Building a new thing
In April 2018, two U.S.-based Mennonite publications—The Mennonite and Mennonite World Review—announced plans to merge by 2019. The merger is the result of talks that started in 2016, and originally included this magazine. All three of us face the same challenges: declining revenue from subscriptions and advertising plus the need to build a digital…
Paving the way to the Promised Land
“You don’t go quickly from Egypt to the Promised Land,” quips Harold Schlegel. “The wilderness is where God forms us.” The wilderness Schlegel speaks of is the transition in a congregation’s life between one pastor and another. Church leaders suggest it’s a time that’s ripe for interim or transitional ministry. An interim pastor, hired for…
Readers write: June 4, 2018 issue
It’s not easy being single in the church There were never many girls my age at the Mennonite church in Scarborough, Ont., prior to my adolescent years, nor did my becoming a teenager make much difference. There were many personable Upper Canada College girls at the high school I attended. But Mom said, “No!”…
Living into all our relations
In these recent years of walking with our Indigenous neighbours, I have been both blessed and intrigued by the words of encouragement often expressed at the end of a talk: “All my relations.” My understandings of this saying come mostly from the reflections of Richard Wagamese, the Ojibway author of the book Indian Horse,…
From mountain to plain and back again
Mountaintop experiences. Those moments where God is undeniably present. When he shows up in power and glory. We are left riding high on a spiritual wave, convinced that God is at work in wonderful ways. What have your mountaintop experiences been? There are a few that jump to my mind. On one occasion, the…
Brubacher House opening
Tea is served on the front porch of Brubacher House Museum at its opening in 1979. The University of Waterloo, Ont., acquired the house and land to expand its campus. In 1968, the house suffered a devastating fire, but it was rebuilt with the help of Mennonite craftsman Simeon Martin. The university invited Conrad Grebel…
Let’s try talking to the ‘enemy’
I have a few observations to make about the open letter from the Mennonite Church Canada network of regional working groups on Palestine and Israel (“MC Canada working groups call for sanctions against Israel,” May 21, page 28). You will need to read this letter to understand and evaluate my comments. Taking sides When people…
Carrying seeds from Colombia to Palestine
Five years ago I set out on a journey with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), providing international accompaniment to human rights defenders in Colombia. (See “Levelling the playing field.”) Now, as I transition into new experiences with CPT in Palestine, I will take with me the following lessons I have learned from brave Colombian peacemakers: Keep sowing…
A picture of gradual decline
Often our society relies too much on numbers. In gravitating to quantification we tend to short-circuit the truth, which is nuanced and multilayered. But when it comes to our denomination, I would like to see more numbers. Specifically, how has overall giving to area/regional churches and Mennonite Church Canada changed over time? The charts here…
