A season of Jubilee
“Called to proclaim good news to the poor . . . release to the captives . . . sight to the blind . . . freedom for the oppressed . . . and the time of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18-19). Practices of Jubilee are particularly relevant today when we consider this new season of being…
Diversity in our unity: Belonging to each other in the body of Christ
When I was a young adult volunteer in Jamaica, part of Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program, I brought a pie to a Mennonite church-sponsored baking competition and was disqualified because my mango pie did not fit the unstated criteria of being a sweet potato pudding. I realized that day my definition…
Thoughtful and prayerful changeovers in ministry
Sometimes it is just best for the previous person to get out of here and let the new person start with a clean slate. Some say that pastors and denominational leaders should just give a month or two notice and then leave, and sometimes this may be what is best. When I said that…
Receiving a life-giving word
When God’s story connects with our story, the Holy Spirit is at work, bringing life. As author Anne Lamott says, “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are but doesn’t leave us where it found us.” In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well…
At work with God on climate change
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). It all begins here. We have four grandchildren at various stages of life. The eldest is in university and thinks about non-renewable fossil fuels and their impact on the Earth. The next is in…
When the ‘grey’ is not holy
Life is complicated. And this means “issues” are complicated. The Bible doesn’t give us as “black and white” a picture of life and faith as some of us might wish. In fact, that’s one of the beautiful things about the Bible: It presents human experience in all its messiness. The older I get, the more…
Reflection on Ukraine
The horrific images from Ukraine jolt me from my comfort and I reflect on air-raid sirens, bunkers, explosions, refugees, civilian and military casualties. Historical connections to the region seem to draw my curiosity closer. Ukraine is part of my family lore. Moreover, the Ukrainian countryside and their cities look very much like ours. Mariupol looks…
Listen, debate, decide
In a few months Garry Janzen, the executive minister of Mennonite Church B.C. will retire. He’s served MC B.C. for 14 years in that role. When he informed MC B.C. leadership about his upcoming retirement, we gathered to create a hiring process. How will we discern God’s will for a future candidate? This isn’t just…
‘It is hard to be afraid when you understand’
Our new Voices Together hymnal invites us to expand our circle. This involves getting to know people with different abilities, cultural ways, histories, faiths and stories that shaped them. It involves welcoming everyone as members of our human family. In a recent webinar, author Omar Mouallem shared from his recently published book, Praying to the…
Life can be real
“Life can be real / on a snowmobile,” croons Canadian music legend Stompin’ Tom Connors in one of his many songs about Canadian life and culture. As someone who occasionally dabbles in songwriting myself, I have often had a chuckle when I hear that line with a bit of forced rhyme. What does “life can…
