Stepping outside the comfort zone
I had the pleasure of leading the Leaders in Training (LIT) and Advanced Camper Experience (ACE) programs at Hidden Acres last summer. Both programs offer youth a chance to further develop leadership skills, study the Bible, build community, spend time outdoors, and learn the ins and outs of serving at camp. Taking on the role…
A Bible full of stewardship
I have been fortunate not to have to wear glasses to correct my vision for most of my life. But like many others who have reached a certain age, I now need glasses in order to read or see anything up close. For a time, I was managing to get by with a few pairs…
Marching to Zion
The streets are packed. Hordes of people move at once, criss-crossing over the smooth stone streets and deftly navigating down many stairs. Vendors shouting in Arabic call from all sides, selling vegetables, clothes, toys, herbs and household goods. The air is heavy with the smell of people and spices. Occasionally I get a whiff of…
The downside of digital
Some days I would like to just unplug my computer, walk out into the sunshine and warmth of an autumn day, breathe in the clear air and pretend I was living in a time before the Internet. Find a close friend and chat face to face, rather than “like” his thoughts on Facebook. Wouldn’t it…
We need to regain our sense of wonder
We’re at a fun and befuddling stage of life. We have little children, our youngest is just six months, and teenagers. I enjoy both, and the opportunity to escape one for the other at times. I love the debates and conversation you can have with a teenager. You have to hit the right moment—and topic—but…
In conversation with an atheist
Norm Goertzen recalls falling silent for 20 seconds, his coffee cooling. His atheist friend, whom he had been trying to convert for some time, waited. It would be a critical moment in an ongoing conversation between the two thoughtful 18-year-olds. At the end of the pause, Goertzen said, “You know, you’re right. I think I…
Moses Mugisha’s gift of song to God
Born in the African country of Rwanda, Moses Mugisha and his family moved to Tanzania, because of poverty and other circumstances. They lived there as refugees for almost six years. “I always loved to sing. I would find myself walking long distances just to get to church to practise, and then again the next day…
