This past weekend I witnessed the end of an era as representatives of Mennonite churches in Canada voted to change the way we do church. Although we look forward to the future that this vision provides, I lament the things and people we have let go of and lost.
Read MoreThis weekend, our national church is meeting do discern the future direction we will go. It's pretty daunting. And as much as I love being a part of these gatherings, the only thing I know how to do is pray. I offer this prayer for our church.
Read MoreIn the last few years, as I’ve become more and more immersed in the Mennonite church, it’s hit me how many things they’ve been doing for a long time that mainstream culture has adopted and now loves. New fads emerge and Mennonites shake their heads and say “We’ve been doing that forever!”
Read MoreIt seems like we’re entering times of political and societal strain. But the gift of God through Jesus is that new life is offered to all people, even those who seem so opposite us that we consider them our enemies. The depth of God's love is the deepest love can go.
Read MoreJesus came to usher in a new kingdom that is distinctly counter-cultural. Sometimes Christians hesitate to test their faith in the face of earthly allegiance. But the more I think about the revolutionary message of Jesus and the kingdom He established, I can’t help but think that all faith is political.
Read MoreThrough Psalm 23, we are faced with a completely counter-cultural question that questions our willingness to follow and trust in God. As much as anyone can try to convince you or prove that the good shepherd does exist, you will never know until you take on your identity as His sheep.
Read MoreOn September 30, our church is joining in the Ride for Refuge to raise money for our Witness Workers and the Grace Community Church in South Africa. Our team is called the Sterling Storm (amazing, I know).
Read MoreSummer vacation is almost over, and for many people that means going back to the ordinary routine of life. If there's one thing that I would have loved to have known back in the days when I spent most of my summers at camp, it's that the God we experience in the highs of life is the same God who guides us always.
Read MoreHow do we, as humans, justify some of the acts of violence in our world? How are we sometimes okay with it when other times we are not? Well, a lesson I learned from a recent Planet of the Apes movie gave me some insight into these questions.
Read MoreLast week I had the chance to spend a week with youth at camp. I was blown away by community, their love, and their questions about faith. During one session, someone asked, "Why doesn't God stop evil?" A very good question indeed.
Read MoreI can’t remember how many times in recent years I have read or heard people say that they love Jesus but hate the church. And although I have many frustrations and disappointments with how the church manifests itself, with Jesus, there is no choice. If we love and follow Him, we are a part of the church.
Read MoreI've encountered many people who are not like me, and we have all kinds of people walk through our doors at church. But I’ve almost never been with people so different on their turf, inviting myself into their space. I was entering unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar people, and all I was armed with was a container full of cookies.
Read MorePreparing Bible activities for kids really helps me think about my own faith. This year, what challenged me the most about the Bible station at VBS camp were the stories I was supposed to prepare. How does the message of God being for us and the conquest of Canaan go together?
Read MoreWith all the good things that have been going on and all the progress in reconciliation we have started to see in Canada, I have for the first time felt something that so many Indigenous people and allies have felt: disappointment.
Read MoreKids have a unique way of caring for and teaching us. What we do with our children in church is not simply to teach them how to participate in our services when they get older. They have the ability to be active participants in our community practices right now. The question is, have we created that space for them?
Read MoreThere’s no question that we, in North America, are living in changing times. People like Stuart Murray have labelled our context as post-Christendom. Some Christians have called it the start of Christian persecution. But what most of us are experiencing now is not persecution, but a loss of power. What does it mean to follow Jesus in this context?
Read MoreAs I sit in an airplane at an altitude of 10,668 meters, I had a strange thought. What if, for whatever reason, I accepted my time in transit as home? It's a ridiculous thought, but I think many of us have done this with life. We think we have arrived, but Jesus invites us home into His Kingdom, and until then, we are in transit.
Read MoreFor most of my life, I believed that churches that separate could have done things differently or should have worked harder to stay united. But is there a way to leave a church because of disagreement that is both respectful and God-honouring?
Read MoreIt’s easy for us to come to a place in ministry where we think we're the only ones left doing God’s work. In those moments, reminders of who God is and what He's doing are important. It’s essential for us to realize that God’s plan is much larger than what we see, and that it’s not only our responsibility.
Read MoreI'm preparing to leave Germany ofter spending 10 days taking care of my Opa. He has dementia. But even though that has changed things, I learned something vitally important about him (and from him) this past week.
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