Opinion

'This call to deepen our walk with one another calls for the kind of courage we may not possess in and of ourselves.' (Image by Sasin Tipchai/Pixabay)

Walking together

This year, Mennonite Church Saskatchewan has been “deepening our walk with one another” as part of a three-year initiative to call us to deeper life with Christ, ourselves and our... Read More
May 8, 2019 | Opinion | Andrea Enns-Gooding

'In a bleak setting, I was given a glimpse of compassion, determination and hope.' (Image by succo/Pixabay)

In court with ‘Clifford’

Recently, I attended a provincial court session. A released offender friend, “Clifford” (a pseudonym), had messed up rather significantly. It wasn’t a violent offence, but it was... Read More
May 8, 2019 | Opinion | Ed Olfert

“Why did Jesus praise this woman for pouring out the costly perfume when the proceeds of its sale could have helped many poor people in their town?” (Image by Luisella Planeta Leoni/Pixabay)

Costly perfume

On April 15, dramatic images of Paris’s burning Notre Dame Cathedral captured worldwide attention. Nearby, local citizens and tourists stood singing and praying in grief. Could it... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Editorial | Virginia A. Hostetler

Readers write: April 29, 2019 issue

Story makes you wonder why church is actually leaving Re: “ Church of the Way to leave MC B.C. ,” March 4, page 15. The article says Church of the Way is joining the Evangelical... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Various Contributors

‘In our Canadian context, growth is not happening. How then do we think about our role? Do we need to water more? Do we need to plant in a different space?’ (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)

Experiencing God’s love affair with the world

So I’m out walking in the beautiful spring sunshine and I pass a church that has a large empty parking lot with a sign that says “No Parking.” As I turn the corner, I see the... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Ken Warkentin

‘In our churches are people who have experiences with abortion. How does the church provide support, compassion and understanding?’ (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)

Can we talk about abortion?

At a recent gathering of pastors, one man spoke of “a woman’s right to choose” with respect to pregnancy, then added, “I assume everyone here would agree with that.” In a room of... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Melissa Miller

Photo: Harold J. Schmidt / Mennonite Archives of Ontario

Harold Schmidt cook

We “both have white uniforms,” joked Harold Schmidt in a letter to his girlfriend (later, wife) Enid Culp in 1942. Schmidt, left, was a cook at the Seymour Mountain conscientious... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Laureen Harder-Gissing

‘We are an extroverted pastoral family, with doors always open to friends and family. And we love that! But we also covet the closeness of our unit and are sure to prioritize time together.’ (Image by waldryano/Pixabay)

Hold them close

It was a year ago now, when we were packing up our life in Manila, embracing in tearful goodbyes and embarking on a new path. On our departure day, our home was still full of our... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Christina Bartel Barkman

Some forms of communal confession, like “open mic” confession, can be hurtful and destructive to the community and individuals involved, Troy Watson writes. (Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians/Pixabay)

What ‘confessing your sins to one another’ isn’t

Confession is primarily between the individual and God, as I wrote about last month . Yet Scripture encourages us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Why is this... Read More
April 24, 2019 | Opinion | Troy Watson

'If we “do” welcome well, those first impressions might lead visitors to stick around and become “one of us.”' (Image by StockSnap/Pixabay)

First impressions

Confession: I once shooed a visitor away from “my” bench at church. (I was saving a spot for my husband.) Fortunately, the visitor stayed and I could apologize for my thoughtless... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Editorial | Virginia A. Hostetler

Readers write: April 15, 2019 issue

Mennonite camps exist outside of Ontario and Manitoba Re: “Focus on Camping,” Feb. 18, pages 23-28. One might think from reading these stories that no Mennonite camps existed west... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Various Contributors

Photo: David L. Hunsberger / Mennonite Archives of Ontario Mission Photo Collection

Didsbury drawing

In 1893, Kitchener, Ont., businessman Jacob Y. Shantz secured land from the government and railway, and he promoted the Didsbury, Alta., settlement to eastern Mennonites. The West... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Laureen Harder-Gissing

'In the coming weeks, we move together towards the cross, reaffirming the presence of the resurrected Christ in our midst, and therefore reaffirming whose we are.' (Image by Gerd Altmann/Pixabay)

Whose are we?

“It isn’t the authority which is given to me, but the authority under whose I am,” was the answer of a friend when I asked, “So what is it like to wear a clerical collar?” In... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Cathrin van Sintern-Dick

'Each one present... was told about the particular gifts and strengths that he or she brought to make this Circle strong and holy while being offered juice and crackers.' (Image by Ana Segota/Pixabay)

Holiness doesn’t demand perfection

Towards the end of 2006, I burned out as a full-time minister. I had failed to find adequate supports for my introverted spirit in an extroverted role. I chose not attend the... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Ed Olfert

Our verbal and physical expressions of support are often enhanced at wider social gatherings.

MW Canada theme puts words into action

“Women walking together in faith“ is such a fitting theme as I observe life around me this Easter season. The “walking together” part, which carries echoes of the two disciples... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Janette Thiessen

Among the tour options at Mennonite Church Canada’s assembly in 2016 in Saskatoon was a bus trip to the Shekinah Retreat Centre. (Photo by Irma Sulistyorini)

Gathering 2019 is for the whole family

I have many fond memories of attending our annual national events over my lifetime, beginning in my youth at Great Treks and then as a young adult at assemblies. I remember... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Heidi Epp

Should we fear the future of technology?

How should Christians respond to the technology that seems to be taking over our lives? Should we welcome new technology as beneficial or should we be afraid of the future it will... Read More
April 10, 2019 | Opinion | Barb Draper

'As someone who embraces this countercultural message of Jesus, I still hear his voice today challenging the idolatry of gun culture.' (Image by 470906/Pixabay)

No more of this!

One morning in the second full week of Lent, I woke up to the first sign of Easter. It had been a dreary season of violence. In the beginning of March, a shooter injured six... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Editorial | Virginia A. Hostetler

Readers write: April 1, 2019 issue

Thoughts for the Easter season The season of Lent and Easter is a time of mystery and power. God is much bigger and more than a warm security blanket wrapping the Earth, and... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Various Contributors

“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Image by corinna-kr/Pixabay)

Interdependence

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV). Most likely, you have heard these words during... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Jason Martin

Photo: Mennonite Archives of Ontario

Graduating class

This adorable, and very formal, group is the “graduating class” of the Steinmann Mennonite Church Kindergarten in Baden, Ont., in 1964. The Kindergarten was started in 1962 by the... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Laureen Harder-Gissing

'I am bothered by the ongoing negative messages about aging. Even more so, I am bothered that I share them in some ways... Our dominant culture fears aging and devalues the aged.' (Image by Free-Photos/Pixabay)

Can we talk about ageism?

A Winnipeg winter has many pleasures: plentiful sunshine, thick river ice for skating, cozy cafés and a wealth of artistic treasures. A Winnipeg winter is also long and... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Melissa Miller

'I pray that the church will wholeheartedly welcome every individual with open, gracious and caring arms and show the love of Jesus to each.' (Image by MetsikGarden/Pixabay)

Equally welcome

The other day I hosted a diverse group of women from church: some single, some widowed, some married with kids, some married without kids, some in their 20s and some in their 80s... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Christina Bartel Barkman

'Confession isn’t about convincing God to forgive me. It’s letting God shine a light on everything that hinders me from becoming the person God created me to be.' (Image by Ralf Mühe/Pixabay)

Confession as a personal spiritual practice

This Lenten season I find myself reflecting on the spiritual discipline of confession. What does a healthy practice of confession look like both individually and collectively?... Read More
March 27, 2019 | Opinion | Troy Watson

‘Sometimes the vision for the trip hasn’t been very clear. Who’s driving this car and where are we going?’ (Photo by Rudy and Peter Skitterians/Pixabay)

Are we there yet?

Do you remember those family car trips? In the front seat, Mom and Dad are navigating, driving and planning for the next pit stop. In the back seats, kids are staking out their... Read More
March 13, 2019 | Editorial | Virginia A. Hostetler

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