April 1994

THE CHRISTIAN •

• APRIL 1994

ALSO:

Pilgrimage from the death penalty / p.8 Chain-letter religion / p. 11

.. ..:

APRIL

FIRST WORDS

1994

from the editor

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DON'T THINK I'M exaggerating to suggest that forgiveness may be the fundamental key to our spiritual and emotional health. Our personal well-being begins with God's limitless capacity to forgive us and breach the life-threatening void between the Almighty and us. But our capacity to forgive each other isn't quite so limitless, is it?

Nor is it instantaneous.

In this issue, Wilma Derksen helps us understand the process of human forgiveness. She and her family have endured one of the hardest of all offenses-the murder of a child. Her pilgrimage is timely for us, even if our life experiences haven't been as traumatic.

Forgiveness-at least ensuring the possibility of it-was one of the key factors that led R.J. Thesman to reconsider her stand on the death penalty. We offer her pilgrimage as a thought provoker regarding one of the most contentious social issues of our time. We've also included the contrasting conclusions of two of our leading churchmen regarding Scripture's instruction to us about capital punishment and our pro·life understanding of God. Finally, Kenneth Gibble implies in his article that even mailing chain letters can be forgiven. Actually, he uses the strange phenomenon of chain letters as a metaphor to critique the way some Christians understand their faith. How about it? Do we follow the instructions of Jesus in order to manipulate an earthly pay-off?

Here's to some provocative reading.-DR

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COMING • APRD.. 7-9-Consultation '94: "Ordaining, using and misusing authority in the church," Denver, Colo. Sponsored by the General Conference Board of Faith and Life.

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• APRIL 22-23-"Hope for the Journey," MCC regional conference on sexual abuse and family violence, hosted by the Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church .

• JULY 23-26-Biennial convention ofthe U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Colorado Springs, Colo.

• MARCH 25-28, 1995-Estes '95, the quadrennial national youth convention, Estes Park, Colo.

QUOTABLE • "The principle.runs through all life from top to bottom.

Give up your self, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day ... submit with every fibre Of your being, and you will find eternal life.

Keep nothing back. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours... look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in. "- C.S. LEWIS 2.

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APRIL

1994

THE CHIlISTIAN

E·A·D·E·R VOLUME 57, NUMBER 4

FEATURES 4 Forgiveness is the road to healing " Forgive and forget," we' re told. But forgiveness is seldom that simple. A survivor of a severe family tragedy plots the steps of forgiveness that lead to emotional and spiritual health. BY WILMA DERKSEN

8 Pilgrimage from the death penalty How should a Christian feel about capital punishment? Here's the turnaround one Christian made when she discovered that even prison inmates are humans. BY R.J. THESMAN

11 Chain-letter religion You'd be surprised how many Christians see their faith as a formula for riches and material comfort. Our true reward has already been delivered. BY KENNETH L. GIBBLE

DEPARTMENTS Forum .... .. .................... by Frony Ritter 14 • Nothing asked, a lot gained

What Readers Say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ph'lip Side .. ....... . .. . ..... . . . .... by Philip Wiebe 16 • Time for spring cleaning

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. by Kathy Heinrichs Wiest 18 • Under the hood (8): AI Dueck

Inquiring Minds ......... .. . . .... ... by Marvin Hein 20 • The "John 3: 16" guy • Anti-abortion strategies

Musings . ... ... . . . ... . . .. .. .. . ...... by Jim Holm 21 • Retreat will not save us

Bodylife. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 • MCC: Have money, will serve 22 • New rules will not affect China work 23 • Smuggling Bibles is not legal or necessary in China.. . 24 • Restorative justice is meeting focus 24 • Church notes 24 • Deaths 25 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Don Ratzlaff 28 • The mystery of 'the gospe/'

EDITOR Don Ratzlaff

ASSISTANT EDITOR Deborah Penner

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: David Reimer, chair; Harold Franz, Jeanie Klaassen, Malinda Nikkel, Dalton Reimer MANDATE: THE CHRISTIAN LEADER (ISSN 0009· 5149), organ of the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, is published monthly by the U.S. Conference Board of Communications, 315 S. Uncoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions, and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dia· log so that they will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition.

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APRI L

1994·

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From the smallest infraction to the greatest offense of all-the taking of life-forgiveness is a necessary, if sometimes difficult, process.

HE YOUNG MAN WITH THE PONYTAIL didn't want to talk the first hour of our group support meeting. But as he listened to us tell our stories he became more and more agitated until finally his story bubbled over in short, sometimes incoherent snatches. His had been killed. He had spent some time in a church-run detoxification center where workers had pressured him to forgive.

"I can't take this pain anymore," he kept repeating. "I want to be healed. 1 don't want to take this pain anymore.

They tell me to forgive and 1 want to, but 1 don't know how."

Everyone was silent for a minute.

We were an exclusive group-the membership criterion was that we had all encountered a murderer. Before thiS, anyone who had hinted at the concept of forgiveness had always been defmed as forgiving the murderer and had 4.THE

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immediately been shut down.

This time no one protested. In fact, after a moment, they agreed with him.

They all wanted healing and they saw forgiveness as a means of becoming healed, but they didn't know how to forgive 1 had no answers. 1 had always had this image of forgiveness as a giant leap of faith into God's all powerful will in which the Almighty would take care of vengeance, and all we needed was to love.

What kind of answer was this for a group of people who didn't know God and became angry at the slightest menLEADER

tion of a higher power who might have had a hand in their misfortune?

We redefined forgiveness at that meeting to mean healing. Scripture equates forgiveness with healing too.

James tells us to confess our faults ... that we may be healed. Since then I've come to understand that forgiveness isn't exclusively a religious term. It's a uruversal need that spans all strata of society, all races and all hurts.

The young man also showed us the

hurt we can cause by enforcing the concept of forgiveness on others when they aren't ready and when they don't understand it. From the stories in the group it became obvious that victims are put under a lot of pressure to forgive.

Why the pressure? It is in the selfinterest of every group-whether it be a family, committee, church or government-to have harmony and peace. The very survival of a group can be threatened by conflict. And rather than sort out the root causes of the conflict, it's easier to demand an easy resolution.

It's easier to elicit a reclamation of forgiveness from the usually less aggressive, more compliant victim than an apology from the intimidating and usually more powerful offender.

But putting our needs as a group over the needs of the victim can revictimize the victims and cause more pain in the long run for everyone concerned.

So often we seem to assume that people can simply choose whether they want to forgive or not. The young man wanted to forgive but he was up against a difficult and intricate process that demands a lot of time, energy, love of others and an understanding of human needs.

To attempt to define how forgiveness works and pin it down in a simple article is impossible. This article is primarily an aerial view of the long process that I once' thought was one giant leap.

During my work in grief over nearly 10 years, I've isolated 15 elements of healing. I prefer to see these elements as both a healing and forgiving provess simultaneously. But probably the traditional concept of forgiveness is found in the last six elements. Even if we choose to confine forgiveness to six

elements that doesn't take away the importance of placing forgiveness in the larger healing process. Actually, these elements don't necessarily follow any pattern or timing. They could follow each other in quick succession or be layered 15 deep at any given time.

I'm not even sure they are labeled correctlyand I know the list isn't comprehensive.

These elements can be identified in a small infraction like the spilling of coffee, or in the ultimate offense-the taking of life. The accompanying story, "Removing the stain" (page 6), illustrates the elements of healing in a simpie way.

But what if the burning of the hot coffee hadn't been able to be stopped?

What if the offender had never said he was sorry? What if the gift certificates had never been offered? What if the loss had been something irreplaceable, like a child?

We could travel through this succession of events on many levels, asking how God helps us with each element, how we can help each other, and what are the obstacles in each element.

Steps in forgiveness Following is a summary of the 15 steps involved in forgiveness.

1. Name it. The process of forgiveness cannot begin until the offense is known, recognized and realized. This can be 18 years after the fact.

This sounds simple but to get the facts, to have the courage to face the offense and to recognize all the subsequent losses is not easy. We need assurance at this point that we can handle what we are going to find out.

2. Stop it. Our primary focus after a loss is to restore safety and to stop it from happening again. We can hardly ask women who live in an abusive situ-

I've come to understand that forgiveness isn't exclusively a religious term. It's a universal need that spans all strata of society, all races and all hurts.

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ation to forgive when they are still in fear of it happening again.

Forgiving while abuse is continuing could be perceived as another ploy to achieve stability and safety.

3. Express it. Those few choice

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HE FOLLOWING illustrates the 15 elements involved in forgiveness.

It was at a banquet in the lovely ballroom of the oldest hotel in the city. Everyone was dressed in gowns and tuxes. The guests sat with their closest friends at round tables of eight.

And then it happened-hot coffee landed on Mary's lap. For a moment she was stunned and didn't move. Her mind was in denial, but her body wasn't. She jumped up, instinctively holding the hot cloth away from her skin, preventing the coffee from scalding her further.

She uttered a few choice words in anger, then quickly glanced around the table to see if anyone had noticed. She was appeased a little at their comments of sympathy and futile attempts to help. Then she glanced up to see who had spilt coffee and why. There was no doubt-it was the waiter's fault.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over as he helped mop up the coffee. "Are you right?" She nodded numbly.

He quickly left and came back with the manager, who offered a dry-cleaning coupon and a gift certificate for four to eat anytime in the elegant dining room as compensation.

The manager stuck out his hand and apologized again. She accepted it and smiled in reconciliation.

When Mary sat down again, her friends told her that no one would notice t he stain on her dress and that she was lucky it hadn't been worse. Mary realized with their help that all was not lost.

When the first course arrived, Mary felt a pang of regret and turned to her best friend. "I wish I had worn my other dress," she said. "I was going to but I changed my mind at the last minute. It wouldn't have shown as badly." Her friend reassured her that she shouldn't feel guilty; she couldn't have known what was going to happen.

Mary's husband said the gift certificate would be perfect for their daughter's birthday next month. The friends were envious and Mary realized there might even be a benefit in the spill.

The program began and Mary was soon laughing at the speaker's jokes. She put the incident into the past.

As they were leaving, a friend said the highlight of the evening was the teasing around the spilt coffee. Mary smiled too and saw another perspective of it.

A few days later when the gown came back and wasn't quite the same, Mary decided that the certificate was worth more than the dress anyway and let it go. The next day she bought a new dress that she liked better than the old one.

This story is a fantasy, of course. Things don't happen that smoothly. But it identifies the natural transitions in healing that which has been broken.-WD

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words and those tears are a necessary part of healing. Every loss evokes emotion. Anger, sadness, fear, joy and despair need to be allowed to run their course.

Sometimes the best thing we can do for a friend is to be a safe target for his or her anger.

4. Validate it. We are not islands unto ourselves. We need people around us to make sure that what we are experiencing is the norm. No matter how much we try to deny it, our community is extremely important to us.

We need to recheck our existence, our status, our acceptability every time something traumatic happens in our lives or anything that alters us. We need to have our stories believed.

5. Assess it. This is probably the first biggest need of members in our support group. They need information about the murder. Because the case is usually out of their control and hard to get access to, they spend most of the first year asking questions no one seems to have answers for.

We need to have information before we can assess what happened and decide how to deal with it. Without answers, a person can be forced to live in limbo, unable to make the critical decisions of what to do with the next three elements.

6. Prevent it. People in the security business have latched onto this one.

They know how vulnerable a person is who has just experienced the violation of a break-in.

To feel safe is one of our primary needs. Healing can't be complete without the feeling that it won't happen again.

7. Find blame. This is the element that can cause our society the most anxiety. Placing blame means opening up the event again, examining everyone's role and performance during a crisis. Often this element seems to add pain rather than resolution.

But in any problem solving, the careful examination of a situation is abSOlutely necessary in order to learn from it. We need to examine a wrongdoing in the same way.

ISSln'g sfeps

8. Find goUt. Blaming has to do with sorting out everyone's responsibility; guilt is examinHE UNSOLVED ing the role we played. If we murder of our 13-year-old daughter on Nov. 30,1984, was the have experienced a loss, we beginning of my journey to understand forgiveness. I have been with Family Survivors of know instinctively that we have Homicide, Manitoba, for six years, three years as president. I also published a personal a role in it. We usually fall short account of our daughter's homicide called Have You Seen Candace? of our own expectations of A visit from a person broken with bitterness convinced us we needed to forgive if we how we would like to handle were to survive this tragedy. It was our strong desire to find the way through that unraveled things. Our guilt feelings have a the process for us one tiny step at a time. way of pointing out these shortSince the person who abducted Candace has never been found, we never had a face to comings and we need to come blame or anyone to answer our big questions and help us understand. We were denied the to terms with our own responability to assess it, find ways to prevent it, establish blame, fix it or restore relationships. sibilities.

But because we had a supportive family and friends, we were able to process the rest of 9. Fix it. Once we've had a the elements. The simple passing of time and my work with others in homicide grief have chance to assess it, to contain helped provide new goals and a healthy perspective. it, we naturally want to restore The simple exercise of isolating the elements and knowing what is missing has helped me things in the best way we can.

Life forces us to deal with the to accept the fact that I will never finish my quest for understanding. I lean heavily on God's practicalities of a situation. promise that someday everything will be revealed to us.

As long as we leave the loss I have come to see that forgiveness is much like marriage. We make the public vows to a gaping hole, the loss will love each other and then spend the rest of our years together learning what that means. We remain ongoing. Whether it is will never finish forgiving. Each loss we experience spawns other losses that need to be formaking do or replacing, we given. need to plug the hole someMaking an overarching commitment to want to forgive is helpful when we are in the how. trenches of daily living.-WD 10. Restore relationships.

Broken relationships leave us feeling both unsafe and insecure. We cess the memory and find a place for it forgiveness first. We only pass it on.

15. Look forward. We can't be want harmony and peace. But this can in the back of our minds. Forgiving and be impossible if some of the other ele- forgetting means we can control the healed totally until we stop looking at the past and start filling our future. ments aren't in place. An apology can memory-it doesn't control us.

13. Put it in perspective. In the We have to remind ourselves over go a long way.

11. Find meaning. This is the ftnal analysis, life is too short to hold a and over again that it is not easy to forgive. It is as difficult as loving. beginning of attempting to apply what grudge.

14. Let it go. At some point, we In her article, "My Way to God," we have experienced into the present and future. If we are survivors we want decide to let it go. Forgiveness entails Dee Risher says: "The forgiveness of to emerge from any given situation a making a choice. Unfortunately, no sins is perpetual. It will take all our little ahead and not behind. If nothing matter how much we try, that which is lives to learn this new territory. As else, we can ftnd meaning by learning broken remains broken. The broken landmarks, we have the forgiveness place can become stronger, but the others have offered us and the forgivefrom it . .

It helps to know that God has crack will always be there. There is ness we have offered others. These are sacred, ancient repetitions. like others promised there is something meaning- never a perfect resolution.

That's why we finally have to decide before us, they will lead us to God. ful in everything we experience.

12. Place memory. Forgive and to let it go. The problem is that too They will bear us through to the new tR. forget have been a troublesome cou- often we decide to let it go before we country." ple. How can we forget when we have exhausted all our efforts at natural know that memory itself is a precious resolution.

No amount of decision making or commodity? Perhaps we can think of it willpower will keep it from coming Wilma Derksen is a another way.

Mennonite Brethren An event can be so traumatic that it back if we haven't satisfted ourselves journalist from takes up all the "present memory" and on the other levels.

When aU is said and done, forgiveWlnntpeg, Man. does not allow a person to concentrate on anything else. When that happens, ness is a gift that we give others and that we give ourselves. The gift doesn't memory has become intrusive.

Healing is finding a means to pro- originate with us-God gives the gift of

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'Let 'em fry!' seemed to be an appropriate response to murderers.

Except for one thing: criminals are people too. BY R.J. THESMAN HE KANSAS MEDIA HAS DECLARED

1994 as "The year of the death penalty."

Reports from the state capital filtered to the evening news as the debate continued. Opponents and proponents lobbied while journalists typed new statistics and faxed statements to their editors, "The House voted today . .. " "The Senate resumed debate .... " As headlines proclaimed the possibility of our state taking human life, the question loomed in my conscience: What was my response to the death penalty? How should I, a Christian, approach such a volatile subject?

Through much of my spiritual jour· ney, I have hidden behind the shield of pacifism, the token of my Menno· nite Brethren heritage. During the Vietnam War, it was easy to say, "I don't fight. I don't kill. I don't get involved." But the modern conflicts of the '90s have thrust their agenda in my face, demanding answers to questions about abortion, homelessness, and the death penalty. I decided I could no longer sit idly by and let the secular world decide societal issues.

As recently as two years ago, my response to the death penalty was, aoTHE

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"Let 'em fry"-an eye for an eye, a life for a life. In spite of my heritage, I believed in capital punishment. All the arguments against the death penalty merely fueled my belief that sinners pay the price, murderers die. I read statistics proving the death penalty doesn't deter crime. But my argument remained steadfast: "At least it will deter that criminal. He will never murder again."

The rising costs meant nothing to me. So what if the average capital trials cost $116,000 more than ordinary trials? So what if implementing the death penalty cost taxpayers anywhere from $90 to $118 million? Like many Americans, the figures of the federal deficit numbed me to the reality of dollars and cents. I paid my taxes, Congress spent it, end of story.

Even the argument against unfair executions couldn't change my mind.

Mistakes in the legal system happened LEADER

every day. If minority or disabled criminals were executed unfairly; it was the judge, the jury, and the lawyers who had to deal with a blackened conscience. Not me. I was sick of crime-disgusted with graphic photos on the nightly news, pools of blood in parking lots, and innocent children carried away in body bags. I wanted justice. God demanded accountability and so did I. Pacifism faded into revenge.

I read Charles Colson's books and supported his ministry of Prison Fellowship. I agreed with his plan of restitution for crime victims. The criminal should pay for what he has done. He needed to face his conscience and admit responsibility. But Colson advocated total restitution, not execution. I closed his book and closed my mind.

Then God gently nudged me into an area of society I had previously ignored. To help a friend, I agreed to become a pen pal with an inmate at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Correctional Facility. Through the written word, I began a relationship with William.

He was "in" for drug dealing and had no friends in the outside world.

His mother disowned him, his wife divorced him, and his father never claimed him. Through the ministry of chaplains and Prison Fellowship, William gave his heart to Jesus Christ.

He wrote flowing letters with little or

no punctuation, explaining his faith and the acceptance he found in God. He encouraged my writing, enjoyed my book, and always ended his letters with, "Thank you for being my friend."

Through William's transparent soul, I discovered the world of the prisoner. I learned about solitary confinement, loneliness, and the endurance required to live out a sentence. Last year, William's son was killed-run over by a car. I shared his grief, because I, too, lost a child. I could write, "I know how you feel. I am praying for your comfort. " After William was released, Donovan became my pen pal. He is serving a sentence at the EI Dorado (Kan.) Correctional Facility for a sex offense.

Every ounce of my feminine instinct recoils at the thought of rape, molestation, or sodomy. But I have

learned to forgive and to love Donovan. A dynamic Christian, he sends me Hebrew words that we both enjoy.

We write about Yahshua Oesus) and Shahah Luh Shalem Jerusalem ("Pray for the peace of Jerusalem"). Donovan sends Scripture verses to encourage me, even when he's in the discouraging pit of lock-up.

Through my friendships with William and Donovan, I have learned the value of every human being, even those behind bars. I have also learned how to create a murderer: 1. Begin with an absent father.

2. Add a desperate mother.

3. Stir in several live-in boyfriends who abuse the child.

4. Add racism and a dangerous peer group.

5. Subtract the absent church.

6. Destroy self-esteem with failure after failure.

TheWord on capital punishment

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HAT BmUCAL EVIDENCE should the Christian consider when thinking about capital punishment? Mennonite Brethren have no formal position on the death penalty, but in 1987 Kindred Press published a pamphlet which explored both sides of the issue.

Making the case for capital punishment was Elmer Martens, professor of Old Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif.

Writing against capital punishment was John Redekop, churchman and political scientist from Waterloo, Onto For the full presentation of these two positions, order "On Capital Punishment" by sending $2.50 (includes postage and handling) to Kindred Press, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063.

7. Begin with small crimes.

8. Add the injustices and delays of the legal system.

9. With each release from prison, do not provide support or training to integrate the criminal back into society.

10. Finish with hatred, prejudice, and pain.

Michael, another inmate from Hutchinson, sent a calligraphy poster that states, "The cure for crime isn't the electric chair, but the high chair."

My relationships with William and Donovan forced me to reconsider the death penalty. If my pen pals had been on death row, could I support and cheer their executions? Knowing these prisoners personally made a difference. I could never press the button to electrocute William or inject Donovan with a lethal substance. I could not murder my friends. But if

FOR ...

1. The Old Testament contains several explicit statements generally interpreted as supporting capital punishment for transgressions involving the rights of person (particularly the sanctity of life) and reverence to God. The most striking is Genesis 9:5-6. Others are Deuteronomy 19:11ff, Leviticus 24:21 and Numbers 35:30.

2. The biblical record cites several precedents for capital punishment: the deaths at the golden calf episode (Ex. 32:27), the action of Phineas in putting to death two consenting adulterers (Num. 25:8), and Achan at Jericho Oosh. 7:25). It also cites several precedents for waiving the death penalty when it was deserved (l Sam. 11: 12-13, 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11).

3. To be biblical, one must take into account God's anger and justice as well as his compassion. While God expresses his wrath in

AGAINST...

1. Genesis 9:5-6 is a limitation of punishment rather than an exhortation. Second, it describes expiation (salvation through the shedding of blood) rather than a legal rationale for capital punishment for all times. While the passage can be used to argue that governments somehow have a right to inflict capital punishment, it cannot be cited as proof that governments should exercise it.

2. The Mosaic law ("eye for an eye") applied only to the nation of Israel and was intended to serve only until the death of Christ.

Christians take their ethical cues from God's progressive revelation as evidenced in Jesus and the New Testament.

3. The ethic Jesus taught in Sermon on the Mount may not be APRIL

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my taxes paid for executions, I would become an accomplice to every legalized murder performed.

Each afternoon, I work as a volunteer at Fifth Avenue Foundation, a reintegration/training center for parolees. Established in August 1993, FAF is still in the organizational process, but we already minister to the needs of ex-prisoners who desire to change their direction in life. We counsel, provide clothing and food, and train parolees in marketable skills-preparing them to find a job and to become productive citizens.

Now I understand Charles Colson's words, "Correctional policy oUght to focus on moral reformation. Fundamentally, crime is a moral problempeople choosing to do wrong. And it requires a moral solution. " A painting that hangs in my living

room illustrates the purpose behind Fifth Avenue Foundation and explains why I have changed my attitude about the death penalty. The artist, Thomas Blackshear, created a picture that depicts a man dressed in jeans and Tshirt, holding a mallet and a spike.

Jesus stands behind the man and supports him with a loving embrace. The title of the painting defines the relieved expression on his face: "Forgiven."

Except for the grace of God, I could be a William or a Donovan. My home could be a tiny cell, and I could be waiting for the tmal sentence on death row. Because I recognize my own sins, I can no longer agree with the death penalty. I believe in the "Hard 40" sentence and Clinton's "Three Strikes You're Out." But the argument that finalizes my changed

attitude comes from John 3: 16, "... that whosoever believes .... " As long as a prisoner is alive, he or she has a chance for salvation. William and Donovan found Christ in prison. The apostle Paul witnessed to guards and to prisoners. Jesus forgave the repentant thief.

But if an inmate is executed before he accepts Christ, he dies in his sins.

That is the ultimate death penalty-the final sentence I cannot accept. tf2 RJ Thesman, who grew up in the Enid

(Okla.) MB Church, is a free-lance writer living in Arkansas City, Kan.

FOR ... , cont'd ffom p.9 direct intervention, it is not unusual for him to employ human agents (Ezek. 25:14, Num. 31:3, Acts 5:3).

4. The New Testament does not rescind the death penalty nor does it explicitly affirm it. Jesus's statement, "all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Mt. 26:52), is an observation about human existence, not a command. But it assumes the existence of the death penalty.

5. The Sermon on the Mount repudiates "eye for an eye" retaliation within the Christian community (the church), not outside it (the state). The ideals of the kingdom cannot be imposed on the state because the state does not have the context of the kingdom as its base of operation.

6. Jesus did not repudiate the Mosaic law, which prescribed death for the woman caught in adultery On. 7:53-

8:11). He proceeded in accordance with the law which called for a minimum of two witnesses. In the absence of witnesses, he released her.

7. Romans 13 refers to the state as the "minister of God" which "does not bear the swor<! for nothing" (v.4).

While the text does not necessarily legitimize capital punishment, it clearly states the sword is symbol for the authority to execute the gravest of penalties and implies (vv.3-4) that punishment deters crime.

8. The contention that advocating capital punishment runs contrary to the Anabaptist stance of nonresistance fails to distinguish between action appropriate to an enemy and a criminal. The former is an evil perpetuated by the state (war) and the latter is a mandate given the state (punishment of evildoers).

AGAINST... , cont'd from p.9 normative for governments, but that is only because subChristian governments do not live by the ethic of Jesus and, as the supreme human authority, simply claim supreme earthly power. Christians should encourage the state toward the higher ethic ofJesus, not away from it.

4. Jesus's response to the woman caught in adultery On. 8:1-11) illustrates a continuing development of the New Testament ethic, that is, Jesus was placing additional limitations on vengeance.

5. Romans 13 must be read against the backdrop of 10 • THE

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Romans 12, which emphatically declares all vengeance to be wrong for Christians. The use of "sword" in Romans 13 symbolizes judicial authority, not authority to execute wrongdoers.

6. The New Covenant insists that even though persons are responsible for the wrong they commit, redemption is always a possibility so long as there is life. To execute a person is to deprive him or her of the opportunity for reconciliation with God and man.

Chain-letter religion Like chain-letter scams, Christian faith has no secret formulas, no standards of right and wrong that,

if carefully followed, will give us what we want.

by KENNETH L. GffiBLE

WAS INTRODUCED TO CHAIN LETTERS IN

college. Until then I had heard about them and had some vague notions about how they worked. Supposedly they were illegal, but I hadn't the faintest notion why. So when my college roommate received a chain letter in the mail, I was fascinated. In the letter were four names and addresses, listed top to bottom. The last name belonged to the person who had sent my roommate the letter. It instructed him to do two things: ftrst, send ftve dollars to the person whose name appeared at the top of the list; second, mail copies of the letter to six other people, placing his own name in the number four spot. In due time, at least in theory, his name would arrive at the top of the list, and the ftve-dollar bills would come rolling in.

It didn't take my roommate long to ftgure out how many ftve-dollar bills that would be. Were the chain to remain unbroken, he would accumulate a total of $I ,080. I saw my duty at once. I set about to temper my friend's enthusiasm.

"Use your head," I told him.

"Nobody takes chain letters seriously.

They all end up in the wastebasket.

Besides, what's to prevent others from carrying on the chain without sending that ftve bucks?"

All very reasonable, helpful counsel, to my way of thinking. Did my roommate appreciate it? He did not.

He quickly pointed out to me that the scheme meant he would have a potential of 236 people to send him ftve dollars. IT only two of those 236 came through, he would double his money. Besides, the chain letter said that breaking the chain would result in a streak of bad luck. Best not take a chance.

I saw he was hopelessly hooked on his illusion, so I shrugged and gave a final word of advice: "Don't say I didn't warn you." Then I got back to the books.

By 10 o'clock that night, my roommate had circulated his six letters to guys in the dorm and had given his sales talk to everyone in Sight. Now he was sitting on his bed riffling through the more than 30 dollars he had already collected.

"Come on, roomie," he said, "you can still get in on the action. Of course," he mocked, "if you had startAPRIL

1994·

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If we think that being good will make us acceptable to God, will earn us what we want, we are mistaken. Most of the time we are good to get something in return: respect, social even God's approval.

12 • THE

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ed right away, your name would now be at the top of a few lists."

I sat there muttering under my breath. I should never have underestimated the power of single-minded, passionate greed. What made the lesson particularly unforgettable was the five dollars I lost getting in on the tail end of the whole business. Yes, I fmally succumbed to the madness around midnight. By the next day it was all over. So far as I know, no one but my roommate so much as broke even.

Chain letters and the other scams that pervade our society-lotteries, sweepstakes, grand prize drawingsare all symptoms of the human longing for magical solutions. Pass on the chain letter and good fortune will result. Buy the lucky ticket and your problems will be solved.

Maybe it's a carryover from childhood. "Clean up your room and you'll get a piece of candy." "Get a B+ in math and you can go on a weekend outing with your friends." Translated into religion, it comes out, "Live a good, clean life, go to church at least occasionally, and good things will happen to you. " Jesus had something to say about all this. He called his followers' attention to the behavior of people who made a big show of their religion and good works. Jesus wasn't saying they should stop doing good things. His point was simply that once they had given their alms and had finished offering their public prayers, they had already gotten what they wanted: attention and admiration from their neighbors. "Truly I say to you," he said, "they have received their reward."

How do these words apply to the kind of religion you and I often practice? If we think that being good will make us acceptable to God, will earn us what we want, we are mistaken.

Most of the time we are good to get something in return: respect, social approval, even God's approval.

Jesus makes it quite clear that doing good or being good w ill not win us God's favor. Instead, God's favor, God's grace, is already given to us, and then we may do good, we may LEA D E R

even be good, at least some of the time. In this sense it can be said that we are good, not for any reward to be gained, but simply because God has brought it to pass in us. We are good for no gain to be had. We are good for nothing.

Such an idea is contrary to what many people believe the Christian faith is all about. That's too bad, because what makes the gospel so exciting is the unexpectedness of grace, the surprise of joy.

We miss it time and time again. We feel guilty so often because we think we aren't good enough. We are not good enough as parents, not good enough as a spouse, not good enough as a friend.

In one sense it's true. We aren't good enough. In fact, we can never be good enough, but that doesn't seem to matter to the One who created us. The Holy One is far more interested in using whatever good we do for the blessing of God's children.

There is no magic. Chain letters are a sham. There are no secret formulas, no standards of right and wrong that, if carefully followed, will give us what we want. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. Some good people get sick; some bad people live to be a hundred.

There are no guaranteed rewards for goodness; goodness must be its own reward.

There is something better than guarantees. It's the grace and freedom and love of God. They pervade life more than we know, more than we take time to see. In the end, they bring us, often kicking and screaming, into God's kingdom.

Oddly enough, we have trouble recognizing our salvation, even when it's staring us in the face. ef2 Kenneth L. Gibble, a frequent contributor to the Leader, is a freelance writer from Arlington, Va.

Mellllonile M\I\\IIU yosl o\l\ce Goshell •W I 'to\\.\tec'. \ .SI)\).

Howard L. Brenneman presi.dent

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Nothing asked, a lot gained

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BY FRONY RinER

y CONGREGATION did me

a great about five years, they didn't ask one thing of me. Maybe they realized I was operating in maximum capacity when I walked into church with a fourweek-old baby in my arms and my dress tucked into the top of my hose.

Maybe they took pity on me when they saw me outfitted with enough baby gear to make a weightlifter groan.

When I finally had time to reflectafter five years of relentless diapers, bottles, teething and cuddling babiesI was shocked and grateful to realize what my congregation had done for us. In addition to the postpartum meals and gifts, and nursery service on Sundays, my church had given me an even more important gift. They had given me time-my own. And as a pathetically inexperienced parent, I needed every minute I could spare to practice this rigorous art. My husband, a dad of the '90s, was struggling too with his quota of diapers and bottles by night and wielding a formidable briefcase (smeared with baby food) by day.

The onset of parenthood often occurs at the same time careers are being established. A family's employment opportunities and earning power are the greatest during these years. While earning a living and planning for a family's future are demanding, it is overwhelming to return home to the lovable, constant chaos of an infant. Little time or energy is left for other commitments.

Young to middle-aged adults, the group that includes new parents, are often seen as the segment of the church who are old enough to hold a responsible position and are young Forum is a column of opinion and comment on contemporary issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church. Manuscripts expressing an opinion for Forum should aim for a length of 800 words. Authors must sign articles, identify their church membership and vocation, and include a clear photo of themselves.

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Thanks to the wisdom of my congregation, our family was able to build a healthy foundation for the future while accomplishing missionary workreflecting God's love to our children. enough to have the boundless energy to easily and enjoyably accomplish the task. As a result, congregations often ask this group to serve in various church functions. Many of our new parents consequently add a variety of church duties to an already full load.

A number of my peers have lovingly served in these positions-in addition to earning a living-and have lost out on many of the Kodak moments that infants offer. But those infants may have lost out on even more .

These children may have missed some of the parental attention a baby needs to grow into a happy, optimistic, loving adult.

Ironically, one of the most important jobs in life-parenting-comes when we have the least time for it.

"The parent who rocks the cradle rules the world" is much more than a pithy saying.

While parents are busy trying to balance baby and briefcase, we would be wise to let the scale between church and family tip in favor of the baby. Psychoanalytic psychologists largely agree that personality is basically formed in the first five years of life. As Paul Meier says, "What you feed into a child's brain in the first six years is going to come out in the next 70."

What adults regard as child's play are the experiences that form attitudes and perceptions that may last a lifetime. What busy parents think is a minor crisis, if ignored, may be a permanent pain etched into a tiny heart.

The quality of early parenting can also make a difference in how children respond to God. A child's first representation of God is his or her parents. For a few short, sweet years LEA D E R

Mommy and Daddy know everything.

"Mommy, what's Grandpa doing right now?" to "Why did 1 say that?" are some of the routine questions my little ones have asked me.

When children begin to understand God, the characteristics they imagine God to possess often look remarkably similar to the ones to whom they first assigned deity-mom and dad. If the parents are seen as attentive, responsive and loving, then God may look the same way. If parents are busy and disengaged, children may assume God is too.

When seen from that perspective, the rigorous job of parenting grows even more difficult and important.

Representing a business or a church may call for high standards, but being a representative for God is a profound and sometimes terrifying honor.

Bonding with children also has benefits for the parent. My relationship with God has deepened as a result of devoting large blocks of time to my children. 1 was able to take the time to experience our relationship and reflect on the parallels between the parent-child and God-person relationship of dependency and love.

For instance, my appreciation of Christ'S constant love toward me deepened as I spent night after night awake, soothing and reassuring a crying child. And when my son first said, "I yuv you, Mommy," I imagined the joy of heaven when 1 fltSt declared my devotion to God. These insights give me additional incentive to fulfill my parental duties. 1 realized I am showing my children the ultimate human example of sacrificial love and mirroring the God-person, Christ-church relationship.

READERS

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------Ilhl--l- In her book, When the Bough Breaks, Sylvia Ann Hewlitt says for every dollar spent in developed countries for prenatal care, three dollars are saved in the first year of the baby's life that would otherwise be spent on medical care. Likewise, I believe every minute spent attending to a child in his or her first five years may save many times the hours of frustration and disappointment later in life. Not only does it save money (in the fonn of mental health and even medical services), but it helps prevent the heartbreak of a family with a wayward member.

The body of Christ can help us weary parents be sensitive to the needs of these little ones by limiting the time commitments asked of us during this brief but important family time.

This could be the first step in our Christian education curriculumenhancing family bonding and assisting in healthy personality and spiritual development. We could explore the possibility of offering pre-parenting classes in our churches that include help in areas like balancing commitments, meeting the emotional needs of an infant, and spiritual growth as a new family.

Perhaps we could have older mothers visit young mothers to listen empathetically, offer encouragement, or give a little time to help with the babies. We could fonn Bible study/ play groups with parents of youngsters.

Thanks to the wisdom of my congregation, our family was able to build a healthy foundation for the future while accomplishing missionary work-reflecting God's love to our children. With gratefulness for the favor my congregation did for me, I am ready to take up the baton of service and make room for the next new parents to establish their family. ef2

Frony Ritter, a member of the Neighborhood Church in Visalia, Calif, is an artist and a student in the marriage and family counseling program at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno. She and her husband, Donn, have two preschool sons.

What's in a name?

I had my suspicions aroused after reading in Miscellanea (Nov. 2) about a new publication for Mennonite Brethren women called Sophia.

Sophia is the name of a goddess currently being widely worshiped by many radical feminists.

The Presbyterian Layman (Vol. 27, No.1, January/February 1994) reported: "National staff and committee members from the Presbyterian Church (USA) gathered with leaders of other World Council of Churches denominations in Minneapolis Nov. 47 for a feminist convention called 'Relmaging 1993.' Declaring their allegiance to the goddess 'Sophia,' participants catapulted their rhetoric well beyond commonplace themes of women's equality. Instead, they heralded a more radical agenda: to pro-

mote a new religion with a new god" [my emphasis]. The article continued for five pages.

It alarms me to think of Mennonite Brethren women and men connected in any way to such blasphemy. I would appreciate the Leader investigating this issue.

Lori Chilstrom Portland, Ore. Editors's note: When we contacted Sarah Klassen, editor of Sophia, she sent us a copy of an explanation she had written on an earlier occasion: 'The word 'sophia' is a feminine gender Greek noun which can be translated as 'wisdom.' It is used in the Greek translation Of the Hebrew Scriptures where the word for wisdom was 'chokmah.'

"Later, in the writings Of the Christian church, in the gospel ofJohn, for instance, the Greek masculine noun 'logos' was used instead of 'sophia. ' "In all cases, the word used in the Scriptures for 'wisdom' usually means or implies 'wisdom from God.' But 'logos' and 'sophia' are identified with Christ.

"The women who launched this publication could as well have chosen 'chokmah' or 'logos' for the title, but clearly Sophia seemed more appropriate for a publication by and for women."

Klassen also told the Leader that a longer version of this explanation, written by George Schillington, associate professor of New Testament at Concord College, Winnipeg, Man., appeared in an early issue of Sophia magazine, before she became editor.

A one-year subscription to Sophia costs $9. Payment should be sent to Sophia, P. O. Box 28062, 1453 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg, MB R2G

4E9

Pastoral praise

Thanks for the major issue on pastors and pastoral life (March). You pulled together a lot of excellent matertial by a lot of good people. I appreciate the coverage and I appreciate the layout and your work at making the Christian Leader what it is today.

Loyal Martin, pastor Koerner Heights Church of the Mennonite Brethren Newton, Kan.

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APRIL

1994·15

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Time for spring cleaning

W

HEN THE spring-cleaning bug hits every April or so, I throw open my garage door, take stock of the accumulated clutter, and hastily throw the door closed again. "I'm not going in there," I tell my wife.

"One wrong move could bury me for a week."

This year I hope to have more spring in my cleaning. And not only in my garage, but also in other closets and cabinets where clutter has collected. like in my "Ph'lip Side" file. Time to clear out the scraps and scribbles that won't quite stretch into full-sized columns: • Tonya Harding. I feel obliged to say something about my fellow Oregonian. Namely: What's the big deal? All this hoopla over a bungled attempt to cheat. Was it that much out of line with the rest of Big Time Sports? If a football linebacker bruised a quarterback's knee, we wouldn't call him a conspirator, but a wimp. Your average linebacker plans to assault the quarterback right into the hospital.

Cheating is so normal that the athlete who plays fair is hailed as exceptional, like when I give back the dollar I've been undercharged at the market. "Oh," the checker gushes, "not many people are so honest'" They aren't? Well, not if modem athletics is any indication. If you want sportsmanship, sports may not be the best place to look.

• Bill Clinton. Speaking of assault, I'm astonished by the constant clubbing President Clinton takes from a lot of Christians. Was I absent the day we voted 1 Timothy 2:1-2 out of Scripture? My dog-eared Bible still reads, "I urge that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. " If early Christians could pray and even give thanks for tyrants, despots and deity wannabe's, can it be so tough for us to invoke a few intercessory words on behalf of our president?

Maybe it's time to revive the "If you can't say something nice" rule. Silence would be a lot better than some of the ugly stuff I'm hearing.

• Destination weddings. Recently I learned the newest matrimonial fad is the "destination wedding." Instead of spending big bucks for monster church weddings, couples are spending even bigger bucks to get hitched in Hawaii, Tahiti, or some other exotic locale.

That makes me wonder: If less attention was lavished on weddings and more on mar16 • THE

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riages, would today's breakdown of family life be such a pressing issue?

• The greatest what? When a big-city church leader was disciplined for what a few of us might still call "sin," a supporter of this "sinner" (or perhaps, "alternatively righteous person") said an interesting thing: "Who are we to condemn? After all, the greatest commandments are 'Love your neighbor' and ' Don't judge others.'"

Hmm. I always thought they were "Love your neighbor" and "Love God." We really miss that "Love God" part these days-not only in a morally relativistic society, but a spiritually relativistic church. "Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians," wrote A.W. Tozer, "stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. " Ahem, let us pause for a moment of heavy conviction....

• Liberal media. Speaking of moral drift, I've been informed that today's mass media is little more than Satan's monkey wrench to twist the gullible masses. Well, I realize media can be plenty twisted, but I'm not sure it's fair to trash the whole mess. For one thing, it gives us members of the gullible masses less credit than we probably deserve. A recent poll revealed that news journalists rate barely more public trust than politicians. Think about that.

And media-trashing probably gives the media more credit than it deserves. The two lead stories in a recent issue of my state's major newspaper were: (1) Minor flooding, and (2) Tonya Harding. Hardly the stuff of Satanic conspiracies. More like the stuff of selling paperswhiCh, more than any alleged anti-Christian uprising, is the real reason for media drift.

• Dan Jansen. Antacid for my Harding heartburn was the speed skating gold-medalist who gave us a parable for our time. In the last race of a tragedy-troubled, doubt-riddled Olympic career, Dan Jansen fmally overcame.

Asked later to share some wisdom with us aspiring survivors back home, his message was simply, "Hang in there." .

Sound advice. "Run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews urges, and Paul tells why: "They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Forget the spring in my cleaning; what I really need is some spring in my step. i2

LEA D E R

If less attention was lavished on weddings and more on marriages, would today's breakdown of family life be such a pressing issue?

Philip Wiebe lives in Salem, Ore.

A quilt? Handmade chair? Strawberry pie? Relief sales feature auctions with donated items, even houses built by local volunteers. Proceeds support MCC's worldwide relief and development work.

In some 38 North American communities, from Harrisburg, Pa., to Clearbrook, B.C., volunteers put love into action by organizing relief sales.

Call MCC for information about the sale nearest you. Attend a sale. Invite a friend.

Volunteer to lend a hand. Make a purchase that makes a difference.

( ) ---

J Mennonite Central Committee and MCC U.S. ..61'. 21 South 12th Street, PO Box 500 Akron, PA 17501-0500 (717) 859-1151 (71 7) 859-3889 Mennonite Central Committee Canada 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 (204) 261 -6381

EDUCATION

Aiming for a centered life

BY KATHY HEINRICHS WIEST

them in a little kiln in the garage.

Dueck says he started working with ceramics two years ago when Dean Dalke, a friend from church, was recruiting people to help make potSemiJl(fJT Fac[{/(r tery for a booth at the Mennonite Relief Sale. They had access to Fresno EIGHTH IN A SERIES Pacific College's wheels and kilns for the project. "This is it," Dueck told his OVE OVER Volkswagen wife, Anne, "I'm going to do this." van, the potter's wheel is Before long, he was hooked. moving in. The mechanic's In addition to contributing to the garage has become the artist's studio.

Mennonite Central Committee work Not that the 1973 VW is unloved. supported by the sale (the pottery Since he bought it in 1976, Al Dueck raised $300 last year), working at the has invested a great deal of tender lov- wheel contributed to a spiritual and ing care into his hobby vehicle that emotional awakening for Dueck. has also served as the family's second While the mechanic work represented car. With a wrench in one hand and what he calls "dirt under the fmger- Dueck: Seeking a religion of the heart.

VW Manual for the Complete Idiot in nails Christianity," forming the clay the other, Dueck has spent hours in evoked his creative side and offered Brethren Church. His first book, a text the garage, doing everything from new metaphors for a relationship with for therapists titled Between Jerusalem and Athens: Conversations changing the oil to fully rebuilding the God. engine.

Much of Dueck's life has been Along the Way, will be published this With more than 150,000 miles on spent in academic pursuits, including year.

Although he thoroughly enjoys the old baby, it's time to move on, studying for his bachelor's, master's says Dueck. The "for sale" sign will go and doctoral degrees. He taught psy- intellectual pursuits, he has begun to in the window any day now as Dueck chology at Tabor and Fresno Pacific recognize the importance of nurturing prepares to say his fond farewell. colleges before joining the seminary a more creative, more spiritual, more emotional dimension. He says there is The new love that has taken its faculty. place is a creative pursuit: turning He often researches and writes more to faith than the knowledge of clay pots, bowls and vases on his pot- about psychological and theological and strict obedience to Scripture he ter's wheel, then glazing and firing questions related to the Mennonite was taught in the small Mennonite community where he was raised.

Dueck values his upbringing. He was raised by a pious and hard-workAL DUECK - THE BID ing widowed mother who could bareName: AI Dueck ly make ends meet. His father Birth: Dec. 13, 1943, Vancouver, B.C. drowned in a fishing accident when Family: Wife, Anne, director of day care program, Older Adult Social Services (OASIS); he was 2 and his brother was not yet two grown children, Cheryl (married to Peter Smith) and Kevin (married to Rhonda born. "Uncles" in the North Kildonan MB Church in Winnipeg took pains to Lautt).

Education: B.A., psychology, University of Manitoba; B.Th., theology, MB Bible College; see that those rambunctious Dueck MA, counseling, Appalachian State University; Ph.D., psychology, Stanford University. boys were kept on the straight and Years on faculty: 10 narrow. "I had 50 fathers," Dueck Position: Associate professor of pastoral counseling/director of supervision of the mar- recalls.

Firmly rooted in a fundamentalist riage and family counseling program.

Present church involvement: College Community Church, Clovis; occasional preach- faith that promotes discipline of the ing; psychological services for MB Missions/Services; chair, board of directors of Kings mind and will, Dueck has branched View Corporation. out in recent years to see how God Favorite or most influential book: Collected poetry of T.S. Eliot. might touch his heart.

He has found delight in reading and Best advice ever received: Listen to your heart.

Hobbies/interests: making pottery for MCC Sales, writing poetry, art, reading novels, writing poetry and in reading a new hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, journaling, travel. translation of the Bible. "One of the Fondest wish for the MB Church: A spiritual renewal of the heart, a sensitive social things 1 love doing is reading Eugene conscience, an appreciation for the gifts of women, a leadership that empowers the Peterson's translation [of the Bible], The Message. It's so fresh, it makes the laity.

M

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words leap off the page in different ways."

A faith of the heart helps to shape Dueck's approach to teaching at the seminary. "It's a fallacy to think that studying and writing papers can substitute for a relationship with God," he says.

"We need to learn to love the Lord with our minds as well-with rigor, and reading broadly-but it builds on that fundamental experience of God's presence, and the fundamental consciousness of a relationship with God." In addition to academic rigor-"My course in professional ethics is very hard-nosed," he notes-Dueck wants to be sure students who take courses in counseling attain a spiritual depth.

"A religion of the heart involves courage and strength of character," he says. "I'm interested in developing pastoral counselors who function with the presence of God in their hearts with confidence, rather than timidity. Otherwise your clients will bowl you over."

Dueck himself has begun doing more counseling in recent years, in addition to his teaching assignment.

"My counseling is always a reality check. How is God present-now, here, in this session?"

Calling it "miraculous, or just short of miraculous," he finds it satisfying to see progress in the lives of his counselees. "Healing is a gift of God," he reflects. "If I'm lucky, I can be an instrument in that healing."

A metaphor for spiritual health comes back to Dueck from his work at the potter's wheel. "There's an incredible sense when you're holding the clay down and pressing it and it wobbles at first. But eventually as it becomes centered you feel absolutely no movement under your fingers."

He compares that to a person who nurtures the inner life. People who take time for prayer and meditation find themselves "centered in relationship to God," he says. As he explores a "faith of the heart," Dueck has found for himself a centeredness that his academic pursuits alone could not provide.

Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, a free-lance writer from Kingsburg, Calif., Is a member of the Kingsburg MB Church.

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My question is trivial, but do you have information about the fellow who shows up at all those televised sporting events with his john 3:16" sign? (CAliFORNIA)

plex? A student is disciplined for praying over a school intercom, but the most vile and degrading words and actions are allowed in many public places and meetings. I don't get it! So for now my word to Aubrey is: "Stick it to 'em, Guy!" -

More than one person may be involved in this kind of "ministry" since I have seen "John 3:16" and other biblical references in a variety of sports settings. But I do have information about Guy Aubrey, who calls himself a traveling evangelist, and whose evangelistic endeavors have resulted in some strange litigation.

Apparently the Cincinnati Reds baseball organization has not been pleased with this unique ministry.

Aubrey's ftrst attempt at this form of witnessing took place during the second game of the 1990 World Series.

Security guards at the Riverfront stadium told Aubrey (he is an ordained minister) he could not display a religious banner because it violated "good ta.ste" standards. Claiming that his free speech and religious rights were being violated, Aubrey sued.

Since that time the Reds have changed their banner policy several times in an attempt to get around a judge's rulings that they are too vague. Less than a year ago, because the baseball club had said banners needed to be baseball-related, Aubrey appeared with a banner: "Go Reds, John 3:16." That resulted in another challenge from the Reds, but the judge again ruled that their "baseballrelated" policy was even more vague than the previous ones.

Recently the Reds have banned all noncommercial signs, but Aubrey continues his John 3:16 campaign and the Reds have not appealed the judge's latest decision.

I'm not all that keen on this form of witnessing, and I'd hesitate carrying on a running court battle with an adversary, but isn't it strange that free speech seems to be so available for people with antibiblical messages and so restricted for messages that deal with matters of righteousness? Or am I just afflicted with a persecution com-

When I was in the pastorate, I hesitated standing on the street comer with a placard saying that abortions equaled murdering babies. I believed that, but I wasn't certain that was the most Christian way to voice my objection. Moreover, I knew I would find myself with others who were eager to take far more violent measures than I in their opposition to this travesty.

But many other times I pondered the same question in principle: How involved with others shall I become in taking a position on a moral issue?

My timidity may have been pure cowardice. But I want my witness to be construed as one based on love and respect for others. It is possible to become violent, for instance, in our objections to violence. In so doing we defeat our own cause.

I was helped in my thinking about this matter recently by the writing of Frederica Mathewes-Green, who contrasts the variety of methods used to oppose abortion. She mentions one of the most hard-nosed debaters in this crusade, Gregg Cunningham. He has produced a devastating video showing aborted babies. He insists Christians ought to make such desperate pleas for life that we risk the anger and rejection of pregnant women who seek abortions.

Mathewes-Green proposes that an array of tactics has benefits. While Cunningham insists that those who

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Q

With so many different approaches to opposing abortion, some of which I don't approve, how do we determine what measures we ought to support?

(CAliFORNIA)

A

Do you have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue?

Send it to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727. refuse to use his video fear confrontation, Mathewes-Green contends that since we don't know what methods work with some people, mUltiple approaches will be necessary. Different strokes for different folks!

While I know some pro-abortion people are turned off by pictures of aborted babies, others may be convinced by them. In that case, I'm prepared to say that while I would prefer a softer approach, it's good that others who feel comfortable with their tactics are out there on the ftring line.

I still feel our task is not to defeat the other side. We must convince those who are willing to practice violence.

And I don't believe you can convince people by beating on them.

What I like about MathewesGreen's idea is that she views the struggle not as a battle, but as two teams of actors on the world stage.

The teams oppose each other, but neither has a script. Neither side knows what will happen next. She says the Director (God) may have different roles for different actors. "Shouters" and "convincers" may each have a place.

There is room for us all. Doesn't the New Testament hint strongly that we need to appreciate each others' gifts? Can we also apply that to the manner in which we exercise those gifts? So I'm prepared to make room for the protester who shows up with red-spattered dolls and American flags pinned to his jacket to show his dislike for abortion. But then I hope he will be willing to make room for the retired pastor on his knees in the middle of the night asking God to intervene in this cruel world. tR.

otrusings

Retreat will not save us

O

N MAY 18,1993, I committed myself to pray regularly about the violence in the county in which I live. I don't remember what moved me on that day to become so urgent in prayer. Perhaps it was another shopping center murder, or a drive-by shooting. Whatever, on that day the Spirit of God touched my heart: "This has got to stop.

People are being killed indiscriminately, and God does not like what he sees. The church must take steps to impact its community, to address the violence around us." I began to pray, "Lord, show us how we must confront the issue of violence in our country...

I live in central California. The city of Fresno, our county seat, is becoming a place of incredible violence. Scarcely a week goes by without another murder or two. Crime, gang warfare, drug dealing, car theft-these are daily facts of life for people. Similar stories could be reported from all over the country.

People are demanding action to solve this problem, and politicians are talking about it.

The answers are predictable: more police, more prisons, and stiffer penalties for criminals. But those answers are nothing more than bandaids.

According to one statistic I saw, the United States already has more people per capita in prison than any other country in the world. Yet America has the highest rate of violent crime in the world, having risen 560 percent in the last 30 years. If more prisons and police could stop crime, we would have made a bigger dent in criminal activity by now.

A recent article by Charles Colson expressed my own thought so concisely. Colson wrote: "The rapid secularizing of America [will] lead inevitably to tyranny." There is the root cause of crime. Our nation no longer has a moral base. We are a people without absolutes, without common moral values-worst of all, a people without conscience. Children growing up in America are no longer taught a sense of right and wrong. I know the Scriptures teach that every person is born with an innate moral sense, but that sense must be trained and developed. With divorce, with both parents working, with school teachers teaching value-free education, that training is not happening. The result is that we are paying a price, and the price will only become greater.

People in America don't like to hear that a society without absolutes is a society without

moral standards, and is headed for chaos. Such Every time we sentiments are not popular. But what is ahead for America is truly dreadful. If violence contin- believers ues to increase, as it will, people will increasingly call for the strong arm of big government move our to control crime at any cost, even if the cost is the destruction of the rights and freedoms in families and which we Americans have always believed. People will sacrifice freedom for security if they our churches become fearful enough. But, in the 20th century, we have seen enough already of what hap- to a safer pens when governments value security over freedom that our hearts should be filled with place, we terror at such a prospect.

What shall Christians do? Ultimately, we have chosen must recognize that Satan is taking over our nation, one neighborhood at a time. Every time security over we believers move our families and our churches to a safer place, we have chosen security freedom, and over freedom, and we have surrendered to we have Satan. The enemy is winning, and we who hold to God's truth are in steady retreat. But retreat will not save us, because eventually there will surrendered be no safe place. The crime that plagues our to Satan. cities will eventually touch our small towns and rural areas too. We must not retreat any longer.

We don't need to. We have the armor of God. So, again, what shall we do?

First, we must pray more urgently for the power of God's Spirit to move in our nation.

Second, we must stand for truth and moral values whenever and wherever they are being attacked. That means in the school system, in the public media, in entertainment and television, even in our own churches. We must be heard, not with voices of anger, but with hearts of compassion.

Third, we must reclaim our neighborhoods.

Criminals and violent people are a small minority in this country, but the people who live around them live in fear and silence. Christians need to move in to those communities and raise the standard of truth, dignity, and freedom. I'm gratified to know that in places like Fresno this is happening. Christian leaders (the head of Youth for Christ, the director of World ViSion, the leader of InterVarsity) have moved into some of the most crime-infested areas to bring Christ's presence there. That is what we must do- and you and I must be willing to do it.

The task is urgent. If we do not cultivate moral values, anarchy will increase. Jesus calls Jim Holm is from Reedley, Calif. eR. us to sacrifice security for freedom.

APR I L

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MENNONITE BRETHREN

NEWS

MCC: Have money, will serve

BY RICH PREHEIM

• Meanwhile, Mennonite denominational agencies battle chronic shortfalls

1988, contributions have been 5 percent short of budget. The 1990 budget was slashed by $94,000 from the year before due to a shortfall in giving. The number of long-term missionaries has dropped from 91 to 74 since 1984, and 10 staff positions have had to be cut the past two years.

The General Conference Mennonite Church (GCMC) had a $467,026 deficit in 1992, although individual giving has jumped from $595,530 in 1988 to $893,066 last year, with a high of $970,756 in 1991. Congregational giving has remained constant at about $360,000 the past three years.

GC treasurer and business manager

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lion last year, compared to $2.3 million in 1987.

Those activities draw many nonMennonites who would not financially support denominational work such as missions.

HE HEADLINES leave little "Relief and service have a great deal doubt that Mennonite church of appeal beyond Mennonites," Stuckagencies are facing difficult eysays. financial times: "Contributions to The conference agencies do have MBM Lagging Behind Budget;" "Gengrassroots support, such as benefit eral Conference Fails to Meet Budget suppers, auctions and missions festiGoals;" "Church Leaders to MWC: Our vals. But those relationships could be Coffers Are Empty;" "MBM/S Taps further developed.

Reserve Funds."

"We do need to work harder and more intentionally at getting direct But while the conferences and mission boards seem to struggle, Mennolinkages between local congregations nite Central Committee-that and mission workers," said well-respected inter-MenSheldon Burkhalter, who left nonite organization of hope, Nov. 1 as MBM's development love and caring-appears to manager. have solid support from indiThe Mennonite Brethren, viduals and congregations. however, have not changed their approach to raising "MCC has its ups and downs like other agencies," money for conference work, says Lynford Becker, president says MCC executive secretary John A. Lapp. But he of MB Foundation, the trustee organization for the U.S. Conadmitted, 'The last three to five years MCC has enjoyed ference.

"We haven't changed fundgreat support, for which we're very thankful." raising strategies other than inviting people to give," he Even a recent report by the Canadian International says.

Development Agency noted THE APPEAL OF SERVICE: MCC Haiti agriculturalist Edwin Dening For Burton Buller of HenderMCC's financial strength. works with Dieula Colin at a nursery near Desarmes. son, Neb., the issue boils down to this: people are questioning "To see an organization literally awash with money by comparison Ted Stuckey echoes a prevailing atti- whether church agencies are relevant to others, I say, 'My word, MCC is tude, saying "I'm not fond of this and effective. Even among those with doubts about other agencies, MCC recession-proof!'" says CIDA evaluator word, but we're downsiZing. " So why is MCC enjoying relative continues to pass the test.

Andy Hamilton.

During the past five fiscal years, financial strength while other agenBuller, a member of the Henderson MCC has received 102.2 percent of its cies are finding money hard to come MB Church, has been aff1liated with budgeted contributions, falling short by?

MCC almost continuously since 1968 For MCC, it is not necessarily Men- as a service worker and board memonly in 1991 (99.3 percent) and 1990 (94.3 percent). During those five nonites who are giving more. While ber. He is now a member of the MCC years, only in 1991 did total income MCC's budget has grown from $29.1 U.S. executive committee. He has also not meet budget (93.4 percent). million in 1988 to $37.4 million in served on the former U.S. Board of Meanwhile, giving to the U.S. Con- 1993, congregational and individual Publications. ference of Mennonite Brethren contributions have fluctuated the past He said today's congregations and conferences, while perhaps a place to Churches the last five years has been five years.

But income from SELFHELP Crafts discuss the work of God's kingdom, only 73 percent of budget. Giving to the Canadian Conference has been 85 sales has jumped from $3.5 million in are not very practical places to do that percent. Contributions to MB Mis- 1987 to $5 .3 million in 1992. Other work. sions/Services last year lagged more sales from MCC stores have gone from "It is very difficult for a pastor to than $300,000 behind expenses. $946,000 to $1.3 million during that take on an issue with any type of con· At Mennonite Board of Missions (a time. And relief sales and Houses sistency," Buller says. "Unless a conMennonite Church agency) since Against Hunger brought in $3.3 mil- gregation is very much united, you

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don't have sermons on peace, you 12 percent of their total giving in don't have sermons on justice. " 1992 to the General Conference and Furthermore, he questions the kept about 59 percent locally. In 1988 effectiveness and appropriateness of they gave 15 percent for conference traditional evangelism. "People in work and about 46 percent locally. need need to be ministered to in a Estimates for the year 2000 put those very wholistic way, " Buller says. figures at about 5 percent for the conMCC makes the gospel more rele- ference almost 70 percent kept localvant for "neighbors next door or ly. halfway around the world," he says.

Stuckey says congregations and "That's the stuff the Great Commis- regional conferences now have the sion is made of. " knowledge and ability to do more misAs a result, Buller said, some Men- sions and leadership activities themnonites are more inclined to support selves.

MCC instead of their "There are a lot of denominational agencies. things they can now do "MCC makes the that they looked to Lapp, meanwhile, says there may be an appeal some authority [for] in gospel more to contributing to MCC the past," he says. relevant for versus the perceived That doesn't mean "neighbors next "hard slogging" of evanless is being done, but gelism. "I do think there where it's being done door or halfway is a kind of drama to and who is doing it has responding to Indian around the changed. "The mission earthquakes, " he said. message is being impleworld .... That's While the denominamented more, but it's tions have become more the stuff the happening at the local wholistic and more cullevel," Burkhalter says.

Great Commission turally sensitive in their Church officials, is made of." approach to missions, while understandably a Burkhalter warned -Burton Buller little envious of MCC's against changing too financial position, did much. not see themselves as "There has been pretty harsh criti- competing with MCC for the Mennocism of mission," he said. "I think that nite dollar. has some validity in its criticism of "We've never sat here and said, early miSSion, but I think it's greatly 'How can we get more money at the exaggerated. " expense of MCC,'" Stuckey said.

Church officials deny that the work Current giving patterns and their of their denominations has become effect on church programs do not less relevant. Becker cited results necesarily mean denominational work from a summer survey showing that is unsuccessful, says Jim Harder, a 80 percent of Mennonite Brethren business and economics professor and believe denominational growth is department head at Bethel College, important or very important.

North Newton, Kan., who has studied "My feeling is our people have Mennonite giving to church agencies. been a very generous people," h e "You can have a very thriving opersays. ation with less money, but you have The reason for the conference's to do different things," he says. fInancial shortfall is not lack of supAs much as anybody, Lapp wants port, Becker said, but that the confer- to see Mennonite church bodies sucence is trying to do too much with ceed. too little.

"MCC is as strong as Mennonite "I think we're going to have to pri- congregations are and as Mennonite oritize," Becker says. "We're going to church structures are," he said. "We have to determine which programs are part of a community. " are not meeting the needs. " GCMC officials agree the denomi- Rich Preheim is assistant editor Of nations are still relevant but they are the Mennonite Weekly Review. He changing as more emphaSis is being wrote this article for Meetinghouse, put on meeting local needs. the association of Mennonite and GCMC church members gave about Brethren in Christ editors.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

New rules will not affect China work • Ministry of CEE expected to be unimpeded

N

EW REGULATIONS governing religious activities of foreigners in China and calling for all places of worship to register with the government were signed into law Jan. 31.

Many Westerners interpret these regulations as evidence of a new crackdown and further repression of religious freedom in China. Shortly after the regulations were issued, Henan Provincial officials briefly detained seven foreigners and several Chinese because of activities deemed illegal. It is unclear what they were doing.

Will these new regulations create problems for China Educational Exchange (CEE), the inter-Mennonite agency that facilitates exchanges between North Americans and Chinese?

The regulations restrict foreigners from carrying quantities of religious material intended for distribution into China and establishing religious organizations, but protect foreigner's rights to participate in religiOUS activities.

According to the China Christian Council (CCC), China's major Protestant religiOUS body and one of CEE's advisors, the regulations are "no departure from the practices which have existed for years. " Since its beginning in 1981, CEE teachers have participated in church life in China with no need to be clandestine or to violate Chinese law. Chinese universities that agree to receive CEE personnel, mostly English teachers, know they are Christian. CEE teachers often worship in local Christian churches where Chinese Christians inspire and guide them.

"We think people are surely reading too much into the document if they surmise it is meant to separate Chinese Christians from their sisters and brothers aboard, or to prevent foreign church people from being invited to preach in Chinese churches or lectu re in Ch inese theological APR I L l 9 9 4

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teer mediators from local churches worked with 486 cases, more than 1,200 victims, offenders and family members, to invite them to consider alternatives to the court systems in addressing crime .

"Crime is much more than breaking • Intent is to expand a law," says Kathy Stuck, a conference VORP mediation ministry planner. "Crime is a violation of human relationships. Contemporary RESNO PACIFIC College will host definitions of crime don't include this the second annual Restorative Jus- aspect, so brokenness continues for all tice Ministries Conference, May 12-13. parties involved ... Jesus exemplified The event, intended to expand biblical justice: constructive action restorative justice ministries in central should extend beyond the family, California, is sponsored by FPC's Cen- beyond the neighbor, even to the ter for Conflict Studies and Peacemak- enemy." ing, the Fresno Victim Offender RecStuck says VORP is one biblical, onciliation Program (VORP), Menno- constructive, cost-effective restorative nite Central Committee (MCC), West justice program. Nationwide, some Coast MCC, Mennonite Conciliation 100 reconciliation programs are in Service, the MCC Office for Criminal action, more or less following the Justice, and Prison Fellowship Min- VORPmodel. istries.

The speakers at the conference In Fresno, 36 churches are support- include Dave Worth, founder of the ing VORP. Last year 116 trained volun- ftrst VORP and facilitator of the ftrst VORP case back in 1976, and Howard Zehr, author of Changing Lenses (Herald Press) and intemationallecturer as director of the MCC Office of Criminal Justice.

A pre-conference training seminar will be held at the Fresno County Vorp HILE A SERIOUS shortage of Bibles exists in China, Mennonite office, May 10-12. It will focus on startBrethren in North America should not support efforts to smuggle ing a VORP and includes an in-depth quantities of Scriptures into that country, says Loyal Funk, evangelism direclook at the mission of VORP, plus tor for the U.S. Conference. Funk also serves on the board of directors of the training on corporate organization, American Bible Society (ABS). case management, volunteer manage"It's illegal for foreigners to smuggle quantities of Bibles into China and it ment and mediator training. A $300 simply isn't necessary to do so because Bibles are being freely produced fee includes VORP organizing and within the country," says Funk. training materials. Ron Classen, VORP ABS supports Amity Press in China, which is expecting to soon begin rundirector, will be the primary trainer.ning its press at top capacity for three shifts a day rather than the present From a VORP release two. "When the press opened six years ago, it was producing 30,000 Bibles per month," Mike King, production manager for Amity Press, was quoted as saying in a recent issue of ABSJournal. "Now we are printing 160,000 per . CHURCH NOTES month. And this year, 1.5 million hymnals will also be produced."

According to the Journal, the average cost of a Bible printed in China is • Baptism/Membership $2.27. Of that, $1.16 covers the cost of paper. The Bibles are distributed primarily through China Christian Council distribution centers, meeting points, ENID, Olda.-The congregation baptized ' and house churches. Retired Christian people in China often buy as many nine people Feb. 20 and welcomed them Bibles as they can carry and take them back to their villages to share. into membership. They were Jeanette Kroeker, Micci Gerbrandt, Becky Gibson, For more than 10 years during the Cultural Revolution, not a single church Drew Gossen, Samuel Toews, Mary Krein China remained open. In the past 12 years, though, churches are being hbiel, Stuart Keast, Ed Millemon and Matt reopened in China at the rate of two every three days, the Journal reports.

Meier. Also received as members that day Today there are over 8,000 church buildings used for public worship. Even w ere Ralph Krehbiel, Pam Keast, Trace then, tens of thousands of Christian groups meet in private homes. a nd Daisy Wallace, Kelley Millemon, Funk says Mennonite Brethren interested in helping to provide Scriptures Sheryl Meier and John and Ginger Unruh. to China's estimated 10 million believers should simply contribute funds to DENVER, Colo. (Garden Park)-Ida and ABS, which can help provide the paper needed to keep the Amity Presses

schools," a CCC spokesperson said.

"We do not see any change in the status and work of teachers or church visitors from overseas whom we receive."

While there is hope that someday China may lift all restrictions on religion, many Asian countries limit the scope of missionary acti\ity.

Government interference in Chinese religious practices often occurs in rural areas where local officials fail to adequately understand and carry out national religious policy. While the new regulations may give some local officials added incentive to interfere in religious activities, such as house church meetings, the decrees will also give legal standing to those meeting places if they register with the government.

Chinese Christians deserve our support and prayers as they attempt to be faithful in often demanding and difficult situations.-Myrrl Byler, CEE director

MEDIATION

Restorative justice is meeting focus

F

Smuggling Bibles into China is illegal and unnecessary, says ABS board member

W

Orville Neufeld and Ed Holmes were received into membership by transfer recently.

rolling.-Don Ratzlaff

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BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-Jack and Betty Dawes were welcomed into membership by transfer Feb. 27.

TOPEKA, Kan.-Don Ratzlaff, editor of the Christian Leader, was the guest speaker during the Mar. 20 morning service.

• Celebrations HILLSBORO, Kan.-Ira and Hilda Hein celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Mar. 13.

HILLSBORO, Kan. (Parkview)-The congregation dedicated its new activity center Mar. 6. The day began with a combined morning worship followed by a noon fellowship meal. An afternoon dedication service concluded with a community open house, featuring tours, videos and refreshments. The facility includes classrooms and a gym.

WEAmERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Valerie Hanick of Jews for Jesus described the traditional Passover at an evening potluck meal Mar. 24.

BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The theme for a Valentine banquet held Feb. 19 was "Celebrating God's Gift of Relationship." A highlight was distribution of the annual "Valentino" gag awards for everyone, based on "background checks" at the beginning of the evening.

L1lTLETON, Colo. (Belleview Acres)The congregation held a ground-breakingIcommissioning service Feb. 27 for the construction of a new family life center.

• Fellowship

Church, was guest speaker Feb. 20. His message was titled "The Great Omission. "

.

DINUBA, Calif.-A father-son/fatherdaughter pancake breakfast was served in the church social hall Mar. 19. Guest speakers included baseball coaches and players from Dinuba and Immanuel (Reedley) high schools.

• Ministry SHAFTER, CaUf.-The congregation donated funds and baby furniture to the Mountain View Community Church of Clovis, Calif., helping to equip the nursery of tto..is emerging Mennonite Brethren congregation.

EDMOND, Okla.-Three members of the congregation serve on the board of Mennonite Central Committee Central States: Glenn Detweiler, George Miller and John Savola.

BRIDGEWATER, S.D. (Salem)-Ron Seibel, pastor of the Silver Lake MB Church of Freeman, S.D., was the guest speaker during the Sunday school hour during January and February.

• Proclamation BAKERSFIELD, Calli. (Heritage Bible)Ted Stone, pastor of Bear Valley Springs

COLLINSVD..LE, Okla. (Westport)-Phil Steyne, director of missions, Columbia Biblical Seminary, was the guest speaker for the Missions Festival held Mar. 6.

• Teaching/Nurture SHAFTER, Calif.-The congregation observed "Disability Sunday" Mar. 6 by listening to testimonies from church members struggling with disabilities. Listeners were challenged to consider their awareness or callousness of the special difficulties some in the church family face on a daily basis.

installed as pastor couple Feb. 13. Southern District minister Roland Reimer participated in the service. A potluck dinner followed.

REEDLEY, Calli.-Ed Toews, minister of Christian education and small groups, and his wife, Bonnie, were honored with a farewell service Mar. 13 in appreciation of his 15 years of ministry to the congregation. The Toewses have accepted a call to be the pastoral couple of the Palm Glen MB Church in Phoenix, Ariz.

GRANT, Neb. (New Life Fellowship)-Pastor Kit Buschman has resigned his position, effective the end of May. He has not announced his plans.

CHICAGO, m. (Lakeview)-Pastor Vince Eisaman has resigned his pOSition, effective June 30. Direction for the future of the congregation is being evaluated.

• Workers FRESNO, calif. (West Park Community)Pastor Ray Wiebe has announced his resignation, effective Mar. 27. He and wife, Gladys, will move to Grant's Pass, Ore., to serve as the pastoral couple of the Fruitdale Community Church.

WICHITA, Kan. (First)-Jana Hildebrandt, resigned her quarter-time position as adult ministries coordinator, effective Feb. 28.

Under her leadership, the congregation reestablished a record-keeping system for adult groups, introduced elective classes, trained additional leaders and established an adult ministries team. She has been appointed administrative assistant to the senior pastor.

BRIDGEWATER, S.D. (SaJem)-The congregation has called George and Eileen Klassen as pastoral couple beginning July 18. Klassen is a graduate of the MB Biblical Seminary; previously he was farming in Canada.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)George Robinson has resigned his position as associate pastor of counseling and discipleship. He has not announced his plans GARDEN CITY, Kan. (Garden Valley)Pastor Steve Prieb and his wife, Ruth, were

• Youth BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The junior high youth group, also known as the Praise Puppeteers, regularly present puppet shows during church worship services.

The group raised funds to buy more puppets by providing child care during a recent church Valentine's banquet.

CORN, Okla.-The youth group traveled to Hannibal, Mo., during spring break to work with Mennonite Disaster Service. The young people and sponsors helped with construction projects related to last summer's floods.

REEDLEY, Calli.-The church youth participated in a Mexico missions trip Mar. 25Apr. 1.

. DEATHS ADRIAN, MARTHA LOmSE, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Hillsboro MB Church, was born Aug. 18, 1906, to Franz and Anna Pauls Adrian in Goteba, Okla., and died Mar. 3, 1994, at the age of 87. She is survived by two nieces, Alma Fry of Springdale, Ark., and Emogene Tuttle of LaVeta, Colo.; and one nephew, Harold Nickel of Hutchinson, Kan.

A word to Witness insert readers...

T

HE LEADER'S move from a biweekly to monthly publishing schedule in January complicated the publishing schedule of the agencies which insert their publications into ours. As a result, the issue of Witness, the MB Missions/Services bimonthly publication, which is inserted in this issue of the Leader (for U.S. readers) contains a "late" Prayer Calendar for April-May. Schedule adjustments have been made which should ensure a timely delivery of the June-]uly prayer requests. -the editors APR I L l 994

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ENNS, DICK, Orland, Calif., a member of the Country Bible Church, was born June 7, 1910, to Dietrich and Sara Balzer Enns at Hooker, Okla., and dIed Jan. 27, 1994, at the age of 83. On June 4, 1939, he was married to Rose Willems, who survives. He Is also sUrvived by one daughter, Ruth and husband Randy; six sisters, Olga Wall of

Santa Cruz, Calif., Sara Warkentin and Katie Ewert, both of Reedley, Calif., Mary Riffel of Auburn, Calif., Adina Reahm of Salinas, Calif., and Rosella Isgrigg of Dinuba, Calif.; four brothers, Herman of Chico, Calif., Walton of Concord, Calif., Orlando of Castro Valley, Calif., and Victor of Dinuba, Calif.; and one grandchild.

. Second Annual Restorative Justice Ministries Conference • May 12.13, 1994 At Fresno Pacific College, following the training seminar Conference speakers include: Dave Worth, Executive Director of MCC Ontario Howard Zehr, Author & Director MCC Office of Criminal Justice

IPLANT A VORP IN YOUR COMMUNITyl

Church·Based VORP Training Seminar • May 10·12, 1994 At Fresno County VORP Office

GAEDE, AGNES, Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born Aug. 26, 1897, to John and Anna Wall Ediger in Hampton, Neb., and died Feb. 17, 1994, at the age of 96. On Nov. 21,1919, she was married to Henry A. Gaede, who predeceased her. She is Survived by one son, Harold Gaede and wife Marianna of Fresno, Calif.; one daughter, Lillian and husband Sam Pauls of Reedley; one daughter-in-law, Ruby Gaede of Soldotna, Alaska; 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; one brother-in-law, Arnold Leppke of Tahlequah, Okla.; four sIsters-in-law, Tillie Ediger of Reedley, Elizabeth Ediger of Hampton, Neb., Esther Lepp of Fresno, and Malinda Groening of Colorado Springs, Colo.

JANZEN, ANNA, Henderson, Neb., a member of the Henderson MB Church, was born Feb. 10, 1903 to Dietrich G. and Maria Huebert Janzen in Henderson, and died Feb. 15, 1994, at the age of 91. She Is survived by one brother, John H. and wife Anna Janzen of Grand Island, Neb., one brother-in-law, John J. and wife Emma Quiring of Henderson; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Training Fadlitated by Ron Claassen, Director

Training and Conference: $300 • Conference only: $50 Sponsor. Fresno Pacific College Center for Conflict Studies &Peacemaking Co-sponsors: West Coast MCC, Mennonite Conciliation Service, MCC Office of Criminal Justice, and Justice Fellowship .., Fresno Pacific College Center for Conflict Studies & Peacemaking • 1717 S. Chestnut Ave.• Fresno, CA 93702

Call 1·800·909·VORP

Ken and Kass

invite YOU to come alona to the mYsterious Petra in Jordan. to the awesome pyramids in Eaypt. with all of Israel in between.

Lands of the Bible

Ken and Kass Seitz

September 6-20

Write or call for information about this or our European tours: European Anabaptist Heritage, Aug. 1-18, Cal Redekop & Henry Landes European Fall Harvest, Sept. 22-Oct. 6, Wilmer Martin & John Ruth

TOURMAGINATION '94 Box 37 Scottdale, PA 15683 800-296-6789 412-887-5440

26-

THE

40 Albert St. Waterloo, ON N2l 3S2 800-565-0451 519-885-2522

1011 Cathill Rd. Sellersville, PA 18960 215-723-8413

(Reg. '1567624)

CHRISTIAN

LEADER

SIEMENS, LENA "HELEN," Bubier, Kan., a member of the Bubier MB Church, was born May 3, 1905, to Martin and Justina Pauls Esau near Bubier, and dIed Jan. 26, 1994, at the age of 88. On Apr. 11, 1926, she was married to Harry F. Siemens, who survives. She Is also survived by one son, Floyd and wife Marie of Buhler; two daughters, Lovelia I. and husband Elmer Adrian of Bubier, and Elma Jean and husband Harold Brandt of Garden City, Kan.; one brother, Martin M. Esau of Bubier; one sIster, Justina Dick of Reedley, Calif.; grandchildren and 14 great-grancfchildren.

WALL, GEORGE P., Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born Oct. 31, 1908, to Peter Isaac and Katherine Hooge Wall in Otherm, Russia, and died Feb. 18, 1994, at the age of 85.

On Aug. 7, 1932, he was married to Viola Wiens, who predeceased him. He is survived by one son, Carl and wife Dorothy of Reedley; two daughters, Lois and husband Jerry Unruh of Morro Bay, Calif., and Eunice and husband Larry Greene of Caruthers, Calif.; one brother, Isaac of Reedley; 10 grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren.

WIELER, MINNIE, Fairview, Okla., a member of the Fairview MB Church, was born Sept. 13, 1905, to Cornelius C. and Julia Unruh at Fairview, and died Feb. 23, 1994, at the age of 88. On Apr. 10, 1937, she was married to Frank Wieler, who predeceased her. She Is survived by one son, Robert and wife JoAnn, of Longdale, Okla.; one brother Neal Unruh of Portland, Ore.; one sister, Hulda Howerton of Fairview; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. i2

CLEARINGHOUSE OPPORTUNITIES SENIOR PASTOR: Excellent preaching and speaking skills, reaching a wide audience from young to old, is desired. Being personable, founded in the Word, good motivator and interested in small-group ministry are important attributes. Inquiries and resumes may be directed to Search Committee, Vinewood Community Church, 1900 W. Vine St., Lodi, CA 95242.

THE WILLOW PARK CHURCH invites resumes for the full-time position of associate pastor for children's ministries. Please respond promptly to Search Committee, Willow Park Church, 439 Highway 33 West, Kelowna, BC Vl X 1Y2; or fax (604) 765-6615.

MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITIEE is accepting applications for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) assistant coordinator for programs. Qualifications include personal Christian faith and discipleship, active church membership and a nonviolent peacemaking commitment. Applicants must be willing to travel, have experience with MDS program, have worked with volunteers and have computer and communication skills. The position, salaried or service worker basis, is available June 1, 1994. Interested persons contact Goldie Kuhns, 21 South 12th Street, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-0500, phone (717) 859-1151. Applications are due May 1, 1994.

FOR SALE ESTATE SALEI REDUCED PRICEI Condo for sale, 4980 E. Heaton, Unit 108, Fresno, calif. Two blocks from Fresno Pacific College and MB Biblical Seminary. Two bedrooms, two baths, large living area, attached garage, large covered patio, inside utility, choice location within a 34-unit complex with clubhouse facilities. $69,950. Troy or Sara Evans (209) 434-1505 or Virginia Just (209) 251-6056.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT (Search reopened) Reports directly to the president of Tabor College. Provides leadership of all advancement programs and personnel of the college; plans and annually meets goals of the fund-raising programs of the college, including annual fund, capital campaigns, corporate and foundation grants, and major donors; monitors and coordinates programs for alumni, church relations, publications, information services, and Tabor Senate. Gives leadership to constituency expansion planning. Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred. Should have five or more years of administrative experience. Tabor seeks persons of Christian commitment who are in accord with the mission and purpose of an evangelical Christian institution. The college continues to provide equal employment opportunity, without regard to race, color, gender, ethnic or national origin, handicap, or age in its personnel administration. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Starting date negotiable. Contact Dr. Lee Balzer, Tabor College, 400 South Jefferson, Hillsboro, KS 67063; (316) 947-2607 (fax).

BETHANY BIBLE INSTITUTE is inviting applications to fill three

full-time faculty positions Applicants need to be committed to the ministry of the Institution, which Includes dedication to the disci piing of students.

Bethany seeks individuals who have a strong commitment to Christ and to his church within an evangelical-Anabaptist understanding. The three primary areas that need filling are: athletic director, missions instructor, and interim music director.

The secondary areas of youth ministry and dean of men are being sought to combine with the primary positions I and II. People having qualificatiOns, training and experience in one or more of the areas listed below, please apply.

PRIMARY AREAS

1_Athletic director/coach • relational and administrative strengths to give leadership to the athletic department • coaching certification preferred • ability to teach recreational leadership and physical education • university degree with specialization in physical education preferred D. Missions instructor (master's degree required) • training and ability to teach in the missions area • experience In mission work preferred • relational, administrative strengths to give leadership to the missions department

m. Interim music director (as advertised A Drama of Love, written by Judith Mullet, special education professor at Eastern Mennonite College (EMC) and Paula Snyder, EMC graduate, this booklet contains a basic overview of integrating persons with learning difference into the classes along with helpful strategies for all Sunday school teachers.

Available from: Mennonite Developmental Disability Services of MCC U.S. 2160 Lincoln Highway East Lancaster, PA 17602-1150 717-293-7125 Mental Health & Disability Program of MCC Canada 134 Plaza Drive Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 204-261 -6381

Price: $1.00 U.S. , $1.20 Canadian (30 percent discount on orders of 10 or more).

earlier, one or two-year term) • administrative and relational strengths to give leadership to the music department • ability in choral directing, program planning and worship leadership • ability in voice and classroom instruction • master's degree preferred

SECONDARY AREAS (a or b to combine with I or IO

a. Youth ministry instructor

• training and ability to instruct in the youth miniStry area • experience in youth work • vision to develop a youth ministry program at Bethany

h. Dean of men • relational and administrative strength to give leadership within the student life department • ability in mentoring • counseling training and experience preferred

Send resume by April 30 to: President Bethany Bible Institute P.O. Box 160 Hepburn, SK SOK 120 Phone: (306) 947-2175 Fax: (306) 947-4229

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EDITORIAL

The mystery of 'the gospel'

P

I1Y mE POOR John 3:16 guy. You know, the one who travels to nationally televised sporting events, sits in strategic camera-focused locations, and flashes a "John 3:16" banner to the unsaved folks at home.

Not only has Guy Aubrey had his share of harassment and hassles trying to keep his ministry visible (see Inquiring Minds, page 20), but a new Barna Research Group nationwide survey suggests his message may not be as penetrating as he hopes. The survey revealed that only one out of every four adults (25 percent) had some degree of accurate knowledge of the meaning of the reference or the content of the verse itself.

Only 17 percent could quote the verse.

Makes you wonder what the folks at home are thinking when they see the banner, doesn't it?

"Hey, Bubba, there's that 'John 3:16' sign again. What'd ya think it means?"

"Are you an idiot, Fred? It's a bookie flashing the betting line on today's game to some chump named John."

"Really? I figured it was a guy needing a socket wrench .... " At any rate, the recognition factor wasn't much better for three other churchly buzzwords the Barna Group tested: "the Great Commission," "evangelical" and "the gospel. " Only 9 percent of the adult population were able to accurately describe the Great Commission as Christ's command in Matthew 28:19; 86 percent admitted they had no idea what it meant. Surprisinglyor maybe not so surprisingly-three out of four bomagain Christians said they didn't know the meaning of the term either.

Insight into the word "evangelical" fared slightly better. Despite a widespread perception that a large contingent of evangelicals is seeking to influence the politiCS and moral base of America, the survey found that most people do not know what an evangelical is. Even using a very broad definition, only 18 percent of those questioned could describe an evangelical correctly.

Perhaps the most surprising result was the level of ignorance related to the tenn "the gospel." The literal meaning, of course, is "good news"-that is, the good news that people's sins have been forgiven by God through their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior

and his atoning death and resurrection. But fewer than two out of five adults knew that.

The point here isn't to rip the ignorance of our unchurched neighbors. Rather, it's to remind us how spiritually unplugged "the average American" has become in our post-Christian culture. But even more important, it says loads about the way we in the church need to think about outreach and witness. Apparently, much of the language we use to communicate the claims of Christ is in-house jargon which simply doesn't connect with the majority of people.

If most Americans can't even define "gospel," how in the world will they connect with "redemption," "justification, " "sanctification, " "washed in the blood" and the dozens of other familiar concepts that permeate the spiritualese of the "redeemed." We might as well preach in Klingon, the language of the "Star Trek" TV warriors. (Don't laugh. A group of scholars are indeed translating a "Klingon Authorized Version" of the Bible. And you thought King James was difficult to memorize ...).

I'm not saying we should shelve the great concepts of the faith; part of the task of the church is to enlighten and develop the mind of every believer. But the challenge is upon the church to "know thy listener" and then to communicate in a way that is appropriate to his or her entry pOint, not ours. If we say our purpose is to persuade the unreached, then the words and ideas we send forth must fall within their experience and understanding.

"Leaders who rely upon a short-hand language which is comprehensible to a relative handful of insiders are severely limiting their ability to instruct, influence and motivate people to respond to the teachings and goals of the Christian faith," says George Barna, president of the research company that conducted the study.

"The fact that so few of the insiders understand the meaning of these terms also suggests that the Christian Church in this country would be wise to invest in training people about the basic principles and concepts of the Christian faith. From a spiritual perspective, it appears that many church leaders are encouraging Christians to run before they have learned how to crawl. " Even the John 3:16 guy should understand that.-DR

The challenge is upon the church to ((know thy

listener" and then to communicate in a way that is appropriate to his or her entry point, not ours.

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THE

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LEADER