Refined, pared back, purified
In his book Transforming Mission, missiologist David J. Bosch famously pictured the church’s mission as “a ceaseless celebration of the Feast of Epiphany” with our life together, our prayers, our programs always “pointing to God, holding up the God-child before the eyes of the world.” We gather before the starlit cradle, where Zion’s light casts…
First draft
Professionals in the field of journalism have sometimes called their news content the “first draft of history.” News reporting pulls together facts—who, what, where, when, why, how—capturing an event, a moment in time. Sometimes the reporting is accompanied by analysis, sometimes by opinion. But the news gathering, and its dissemination, generally happens in a relatively…
A rich and diverse version of God
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stated: “We must face the fact that in America, the church is still the most segregated major institution in America. At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing, ‘Christ Has No East or West,’ we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation.” Presumably, the same has…
Readers write: January 4, 2021 issue
Relationships, not rituals, are what’s important Mennonite Church Canada’s online study conference, “Table talk: Does the church still have legs,” had thought-provoking talks. In Sara Wenger Shenk’s talk, she asked, “Why do instructions about how we do communion become more important than its meaning?” Theologians N.T. Wright and Bruxy Cavey remind me that one of…
Church needs to be like a choir
Happy New Year. In reflecting on the church for 2021, I’ve been impacted by my experience creating virtual choirs—those videos where choristers sing at home, into their phone, and the video and audio from that phone recording get put together into one cohesive choir. I have had a lot of interaction with choristers on how…
Year of wonders
I read with great interest the many articles about how different churches are responding to the pandemic and government restrictions. There are many! Because there are many ways for churches to respond both to the pandemic and to the restrictions. I have divided the various Canadian responses into two broad strands in my mind, although…
The joy connection
In 2013 I went on a pilgrimage to Scotland to explore my family roots and the “thin places” and sacred sites in the land of my ancestors. I arrived at the Glasgow airport shortly after 8 a.m. After landing, I immediately picked up my rental car and headed to my first destination. I hadn’t been…
Interculturalism and expectations
Expectations. We all have them. We have expectations of others, and expectations placed upon us. Meeting expectations can be especially conflicting when navigating between different cultures. I was born in Canada, where I have lived my whole life. I was also born to Hmong parents, so, consequently, I have been Hmong my whole life. Additionally,…
