How strong is our DNA?
“Those of us who discovered Anabaptism experienced this encounter, as I did, as a homecoming,” wrote Stuart Murray in his now-famous book in our circles, The Naked Anabaptist (2010). “Here were other Christians who shared our convictions about discipleship, community, peace and mission.” Murray is back—as the keynote speaker at the upcoming annual meeting of…
Marriage in embodied mystery
Marriage has always been, and continues to be, a perplexing reality for Christians. From the Apostle Paul’s confusing advice to the more recent agonizing over divorce, Christian marriage has been plagued by anxiety and confusion. The conflicts in the church today are only the most recent chapter in millennia of struggle. Marriage has always been…
Readers write: April 11, 2016 issue
Jesus ‘affirms’ male-female marital unions Re: “What is ‘good’ and ‘acceptable’?” feature, Feb. 15, page 4. We are greatly encouraged by Darrin W. Snyder Belousek’s scholarly article on marriage. Using scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, he has convincingly shown that marriage as ordained by God is not negotiable: “The Jerusalem council, in redrawing membership boundaries…
Exciting times for our church
It is said that change is inevitable. As true as that might be, it doesn’t have to leave us powerless, for we always have a choice of how we decide to respond to it. In the four years I served as moderator of Mennonite Church Alberta and on the board of MC Canada, I observed…
Optimism in an age of ‘isms’
In 2015, for the first time in nearly two centuries of publication, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary chose a suffix as its word of the year. That word was “ism.” To name its winner, Merriam-Webster tracked two criteria: a high volume of look-ups and a significant year-over-year increase in look-ups. Who, pray tell, searches the meaning of suffixes?…
Mennonite plays
Dianne Bailey, Mary Bechtel and Beth Good play Mennonite pioneer women in the 1970 production of Trail of the Conestoga. Several ambitious drama projects were undertaken by Ontario Mennonites during this time, spurred on in part by Canada’s centennial in 1967 and a new emphasis on multiculturalism. The New Commandment by Barbara Coffman was produced…
Remembering Jesus’ Good Friday journey
It’s a Holy Week tradition by now in Abbotsford. On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, a local bookstore/coffee shop is packed with an audience enthusiastic to hear blues music telling of Jesus’ journey to the cross. And it’s all for a good cause. The Good Friday Blues Band, which forms each year only for this…
MC Alberta defers approval of Future Directions report
“Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” Chuck Neufeld’s confident voice set the tone for the 2016 Mennonite Church Alberta delegate assembly as he sang the theme words from Mark 4:50. Assured that where Christians gather, Christ is near, discussions at the annual general meeting were frank but constructive. Concerns around possible implications…
When the church listens
A new half-hour documentary gives voice to lesbian/gay/ bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ) people in Mennonite Church Canada congregations. Listening Church, which weaves together interviews with 22 LGBTQ people from across the geographic and age spectrum, was produced at the request of MC Canada leadership and was financed by $5,000 from an anonymous donor. Canadian Mennonite University (CMU)…
