Green bench wisdom
The concept is simple. In a public place, an older adult sits on a green bench that is marked with the hashtag #ElderWisdom. Community members are invited to sit and engage in conversation about the senior’s life, experience and insights. Afterwards, community members can share about their experience on social media, using the hashtag. The…
‘God just isn’t finished with me yet’
I was raised in a family with Scottish Presbyterian roots, where no one talked about faith for fear of being “too religious.” We trusted that seniors had it all figured out and their faith carried them, although we would be stretched to say we understood how. I wonder sometimes about their experience with God and…
Readers write: June 18, 2018 issue
Unity starts with the fruit of the Spirit Re: “Ethics not the basis for Christian unity” letter, April 23, page 10. Walter Klassen states in his letter, “No matter how uncompromisingly we disagree on ethical issues, could we, as Christian believers, use that creedal confession [‘I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of…
CommonWord connections
Here are five ways to remain connected with CommonWord in our new regional church model: 1. Keep reading Many of us love a leisurely read on a summer beach blanket or in a hammock. Our 10th annual summer reading list might help you locate that perfect warm weather read. Or if summer is your chance…
A plan worth making
Like more than 51 percent of all Canadian adults, Roger (a pseudonym) did not have a will. As a child, he had been adopted into a wealthy family and, although he loved them deeply, he struggled to form a strong relationship with his siblings. They never became close. In adulthood, their connection faded even more,…
Is flirting necessarily a bad thing?
What is flirting anyway? When is it a problem? When is it a delightful social interaction? I’ve been pondering these questions for years since a friend surprised me with the words, “You are such a flirt.” Even though he spoke affectionately, I was taken aback, uncertain if such a label was accurate or wanted. At…
Epp Garage
The Epp Garage in Fiske, Sask., suffered a devastating fire. When material, like this photograph, comes to the archives with little or no information, we can often learn about it from its context—the other “stuff” that comes with it. But in this case there was no contextual information. We don’t know the family, owner, photographer…
Activate your core
It seems the majority of political, social and religious discourse today consists of knee-jerk reactions to the perceived agendas, biases, foolishness and dangerous “isms” of the “other.” This rampant reactivity makes constructive dialogue impossible. To make things worse, we all assume the log is in everybody else’s eye and the tiny speck is in our…
Still the same inside
For Anita Lehmann, home is the dementia unit at the Mennonite Nursing Home. But unlike most of the unit’s 29 other residents, Lehmann doesn’t suffer from dementia. When it became evident she needed care, Lehmann took the only room available in the 68-bed facility, which happened to be in what staff refer to as the…
