A year of re-visioning
This year—2017—will bring changes for members of Mennonite Church Canada, a denominational entity to be reconfigured into a proposed structure of five area churches doing the work of a denominational centre in Winnipeg. It is uncharted territory, to say the least. An Interim Council is already at work in fashioning the shape of this new…
‘I should ask Dad’
“It was here somewhere,” I said to my son Allan. “The Boese canning factory was over here, and over there was an orchard where we lived in our trailer until about 1962. It was near the dormitory for the workers. At least I think. I should ask Dad.” (Dad was Peter Rogalsky. He and Leona…
Readers write: January 2, 2017 issue
‘A timely rebuke’ to MC B.C.’s ‘professional’ church leaders Re: “No more closed doors” editorial, Nov. 7, 2016, page 2. Dick Benner hit the nail on the head with that timely rebuke! His emphasis on the fellowship grappling with issues as they emerge lies at the heart of community building. True leadership, in its many…
Hope across generations
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40: 30-31). In my new role as moderator of Mennonite…
Going home
One of the sweetest phrases in the Bible, “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14), is often heard at Christmas. With joy and gratitude, we celebrate the incarnation, God taking on human flesh in Jesus, and making a home with us. Similarly, the vision of Revelation 21:3 proclaims in The Message: “Look!…
Generosity superheroes
Superhero movies are all the rage. One website says it is the most popular movie genre around. We all want someone to put things right in turbulent times. Even Lego Batman might do. When we feel like things are spinning out of our control, we tend to hold on tighter to what we have. What…
Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 3)
One of the most overlooked fruits borne in the life of someone who genuinely follows the way of Jesus and lives in the Spirit, is wisdom. If we put into practice what Jesus teaches us, we will become increasingly wise. Wisdom was central to Jesus’ identity, even as a child. The only passage of Scripture…
CMBC choir
George Wiebe conducts the Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) choir in an impromptu song on a B.C. ferry while on tour in May 1966. The choir gave 24 performances in 17 days, and 39 of the 43 singers also spoke at these events. The tour was an important community-building event for the choir members, but…
Painting for community
In an ironic coincidence, ugly graffiti was sprayed on the outside wall of Edmonton First Mennonite Church the same day that teenagers from a local junior-high school painted a beautiful mural on walls inside the church late last year. “We got to paint on a wall!” exclaimed an enthusiastic student from Kelsey Nowaczynski’s Grade 8/9…
