Such little change
My enjoyment of competing in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia this spring was undermined by the heavy presence of U.S. Army and Marine Corps recruiting. This is a continuation of the militarization of...
[read more]An honest broker?
Peacemakers believe it is possible to earn the trust of both sides in a conflict. They are careful not to divide the parties into friends and enemies. It’s a narrow path to walk, but Mennonites are trying to...
[read more]When I dislike things in the Bible
“Women should be silent.” “Cover your head.” “Wives, submit to your husbands.” “Take up your cross” “Share in suffering.” “You will experience persecution.” There’s a lot of...
[read more]Members only
Christ as revealed in Scripture possessed miraculous powers. But at least one thing escaped his abilities. He couldn’t baptize himself. Being a Christian isn’t a solo mission. A church of one is not a...
[read more]Have we forgotten?
On May 10, President Trump of the American Empire held a rally in Elkhart County, Ind., one of the heartlands of Mennonites. According to my sources, there was no institutional protest of Caesar and his...
[read more]‘Voices Together’ announced as title for new hymnal
HARRISONBURG, Va. — The new worship and song collection for Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada will be called Voices Together. “In early February more than 900 people responded to a title and...
[read more]Creating with God
According to Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev, God created the world by imagination, yet for many of us imagination and creativity are rarely associated with our faith. Our playful imaginative selves often...
[read more]Canadian MBs to review connection between baptism, church membership
While most Canadian Mennonite Brethren link baptism with congregational membership, that has not always been the case. Denominational leaders are beginning a process to look at their Confession of Faith to see...
[read more]N.J. church lifts people from addiction
Amid the devastation caused by addictions, a Franconia Mennonite Conference congregation is shining a light. Tim Hart, pastor of Garden Chapel in Victory Gardens, N.J., has worked with community organizers to...
[read more]Four obstacles to raising relief funds
As a part of an initiative last year to increase funds raised at our Virginia Relief Sale for Mennonite Central Committee, some of us came up with a plan to solicit cash donations in addition to the money...
[read more]Seek ye first the kingdom of God, not the Amish romance
About every two to three months, I get messages from a young woman or two wanting to become Mennonite or Amish. They’ve done no research and are looking for dress patterns or, as they call it, “Kapp”...
[read more]God as Father
I’ve noticed more often lately that some of our Mennonite preachers and writers avoid calling God “Father.” Is this theologically correct? Is it wise? Do we want our children and newcomers to the church...
[read more]Longhurst: Will truth be told?
Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2008, Canada has been wrestling with the legacy of its residential school system for indigenous children. The topic has fueled discussion in the...
[read more]Book review: ‘Harold and Arlene: Ministers to Many’
A new and inspiring biography tells the story of a pastoral couple with a deep love for God and the Mennonite Church. With lives spanning most of the 20th century, Harold and Arlene Eshleman navigated a time...
[read more]Translators’ goal: a Bible, then a church
All-Nations Bible Translation is 8 years old, but in a sense it’s just getting started. That’s because a Bible translation and church-planting project can take 15 to 20 years to complete. ABT founder Joel...
[read more]Bible: Conflict over the Law’s meaning
This quarter we look at the justice of God, primarily in the message of Jesus with a bit of Paul. The Gospel of Matthew, more than the other three Gopels, tells us about conflicts Jesus faced with religious...
[read more]Kriss: Millennials’ invitation to lead and learn
At Casa de Esperanza, an Anabaptist/Mennonite community in Oaxaca City, Mexico, Pastor Luis Rey Matias-Cruz invited a 20-something member of his congregation to assist in setting up tables for a midweek meal....
[read more]Devotion in action
“I participated . . . and it made me think,” says Minyoung Jung of South Korea, writing of her work with a food-distribution program in Kenya by a Mennonite Central Committee partner. Her article on page 6...
[read more]Dark deception
The leaders and educators of Mennonite Church USA and other church communities are increasingly adopting worldly views of compassion, love, peace and power. The powers of darkness are attempting to merge...
[read more]Kennel-Shank: Misplaced superiority
I felt a surge of pride to be Mennonite while reading Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning, a history of U.S. racist and antiracist ideas. He described the 1688 Germantown Petition Against Slavery as...
[read more]Are we still radical?
Thanks to Tim Huber for “Criminally Christian” (Editorials, May 7). At times we pride ourselves in our Mennonite history yet neglect our history of being the radical reformers. When my wife and I were...
[read more]Opinion: What I learned from a founder of black theology
When James H. Cone, a leading founder of the black theology movement, died last month, I felt the loss personally. Cone’s book God of the Oppressed changed my theological career. Early on, I knew Mennonites...
[read more]Kraybill: In trouble for speaking truth
Don’t expect to be popular if you advocate Sermon on the Mount values at a time when even prominent Christian leaders schmooze politicians who trumpet greed, nationalism, racism and adultery. Alone in the...
[read more]Evangelical Anabaptism
What is “evangelical Anabaptist”? It’s a designation claimed in some form by Mennonite Brethren, Conservative Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Conference and Evana Network — which takes its...
[read more]Just come home
This is the story I was told: A young man had made some poor choices. He was at the end of his rope and knew he had failed himself, his parents, and the commitment he made to his God years before. Sure, he’d...
[read more]About Me
