Beating hearts all year round
Over the past few months I have had the privilege of seeing a whole new side of camps, and this experience has only confirmed and strengthened my belief in the importance of a camp ministry for the broader church. Having been a camper, counsellor, Bible leader and kitchen volunteer, I thought there wasn’t much more…
Unity of the Spirit
Ephesians begins by blessing God for revealing the great mystery, namely, to “gather up all things in Christ” (1:10). Ephesians 2:11-22 then celebrates Christ’s making peace between strangers and enemies, breaking down walls of hostility through giving his life on the cross, thereby creating a “new human.” Fittingly, the exhortation to recipients of that grace…
Readers write: February 26, 2018 issue
God’s graciousness is ‘prior to our faith and love’ Re: “We know who we are,” Jan. 1, 2018, page 8. I find myself agreeing with Willard Metzger but wishing he had said more. I would say that God’s love for us precedes our love for God as the basis of the church’s unity; love for…
The nature of change
“Changes coming upon us / It keeps moving, moving around us. / Got to keep singing, knowing he loves us; / Got to keep joy in our hearts.” Those words from the song “Changes” by Jim Croegaert seem appropriate as I look forward to retirement in less than two months. But they also reflect this…
Tender times call for kindnesses
It was a tender time. Our 86-year-old mother had fallen ill and was hospitalized. Family members who lived nearby were keeping vigil at the hospital, consulting with doctors and caring for Mom’s basic needs, at points even helping her to eat. Those who lived further away were being regularly updated. All of us were praying.…
Moments of kindness
It wasn’t really a bad day, but there had been enough inconveniences to put me in a bad mood. I tripped and bruised my knee. The milk was sour, a fact I only discovered after it was in my mouth. I was stood up at a meeting I’d confirmed. The zipper on my jacket…
Change in the church is complicated
It was my first day on the job as associate pastor. I enthusiastically unlocked the door to my new office and was taken aback by the writing on the wall. Literally. There was a massive white banner hanging on the wall with a warning, handwritten in giant red letters, that read, “We don’t like change!”…
OK Economy Store
“In the spring of 1928, not quite 15 years after the settlement had begun, Jake Funk opened the new red-brick store on a prominent corner of Main Street in Blaine Lake, Sask. It had high steps leading to the front door and a bright red-and-white sign above it that read ‘OK Economy Store.’ In front,…
Witness workers to be funded for the next three years
Transition plans, storytelling and navigating change were all part of the Jan. 27-28, 2018, weekend when the Mennonite Church Canada Joint Council convened at Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond. This was the second time that the Joint Council has met since the October 2017 special assembly in Winnipeg. In business meetings, the Council approved a…
