Six Brethren were arrested 300 years ago in Solingen, Germany. What was their crime? In 1716, the six men, ages 22 to 33, had been baptized as adults. This crime was a capital offense, the punishment could be...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — For 3,200 people at the Mennonite Church USA convention July 4-8, “Love Is a Verb” was more than a grammar lesson. The week’s theme focused on the basic truth that Christian faith is...
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Today after I got dressed and I looked in the mirror, I just “felt” German Baptist. I don’t expect anyone to understand that feeling, and maybe I’m putting far too much into what fellowship I’m...
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Hundreds of congregations have left Mennonite Church USA in the last few years, making this summer’s convention a peculiar learning opportunity for a group of leaders from Tanzania Mennonite Church...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — After 14 hours of talking about how to follow Jesus as Anabaptists in the 21st century, Mennonite Church USA delegates faced the question of how to describe what they had done. Had they set a...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 6 overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Israel-Palestine, confessing “our own complicity in this web of violence, injustice and suffering” and...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — When best-selling author and blogger Rachel Held Evans saw Mennonite Church USA’s “Love Is a Verb” convention theme, she hoped organizers didn’t see her Twitter...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — A powerful testimony of loving enemies made Mennonite Church USA Youth Convention attendees shed tears and give a standing ovation Wednesday evening. Via live video, John and Michele Sharp of...
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One of the challenges in any era is what to do when there is a difference of opinion. Two key areas come to mind: theology and politics. Yep, so-called Christian politics. When I was in my 20s, I deconstructed...
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ORLANDO, Fla. — God’s unconditional love, first expressed through the gift of Jesus Christ, was the focus of the opening night of the Mennonite Church USA convention July 4 at the Orange County...
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Aunt Grace made her first appearance years ago. She reappears at the sound of pompousness. Aunt Grace is the creation of a friend. I imagine her with grey permed hair and gaudy red lipstick. She entered the...
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In a move toward simplicity, a team of Conservative Mennonite Conference leaders has proposed a new name for the denomination: Rosedale Network. The Executive Board is asking CMC ministers for their response....
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This week, July 4-8, Mennonites from across the U.S. will gather in Orlando, Fla., for the Mennonite Church USA biennial convention. I have spent my whole life going to these conventions, so it feels weird...
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Around the globe, nationalism is resurgent to a level not seen since World War II. There are many examples: Brexit in Britain, Narendra Modi in India, Xi Jinping in China, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines,...
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I wonder if Rob Bell went to Hesston College. Actually, I know he didn’t, but his new book, What Is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel...
[read more]Hopi Mission School in Kykotsmovi, Ariz., has a new name and staff, prompting questions about who is operating the Native American ministry with decades of Mennonite history and influence. The...
[read more]Since learning Mennonite World Conference had members in Italy, I wanted to fellowship with them, as Italy is where my dad’s family is from. MWC’s website lists 200 members of four congregations in the...
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Russia’s intervention in our democratic process and the government’s response have consumed the media’s attention lately. We are inundated with news of possible coverups by government officials. While...
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Die Mennonitische Post, one of the last remaining German-language publications in North America, celebrated its 40th anniversary in June. Mennonite Central Committee, which supports the Post, has longstanding...
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One of the attributes of the Good Samaritan parable is its action. It is perfect for dramatization. (One does need to pay attention to casting choices: Certain robbers may relish their role more than...
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A part of Audrey Hindes always wanted to be a pastor. Even as a child, she took seriously the suggestion to read her Bible every day. “When I went to Fresno Pacific University my freshman year, according to...
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These lessons are about reluctant prophets. Isaiah wasn’t worthy, and Jeremiah was too young. Or so they thought. Isaiah’s call came in a vision “in the year King Uzziah died.” Uzziah had been king of...
[read more]Nations that flout international norms get a “rogue state” label. Now the United States is going rogue. By dropping out of the Paris climate-change accord, the U.S. joined Syria and Nicaragua as the only...
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Joy strikes out of the blue nothingness. You can’t expect it or manufacture it or capture it. For Christians, the completeness of our joy comes from Jesus. After he taught on his abiding in us and our...
[read more]In 1944, Harold S. Bender’s “Anabaptist Vision” was embraced by many as a breakthrough in defining our identity. However, in the last 50 years, that vision seems to have been abandoned. The vision today...
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