Lent caught me flat footed this year. I was in the produce aisle at Wal-Mart, looking for onions when I noticed the heavy ash cross on the forehead of another shopper. “What? It’s Ash Wednesday already?”...
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I’m starting to think that Che Guevara and the Jesus of the gospel according to Mark have an awful lot in common. I should explain, first, that I’m in the first month of My Jesus Project, a year-long...
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The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. — Paul, Acts 17:24 It’s almost impossible to think of congregations...
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As we celebrate Christmas, people who are marginalized are living in hope of the just society that Christ’s birth promised. They are seeking Jesus to find equality and justice. Looking for Jesus is not a new...
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I grieve over torture. I grieve not only for those subjected to abuse no human being should be forced to endure. I grieve not primarily as an American citizen who feels ashamed of the morally bankrupt national...
[read more]Sarah Kehrberg (Cramer Avenue, Nov. 10) accurately portrays Jesus’ earnestness but seems to indicate he had little or no sense of humor. She writes: “He tells no jokes; his stories are not funny. And...
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“Be patient,” they say. “Be peaceful,” they say. “Just wait,” they say, “for this is how Christ behaved . . . MLK behaved . . . the truly godly behave.” But I...
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Are you tired of the hypocrisy and greed of prosperity gospel preachers? Fed up with politicians appealing to religious sentiments in order to win elections and start wars? Do you feel like there must be...
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There are plenty of reasons for cynicism or disillusionment with government in general, and electoral politics in particular. However, before throwing in the towel, I recommend reading, “Ten Things You...
[read more]What have we done with God’s good news? The church tends to define the good news as something we have — and if you become like us, we may let you in on it too. My vision for the Mennonite church is simple:...
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Like most Americans, I’m horrified by each new story I read about ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham). A friend who works in the region wrote weeks ago to tell me ISIS had taken Rutba, the Iraqi town...
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I love being a foster care provider for handicapped adults. I love Our Girl Audrey and Blind Linda fiercely, protectively and I am so grateful that our family has had the opportunity to have them as part of...
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All my life I just assumed that Jesus is a religious figure, the founder of Christianity. And why wouldn’t I? We Christians are definitely part of a religion, and our practice of Christianity absolutely...
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I read an article on Huffington Post about a new survey by a nonpartisan organization called YouGov of self-identified Christians. Asked how they believe Jesus would vote on various hot current topics,...
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Each and every person is formed by something. Our history, family, culture and life decisions (both good and bad) shape us to be who we are today. We don’t get to choose whether we are formed. But we do get...
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“Thank you God for your love. Thank you for your kindness. You are good and gracious. Alleluia.” Now imagine that sung in a faltering monotone and you get the gist of our every meal grace. My...
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If you were to read an account today of a white man offering his front row seat on a public bus to an elderly African-American woman, you’d probably think this was a nice gesture, but nothing more. However,...
[read more]I hang out with a diverse group of friends and sometimes strangers (who don’t stay strangers for very long) on Wednesday nights. We’ve been taking turns picking Jesus stories to uncover and apply, among...
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If you have been reading recent statements by Mennonite Church USA leaders, or even engaging in more private conversations about the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Mennonite church, you have heard the term...
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Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling, The wind is passing through. — Christina Rossetti One of the gifts of spiritually mentoring children is the opportunity to...
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An elderly woman sleeps nearby the Dunkin’ Donuts where I stop each morning to get a cup of coffee. A sunburned old man with a scraggly grey beard and tattered clothing greets me at the door of...
[read more]Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler wrote a piece this week defending the death penalty. In his 1,200-word argument for why Christians should support the death penalty, he does not mention Jesus a single...
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As we experience another Easter season, I’m thinking of Mary, the mother of Jesus. I know, she’s not the first biblical figure who comes to mind at this time of year — we tend to associate her almost...
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Jesus was famished when the devil came to him. He wasn’t just hungry. It’s not like he just worked through lunch for a day or two. He was famished, which shares a root with the word “famine,” which is...
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He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer. But the...
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