Easter reflections
We asked 10 people for their most meaningful Easter memory, or an image that best captures the essence of Easter, or what Easter makes them wonder. Holy Week turtle soup When I lived in the Colombian community of Mampujan, I was part of planning a commemorative event to mark 12 years of displacement. Armed groups…
Local artists make Stations of the Cross public
During Holy Week, bright pops of colour appeared in a downtown alley amid the brown slush and litter of a Winnipeg spring. A group of artists from the congregation of Home Street Mennonite Church created their own versions of the Stations of the Cross and pasted them on the exterior…
Trusting the Easter story
I have a vivid childhood memory of hearing my mother read C.S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Chapters 14 and 15 tell the story of the battle between life and death: the horrific killing of the hero, Aslan, the grieving of his faithful friends, and his triumphant emerging into life once…
Making connections through paska
Nutana Park Mennonite Church in Saskatoon came up with a creative way to celebrate Easter and care for their congregation at the same time. They called the event a paska faspa, with paska being a traditional Mennonite Easter bread, and faspa a simple bread-based meal. The church’s deacons, spearheaded by Denelda Fast, organized the event,…
The good news of ‘holy terror’
In our Holy Week journey toward the cross, we already know that the story ends with the good news of resurrection. But Mark gives us a different take on Jesus’ resurrection than we typically think of, and it’s a take worth reflecting on this Easter. Here are the (most likely*) final words of Mark’s Gospel:…
‘I have seen the Lord!’
Easter is a time to speak a message of lavish grace, of love personified and of unending hope. This is a day to leave guilt, shame and fear tangled up with the linen strips inside that empty tomb. Our Lord has risen! Hallelujah! Today we ask the questions: Who is this Jesus who loved humanity…
The presence of Christ
Although our world is facing the challenge of COVID-19, I am so glad for the parts of life that remain unchanged. Every day brings press conferences with appalling numbers of the losses we endure, talk of restrictions and life that seems like it’s in a state of flux. Yet, peanut butter, Netflix, and, of course,…
Online paska contest a resounding success
She couldn’t gather family and friends around her table to eat paska this Easter, so Heather Driedger decided to hold a virtual paska bake-off instead. Paska is a rich yeast bread popular among those of Russian Mennonite heritage. Traditional paska is served at Easter with a sweet cottage cheese spread called glums. Modern-day bakers often…
Watch: A virtual Mennonite Easter choir
In the past few weeks, it’s likely you’ve seen a video of people singing together virtually. When the members of Winnipeg’s Prairie Voices choir had to cancel their 20th anniversary concert as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they channeled their disappointment into this video. A group of singers in Nashville put together a rendition of “It…
Out of holy weakness, mysterious power arises
I could not have predicted the responses I got when I asked 15 Mennonite Church Canada pastors—all women—how they would explain the meaning of the cross and resurrection to a 12-year-old. When I was 12, the idea of “Jesus dying for my sins” didn’t make sense. I believed it in some sense but I also…
