Dusty Bibles?
Dusting off our Bibles for assembly?
If indeed they are dusty, something has gone wrong for the people of the Book.
Editorial
Wrestling with the ‘powers’
His voice was anxious. Member of Parliament Paul Calandra was on the other end of the line. From his office in Ottawa, he seemed uncomfortable with the interview, hesitating, from time to time, to answer my questions. There were several mixed messages.
Are we an endangered species?
Are our Mennonite institutions an endangered species? Are they headed for extinction in this post-Christian era when the emphasis seems to be more on “spiritual” than “religious”?
Big box churches
Springtime was in full theatre as we travelled back from Virginia on a Sunday morning recently after a week’s break. Viewing the redbud, dogwood and lilacs providing the backdrop for lush green meadows was as much worship as meeting with the saints in song, scripture and sermon. We turned off the radio and drove in silence, soaking in all the beauty.
Still strangers among us?
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV).
Still in need of a village square
Graeme Stemp-Morlock
This is the time of year when Canadian Mennonite’s 12 board members gather for their annual meeting to look backward and forward to see how the national publication has met the needs of its readers, has ongoing financial viability and is meeting the challenges of a New Media age.
Evangelism redefined
“True evangelical faith is of such a nature it cannot lie dormant, but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness and fruits of love; it dies to flesh and blood; it destroys all lusts and forbidden desires; it seeks, serves and fears God in its inmost soul; it clothes the naked; it feeds the hungry; it comforts the sorrowful; it shelters the destitute; it aids and consoles the sad; it doe
Martyrs Mirror as totem
Mennonite poet and writer Julia Spicher Kasdorf wonders why Martyrs Mirror, the “big unreadable book,” as she calls it, is making a comeback in her generation of young Mennonites.
Letter to my children and grandchildren
To my family,
Since our Saskatchewan correspondent wanted to write about caring for seniors in the church (p. 4), I wanted to share some personal thoughts triggered by her investigation. I hope you don’t mind my getting a little more “philosophical” than usual.
Our naked selves
Stuart Murray, the “outsider” Anabaptist, is making his rounds in our circles with his book The Naked Anabaptist and Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest, is making his way into our book studies and religious consciousness with his newest book The Naked N
Listen to our prophets
Reflecting recently on 57 years of writing as “an icon of Canadian literature,” Ruby Wiebe told an overflow audience at Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., that one of the lessons learned in all of his storytelling was that “Mennonites tended to always view their neighbours—whether in the Ukraine, Paraguay or the western Canadian Prairies—as
Bergen, Braun re-assigned
Rachel Bergen, national correspondent, has been re-assigned as co-editor of Young Voices, and New Order Voice columnist Will Braun has been hired as senior writer. Both will work out of their locations in Winnipeg. The new positions were effective Jan. 1.
A matter of the heart
As we enter the year 2012, one of my goals for Canadian Mennonite and for its primary readership—members of the faith community of Mennonite Church Canada—is to maintain a high level of conversation that fills the pages of this publication.
What about proof-texting?
An Ontario pastor raised the question of not defining proof-texting and challenged my guideline of wanting only “new information” when calling for a “reasoned discussion” on sexuality, in his letter to the editor, “Let the Bible speak on sexual matters,” Nov. 28, page 13.
Enduring words for Advent
“Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Psalms 2:1-2; Acts 4:25-26)
In solidarity with the 99 percent?
What are we to make of the Occupy Wall Street movement gathering steam in North American cities and around the globe?
A reasoned discussion
“Enough already.” I can already hear groans of despair as we, once again, open up the conversation about sexuality in all of its manifestations. In a search of our database, our managing editor, Ross W.
Try a little thanks-living
How is it that we have turned our one national holiday asking us to give thanks into a day of self-indulgent feasting, marching bands and watching tough guys beat up on each other while chasing a football down the field?
Hearing young voices
As a person old enough to be their grandparent, I have to be careful with my words about young people. Having grandchildren of my own, I have learned, sometimes the hard way, to regard the boundaries which respectfully guard the integrity, identity and idealism of the younger generation.
Ten years later
The question isn’t, “Has our world changed since that fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001?” It is rather, “How have we changed 10 years after?”
Food as faith formation
What is it with Mennonites and food?
A new Mennonite archetype
I have never met César García, but I am impressed with his story as told by Meetinghouse freelancer Kathy Heinrichs Wiest on page 4. García is the general secretary-elect of Mennonite World Conference.
Assembly’s afterglow
Maybe it was the downright gorgeous summer weather before the heat wave swept into central and southeastern Canada. Maybe it was the powerfully inspired music led by Paul Dueck and his gifted musicians in University of Waterloo’s Humanities Theatre.
Time for the family to ‘pony up’
Although the thousand delegates and locals attending the annual assembly of Mennonite Church Canada represent only 3 percent of our 32,000 members, the event has the feel and dynamic of a family reunion.
A teachable moment
Have we learned anything about resolving church conflict in the past 50 years?
After reading the painful account of the German/English language dissension resulting in several congregational splits (“Changing the language of worship is a test of love,” page 4), our faith community should take a contemplative look at how to redeem this blot on our past.
Pages
