Tag: readers write

Might Jesus have really said ‘Our Mother’? Re: “Gendered images of God,” Nov. 23, 2020, page 23. The committee that worked on the new hymnal, Voices Together, says that “the decisions made about the language used for God may be unsettling for some.” I am one of those. I’m sure we all believe that Jesus…

Seeking a call to discernment Re: “Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor,” Nov. 9, 2020, page 18. Last October, John D. Rempel joined John Howard Yoder, Karl Barth and numerous other theologians in the company of men whose personal wretchedness stained brilliant intellectual legacies. Out of respect for victims, their families and friends, it is understandable that…

Relationships, not rituals, are what’s important Mennonite Church Canada’s online study conference, “Table talk: Does the church still have legs,” had thought-provoking talks. In Sara Wenger Shenk’s talk, she asked, “Why do instructions about how we do communion become more important than its meaning?” Theologians N.T. Wright and Bruxy Cavey remind me that one of…

Liberals let off easy in Tommy Prince feature Re: “Expanding the reconciliation tent,” Oct. 12, page 4. This unnecessarily politicized article comes across as a subtle demonization of Conservatives. To illustrate, I point out the highlighted quotation on page 5: “The Conservatives acknowledge the racism Prince faced upon his return from war, when he and…

Responses to termination of John D. Rempel’s ministerial credential Re: “Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor,” Nov. 9, page 18. I am disappointed that this Canadian Mennonite report includes an extensive quote from John D. Rempel, in which he emphasizes his own need for restorative justice rather than the harm he has caused. It is disheartening to…

Columnist has ‘a gift’ Re: “Two stories clamour to be shared” column by Ed Olfert, Oct. 12, page 10. Ed is the current pastor of Grace Mennonite Church in Prince Albert, Sask. During the strict coronavirus lockdown here in Nashville Tenn., during March to July, I would spend Sunday mornings viewing online services from my…

Voluntary service important in cross-border interaction Re: “Cross-border interaction in decline since integration” letter, Sept. 14, page 9. I appreciated Fred Martin’s letter listing some of the lost relations between Mennonite Church Canada and MC U.S.A. One area that was missed is a long history of cross-border service work. Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) was the…

Reactions to recent ‘A moment from yesterday’ photographs Re: A photograph of a volleyball game beside a row of tall poplar trees with a lake in the background, Aug. 17, page. 4.  The site is Camp Elim on the north end of Lac Pelletier, 50 kilometres southwest of Swift Current, Sask. The poplars were replaced…

Pandemic provides ‘extra bonuses’ for elderly congregant Re: “In a time of uncertainty: COVID-19 prompts churches to rethink gatherings,” March 30, page 15. The Japanese Mennonite Christian Fellowship meets in Surrey, B.C., at Living Hope Church every Sunday afternoon. I would love to attend but cannot make that drive of 45 minutes on the freeway.…

‘A wise investment’ in the future of church camps Re: “Testing the ties that bind,” April 27, page 2. It hit me when I read in the editorial that the financial fallout from COVID-19 may well mean the possible closure of some of our church camps, since they rely on revenues generated from programs that…