Five pastoral callings
A quiet, years-long journey. A voice speaking in a mosh pit full of teenagers. A love for the church. An unexpected second career. These are just some of the ways that Mennonite Church Canada pastors from across the country entered into pastoral ministry. Pastors shared with Canadian Mennonite their stories of pastoral calling and what…
Parting thoughts
My adventure with Canadian Mennonite began in October 2013, when I stepped into the newly created role of web editor. In March 2017, I became executive editor, teaming up with Tobi Thiessen, who began as publisher. Thinking back over the past nine years, I’m considering some lessons learned along the way. There were the basics:…
Readers write: October 31, 2022 issue
Protest organizers accused of ‘revisionist history’ Re: “The sweet solace of polarization, Part 2,” Oct. 17, page 20. While the protest organizers may have believed they did a “good job of respecting the rights of others,” and that “honking was controlled,” I’m afraid that’s revisionist history. The protest included honking at all hours and protesters…
Eco-theology: On Earth as it is in Heaven
Our shared home, planet Earth, is a miracle. I’ve known this intuitively since I was a child growing up under the expansive skies of the Saskatchewan prairies. Stunning sunsets, stars, aurora borealis, long winter nights and long summer days with brilliantly clear skies, thunderstorms rolling in from a distance. All of this was a source…
David K. Jantzi
David K. Jantzi came from an Old Order Amish family. He felt obligated to become a conscientious objector during the Second World War because “the church required it.” In his second year of alternative service, his personal attitude changed, as he realized that “non-resistance is much deeper than not going to war.” A cabinet maker…
‘There’s enough for all’
“Jesus had a lot to say about money, but the songs we sing in worship rarely do.” These words from the album description of Bryan Moyer Suderman’s 2007 album, My Money Talks, provide a snapshot into the goal of the album: to intentionally provide songs for churches that help them talk about money. The songs…
Kelowna church celebrates 75 years of faithfulness
Members and friends gathered to mark the 75th anniversary of First Mennonite Church, Kelowna, in a celebration service on Sept. 11. The service was a time of reflection on the church’s identity as an Anabaptist congregation, the individual and collective history of worship and service, and a renewal of the church’s commitment to the vision…
The end is probably nigh, but I’m optimistic
This summer, I met a wildlife conservationist named Leo. His life passion began in California as a young adult, when he joined the California Condor Recovery Program. In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left in the world. Today, thanks to the efforts of people like Leo, there are more than 500 California condors.…
What you see is what you get
“When L’Arche comes, the lack of pretense, the joy, the enthusiasm, the simple faith and the light in Jesus, it was and is so refreshing,” says Ryan Dueck, pastor of Lethbridge Mennonite Church. He has thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between his congregation and L’Arche Lethbridge, which has been cherished for three decades. “I slid into…
