as area church minister, and one I invite you to ponder with me.…
Readers write
Money or God: Which do we love more?
COMMENTARY: The revolution is upon us
Religious historians say that every 500 years, Christianity goes through a “massive transition,” as noted religion writer Phyllis Tickle puts it. Around 500 A.D., “barbarians” sought to subjugate Rome by wiping out its underlying religion. Christianity went underground. In abbeys like Iona, monks painstakingly copied Scripture and civilization’s great writings, in effect saving Western civilization…
Across generations
Since last summer I have been responding to a rich crop of invitations to discuss healthy ways of grandparenting and relating across generational divides. I’m enjoying the ride. Rewarding conversations with old and young have ensued. I’ve learned about many creative ways grandparents stay in touch with their grandchildren, and I’ve made some new young…
He chose to be generous
Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC) recently completed the printing of Giving Your First Fruits: Money, Faith and Worship, which contains the collected writings of Edwin Friesen.
Navigating the currents of ethical judgment
I cohabited with my husband before we got married. Not in the current form of lovers sharing a home together as a preamble—or alternative—to marriage. Our cohabitation involved sharing a residence, but not a bedroom, with a dozen others. At the time, we were exploring communal living and were influenced by Acts 2:44 and by…
Readers write
Editorial sets up false dichotomies
Can grief be a mental illness?
Each year 90,000 parents in the U.S. confront the profound suffering that follows the death of a child or adolescent. Some of those rely on faith to help them through their grief. Others look to psychiatrists, who offer therapy or prescribe antidepressants to help ease their patients’ pain. On Saturday (May 18), in a…
Sorry, sad or glad . . . it’s better together
“Write about things that make you glad, sad or sorry,” advised a Facebook friend recently, after I asked for writing ideas for this page. But, truth be told, I was really wondering how to start on something that was already swirling around in my mind and weighing down on me. My topic involved relationships within…
