There’s a funny dynamic among Christians when we see our fellow believers become successful. We quickly claim them for our side and use them as a display of our power and correctness. But God is God. He doesn’t conform to our plans. Rather, He invites us to join His.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why Christians believe Jesus is the only way? What about others who don't know about Jesus? What about other ways to get to God? Even though these questions are hard to answer, there is something fundamentally different with Jesus.
Read MoreI believe our church needs a licence to dream. Jesus doesn't call us to give up or keep business as usual when things get tough. In fact, He tells a parable that calls us to be shrewd for the Kingdom of God.
Read MoreMennonites often have a hard time around Remembrance Day. The feelings of duty or guilt can sometimes stop us from simply remembering; an act which, in and of itself, brings us to lament and action. I suggest, we need to remember.
Read MoreThis past week, on October 31, we marked the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. This was a historic event. The legacy of Martin Luther can teach us a lot about faith, trust, conscience, and belief. But we can also learn something about tolerance, or the lack thereof.
Read MoreDo you ever wonder how some ideologies or beliefs can still exist in our society? Do you ever ask why some things still happen when it seems we have moved passed that? Although changing the laws and actions of a society is an important place to start, we can't forget that real change takes place in the heart.
Read MoreThis 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.
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