“Igniting the imagination of the church.” That’s the theme of Mennonite Church Canada’s Gathering 2019, to be held from June 28 to July 1 in Abbotsford, B.C. Powerful words, those! What might they mean for us as congregations comprising five regional churches and the nationwide church?
Melissa Miller: “Each day I call my mother. Over time, I came to see that my prayer practice was found in the daily phone calls.”
Over the course of our lives, we likely offer many prayers in a variety of ways. Some are formal, memorized prayers said for specific occasions. A family table grace recited before meals. The comforting words of Psalm 23. The Lord’s Prayer spoken as one body during worship.
Christina Barkman: “While it is certainly nice to sometimes have a quiet home—like these long winter evenings when the kids are all finally asleep and I can cuddle up with a good book—I love welcoming friends, family and a little extra chaos into my home.”
When our family lived in the Philippines from 2012 to 2018, we hosted our Peace Church community in our home every weekend and opened our doors to countless friends throughout the week.
Troy Watson: “The clarity of divine call deeply and profoundly liberates us. It unleashes us to make a difference in the world without feeling we are responsible to solve all of the world’s problems.”
I believe every human being has a divine call. This divine call is more explicit than the generic “call to ministry” associated with the clergy. It’s a specific expectation God has given each person to fulfill.
The August sky was an eerie brownish-orange as the morning news warned Edmontonians not to exert themselves outside. Thick smoke smelling of charred forests blanketed the city, and the air quality was so poor that even healthy young people stayed indoors.
Donita Wiebe-Neufeld, left, and her son Darian enjoy a sleigh ride. CD, Donita’s horse, is happily back with his herd after a summer of being moved from place to place. (photo and video by Tim Wiebe-Neufeld)
Leah is a lifer, and I like her.
Photo: Conference of Mennonites in Canada Photo Collection
During the Second World War, Canadian conscientious objectors (COs) planted 17 million trees in British Columbia between 1942 and 1944. Some COs questioned the use of working in the “bush.” Pictured from left to right: Frank Dyck, Jacob Wiebe, Menno Wiebe and Rudy Regehr returned to Campbell River, B.C., in 1966 to see the trees that they had planted.
Video below: With chickens as witnesses, senior writer Will Braun offers a few thoughts as he strolls around his barn south of Morden, Manitoba.
With a nod to Ranting Rick Mercer, senior writer Will Braun steps into the mess that is the church’s disagreement over same-sex inclusion.
Video: Church looks different from the pig pen. With a nod to Ranting Rick Mercer and with a black sheep grazing in the background, senior writer Will Braun offers a few thoughts as he strolls round his barn south of Morden, Manitoba.
