A new call for MC Canada
The Earth is in trouble. As I write, international leaders, scientists and activists are meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26, a forum discussing actions the worldwide community must take to address the ongoing effects of climate change, effects that threaten every creature on our planet. Even as world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic,…
Creation care resource a timely tool for congregations
Senior environmental studies students from The King’s University in Edmonton have compiled a creation care resource for Mennonite Church Canada congregations. “God’s Green Church: Becoming a Creation Care Congregation” is a 22-page document, sponsored by MC Canada’s Sustainability Leadership Group, that outlines practical steps churches can take to become more environmentally sustainable. “This resource provides…
Mennonite organizations look to help with B.C. forest fires
When the village of Lytton, B.C,. was nearly destroyed by wildfires in mid-August, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) B.C. was among those that moved to help. This is one of more than 260 fires in the province this summer that have burned 650,000 hectares, with hot temperatures, dry conditions and high winds exacerbating the situation. Lytton…
Making a difference
Forty-one acres in Campden, Ont., are being cultivated, planted and harvested for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, with sponsorships of $400 an acre helping to plant a crop for the Grow Hope Niagara project. When the harvest is sold, farmers will donate the money to the Foodgrains Bank through Mennonite Central Committee. MCC uses this money…
What does UN ‘peace’ mean?
“Making Peace with Nature” is the peculiar title of a scientific report recently tabled by the United Nations. That’s an attention-getting title for a peace-church eco-geek. My inquiring mind begs to know: How does the UN conceptualize “peace with nature” and how does its version compare with an Anabaptist understanding? Rooted in Scripture, Mennonites understand…
Greening the church
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Psa. 24:1) a congregation declares in its worship service. In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, this issue of the magazine carries the feature, “Avoiding an environmental shipwreck” by Tim Wiebe-Neufeld. As part of Mennonite…
‘Be It Resolved’ released
A new anthology published by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada and Mennonite Church Canada hit the press this fall. Be it Resolved: Anabaptists & Partner Coalitions Advocate for Indigenous Justice, 1966-2020 is a collection of more than 90 documents detailing commitments Anabaptists have made to Indigenous justice and decolonization since the 1960s. “I was aware of…
What is nature to you?
If you’ve ever invited me to go camping with you, you’ll know I’m not exactly what you would call “outdoorsy.” I enjoy nature, but I don’t really see the need to sleep in it, much less in a stuffy tent with sticks and rocks poking into my back. I feel the same about hiking—I’m just…
Confronting a drastic future
It’s been a month since Greta Thunberg—the 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden—came to my town for a climate rally. The Edmonton reception was decidedly mixed. One reception was evidenced by around 10,000 people who gathered at the Alberta legislature. Most were young people, since her main message is that global environmental change, including a changing…
Prayer for the List of Coming Disasters
This is a prayer we are reluctant to pray because it is so hard to name what we fear out loud. We go through our days trying to pretend that life as normal will continue forever, but that is harder and harder to sustain. And so we need this prayer where we lay out the…
