Hope for a doubting disciple
We just got back from a church lunch. Sitting at our table was our young family, a couple in their early 30s and three people in their senior years: a couple and a widow. While our life situations were different, I am learning to pay attention to moments where young and old listen to each…
Top 10 online stories of 2016
In 2016 popular online stories on the Canadian Mennonite website dealt with gender identity, cohabitation, church institutions, and Mennonite history. Readers wanted to know about the growth of Old Order Mennonites communities in Ontario and the question of Mennonite historical involvement with Aryan ideology. They were interested in real people and their experiences with dementia,…
Shifting male roles
Doug Klassen, pastor of Foothills Mennonite Church, Calgary, Alta., served as Pastor in Residence at Canadian Mennonite University in late January and early February 2012. His presentation about the role of men in society at the CMU Monday forum sparked lots of discussion. He reflected further on the topic in a sermon at Foothills Mennonite…
The three blessings of June 17
As I swing my legs out of bed, with a hip-to-heel grumble from a sciatic nerve, I experience a moment of curiosity: What new thing will the day bring, what blessing will come? Saturday, June 17th, was such a day. It began a little sooner than most. Shortly after 6 a.m., I pulled into my…
Kenyan church leaders say prayers for controversial law
Kenyan Christian leaders said prayers at a national ceremony for the promulgation of a new constitution, although they strongly opposed the law in the referendum campaign that led to its adoption. Church leaders campaigned against the acceptance of the new constitution, saying it permitted abortion, entrenched Muslim courts and limited religious freedom. They are now…
The Spirit is moving our body
I knew everything would be okay as soon as the singing started. As I sat at a table positioned behind a small tower of crates half covered in cloth—a makeshift platform for the room’s main projector—I looked up from my detailed program schedule and smiled. Right, this is why we’re here. “Gathering 2019: Igniting the…
How to disagree with the beloved of God
Ian Funk remembers the last time he arrived on campus at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS)—how he walked into the guest house late at night and was welcomed by a fellow student sitting at the dining room table. People heard them exchanging greetings and popped out of their rooms. Within minutes, a group of students…
What did I get myself into?
Swirling around with ideas of strategy, focus, and “We used to do it this way,” change is messy. Grappling with the in-between is messy. Living in the liminal space between what was and what will be is messy, yet here we are, wondering, “What did I get myself into?” In acting, “being in the moment”…
Embracing the orphan at home
On page 35 of the Jan. 21 issue, Thorpe wrote “Advocating for the orphan” about international adoption. Now she looks at local adoption, and the story of a young couple who adopted two children. The cry of Christ is to love his people. The example he sets is unquestionable. He embraces those who are rejected…
