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The banality of saying ‘Intercultural’
No one would dispute that our world has become intercultural. Culture meets culture and languages are exchanged randomly on streets, in restaurants, in classrooms and even during Sunday church worship. “Intercultural” is being used at a massive rate. But this is being done without the faintest idea of what it means to be truly intercultural.…
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Take a breath before the plunge
Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s Second-World-War-era prime minister, famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Or maybe it was Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff and mayor of Chicago. The internet is unsure. Regardless, the phrase is both problematic and insightful. There is no such thing as a “good crisis,” especially…
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What is the loving thing to do?
There is no question that COVID-19 has been disruptive. We, like the Israelites, found ourselves wandering in the wilderness, anxious to get back to normal. We have realized that “normal” will not happen anytime soon so, like the Israelites, we made our home in this new place, building houses (carving out offices) and planting gardens…
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Why don’t we talk about evangelism?
He discretely looked to the left, then to the right and said quietly, “Why don’t we talk about evangelism in this denomination?” I grinned and replied, “Ever seen the movie A Thief in the Night?” “No”, he said. I briefly described the 1970s era Christian film depicting a rapture, tribulation and the second coming of…
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Hearing from God
A long time ago I told God that I was his, and that I would follow him wherever he led me. Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to decipher God’s leading! Does that still small voice belong to God, or is that just my own will whispering loudly? Closed doors and open windows are often a…
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‘It is so good to connect!’
“It is so good to connect with each other.” In my role as executive minister of Mennonite Church Alberta, I have heard this sentiment expressed many times in many different ways. It is a feeling I heard expressed again on a Monday evening in late June as I met with the church chairs from the…
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What makes you happy?
“So . . . what’s next??” The dreaded question for every graduate. It’s been a few years (plus a few more!) since I graduated from high school and university, but I still remember this sense that, come graduation, I needed to have a roadmap of my future aspirations ready to explain in one easy sentence. No…
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A pastor’s struggle
I’m surrounded by a legion of internal voices telling me I am not the pastor I should be. I’m not enough of a leader, not caring enough, not informed enough, not clear, not decisive, not doing enough. My soul cowers at the possibility that the roaring cacophony in my head is correct. Our current moment…
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Courageous stories
We have gone to places yet unknown, trusting in a God who leads and a Spirit who prays when our own words cease. Mother’s Day 2020 was the beginning of many outbreaks at the Leamington (Ont.) Mennonite Home, where I serve as chaplain. In my role with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada as a regional ministry…
