Can we talk about capitalism?
Do you celebrate Buy Nothing Day? For me it’s like a holy day, a short version of Lent—that disruption of the ordinary that makes me notice the taken-for-granted and the practices of the gospel. The intent of Buy Nothing Day is that for a single day one does not purchase anything. No economic transactions. Live…
To remember is to work for peace
At this time of year, I begin to rummage through the various drawers of miscellany in search of those red Mennonite Central Committee buttons that say, “To remember is to work for peace.” Maybe you wear such a button too in the run-up to Remembrance Day. One year I offered an extra button to a…
From Zacchaeus to climate justice
An encounter with Jesus is a call for transformation. Such is the story of Zacchaeus. Jesus noticed him watching from a tree and invited himself for dinner. Zacchaeus must have known Jesus often preached against those with wealth who took advantage of others—as was the reputation of tax collectors such as Zacchaeus—but accepted the hosting…
Thinking about leisure
It’s summer and many of us have thoughts about vacations and so-called down time. What do these things mean for your spiritual practice? Knowing that I was about to launch into a 12-day bike tour, someone suggested I write about leisure and Christian spirituality. Someone else suggested that 12 days on a bike saddle would…
Not talking politics in the Holy Land
Tourism is often promoted for the sake of economic development and toward the goal of breaking down stereotypes and barriers. A companion and I just returned from the Holy Land. My thoughts are filled with how our travel promotes or hides our values concerning peace and the good we wish to see in the world.…
Everything is connected
This column is going to attempt two tasks, because, well, everything is connected! As usual, I may be trying to do too much—let’s see! First of all, May is mental health month. Several years ago, I wrote about my own mental health struggles. Of all the columns I have written, it was the scariest of…
Dandelions for the Gospel
A dandelion tattoo festoons my left forearm, a puffball ready to launch its wispy seeds. Asked to speak at one of our congregations one Sunday, I intended to start the children’s feature by showing the tattoo. “Can you do that?” a friend asked. “Can you show a tattoo in church?” That exchange is object lesson…
Chickadee as sacrament
Normally I hearken closely to the words of Jesus. But although he advises that we consider the sparrows of the field, I’d rather pay attention to chickadees. Being commonplace seems to be no barrier to the joy chickadees bring to many. Chickadees live across the entirety of the southern half of Canada and all the…
Beyond free speech
The fellows at the next table were running on and on about refugees. So many false statements! I gritted my teeth as I sipped my coffee that morning. “No!” I wanted to holler, millions of refugees were not going to overrun Canada. Then the fellows changed topics. It got worse. The new topic was climate…
Say no to moralistic therapeutic deism
A major sociological study of American youth concluded that their understanding of faith could be called “moralistic therapeutic deism.” On page 16 of the magazine, Ryan Dueck makes a related observation about “therapeutic church” and says it’s a problem. From their study of youth, Christian Smith and Melinda Lindquist identified a constellation of common beliefs:…
