Broken boundaries
The allegation of sexual abuse at a church camp (on page 13) reminds us of the sad reality that sexual abuse touches the church community in profound ways. The example of Christ and our peace theology compel us to recognize and to address the violence that happens in our midst. In the past, Canadian Mennonite…
Tending the in-between spaces
In the midst of significant structural change in Mennonite Church Canada, a group of Canadian Mennonite University students came together in December 2015 around the question, “Do young people care about the future of the church?” This initial gathering generated surprising energy among the participants. Soon a group of 15 of us began gathering over…
Readers write: September 10, 2018 issue
Carbon tax more effective than pipeline protest in curtailing oil use I have to admit that my initial reaction to the news of the arrest of Steve Heinrichs was negative (“Mennonite arrested at Kinder Morgan pipeline protest,” May 7, pages 18-19). But after reading his “Burnaby Mountain Prayer Witness: Background & FAQ” document (bit.ly/2AYHTGn),…
Living in the best of times
The church in North America is shrinking. We see signs of it everywhere. God is pruning back his church. We have a choice to frantically hold on to all that is dying or to pay attention to what Jesus is doing and join in with his new growth initiatives. It is difficult to remember that…
Milk first, then the solid food
“When you’re lonely, Jesus rescues!” our kids cried out in enthusiastic unison. Spurred on by a pair of gregarious and silly characters trapped on a deserted island, the children were pumped. It was our Vacation Bible School week. On each of the five days, there was a different life situation highlighted—when you’re lonely, when you…
Following my mother’s example
Growing up in a Mennonite home, I cherished baking and cooking as integral parts of my life. As a young girl, I was often surrounded by the smells of delicious homemade baked goods—bread and zwieback, perishky and platz (rolls, fruit pockets and fruit squares, respectively). My mother expressed her loving service through baking and cooking,…
Diana’s Sugar Rolls
Diana Shaw grew up watching her mother express love and caring by preparing and sharing food. Diana says, “This recipe from my mother is easy to make; it can be frozen, thaws quickly, and is easy to eat!” It makes approximately 90-100 sugar rolls, depending on the size. (Read “Following my mother’s example” here.) 1½ tbsp.…
George Neufeld’s letters
George Neufeld worked in England, France and Germany after the Second World War, from 1946 to 1948. He wrote in his diary on Monday, Jan 7, 1946: “Received letter from Helene dated Dec. 6. I wonder what all has happened since then.” Sunday, Jan; 13: “Wrote a 20-page letter to Helene. Am lonesome for her.”…
Waiting watchfully ends well
“Wait watchfully,” wrote Rainer Maria Rilke in a prose poem he penned around 1895, which my husband and I read on an autumn morning during our quiet time a couple of years ago. Sounds much like Thich Nhat Hahn’s mantra to “live mindfully” in our scattered and speeded-up world, we agreed, something we first read…
