Opinion

Victor Neumann

(Photo: Annie Krasker/ MCC collection)

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) began work in Thailand in 1960, but from 1963 to 1975 it had no programs there. In 1979, MCC started working with Indochinese refugees coming into Thailand with job creation, social services, agriculture and education programs. This is a photo of MCCer Victor Neumann of Abbotsford, B.C., with refugee workers processing mail at Songkhla camp, Thailand.

Marriage and conflict

(Photo by Heather Barnes/Unsplash)

My husband and I have been married for 13 years; long enough to have weathered some difficult seasons. We’ve walked alongside other couples in turmoil lately, causing us to reflect together on what makes our marriage work and how we will continue to grow stronger and closer. My grandparents were married nearly 70 years so, in light of that, we anticipate years ahead of us growing closer! 

Going to church

(Photo by Akira Hojo/Unsplash)

I’ve been a “church-goer” my whole life. I remember my dad polishing our shoes on Saturday evening so we would all look bright and shiny for church on Sunday morning. I remember Sunday evenings watching Walt Disney on TV, getting changed for church during the last commercial, and leaving for church just before the show ended. Going to church is what we did on Sundays.

See all of me

(Image by Free-Photos/Pixabay)

We don’t talk about mental health much in the church. When we do, we tend to see it as deviation from a presumably healthy “normal.” This is deficit thinking. Maybe our standards of “normal” are a problem. Maybe we could see the diverse ways that minds and bodies function as gifts. 

God as our inheritance

'Now I find myself a homeowner and still tempted, as I walk past the beautiful houses, to covet what I don’t have...' (Photo by Tierra Mallorca/Unsplash)

In late August, my wife and I became first-time homeowners. There had been many times we wondered if we would ever be able to afford a house, ever save up enough for a down payment, or if we even wanted to do the traditional homeownership thing. But, after 16 years of marriage, we bought a house.

Reaping what you sow

Martens Bartel with some of the vegetables from her garden. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Martens Bartel)

As I finish off another growing season on the farm, I reflect on how things grew, what went well, and what to tweak for next year. Aside from our various pastured livestock, I also grow a market garden and, after nine years, I still feel that I have so much to learn.

Brubacher House

(Photo: Brubacher House Museum, Waterloo, Ont. / Mennonite Archives of Ontario)

Within this Mennonite hearth, we can read an environmental history. By 1850, when John E. and Magdalena Brubacher built this house, the forest stands of southwestern Ontario were well on their way to being transformed into farmland. The harvesting and sale of wood and its products was the engine of the economy.

‘You must be a Mennonite!’

'Don’t we know that choosing to be a Mennonite is not about skin colour or names, but a specific part of the Christian faith tradition?' (Image by Tumisu/Pixabay)

As a young adult I entered a Mennonite college knowing little about Mennonites. I grew up (mostly) Baptist. I was astonished to hear people say over and over again, “You must be a Mennonite!” I sputtered that just because my last name is Klassen does not make me Mennonite, and that, in fact, I was a Christian who happened to be a member of a Baptist congregation.

Finding the ‘growth edge’ in our lives

'Just as exhaling is as important as inhaling to the breathing process, rest is as important as activity to the growth process.' (Photo by Katie Barrett/Unsplash)

My focus on growth may seem strange during this difficult season we’re in, but I believe that the best way to get through this pandemic is by growing. 

My understanding of growth is simple. It’s the process of becoming who someone (or something) was created and designed to be. 

There are many ways for us to grow during even the most-challenging times. We can grow by:

Faith is so much more

Andrew Root speaks at Canadian Mennonite University in February 2020. (Instagram.com/cmuwpg)

The youth of the Mennonite church are often on my mind, and over the years, they have secured a place in my heart. It has been total joy and privilege to share time and space with them at national gatherings, regularly in my ministry within Mennonite Church Manitoba, and through the sharing of stories in Canadian Mennonite.

LaVerna Klippenstein

(Photo: Lawrence Klippenstein / Mennonite Heritage Archives)

LaVerna Klippenstein (1934-2014) fulfilled many roles, including mother, wife, teacher and author. After her marriage to Lawrence Klippenstein in 1956, the pair began working in the Métis community of Matheson Island, Man., for two years with Mennonite Pioneer Mission. She is pictured hanging laundry on Matheson Island.

Living well together

A wall at Netiv HaAsara facing the Gaza border reads the words “Path to Peace” in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Netiv HaAsara is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the north-west Negev, it nearly borders the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Cole Keister/Unsplash)

Whether you know the word or not, shalom is central to the way most Mennonites think of what it means to be disciples faithful to Jesus. “Peace” is how the Hebrew word shalom is often translated.

Praying for the prophets

'I pray that my daughters will continue to blossom in their faith...' (Photo by Ben White/Unsplash)

I was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to read amidst my children having breakfast and building with Lego, and I read this verse: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons and daughters will prophesy. . .” (Joel 2:28).

Our need for community

(Photo by Vonecia Carswell/Unsplash)

In my work with high-risk single mothers, I’ve been meeting one-on-one this summer with women, as our weekly group program was put on hold due to the pandemic. Over and over, I’ve seen the positive effects that a caring community has on individuals and how vastly important it is.

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