Hybrid church
When you hear the words “church,” the first thing that pops into your head is probably not “tech team.” And yet, as we’ve lived through two years of pandemic worship, those folks operating the video camera, microphones and the Zoom controls have been vital to the church’s life together. The people managing the congregation’s YouTube…
The way is made by walking
Lately I’ve had a lot of trouble concentrating. This past week I have spent far too many hours staring at my computer screen without much progress being made. When this happens, I find myself staring at my to-do list, expecting things to take care of themselves, and being surprised when, at the end of the…
Readers write: May 30, 2022 issue
Creation-care article praised by reader Re: “ ‘All of a sudden there’s buds on the trees,’ ” May 2, page 16. This insightful article reveals a truth that has become increasingly recognized over the past years—that time spent outdoors improves learning by increasing the ability to be attentive and stay on task. This is particularly important at…
When the ‘grey’ is not holy
Life is complicated. And this means “issues” are complicated. The Bible doesn’t give us as “black and white” a picture of life and faith as some of us might wish. In fact, that’s one of the beautiful things about the Bible: It presents human experience in all its messiness. The older I get, the more…
Evangelism congress
In 1966, Christianity Today magazine sponsored the World Congress on Evangelism, held in West Berlin from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. It brought together 12,000 invited delegates from a hundred countries. The events were chaired by Carl F.H. Henry and Billy Graham. John M. Drescher reported on the event in a series of articles in…
What holds us together?
My father cleaned out his bookshelves recently, and I acquired some more books about Mennonite history. One is a book I read with great interest when it came out in 1988, Why I Am A Mennonite. Almost every chapter is written by a Mennonite with a very traditional Russian or Swiss Mennonite last name. As…
Going to the mountain
With the new Mennonite hymnal Voices Together (VT) recently released, many are eager to learn about the context of pieces within the collection. This column will tell the stories behind resources in VT. It will highlight songs and resources that reflect Anabaptist theology, come to us from Mennonites in many parts of the world, and…
‘Godfidence’ and confidence
“Godfidence” is trusting God is in control and that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Godfidence is trusting that all things, even difficult and painful things, can work together for good, if we tune into the Spirit who is at work in us. Godfidence is an essential attitude and approach to…
Forum equips pastors to care for LGBTQ+ people
Queerness and theology do not always play well together. Ever since the word “homosexual” entered the English-language Bible (1946, RSV,) many of our own local, western Christian groups have been working hard to exclude LGBTQ+ folks from the family of God. This intentional exclusion and constant discrimination has resulted in high rates of suicide and…
