Gifts of the table
Recently, my husband and I sat with friends at a table in an Ethiopian restaurant. As we dipped pieces of injera (sourdough flatbread) into the tasty sauces, we reported on our lives: a new business, a new grandchild, past school experiences, current professional realities. Consider what happens when people gather around the table: We…
Be on the lookout for ‘pockets of joy’
In the first week I started in this role, a former reader told me she didn’t read Canadian Mennonite anymore because it didn’t have enough joy. Ouch! We Mennonites do take ourselves very seriously. We trudge the hard road of discipleship taking to heart Jesus’ call to “take up your cross and follow me.”…
Ugly stories
I don’t like the cover of today’s issue. I don’t want to see it lying on my coffee table. You probably don’t either. At the top, a large uniformed man wields a whip, as armed soldiers ride toward a house below. Red and yellow flames shoot up in the background. The artwork promoted a Nazi…
The business of church
I like to attend congregational business meetings. Yes, that includes reading my congregation’s annual report booklet. Although I’ve never been a delegate at a churchwide conference, I do like to attend them—or even livestream them. Are you a church nerd too? This is the season when regional churches gather delegates to participate in their annual…
Behind the scenes at CM
Here are some things you may not know about Canadian Mennonite: • It takes a while The print magazine goes through a production schedule that includes the writing, editing, proofing, design, printing and mailing. Each issue takes two weeks to produce (three weeks in the summer and at Christmas), but it takes Canada Post up…
What kind of Mennonite?
In January 2017, a TV show drew attention to Mennonites in Canada. The CBC crime series Pure portrayed fictional Mennonite communities in Ontario and Mexico that were running a large illegal drug operation. A Mexican Mennonite drug lord controlled the operation through intimidation and violence. Mennonite viewers posted their opinions on social media, pointing out…
We are so swift to judge
In the days immediately following our publication of the sexuality statement by Maple View Mennonite Church, several people wrote letters in outrage. Two cancelled their subscriptions. The insert appeared in the Sept. 25, 2017, print edition, and the letters were printed on Oct. 23. These letters prompted two other people to cancel their subscriptions, because—wait…
I can give with joy
Early last year I decided to give a few dollars to any panhandler I encountered. I made sure to keep loonies, toonies and quarters in my car in case someone approached me while I was stopped at a red light. Prior to this, encounters with panhandlers felt awkward. I was taught growing up not to…
It seemed like a good idea
A relative of mine sometimes starts out a funny story with the line, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Ah, yes, how things can turn from well-intentioned to humorous! Or much worse. Last fall, I attended a lecture by Reina Neufeldt entitled “When good intentions are not enough: Confronting ethical challenges in…
Significant tidings
What are the significant stories in this issue? When I asked this question in the office, the answer came back: “They’re all significant.” This, our Christmas issue, is chock-full of stories to pay attention to—with our prayers and actions. Two international stories stand out—some good news and some heart-breaking news. Our Anabaptist sisters and brothers…
