In the cross-hairs of change
“The times, they are a-changin,” belted out singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in the mid 1960s. While Dylan made the words a hum-them-all-day-long habit for many of his fans, those of us living more than a half-century later smile to ourselves and ask: “What’s new about that?” Change has been constantly a part of our lives if…
Who’s winning at church?
Over the past while, a number of people have inquired about my thoughts on a recent “Theology matters” study conducted by Canadian scholar David Haskell that draws a strong connection between theological conservatism in Canadian mainline Protestant churches and church attendance. According to the study, mainline Protestant churches that interpret the Bible more “literally,” hold…
Readers write: February 27, 2017 issue
Visit to the West Bank might enlighten letter writer Re: “MC Canada should retract BDS resolution and apologize to Israel” letter, Jan. 2, page 10. This letter is unfair and misleading. As a mover and author of the resolution, I am baffled by the false assertion that it grew out of complaints from West Bank…
‘The darkness of the womb’?
“[Y]ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. . . . ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). Oxford Dictionaries named “post-truth” as their Word of the…
In defence of masks
The subject of masks came up in the adult Sunday school class. Not literal ones, but the invisible ones we wear in an attempt to hide that which we don’t want to be seen. I ventured that such masks are unhelpful barriers, interfering with connectedness and intimacy. Quickly a woman responded, “We wear masks because…
Journey of generosity
“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. . . . [I]nstead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do…
Elmer Martens
Elmer Martens, kneeling bottom left, was born in 1930 in Main Centre, Sask. He went on to become a leading authority on the Old Testament. His career was based at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, but he also taught at numerous seminaries in North America and beyond. In addition to books, articles, preaching and pastoring, he…
Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 5)
The king was looking for someone possessing great wisdom to join his council of advisors. So he contacted the elders of the 12 regions of his kingdom and asked them to send their wisest man or woman to his palace to participate in a challenge. The winner would then be invited to join his council.…
New name, different ownership
The Mennonite Heritage Centre, including its archival and art gallery programs, is being reorganized under a new partnership and name. Discussions over the last months between Mennonite Church Canada, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), and the Centre for Transnational Mennonite Studies (CTMS) culminated in a proposal for CMU to assume full ownership of the Mennonite Heritage…
