“’Twas in the moon of wintertime” not included in new Mennonite hymnal
Choosing whether or not to include a song in Voices Together is more complicated than whether or not people like singing it. The song known as “Huron Carol” or “’Twas in the moon of wintertime” is one example of a beloved song that raises difficult questions. To assess songs in recent Mennonite denominational collections, including…
CPT creates Turtle Island Solidarity Network
In the wake of the closure of the full-time Indigenous People’s Solidarity Team due to necessary budget cuts at Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), the new Turtle Island Solidarity Network comprised of reservists who are engaged in Indigenous solidarity and decolonization has been created. Turtle Island is the Indigenous name for North America. The new network…
Walk for Common Ground puts faith into action
Friends and family huddled in light afternoon rain on June 14, waiting for about 30 participants in the Walk for Common Ground to arrive in Calgary. The walkers were led in by a Scottish bagpiper, then greeted with drumming and singing by local Indigenous elders. Tears of joy mixed with the rain as walkers were…
My day on the Walk for Common Ground
The image on the Treaty 6 flag is striking. The crest shows a European and Indigenous leader engaged in a never-ending handshake, a longstanding and well-understood symbol of mutual agreement. The edge of the crest is lined with words that testify to the longevity of this agreement: “As long as the sun shines… And the rivers…
Confronting the fear of our history
“Yet we Christians have also been called to take a good hard look at ourselves. To reflect on our Christian beliefs, to scrutinize our missional practices. And to decolonize. It’s not that Christianity is inherently colonial, but for generations the church and its faith have been used —wittingly, unwittingly, and far too often—as instruments of…
Walking and talking along the trail
In solidarity with their First Nations neighbours, Mennonites in the Fraser Valley joined others in a Walk in the Spirit of Reconciliation from May 31 to June 2. The event was a partnership between Mennonite Central Committee B.C., Mennonite Church Canada, and several other denominations, including Anglican, the United Church and Christian Reformed Church. While…
Watch: Spotlight on Cris Derksen
The bio on Cris Derksen’s website says it well: The “Juno-nominated and classically trained cellist and composer braids the traditional and contemporary, weaving her classical background and her Indigenous ancestry together with new school electronics to create genre-defying music.” In 2018, the half-Cree, half-Mennonite musician from northern Alberta wrote a piece for the Eybler Quartet.…
A Canada committed to genuine and mutual relationships
Mennonite Central Committee shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ. We have a vision of communities worldwide in right relationships with God, one another and with creation. Sometimes we share God’s love through an emergency food response to disaster. Often, we seek right relationships by working alongside partners in community-based,…
Mennonites advocate for Bill C-262
From changing their profile pictures and holding rallies, to baking bread embossed with messages of support, young Mennonites are standing up to call for a private member’s bill to be passed. Bill C-262 was brought forward by Romeo Saganash, the federal MP for the Quebec riding of Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou. It calls for the government to enshrine…
‘That is a Christian!’
Members of the Rosemary Mennonite Church community and the Siksika Nation gathered together on Jan. 4 to praise God for the life of Alvin Lepp. Pastor Fred Krulicki, who led the service, likened Lepp to Barnabas, who is described in Acts 11:24 as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a…
