WHEN I BEGAN CHOOSING articles for this issue, I recognized a trend in the themes. They seemed to focus more on Jesus' death than his resurrection. I was struck by Jeanne William's insight that we tend to rush past the significance of his death on our way to the resurrection on Easter Sunday. I think she is right. It is helpful to spend time thinking not only about the triumph ofJesus' resurrection but also the significance of his death. The articles in this issue helped me reflect on the different things I can leam from his death-as well as his resurrection, for they are inextricably connected. I hope they challenge you as well.
In the BodyLife section, you can read about the recent allboards meeting of our national and binational ministries. Conference and ministry leaders are working on a proposal to restructure the conference leadership board as well as develop mission and vision statements. You can read more about the conference's mission in executive director Chuck Buller's now monthly column, "Chuck's Comer." God bless. -CA
COMING
MAY 22-24-Baptism and Church Membership Study Conference, Winnipeg, Man.
-JUNE 26-29-eentral District Conference convention, Omaha, Neb.
-JULY 28-AUGUST I-Basic Institute of Conflict Management and Mediation, Oklahoma City, Okla.
AUGUST I-3-Southem District Conference convention, Oklahoma City, Okla.
AUGUST 4-8-Basic Institute of Conflict Management and Mediation, Fresno, Calif.
AUGUST II-17-Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Africa
by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kansas.
ART CREDITS: Cover, The Crucifixion by Gustave Dore; Page 4, Resurrection of Lazarus by Dore; Page 6, courtesy of MMA; Page 10 and 13, The Judas Kiss by Dore; Page 14, Darkness at the Crucifixion by Dore. Printing
Fear. Death. Many avoid talking or thinking about them. But not
His very name is synonymous with treachery. We couldn't have anything in common with him-eould we?
• What power in the
What have we missed by rushing past Jesus' death to the resurrection on Easter Sunday? BY JEANNE WILLIAMS •A quest for
Looking for dignity amid the degrading as Jesus did the day he died. BY MARION MEYER
• Death, and lessons of life
• Christians and environmentalism
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• Leaving the door open
• MBs and Mennonites in Paraguay
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BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Harold Loewen, cochair; Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, co-chair; Peggy Goertzen, Reggie Hunt, Phil Neufeld, Moises Tagle, Dalton Reimer.
The Christian Leader (ISSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S. Lincoln, 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 dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelicaVAnabaptist theological tradition. However, the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church.
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BY EASTER MARVIN HE IN
"'lllERE WILL BE NO SINGING."
Those were the instructions printed on the funeral program for Robert Ingersoll, a famous agnostic. At least he was consistent. Death has a way of trying to steal our reasons for singing. It tries to take the song from our lips. Many of us in the presence of death lose our song in sadness.
There was no singing at the funeral of Lazarus either Oohn 11:1-29). There was mourning, weeping and even wailing-but no singing.
Unlike Ingersoll's funeral, however, this one had a surprise-there was a resurrection. It was an Easter celebration before the first Easter. And Jesus made it clear that this sad stuff-even in the presence of a loved one's passing--could be overdone. In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus has some lessons about death and resurrection we need to heed.
Jesus understood the fear of death
Lazarus had died, and Mary and Martha's residence was more a prison than a home. The two sisters and their friends probably shuffied around aim-
lessly with pale faces and drawn lips. No music, no laughter. Lazarus' death reminded them that they, too, one day would succumb to the same fate. Lazarus was dead and each of them was in a kind of prison awaiting his or her tum.
In our world, the fear of death fills a thousand prisons. The walls are unseen, the warden is not obvious, but you can see the prisoners. They sit on their bunks or lie on their beds bemoaning their fate. They want to live, but they can't because they know they are doomed to die. That tragic life of selfpity in which Mary and Martha lived for a few days can be a ball and chain. You can't run away from it. You can't make any progress. It's too heavy. !fyou try to ignore it, it soon yanks you back to reality.
As a pastor, I recall visiting the home from which a young, ambitious Christian couple and their two children had been snatched away in death by accident. The eyes that met me at the door and in the living room were those of prisoners. The family was held hostage by questions not answerable. They were taken captive by sadness-and I couldn't blame them. They couldn't take a dozen steps with-
ROGER TROYER WAS A thoughtful person. He read about and deeply pondered topics that puzzled him. His cancer was one of those topIcs.
He shared his Journey with this disease with people around him through many conversations, writingseven dreams about seeing blue leaves.
It was my great privilege over the last two years of his life to chat regUlarly with Roger, usually In the afternoon, In his home. Often Jeanne, his wife, was a part of our conversations. On many aftemoons we puzzled over and struggled with the meaning of life, faith and dying. His Insights during
this Joumey were a gift he gave us all before his death.
Finding cancer
Roger's cancer was first detected January 1995. At the age of 49, he discovered shocking news that he had bladder cancer. At the nearby University of Virginia Teaching Hospital, Roger underwent 14 hours of surgery. Thoughts that the disease may be terminal surfaced, but his family and friends hoped the cancer was gone for good. These hopes were buoyed by the news that cancer wasn't found In the lymph nodes. Soon he was able to return to normal life.
Normal life for Roger ce
tered on his family, dentistry career, church and friends. Early each morning, Roger left home for his thriving de tal practice In Harrisonburg, Va. Each week, he saw about 100 patients. His patients liked him, and he greatly enjoyed them. Of particular delight to Roger was Ing the many Immigrants who came to his office.
The greatest delight for Roger, however, was his fa.. lIy. When the cancer was discovered, the Troyer children were passing through their middle childhood years. Sarah was 15, Emily 13, David 10 and Jared six. Roger enjoyed attending his children's school events, Ilstenlng to his children play
musical Instruments and sing. He and Jeanne were members of the Harrisburg Mennonite Church and were close to their Koinonia Sunday school class.
Finding cancer again
Atter another three and one half years of normalcy, Roger's life routines were seriously Interrupted In August 1998. Cancer was found on Roger's spine. RadIation treatment and chemotherapy sessions were begun. Once again, the real possibility of early death forced Its way Into the Troyer family'S reality. Jeanne struggled with the loss of control In her life.
But the Troyers' attitude
out walking into a brick wall of disbelief.
That's the kind of environment into which Jesus walked when he came to Mary and Martha.
But Jesus saw these two women for what they were. He looked at their chalky, watery eyes and must have thought, "How long will they listen to Satan? How long will they be in bondage? What would it take to convince them there is resurrection? Haven't I proved it at Nain? Don't they know about Jarius' daughter? How long will these two and their friends lock themselves inside this man-made prison of fear?" He knew he had the key, but they were not asking for it.
Jesus asked to be shown the tomb of Lazarus. The women led him there, a cave with a stone across the entrance. A spider web was spun over the stone, boasting: "No more! No more shall these hands move and these feet walk and this tongue speak and this heart love."
In front of that tomb, Jesus wept. But I don't think he wept for the dead. I think he wept for the living. He wept for those confined in their own tombs of fear. He cried for those who, though alive,
were dead. He wept because he knew these prisoners could be freed and didn't realize it.
Jesus understood the fears in people's heartsand he still does. Lazarus' sisters were stunned by death, and Jesus knew that. Part of the good news of Easter is that Jesus understands perfectly our fears.
Jesus defies the fears of death
There is a story about a German aristocratic lady who boasted her disbelief in God and the world to come. She was so certain in her beliefs that she left specific instructions that her tomb be sealed with a slab of granite. Blocks of stone were fastened together with heavy iron clamps and an inscription was placed on the granite rock: "This burial place, purchased to all eternity, must never be opened."
This was her attempt to mock the resurrection story, but she didn't realize a small birch tree had other plans. Its roots made their way between the slabs and grew deep into the ground. Over the years those iron clamps were eventually popped loose and the granite lid raised. Today, the stone cover is propped against the trunk of the birch, the boastful
ROGER TROYER
was: "We'll do the best we can with the resources available.
From Roger'S writings of this time, he reflected, " ••• this Is not a time for self-pity but rather a time to have
courage and trust In our heavenly Father who, In fact, created the whole universe Including my back."
An act of birth
The treatment for his
spine caused the cancer to again retreat. However, the reprieve was short-lIved this time. In March 1999, cancer was found In Roger's right hlp. Surgeons could not remove It all. Chemotherapy
helped, but the cancer did not go away. He reduced his hours to part-time at his dental practice.
Roger and Jeanne found themselves Increasingly dependent upon God. It was not easy. Roger commented, "There's no way to buy your way out. Intellect won't help. No normal problem-solvlng technique will help this."
Help did come, though, as friends and family surrounded the Troye,. with support and love. One of the many notes Roger saved from this dark period came from his motherIn-law, Ella May Miller. The note was centered on a quote from lsa. 26:3,4: "You will keep In perfect peace him whose mind Is steadfast, because he trusts In you. Trust In the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, Is the Rock etemal."
Roger found that stories and Images helped him think
epitaph pennanently silenced by the work of God's creation.
Jesus defied death. Jesus' words in Mary and Martha's presence were a confrontation: "Lazarus, come out!" Lazarus heard, came out and shed his grave clothes. Death had been defied.
I once heard the story of a missionary who found a Brazilian tribe of Indians in aremote jungle and near a large river. They were friendly but needed medical attention.People died daily because of a contagious disease. The missionary knew about an infinnary not too far from the tribe, but it meant crossing the river-a feat these superstitious people were not will· ing to perfonn. They believed the river was filled with evil spirits. To enter the river meant death. The missionary's words about having crossed that river meant nothing to them. Placing his hands in the river water left them unconvinced. Finally he walked into the river, splashed water in his face and dove into the water. He swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. There he threw his fist into the air in triumph. He had defied their fears and the death the Indians thought lay in the water.
about the ultimate mysteries he now faced. I gave Roger a story about the Imaginary thoughts of a baby before birth. The baby was warm and secure In Its uterine world. The baby didn't want anything to change. But time and growth Inevitably led to the birth process. During birth, the baby became alarmed and thought destruction was coming. Instead of death, the baby was ushered Into life far more splendid than the confined world of the womb.
In response to this story, Roger wrote, "Death, then, should be compared to the act of birth. Certainly there Is pain and suffering by both the mother and baby In the process. Yet the wonderment Ind joy which follows Is more than compensation. Death Is )nly a painful transition; the ast chance for this Imper· eel world and Its tyrants to
afflict us•••• Death Is just a new beginning."
At this time, Roger began recording memories that he wanted remembered by his family. One memory was an experience at age 11 when he handed In a little card to a Bible school teacher requesting baptism. Baptism was such a momentous event for Roger that afterwards he thought It meant he would be a preacher someday.
Experiencing grace
Giving up a normal life also meant giving up some normal human expectations for the future. Before 1995, Roger assumed he would work until age 82 and then retire. He then planned to pursue hobbles and Interests: travel, photography and Woodworking. He wanted to volunteer on a medical team In a foreign country. He want-
In front of that tomb,
Jesus wept.
But I don't think he wept for the dead. I think he wept for the living.
ed to work for Habitat for
enjoy his children and grandchildren.
However, Roger's advancIng cancer forced him to retire early. After working as a dentist for 22 years, Roger sold his dental practice In June 1999. The Troyers had no eamed Income after this sale.
In response, their Sunday school class set up a compassion fund. Mennonite Mutual Aid, an Anabaptist stewardship solutions organization, provided matching Sharing Fund grants. Troyers describebeing overwhelmed and amazed at the love and caring of the church, extended family, community and friends.
There were also many cards, meals and visits. There were anointing services and prayer meetings. Roger said, "God helped us
to be open and vulnerable about the Illness. This has been a blessing and a release for us and for others." others reported experiencing God's grace, too, through Roger's transparent journey.
New level of peace
After feeling more pain and discomfort, Roger had a OAT scan In January 2000. It revealed cancer In the pelvic area and lymph nodes. He started on an experimental chemotherapy drug at the University of VIrginia.
Roger experienced the maximum effect from the drug. There was an amazing 57 percent reduction of cancer. Yet, his six-week checkups showed the drug was only controlling and stabilizIng the Illness, not eradicatIng It.
One aftemoon, Roger told me that In some ways he
He touched a boy and called him back to life. He whispered life into the dead body of a girl. He let a man spend four days in a grave and then called him out.
was thankful for cancer. Cancer gave him time and motIvation to concentrate Intensely on his priorities. "Things and abilities are not what Is Important In life. It Is people, family and God who are most Important."
The Troyer children were taken on the journey toward Roger's death. They learned to cope with the multiple upheavals In family life that cancer causes. There were hospital admissions and not much preparation for the stages of this progressive but unpredictable Illness. Jeanne and Roger struggled with wanting to tell their children the truth, but not wanting to devastate them.
Yet, on the positive side, Roger and Jeanne felt the illness caused their children to look beyond superficial societal values. The children saw a Christian community of caring people surround their family.
It was his family that most worried Roger about dying. Week by week, Roger'S thoughts would shift from member to member of the family. One afternoon In April, Roger excitedly reported to me that he had reached a new level of peace about his family. Because of the outpouring of gifts and love from others, Roger began more deeply to understand God's love and care.
"Everything Is going to be okay," he repeated over and over that day. Roger put his complete and absolute trust In God and his church community for the future welfare of his family.
Blue leeves
Roger shared his ongoing new Insights with all of his friends. He took anyone who cared along with him to explore the perilous journey of cancer. At a Koinonia
With the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus was throwing a triumphant fist in the air declaring that there is nothing to fear in the ri,;:er of death. He understands that we fear, but he also tells us that death doesn't have the power we often give it.
In his earthly ministry, Jesus showed us that. He touched a boy and called him back to life. He whispered life into the dead body of a girl. He let a man spend four days in a grave and then called him out. Jesus defied death.
But even then people didn't believe. So he too entered the water, the river of death. He submerged himself in that fearsome death-the cross-and was raised so that men and women could believe.
Jesus provides relea.se from death
When Paul discusses the subject of death with the Corinthians, he writes, "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep (dead)." Paul is saying that when the resurrection occurred, Jesus made it possible for us to be delivered from death.
Sunday school class retreat
In March 2000, both Roger and Jeanne talked for hours one evening about facing death. It was a sacred time for all present.
Love and support came to Roger also from old friends who had learned of his illness. Roger had served two years with Mennonite Central Committee's PAX Program In the Congo before becoming a dentist. A former MCC buddy connected him with a medical doctor who had also served In the Congo and now had cancer. Dr. Smith e-malled Roger telling him that on several occasions he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. Dr. Smith described a vision he had In one neaMieath experience.
"I awoke In a canoe. The canoe was pure sliver and was drifting on a golden stream through hills covered by trees with leaves colored
blue, green, red, orange and yellow. All the leaves were Iridescent. I paddled to a small silver beach. There at the margin of the beach and forest stood my father with his arms outstretched towards me. We embraced and started down a cool pleasant trail through the woods accompanied by spectaCUlarly marked birds and butterflies. An occasional animal would saunter by unafraid.
"We reached a fork In the trail, and there was a man whom I recognized ImmedIately as the Lord. He smiled and said simply, 'We've been waiting,' I wept with joy and love. As tears blurred my vision, I found myself back on earth."
Dr. Smith's story became a touchstone on Roger'S journey. It helped him think concretely about life after death, meeting those who had gone on before and
Max Lucado in Six Hours One Friday tells about his last visit with his dad, who was dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. His dad could tum only his head and his eyes. Those eyes called Max to his father's bedside. He could tell his father wanted to say something. His father's eyes followed him around the room, refusing to release him.
Then Max recognized the expression. He'd seen it when he was seven years old, standing on the edge of a diving board for the first time, wondering if he would survive the plunge. The kids behind him were pestering him to jump, but Max was afraid.
Then he heard his father, "It's all right, son, come on in." His father was in the pool below him, waiting. His eyes were assuring and earnest. "Jump, it's all right," his dad said. So Max jumped.
Twenty-three years later, the eyes hadn't changed. Max knew what his father was saying. "Somehow," Max writes, "he knew I was afraid. Somehow he perceived that I was shivering as I looked into the deep. And somehow, he, the dying, had the strength to comfort me, the living. I placed
meeting Jesus face to face. One afternoon late In his illness Roger said, "I'm getting ready to see the blue leaves."
sayl.........,.
In August 2000, a CAT scan revealed cancer In Roger's liver. It was untreatable. His doctor Informed him that the experimental drug was no longer controlling his cancer, and It was discontinued. Additional physical problems came due to lymphedema that caused a large volume of fluid to accumulate In Roger's legs. Movement even with crutches became difficult.
On the evening of Aug. 30, family and close friends surrounded Roger's bed singing, praying and saying goodbye. We asked Roger to be standing on the beach when "our canoes" arrived.
Early morning Aug. 31, Roger died at his home.
my cheek in the hollow of his. My tears dripped on his hot face. I said softly what his throat wanted to but couldn't. 'It's all right,' I whispered. 'It's going to be all right.' When I raised my head, his eyes were closed. I would never see them open again. He left me with a final look. One last statement of the eyes
One concluding assurance from a father to a son. 'It's all right. '"
Jesus cried out on the cross, "It is finished!" The centurion at the foot of the cross remarked, "Surely this must be the son of God." He must have sensed that Jesus was saying something like, "I've seen the storms and it's going to be all right." When those early disciples, defeated and bedraggled because their Lord had died, suddenly discovered that Jesus was alive, he was saying to them, "I've walked through the storms, and it will be all right with you and me."
That is what Easter is all about.•
Marvin Hein was an MB pastor for 35 years. Currently, he is a columnist for the Christian Leader.
am healed"
One of the many stories he requested be told at his funeral was one that reminds us of Roger'. quirky sense of humor. One afternoon with great delight, Roger read It to me:
A woman with terminal
my years of attending church potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would Inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your fork.' I then knew something better was coming, like velvety
Dr. Smith's story became a touchstone on Roger's Journey. It helped him think con.. cretely about life after death, meeting those who had gone on before and meeting Jesus face to face. One afternoon late in his illness Roger said, "I'm getting ready to see the blue leaves. "
cancer called her pastor about funeral plans. "One more thing," she said. "I want to be burled holding a fork In my right hand." The pastor needed more explan. tlon. "You see, pastor, In all
chocolate cake or deep-dlsh apple pie. When someone asks why I am holding a fork, tell them that the best Is yet to come."
Over 40 years ago, baptism was a momentous expe-
rlence for Roger. He thought he would become a preacher. I think Roger did become a preacher. His ministry began with terminal cancer. He taught us how to die. He taught us about trusting God.
One aftemoon Roger said, "I stili have cancer, but I am healed." This paradoxical statement explains many of the mysteries of life and death with which Roger struggled. He understood that God's healing Is far more complex and complete than childlike magic. Roger's heatIng testimony enabled others to say they too were healed. Those reports gave Roger and his family a sense that his illness was not In vain ••
-by Mark Keller, associate pastor at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church in Virginia. This article was first printed in the Winter 2000 issue ofSharing, a publication of Mennonite Mutual Aid.
BY DON PETKER
A'''IIIE LAST SUPPER, JESUS PREDICTED
ijiatRn(: of the disciples would betray him. It was ]udlij, with feigned innocence, asked, "Is it I, I read that story, my skin crawls with at the man's gall. My blood boils at the contempt with which Judas treated my Lord. My fists clench as I consider the depths to which he stooped for a few pieces of silver. What a creep! What a low-life scum!
I don't like Judas. He's one of the bad guys in the Bible. In fact, he's one of the worst. He was a traitor. It was his fault that Jesus died. He was a counterfeit-he pretended to be a friend, he played along as one of the good guys, a disciple no less, and then, when it mattered most, he sold Jesus out to the higher bidder. To top it off, he didn't even stick around to face the music. He took the cowardly way out by taking his own life.
No, I don't like Judas. His very name has become synonymous with treachery and betrayal. We gladly name our sons after the other disciples. Peter, John, James, Andrew and Matthew are favorites, used generation after generation. We like Thomas and Phillip and maybe even Bartholomew or Thaddeus if we run out of names before we run out of sons. But never Judas. No self-respecting parent would ever think of naming their son Judas.
You see, except for Judas, the Easter story would have been perfect. Even so, it's the greatest story ever told. It is a story with an awesome plot and a hero who wins in the end despite all the odds. It is the ultimate happy ending. The hero comes back to life, and the villain dies. It is a drama, a thriller and a love story all rolled into one. It has all the makings of a bestseller-in fact, it is. It is a story worth celebrating and we celebrate it every year. It is a story worth remembering, and we do so whenever we take part in communion. It is a story worth preaching, and every Sunday in countless churches around the world the story is told and retold because it is the story of Jesus. It is the story we love to tellexcept for one part, the part where Jesus is betrayed by one of his own. If only Judas wasn't part of the story. But he is.
Why Judas? The story already has enough villains. There are those stubborn Pharisees, who couldn't see past the law to the Lawgiver. There is the high priest, who knew the Scriptures so well that he didn't recognize the Author. There is Pilate, who recognized innocence as it stood before him but condemned Jesus anyway to save face. There is the mob, the people who cheered the Messiah's arrival and then jeered his departure. But mobs are fickle, politicians are expected to protect their own hides and religious leaders often know the letter of the law bet-
ter than the spirit of the law-so we nod in understanding at these villains.
But what about Judas? Judas gives us a lot of trouble. If it wasn't for him, the story would be perfect. He was one of the good guys. Why did he have to be the traitor at the center of the story? Judas was one of the chosen 12, that inner circle of disCiples handpicked by Jesus. Judas had the trust of Jesus and his fellow disciples to the point where they allowed him to look after the group's finances. Judas heard all the teaching and witnessed the miracles firsthand. He lived and walked and talked and ate with Jesus, the Son of God. Of all men, few could be so privileged. After all that, only one man could be so wretched as to betray Jesus. Right?
I wonder. I wonder if we really understand Judas.
Who was Judas?
We know so little about Judas. It seems the Gospel writers deliberately ignored him as much as possible in their accounts of Jesus' ministry. He consistently shows up in the lists of disciples-almost as if they had to include him even though they didn't want to. Often they add the phrase "who betrayed our Lord.» Who can blame them? Treason is a high crime anywhere, and in most cultures suicide is the only honorable way out.
That was Judas-thief, traitor and taker of his own life. Good riddance, we say. He got what he deserved. Let him bum in hell. Forget about him. The story turned out well despite his treachery. There is nothing more to be learned from this scoundrel.
Or is there?
I wonder about Judas. What were his motives? What was he thinking? Was he greedy? Perhaps. He knew Jesus could do amazing miracles. Was it disappointment that Jesus refused to tum stones into bread on command that prompted Judas to betray him? Or was it disillusionment because Jesus seemed to speak against riches at every tum? Is that why he sold out his friend? Were pieces of silver really worth the hassle?
I wonder about Judas. Was his crime so much worse than those of the other disciples? Peter denied ever knowing Jesus-and added some curses to emphasize his point. The other disciples deserted Jesus as soon as the soldiers appeared. None of them dared testify on his behalf in court. Thomas steadfastly refused to believe the resurrection until he could see and touch Jesus for himself. Liars, cowards and doubters the whole lot of them. Was Judas really any worse than his fellow disciples?
I also wonder about Judas' fate. Was his the unpardonable sin? If so, which of his sins was the
I wonder why I dislike Judas so.
I wonder if it is because I am much more like Judas than I care to admit.
worst? Pilfering the Master's money? Betraying his Lord for a few measly pieces of silver? Taking his own life when he saw the gravity of his actions? Was the remorse which drove him to take his own life the shame of his treachery laid bare, or was it the contrition of a humble sinner? Did Jesus' words on the crossapply to Judas as well-"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"?
I wonder what went through Judas' head at the Last Supper. What tormented thoughts went through his mind as Jesus washed his feet? How his blood must have run cold when Jesus predicted his impending betrayal. Imagine the embarrassment and shame of being handed that sop-that moment when he realized Jesus knew. What went through his mind as he slipped into the blackness of the night, turning his back on his friends? I wonder how heavy that little pouch of silver coins was as he made his way to the high priest.
What did Judas hope to gain from his treachery? Perhaps we find a clue in his name, Judas Iscariot. Two possibilities emerge from "Iscariot." It could mean that Judas came from Kerioth, a small town near the Moab border. If so, "Iscariot" tells us little about the man. Another possibility is that "Iscariot" may mean "one of the sicarii," fanatical Jewish nationalists who hated the Romans and murdered them whenever possible. Furthermore, the sicarii would kill any Jew whom they saw as lukewarm to the cause of Jewish nationalism.
Judas the sicarius raises some interesting ideas. No doubt, Judas saw in Jesus a leader with charisma and power. The possibilities for a new Jewish state, with a powerful leader who could heal the sick, feed the masses and overthrow the hated Romans, must have been very appealing.
Judas liked what he saw-except for one small problem. The kingdom that Jesus promoted bore little or no similarity to Judas' dreams. This was a kingdom where love, not hate, was primary, especially love for one's enemies. Love the Romans? Not Judas. This was a kingdom not of military might but of spiritual power. Jesus' kingdom was one where the meek would inherit the earth. No self-respecting sicarius would have any part of such a wimpy kingdom.
Perhaps Judas was disappointed with Jesus and finally; in a fit of desperation, betrayed him. Perhaps he ran out of patience and just wanted this lukewarm imposter out of the way. But I'm not sure that explains his remorse.
Instead, I wonder if Judas was trying to help Jesus, to force him into a situation where he would have to defend himself, where he would have to put on a dazzling display of power and usher in the new kingdom. I thinkJudas was impatient. He was trying to move the agenda along a little faster. Too late, he realized that the agendas were different. Jesus had an agenda that Judas couldn't understand. The agony of that realization was more than he could take.
I wonder about Judas. Was his betrayal simply turning Jesus over to the high priest, or was it the fact that he tried to make Jesus what he wanted him to be instead of submitting to Jesus and letting Jesus make Judas what Jesus wanted him to be? Was he trying to fit Jesus into his mold rather than allowing Jesus to mold him?
If so, that puts his betrayal into a different lighta light that shines very close to home.
The Judas in me
Is that not the basic problem that each of us struggles with? Is that not the primary cause for so many of our frustrations? We set our agendas and askJesus to come along, to bless our efforts, to do what we can't, to bail us out of difficulties and to build the kingdom the way we think it should be built.
There are times when we just don't like the fact that Jesus is Lord. We want to make him something else. We want to remake him into our image of a king. It's not that we don't love Jesus; it's just that if Jesus would just do it our way, we could serve him so much better. We want to follow him, we want to serve him, but we want to do it on our terms.
Judas tried that, and we called him a traitor.
I wonder why I dislike Judas so. I wonder if it is because I am much more like Judas than I care to admit. I'm thankful that Judas is part of the Easter story because he shows me in a dramatic fashion what betrayal really looks like. It's not the kiss in the garden or the 30 pieces of silver or the suicide in despair. It's wanting things my way, notJesus' way. That's how I betray Jesus.
I wonder about Judas, and I ask, "Is it I, Lord?" •
Don Petker is pastor of Selkirk Community Church, an MB church in Manitoba, Canada. Ibis article was first printed in the MB Herald, a publication of the Canadian MB Conference.
Two brothers
1.
We started out so fine -people loved us then he began to say too much.
One night •.. bread and -"00 it quickly" and
No use feeling guilty now. There are other torments here.
But how I burned on that last, stark day. Leaning against a stone wall, I heard a goat yell.
Coins crowded in a leather pouch hung by a string -I didn't want the money I only wanted out"What is that to us? That is your responsibility."
I flung it against the temple wallthirty shining Caesars falling, laughing as I turned and ran.
My blood money-used just as Jeremiah saidand my body rots in their potter's field, their field of blood.
2.
Where are you now, my brother? We were kin for a time then you betrayed and I denied-and suddenly-
Do you understand? The stone was pushed away!
If only you had waited with us.
-by Amy Spencer of Kalona, Iowa. This poem first appeared in the Mennonite, a publication of Mennonite Church USA.
JEANNE
What power in the blood?
J lEARNED MY FIRST LESSON in comparative religibn when I was eight years old. Why, I asked my patents, do my Catholic friends wear crosses with JC!US still hanging on them, while my Protestant wear empty crosses? Their answer was simple: Catholics put more emphasis on the crucifixion anit"death ofJesus, while we prefer to emphasize the resurrection and the life of Jesus.
As an adult, I've noticed that we Protestants reflect this in our tendency to rush past the death of Jesus to the resurrection in our hurry to celebrate Easter Sunday. I wonder, what have we missed? How does the death of Jesus make a difference in our personal lives today?
The power of the blood
The death of Jesus is central to our faith and the gospel. Paul told the Corinthian church that he had decided to know nothing among them "except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). To the Galations, he proclaimed, "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).
The New Testament used a great variety of metaphors or word pictures to explain the significance of this central event in history. These pictures give us an idea of just how meaningful the death of Christ was and is to us today.
• Fear of death. Paul uses the metaphor of being bought with a great price or redeemed (1 Cor. 6:20, Eph. 1:7). Our lives of sin have put us in the devil's grip, but with the death of his Son, God redeemed or bought us back. As a counselor, I see that many of the issues troubling people are rooted in the fear of death-ours or a loved one's. God understands that, and it is through the death of his Son that we can break free of the chains of that fear. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus became flesh and blood so that "through his death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were
MEYER MARION
Aquest for dignity
""JESUS' DAY, CRUCIFIXION WAS a degrading death reserved for the lowest criminals. Of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus, one chose to mqsf'the man sarcastically called "king of the Jews." suitiJe other thief recognized Jesus' dignity and di\1o.i.ty. Jesus, in tum, treated this criminal not with 'Scorn bUt with compassion. "Today you will be with me in paradise," he promised (Luke 23:43). Christians are called to follow Jesus' example.
Look for the dignity amid the degrading! This is the quest for which I have had more than ample opportunity through my work with Mennonite Central Committee.
On a train in India
I remember the first time that I put this search of mine into words. It was a November evening and an MCC youth intern and I were on a train on the main line between Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, India. We were doing a research project on food security and biotechnology.
We found ourselves in a third-class car that seated 90 people but easily contained over 200. It stank of urine, feces, vomit, sweat, old curry, fresh curry, tropical fruit. Pungent.
As often happens with so many people in such close confines, conflict arose. One woman argued with a man who wanted to store his belongings below her seat. They cursed and swore at one another. They almost came to blows.
It turned out that she was fiercely defending the space where her young daughter was sleeping. Later I watched her caress her daughter, talk to her gendy and make her laugh. She seemed like a com· pletely different person. Here was the dignity amid the degrading and dehumanizing. This was the redeeming moment.
When we got off the train two hours later, the exhausted intern asked me how I cope with such situations. It was then that I told him that I look for the dignity amid the degrading. It is a survival mech·
Power in the blood
held in slavery by the fear of death" (Heb. 2:14-15).
• Worthlessness. Another root problem troubling people is a feeling of worthlessness. When we really look inside our lives, it is not a pretty picturewe cannot deny that there is a lot of junk there. On our own, we are helpless to heal ourselves from the sickness of our sin. But from Isaiah we learn that Christ "bore our infirmities and carried our diseases .... [He] was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed" (Isa. 53:5-6; see also 2 Cor. 5:21 and 1 Pet. 2:24). Christ became the sacrificiallamb (1 Cor. 5:7) bearing our sins so that we can be free from them. This picture should give us a great feeling of comfort as we realize that we are loved and cared for with such tremendous and costly compassion.
It is through the death of Christ that we are justified in the eyes of the Holy God, satisfying God's just and holy character (Rom 3:21-26)-but Christ's death does so much more. It cleanses us from our sin (1 John 1:7; John 1:29) and it reconciles us to God (2 Cor. 5:18-19; Rom 5:10-11). It restores our fellowship with him and allows us to be ambassadors of reconciliation to others around us.
Impacting our daily lives
The death of Christ impacts our daily lives and our ministry to those around us.
Those who stagger under the weight of their sin can know that Christ bore that sin for us, redeeming us from its power and cleansing us completely. Those who feel unlovely and unloveable can lift their hearts in the knowledge that we are important enough to God for him to buy us at a great price. Those who struggle with relationship problems can allow the fact of our reconciliation with God to transform their earthly relationships. And those who are overwhelmed at times by fear of death can take courage in the knowledge that the death of Christ has freed us from slavery to that fear.
Perhaps a Catholic cross would serve us well at times if it causes us to meditate on the rich message of God's love that comes through the death of his Son,Jesus .•
Jeanne Wtlliams is a counselor and lives and works in Denver, Colo. She is a member of Garden Park MB Church.
Quest for dignity
anism for me. If I do not look for the dignity, I find that I dehumanize the people in degrading situations. In that moment I separate myself from them. In that moment I stop being human. In that moment I miss the redeeming presence of God.
Boys in Hondurus
Recently I was again reminded of my search. Ricardo Torres, my husband, and I were on an outing with 25 recovering gang members. These Honduran young men and boys are walking the road of transformation from social outcasts to upright citizens. They are part of a gang rehabilitation program run by the Honduran Mennonite Church.
The mareros, as they are called, are feared by their neighbors for the violence and havoc they once wreaked. Gang members are demonized by the Honduran media and government, so those with former ties to gangs are also feared by strangers. Government strategies attempt to crack down on social problems with soldiers rather than address the poverty and despair that attract some boys to gangs. The young men in the rehabilitation program work daily to rebuild ties with their communities and heal old wounds, but those who choose to acknowledge their humanity-as Jesus did with the thief on the cross-are rare.
We went to a swimming hole in the mountains. I watched as the youth took running jumps off a high ledge into a deep pool below. I watched them play, laugh, joke, compete as all boys do. I could not help thinking: How would people who feared these guys view them if they saw them now? Would they not see their humanity, know that they were like any other boys their age? Was this not the redeeming moment for all the crack these boys have smoked, the cocaine they sniffed, their broken family relationships, lack of work opportunities? Did God open my eyes to see them with his-as human beings?
Would a miracle not happen if we chose to see the dignity of all social misfits and outcasts? Would we not feel the urge to walk down the road of transformation with them? Perhaps we would discover that, in our own way, we are also in need of the redeeming love of God .•
Marion Meyer, most recently from Winnipeg, Man., is a member of Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship. She lives in Honduras as the MCC regional disaster coordinator.
Palm Village Puts
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Subject to additions and changes. Additional campaigns may be approved pending funding. Tuition totals include flights from a major city center. Costs to city center are responsibility of participant .
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Death, and lessons of life
MY FATHER, THE LONGTIME
Mennonite Brethren pastor Arno Wiebe, passed away early in the morning Feb. 11, 2003. During the events of subsequent days-the gathering of family and friends, the funeral, the many reflections and remembrances-I realized how much I'd been focusing for a couple of years on his deteriorating health. My memories of his active life and our earlier relationship had gotten somewhat submerged. It was good, in preparing for his memorial service, to look again through Dad's photos, slides and writings, to be reminded of what he was about as a family man and a man of God. Following are a few of these reflections that have been milling around in my mind.
• Often I've referred to my father as the "longtime Mennonite Brethren pastor," just as I did to begin this column. But perhaps such a description isn't entirely accurate. He did minister in several MB churches over his lifetime, but also served as pastor in Baptist, Evangelical Free, the former EMB and community congregations. In all honesty, I wouldn't say Dad was a passionate Mennonite Brethren. His passion was for preaching the Gospel, sharing faith and encouraging others to fully follow Jesus. That's not to say he didn't appreciate many things about MBs. Their commitment to understanding and living by God's Word, for instance, was something that resonated with his own heart. So did the strong MB involvement in world mission, relief and service. But other things about MBs, and Mennonites in general, frankly bugged him. He frequently wondered how a church so committed to spreading the Gospel all over the
world could seem so reticent about evangelism here at home. Then there was the peace issue. It was one thing to call yourself a peace church, he said, quite another to practice peace at home, in the community, among fellow believers. It disappointed Dad to see a "peace church" so prone to stubbornness, unforgiveness, divisiveness. Peace, he felt, wasn't something that could work from the outside in, merely by applying the Anabaptist label. True peace could only be made from the inside out.
About that, Dad was absolutely right.
• Clicking through a couple dozen trays of slides, looking for photos of my father to display at the memorial service, I was reminded of where I got my appreciation for nature. The trays were full of pictures of mountains, beaches, forests, waterfalls, and especially, wildflowers. It's interesting to me that Dad's nature photography was comprised of so many wide panoramas and extreme close-ups. Perhaps it reflected a fascination for both the vastness and intricacy of God's creation, both the awesome power and intimate grace of God's character.
Then again, I may be projecting my own philosophical tendencies on my father's practical activities. Dad was always more of a realist than philosopher. He probably just liked taking pictures of beautiful scenes. Had I raised the theological implications of this, I can imagine him smiling whimsically, as if to respond, "Whatever you say, son." Yet I know in his love for nature there was always a heart of worship for the Creator, just as there is for me as I ponder the natural world.
Something else about those nature slides. In many of them, there stands me. There we are at the Grand Canyon,
up on Mt. Lassen, among the giant Sequoias, in the deep rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, and so on. How fortunate I was to grow up with P;Ets who sensed the importance of sing their children to the "real wor d." They cared enough to remove us regu- , larly from the self-serving realm of human activity, to see the amazing handiwork of God himself. I
• One activity my father and i enjoyed together for most of my life was golf. The last time we played, which may have been the last round of his life, was four or five years ago at a church tournament. It was hard to get him to come out for it. Physically he'd slowed down a lot, and just couldn't walk the links anymore.
"Don't worry," I reassured. "We'll get a cart." He gave me a disdainful look that said, "A cart?" He'd rarely, if ever, ridden in a golf cart, even into his 70s. But I talked him into joining the tournament anyway, even with the cart.
Afterward I asked, "How did you enjoy that?" He answered, "I'm disgusted with the way I played." It's a complaint I'd heard from time to time over the years. Generally Dad was an excellent golfer. But when he played poorly, and especially as he got older and couldn't play like he used to, it galled him.
That last golf round, and the subsequent complaint, reminded me how fully he threw himself into whatever he did. When Dad preached a sermon, he put everything into it. When he pastored a church, you got his all. When he played golf, he gave his best. And so on. Half-bakedefforts and halfhearted commitments didn't sit well with my father. For that example, both in physical and spiritual realms, I simply can'tthank him enough .•
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questions about faith & life
How interested should Christians be in protecting the environment?
QIn view of radical environmentalIsm, how Interested should Christians be In protecting the envIronment? (California)
AThe Bible is clear in stating that God's highest creatures (men and women) have the right to rule over the earth. Genesis 1 and 2 command us to "be fruitful and multiply subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to "dress it and keep it." God clearly is concerned with "lilies of the field" and even a "sparrow's fall." In Duet. 25:4 we are told God is concerned if we withhold food from the ox. Moreover, Rom. 8:22 tells us that "the whole creation groans and travails in pain" and will, along with humans, be restored to its original state in the resurrection.
So God is the indisputable owner and we are his caretakers. It is clear to me that Christians should be first in line to preserve water, promote recycling, clear the air we breathe, encourage the development of energy sources (coal, natural gas, petroleum, atomic power, etc.) and insure the viability of the forests. If that is true, should we then not favor genetic manipulation that might alter a tree's DNA to make it produce its own pesticides, grow faster and so tall and thick the timber industry would never need to log old-growth trees?
Unfortunately many Christians have been turned off to environmental issues by extremists. Especially those of us with farming backgrounds don't take well to emotional concerns about saving whales, snail darters and owls. I read recently that millions of dollars
and months of time are wasted in a road-building project because a dozen elderberry bushes are in the proposed roadway and these bushes are the only host to a small bug in danger of extinction. Radical environmentalists often seem to care more for animals than for people.
Even more frustrating is the fact that ourselves with environmental concerns places us, in the eyes of some, with some very unchristian movements. Much of the secular environmentalist movement is evolutionary and pantheistic, worshiping the creature more than the Creator. Often the movements, such as animal rights activists, preach peace and love, but are extremely violent in their protests. The FBI has labeled the Animal liberation Front and the Earth liberation Front as special interest extremists and terrorists, committing 600 criminal acts since 1996, resulting in damages amounting to more than $43 million.
ALF says it is nonviolent, mostly vegetarians or vegans and desires to "save as many animals as possible and directly disrupt the practice of animal abuse." That sounds harmless enough until you realize that ALF and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals give money to some very violent people. PETA gave $7,500 to a person convicted of planting a radio-controlled nail bomb to kill the president of a U.S. medical firm that used animals for research. PETA also gave $20,000 to a man convicted of burning a research lab and to another convicted of assaulting police. PETA's vegan outreach director said recently: "If we really believe that animals have the same right to be free from pain and suffering at our hands, then of course we're going to be blowing things up
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference poltcy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magtll Avenue, Fresno 93710.
and smashing windows ... it would be great if all of the fast-food outlets, slaughterhouses, these laboratories and banks that fund them, exploded tomorrow."
Some issues are not black and white. Issues like uranium mining and logging elicit more questions than answers. Often we don't have enough information to ask the right questions. Sometimes we will have to weigh competing rights and wrongs. But violence is never an answer for us. In espousing care for the environment we gain some strange bed partners. That's true in other issues as well. If we oppose abortion or war in Iraq, we find ourselves in league with strange, often embarrassing and even violent persons.
Having said all this, we cannot back off from our care for the environment or peace. So long as we remain biblical in our basis for these views, we need to accept the wrath of those who accuse us of aligning with radicals. It also means that we should be more careful and explicit in stating why we believe what we believe-"always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have"
(1 Pet. 3:15) .•
ON THE JOt HNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Mission trip at home
MY ALARM WENT OFF AT 5:15 A.M. on a wintry Friday morning this past February. I turned on the 1V and heard the weather forecaster warn that my city could expect near-blizzard conditions within the hour. We were told to plan on two to four inches of snow, to pile on top of the 10 to 12 inches already on the ground from a storm a few days earlier. Sure enough, it was snowing by the time my husband and I arrived with our two vehicles at a designated motel by 6:00 a.m. We were there to transport dental workers to the makeshift dental clinic which had been set up in our county fair building the day before. As I drove I tried not to be too disappointed. So much hard work and planning had gone into getting the clinic ready and now a snow storm would keep people away from getting the help they needed.
I picked up my first load of passengers. Thankfully, there was very little traffic as I drove slowly because of poor visibility and snow coming down in a hurry. I was not prepared for what I saw when I got to the fairgrounds. There were cars and people everywhere. The police arrived to help with the confusion of vehicles, some sliding around, their drivers not knowing exactly which parking lot to enter. It took me several minutes to get through the messy intersection. However, since I was transporting dental personnel I was waved through into the restricted area.
In spite of the snow storm, the people in need were there. The first car showed up at 1:00 a.m. and by 5:00 a.m. the line started to form. At 7:45 a.m. police were asked to shut down the parking lots and not let anymore people in. Over BOO people were already in line to get help, many having driven two to four hours to get there.
People who arrived after that were asked to come back the next day. (Several hours later the police announced that all roads leading out of town were closed because of the storm. Later in the day they were reopened.)
The Kansas Mission of Mercy (known as K-MOM) was a free dental clinic scheduled for a two-and-a-halfday weekend, Friday to Sunday noon. Dentists and hygienists from all over the state, and some from as far as North Carolina, came to provide free dental care for those people who could not afford it. Many shut down their offices for two days and brought their staffs with them. They offered free fillings, cleanings, tooth extractions and even some root canals to anyone who needed them. While the target population was the uninsured, low-income patient, anyone who came, regardless of income, was served.
What a mission of mercy it was. A total of 1,734 patients were treated for a total of almost one-half million dollars of free services. Of these, 425 had all their needed dental work completed. Doctors, school nurses and other agencies were also on hand to make sure people knew about the various other services available to them. Dental volunteers included 60 dentists, 72 dental hygienists, a number of dental students and many dental assistants. Local bilingual translators were available to assist as needed. In all about 300 out-of-town dental personnel were joined by an equal number of local volunteers to make this clinic the huge success that it was.
In addition to dental services, all who came, volunteers and patients alike, were offered free lunches in a nearby building. I was assigned the task of keeping the coffee brewed and given the cold, blustery weather there
was a lot of demand for it.
Planning for this mission of mercy began after a local Christian dentist attended a similar clinic in North Carolina and saw what could be done. He knew about the tremendous need in our area and got to work. The Kansas Dental Society backed the project and provided a good deal of financial support. Local businesses, churches, individuals and civic organizations donated cash, food and supplies to the mission. The ladies in our church helped out by baking 50 dozen cookies for this event.
This is only the third free dental clinic of its kind held in the U.S. and, from the information I have, also the largest. (A second clinic was held in Texas.) The Kansas dentists are already planning another clinic for another part of the state in November. While plans are not yet definite, there are high hopes for a second clinic in our area again next year.
You didn't have to be a Christian to volunteer for this mission, but from the comments I heard, I believe the majority were. I've often wondered why there are over 2000 verses (I'm taking someone else's word for that number-I didn't count them myself!) in the Bible which deal with the poor and our responsibility, as Christians, to them. Jesus said that when we help those in need we "do it for him" (Matt. 25:40). In James 1:27 we are told that "real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight." As I see it, that includes those who desperately need dental care but can't afford it.
In the past I have gone on shortterm mission trips to a number of countries around the world. On this particular weekend, the mission trip came tome .•
CHl'CK'S COHNER
BY CHUCK BULLER U.S. CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Writing a m'ission statement
What do you think about the u.s. mission statement?
A FRIEND OF MINE RECENTLY cleared up a long debated conundrum when he shared the precise definition of what makes dogs and cats so different. A dog, upon seeing the human who serves as his primary caregiver, thinks, "This is the person who feeds me, bathes me, takes me to the vet when I'm sick, buys me toys for my amusement-this person must be God." A cat on the other hand, when observing the same human, thinks, "This is the person who feeds me, bathes me, takes me to the vet when I am sick, buys me toys for my amusement-I must be God." That pretty much sums up my experience as a pet owner.
It dawned on me that such a difference also applies to how people respond to mission statements.
I'm sure you have heard the debate. Some in the church are convinced that, God's promises notwithstanding, a good mission statement is nearly divine. They say, "How can we know if we are successful in our church (or denomination) ifwe don't first clearly define our mission and some measurable goals?" The simple theory is that in life you tend to hit the targets you aim for-whether you aim at something or nothing you tend to hit it. Part of me loves such pragmatic thinking.
On the other hand, some in the church say, "God took responsibility for the outcomes of his church when he said, 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. '" This group believes that the point of the Bible is summed up in the thought that "God is God and we are not." In other words, God's sovereignty is truly divine. We are simply to act as servants of the kingdom,
The Board of Church
Ministries provisionally approved a new mission statement last month, which we will be taking to delegates at the u.s. Conference 2004 convention. Let us know what you think.
use the gifts God has given us and not worry too much about measurable outcomes, catchy purpose statements and bottom-line thinking.
As good evangelical/Anabaptists we MBs strongly believe that both perspectives are correct. In that spirit the Board of Church Ministries, the conference leadership board, provisionally approved a new mission statement last month, which we will be taking to delegates at the U.S. Conference 2004 convention. Like in our churches, some of us think it is nearly divine, while others are simply delighted that ':Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Let us know what you think.
The provisional proposal
• Our mission "is to be a growing and healthy evangelical/Anabaptist denomination that seeks to glorify God by serving Christ and his church in its mission of evangelism and discipleship" (Matt. 28:16-20, Matt. 22:37).
• Our vision "is to define growth
and health as consisting of numerical increase of churches, spiritual vibrancy, biblical faithfulness, organizational efficiency and financial stability" (Col. 3:12-17).
• Our strategy "is to communicate our mission, celebrate our uniqueness, commit our resources and commission servants and churches to live and share the good news" (Acts 1:8).
We have approved these statements provisionally for two reasons. First, we think that many of you as members of this conference will want to offer your gifts of theological insight and editorial comments prior to a final draft being ready for the 2004 convention. Second, we believe it is the unique calling of church and conference leaders to lead and listen at the same time.
In my previous column, I invited many of you to consider "leaving the sidelines" of denominational life to "join the game." This month we provide you with such an opportunity. If you would like to respond, you can email to responses@usmb.org or write to PO Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 670630220. Please address any messages to "BCM Provisional Mission Statement." I look forward to hearing from you! •
Leaders support restructuring
Ministry leaders gather to plan, discuss ministries and conference business
BY CARMEN ANDRES
US. Conference ministry leaders and board members taelded a full agenda at the annual all-boards meeting Feb. 27-Mar. 1 in Fresno, Calif. In addition to planning next year's budget and ministry goals, leaders also discussed and approved a provisional proposal to make changes to the organizational structure of the U.S. Conference.
Restructuring proposal
Changes to the conference's organization and leadership structure has been a top agenda item for several years due to the demands of a growing conference. Discussion began in earnest last fall after the U.S. Conference inherited several ministries from the General Conference (former joint North American conference), experienced growth in national
ministries and church membership and faced a growing deficit as ministries and leaders adapted to the growth.
The executive committee of the Board of Church Ministries, the conference leadership board, presented a proposal for structural change to boards and ministries at the February meeting. The proposal included two sections: mission and strategy statements and a new leadership structure. The main proposed changes to conference structure included a smaller BCM-which some leaders felt has grown too large-and the formation of a separate staff council.
"Our essential motivation is to have a stronger sense of ownership," says executive director Chuck Buller, who related that many leaders felt that it was difficult to process through issues and decisions on the current 23-plus member board. The smaller board would be more efficient, says Buller.
The new structure proposal creates a leadership board of 11 to 13 individuals: three executive members (conference chair, vice-chair and secretary); up to three at-large members; representatives from MBMS International, MB Biblical Seminary and MB Foundation; chairs from the boards of Communications, Trustees, Faith and Life and Mission USA; and the executive director. All would be voting members except the executive director.
The new structure removes several , current BCM members and attendees-the former conference chair, the positions of district representatives and fulltime staff members-whose representation will be met in other ways. Districts not represented in other positions can be filled in the at-large positions, says Buller. Staff, whom current bylaws do not include as members of BCM, were invited by leaders to attend meetings in 1998 in a non-voting capacity. Under the new structure, staff would be part of a proposed staff council which would have a voice on the board through the executive director.
Leaders processed the proposal during individual ministry board meetings-often attended by BCM executive members who answered questions and 1istened to concems--as well as a Friday night combined dinner session. During a one-hour closed door session at the end of the weekend meetings, BCM members voted to support the proposal on a provisional basis.
Originally leaders thought to immediately implement the provisional proposal, but in discussion during the weeks following the all-boards meetings, they decided it would be best to wait. Instead, BCM members will take the next year to detail the proposal and present it to delegates at the U.S. Conference 2004 convention.
"On such an important matter, it would be good to delay any decisions about implementing the changes to the delegates at the convention," says Buller, adding leaders will use the next year to work on the mission statement (see "Chuck's Comer, "page 19), refine the restructuring proposal and create a proposal for a staff council. In addition, says Buller, BCM will use the time to process and address concerns raised by leaders about adequate representation from districts, gender and ethnicity on BCM and staff reporting relationships to boards and the executive director.
In the meantime, BCM will trim its attendance to 16 as described in the conference's current bylaws. While staffwill no longer attend these meetings, they will be invited to make presentations as part of their organization's reports, says Buller.
Budget news
Leaders received both good and bad news when it came to this year's budget..
On the up side, church contributions exceeded expectations in December and January and are up overall, reported treasurer Dale Regier.
"Good things are happening in church contributions," he told BCM members. ''We've got the arrow going in the right direction."
As of press time, Regier reported the trend is continuing. At the end of February, church contributions were 16 percent higher than the highest amount in the last five years and are 91 percent of budget-one of the highest percentages in years.
On the down side, the conference is still in a spending deficit, Regier reported. As of Feb. 28, total income is $357,006, $125,619 less than budget but $47,330 more than last year-to-date. Total expenses are $391,083, $133,900 less than year-to-date budget and $91,685 less than last year-to-date. This leaves a current deficit of $34,076.
Regier points out, however, that this does not take into account planned spending from a Board of Communication C(ndowment fund and income to be
received from the General Conference merger and last year's grants from the MB Foundation and districts. These funding sources will be tapped in May, at the close of this year's financial year. Regier projects continued reduced spending and increased income will most likely leave the conference close to breaking even. Regier attributes this to the work of church constituency relations director Ted Goertzen and Buller, who are working to increase church giving and individual gifts. Regier also credits the ministry boards, whom he noted are already operating at barebones budgets. "Boards have found ways to cut even further," he said.
For the next year, boards were encouraged to take a conservative approach and keep their budgets at the same level they are now.Boards submitted their 2003-2004 budgets to the trustees, who will present a recommendation to BCM in early May for approval.
Buller indicated that BCM is continuing to work on increasing funding and will address fund-raising strategies at their fall board meeting. "We are going to talk about how we can raise funds as a conference for the ministries of our
Becker honored at meetings for service
I..YNFOIID "CUR, who will retire as MB FOUndation vice president effective June 30, was feted by the Board of Church Ministries and the MBF ,"rei during the 2003 U.S. Conference allboards meeting. While Becker has worn numerous hats during his career, he was specifically rec0gnized for his :L8 years of service to stewardship work within the denomination during a dinner Feb. 27 held on the MB Biblical Seminary campus.
Becker began working with Stewardship MInIstries and the U.S. Conference In 1986 and In 1988
became the first MB Foundation president. Ten years later he handed the reigns to Jon Wiebe, assumed the role of vice president and continued his work as a field representative with the ..ency.
"John Griffin, our estateplanning consultant In Kansas, has often mentioned that Lynford Is more knowledgeable about planned giving than any other advisor he works with," Wiebe told MBF board members In February. "certainly, he has made a lasting Impression on our conference and we will be torever grateful for his work and ministry."
For 14 years and ending In 2000, Becker served as the U.S. Confer· ence administrative secretary, a part· time position, while also working tor MBF. He has served as a local church pastor, church planter and the U.S. Conference minister. He has worked for Tabor College,theMB liberal arts college In Hills-
boro, Kan. He and his wife Ruby live In enid, Okla. -CL
core budget and how the ministries of the boards can be involved in that effort," he says.
Ministry updates
The all-boards meeting also gave leaders the opportunity to hear about the activities and issues facing national and binational ministries. Highlights included:
• Board of Faith and IJfe: Chair LynnJost reported that the board is planning the national pastor's conference which will piggy back on the conference's 2004 convention, and is projecting a study conference with MB Biblical Seminary on the topic of human sexuality.
• Board of Communications: Chair Harold Loewen reported that the ministry spent most of the last year managing the denomination's web page, conducting a readership survey and undertaking a constituency focus group research project. Most of these issues and the search for a new Leader editor will dominate the board's activities next year as well.
• Integrated Ministries: Director Loyal Funk reported that the ministry to immigrant people groups continues to grow. The ministry is in the process of merging into Mission USA, a plan laid down in the early 19905. The merger is hoped to be completed by the time Funk retires at the end of 2004.
• Mission USA: "Our mandate hasn't changed," chair Loretta Jost told ministry leaders. The church planting and renewal ministry is involved in two church planting projects (see "Move strengthens The Heart" on this page), one church renewal project and is expanding its leadership development ministry. Jost also announced MUSA will begin searching for a part-time staff person early this fall.
• MBMS International: The global mission agency presented to BCM a new funding proposal, which would eventually move missionary funding to a church adoption model. The proposal is being tested among churches, constituency and missionaries.
• MB Biblical Seminary: The seminary reported record enrollment for the fall, and shared saDie of the challenges associated with transferring from General Conference ownership to a binational ownership.
Leaders also heard from the MB Foundation, Mennonite Health Association, the . U.S. Conference Peace Commission and various other ministries .•
Move strengthens The Heart
Church plant relocates to 24/7 facility, anticipates ,. growth in several areas
The Heart, a church plant in Broken Arrow, Okla., rang in the first Sunday of the New Year at a new "24(7" location and since then has welcomed a steady stream of new faces and a growing number of ministry opportunities.
"God brought us here," says church planter Mike Miller of the congregation's new facility located just one-half mile from the school that had served as their meeting place and was at the center of their target community. "Moving into a building we can use 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week has been an asset for us," says Miller.
Their new home is an art-deco style facility known as the Villa One Building that previously housed a multi-media
company and is something of a local landmark in the Tulsa metro area. Miller estimates as many as 30 church volunteers spent November and December remodeling the building. They converted two rooms into a large worship area with a coffee bar at the back, and remodeled several offices into classrooms. Offices, a nursery and a kitchen were already in place.
"We've tried to stick with the artdeco theme," says Miller of the remodeling project. One of several wall murals throughout the building and a checkerboard floor in one room were retained to enhance the atmosphere the congregation hoped to create. "We accomplished more than we hoped," says Miller. "(The large room) feels comfortable-like a living room."
Because The Heart is attracting young adults, it was important to create a comfortable place for people to spend time, says Miller. "We're reaching people mainly in their 20s, and they tend to need to hang out. Church for them is relational. It's about being together, and having a place to congregate. That can't happen when you rent a place for just Sunday. Moving to this building has been a step in the right direction for us. You can just sense that in our people."
In addition to renovating the building, the congregation also looked for practical ways to improve their Sunday morning worship service. For example, they purchased a permanent sound system. "We wanted to raise the bar," says Miller. "We wanted to do a better job in everything we do and so we set our goals higher than just to get moved. It has been worth it and has helped us to grow."
Even though not all the work was completed by Jan. 5, the group held their first service of the New Year at Villa One. Everyone brought their own chair that Sunday since the ones on order had not yet arrived. Over the next month the final touches were completed and the group set Feb. 9 as their grand opening.
To announce the opening, pastoral staff intern Paul Bartel and members of the congregation distributed 4,500 door-hangers and anticipated an attendance close to 100. It was initially disappointing to wake that morning to a winter snowstorm that had not been predicted. But in Miller's eyes, God was at work since of the 70 people attending that morning, nine individuals, including five adults with families, visited The Heart for the first time in spite of the storm.
The emerging congregation, led by Miller and his wife Kim and worship leader Kevin Hisey and wife Megan, held its first public worship service in September 2001. Bartel and his wife Amanda joined the pastoral staff this fall as one-year Mission USA interns. Attendance for the first year was stable from week to week, averaging about 56 attendees, says Miller. The number of people touched by The Heart is not reflected in these numbers, says Miller. At the beginning, new churches tend to draw people who then cycle out. "Some of the initial people have moved on and been replaced by a younger crowd," says Miller.
"Some congregations really thrive in schools-a facility they move in and out of each week," says Miller, citing MB congregations and other Tulsa-area churches that have grown and become established while meeting on school campuses. "But our church didn't seem to dowell."
Things have changed since the congregation moved to the Villa One Building. The snow Feb. 5 was gone by 5 p.m., says Miller, but the newcomers have stayed around. In the first seven weeks of the New Year, The Heart grew
"We wanted to raise the bar. We wanted to do a better job in everything we do and so we set our goals higher than just to get moved. It has been worth it and has helped us grow."
-Mike Miller, pastor
from a group of 50 to around 80. Miller doesn't have any quick answers to explain the growth spurt. "Maybe it's a Midwest thing. Maybe it's just not as easy for us to think of church as not having a building. I don't know [why] but we have seen a consistent 20 percent increase since we've moved into the building. At this initial phase it has definitely helped us," says Miller.
The biggest benefit of their new location is the way it allows attendees to connect with one another on Sunday mornings, says Miller. "The primary thing we've noticed is that people are more relaxed and spend a great deal more time just investing themselves in relationships," he says. "As people come Sunday mornings, they are more relaxed and they spend more time before and lots more time afterward connecting with each other, just getting to know each other.
"In our last place we'd end our service and basically be out of the building in about 40 minutes. You'd shake a few hands and say hello to a couple people and start tearing stuff down. That keeps newer people from really connecting and you from connecting with them," he says.
The worship team has benefited from being able to practice consistently in a permanent location, says Miller.
"Those guys have probably done more hanging out than anyone," he says.
Out of their interest in music and outreach, a new ministry was born. In February the church began hosting "Live @ Villa ONE," a monthly Friday night event that includes live music, games, coffee and other activities designed to acquaint people with the facility and one another.
"Our goal is to have a place where the young people from our church can hang out with people who are unchurched or non-Christian," says Bartel, who is heading the new event. "First time guests to church who have already been to 'Live @ Villa ONE' will already have connection with several people from our church."
Since relocating, Miller has seen his congregation become more confident inviting people to The Heart. "We wanted to be careful of that nesting instinct that we all have-to move in and sit on our hands and say, 'Don't we have a great church here, '" says Miller. "We didn't want that to work against us. Actually the opposite has been true. It has really pushed us in our outreach. I think it has to do with the confidence level of our folks. Our congregation feels good about bringing people to our new place."
Looking ahead, Miller anticipates growth in several areas. He sees moving from three to four groups for Sunday morning children's classes and adding a children's ministry leader who will develop a ministry with children living in the nearby apartment buildings. A web site is also being developed.
The Heart, originally known as Community Church of the Heart, is a church planting project of Westport MB Church of Collinsvile, Okla., the Southern District Conference and Mission USA, the national Mennonite Brethren church growth and renewal ministry. When Westport sent a group of its members with Miller to establish The Heart, the group included members of Parkside MB Church, a Tulsa congregation that merged with Westport for the purpose of planting a new church.
Funds for The Heart's remodeling project came from three sources: an interest-free loan from the Southern District Conference, congregational giving and from supporting congregations including other Mission USA churches. -by Connie Faber
Leaving the door open
Paraguayan MBs pass guidelines for possible ,. political participation
Knowing that the husband of a Mennonite Brethren stands a good chance of being elected president, German-speaking Mennonite Brethren recently debated whether Christians should be involved in politics.
The leading candidate for Paraguay's presidency is Nicanor Duarte Frutos, whose wife is a member of Raices MB Church in Asuncion. Frutos attends the church occasionally. He has answered questions about his religious attachment by saying he is a Christian, the most Protestant of Catholics, and that his wife is the most ·Catholic of Protestants.
With this spring's presidential election adding to the timeliness of their
action, delegates at the MB conference's • annual convention Feb. 1-3 passed "Guidelines for Participation in Politics." The three-page document, more than five years in preparation, was presented by the Board of Reference and Counsel and formed the basis for a 90minute discussion on the topic. The delegates met in Neuland in the Chaco.
One speaker said the document would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. During Paraguay's long military regime, Mennonites did not usually vote, though attitudes changed when the country became a democracy in 1989.
The document stresses that God's work in the world is accomplished throu8h the church. Politics is defined as concern for societal well-being. However, it is the church, rather than politi-
cians, that makes the most significant contribution to society.
The new document advises a member who is considering running for office to check with the local church for discernment. The church is to respond in the spirit of Romans 13 and Revelation 13. The guideline advises caution in accepting a government position. The statement endorses political involvement at the levels of administrative oversight in the Mennonite colonies and influencing the political process through the church and Christian organizations.
It warns against, though does not prohibit, participation in party politics, saying such participation is fraught with dangers. It warns against the temptations of fanatical patriotism and militant nationalism. It says politics and spiritual authority should not be intermixed, and the pastoral office is not to be used for political poses. To enter a political career, it says, is to shift priorities away from Christian ministry and church activities.
Vigorously challenging that assertion was Heinz Ratzlaff, the first evangelical as well as the first Mennonite elected to the national House of Representatives, the Diputado, where he served from 1993 to 1998. As congressman he served on commissions related to education, environment and ecology, and I human rights and indigenous affairs.
Ratzlaff, a graduate of MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., went into politics as a result of people's dissatisfaction with the major parties. A political movement emerged, and he was urged to let his name be registered. He said he tried to contact Mennonite Brethren ministers but had only a day to make a decision. His decision-making , process, and his resumed status as a Christian minister, is seen by some as problematic.
Ratzlaff argued that entering politics did not mean a person was giving up Christian priorities. But on that point delegates seemed not to reach consensus. Later, Ratzlaff voiced satisfaction with the vote. To his relief, the delegates had not closed the door on political engagement.
As a congressman, Ratzlaff thinks he helped alter the public's negative perception of evangelicals. In a country known for corruption and where until recently only Catholics could hold government office, Ratzlaff's positive repu-
tation is a significant accomplishment.
'The document, although shaped by issues arising out of Ratzlaff's participation in politics, was aimed at providing general guidance. A number of Paraguayan Mennonites have been or are involved in politics. Victor Wall, the conference moderator, has served as consultant to the government's Educa-
tion Commission. Mennonite politicians have received media coverage, not all of it positive. For example, marriage breakups have been reported.
'The issue is prompting additional resources. Historian Gerhard Ratzlaff is preparing a book about Mennonites' view on politics, including the Latin I American experience. Alfred Neufeld,
president of lBA, has prepared a paper on Menno Simons and his engagement with governmental authorities. -by Elmer A Martens, of Fresno, Calif. He was in Paraguay recently to teach at the annul theological seminar of the Instituto Biblico Asuncion and Centro Evanglico Mennonita de Teologia Asuncion.
Mis and Mennonite. in Paraguay
Paraguay Is home to 28,000 GennalHlpeaking Mennonites, InclUding 1,800 Mennonite Brethren. They represent 8 small percentage of the country's six million pe0ple, but their Christian witness Is making an Impact beyond their numbers.
"The church's vital signs, If judged by c0mpassion, zeal for mission and dedication to Christian nurture, are strong," says Elmer A. Martens of Fresno, calif., who attended the February convention of GennalHlpeaklng MennonIte Brethren In the Chaco. "Paraguayan Mennonites say It Is In God's power that their mlnlstiles go f0rward. If the Mennonite work In Paraguay Is, mighty, It 18 because God 18 In It. "
Assistance to Indians 'nter-Mennonlte missionary outreach among IndIans In the Chaco Is highly In the 1930&, MennonIte refugees settled In the Ohaco, a supposedly uninhabited territory. To their 'Surprise, they found net_bora several tribes of IndhIns. These were hunters and gatherers with a total population of 500. Each tribe spoke Its own language.
Today, largely because of aid brought by the Mennonites, the Indian popul.
tlon Is 20,000. nltes also ahared the gospel. In the last 70 years abOut 4,000 Indians have been baptized. Indian church membenshlp now-ls about 3,000. Ther& Is a Bible school and a high schoollJunlOf college. Each of 12 Indian coIorJles has a school, c1lnlc.development program.
Health ministries
The hospital at Kilometer 81, a commun"
ty east of Asuncion, Is a notable Mennonite minIstry. Here about &0 workers treat patlents, IncludIng those with Hansen's disease, or leprosy. More than 6,700 leprosy patients 1ind more than 1$3,700 nop-leprous patients haY'e been treated at the facility from 1951 to 2001. Kilometer 81 Is alSO Involved In a nationwide education and consolousn ralslng project about Hansen's disease.
Kilometer 81 was established as a thank-you project to the Paraguayan govemment for accepting Gennan refugees when other countries turned them away. February 28 the World Health Organization recognized Kilometer 81 as the best nongovernmental organization In the field of pUblic health In Latin America.
Media and counseling Paraguay Is home to
Ministry Ouest
Nominate a high school student
Do you know a youth who:
• is growing in faith
• has leadership capacity
• is interested in, or curious abopt ministry as a vocation
Participants are nominated by their church when they demonstrate these key attributes. Ministry Quest gives high school youth the opportunity to develop as Christian leaders and explore ministry as a vocation.
What's Involved?
Ministry Ouest combines leadership retreats with extensive local church mentoring.
Program descriptions and nomination information available at: www.ministryquest.com or 204-885-2565 ext 640 or ext 365
til Ministry Quest is an initiative ..,.. of MB Biblical Seininary
two Mennonite Brethren conferences. The Evangelical Convention of Paraguayan MB Churches-SpanIsh Is the largest at 2,500 members while the Paraguayan MB Confer· enC&Gennan numbers 1,600. The two conferences have executive offtces In the same building and work cooperatively In a valtety of ways.
Together they operate a radio at&tlon, OBEDIRA, now rated No.3 In the country. Talk shows take up subjects like abortion and family problema. Another Mennonlte-sponsored radio station, ZP30,br0adca8t8ln the Chaco. GrowIng out of the radio program Is a counseling center at OBEDIRA that serves an average of 200 people a month and an evangelical monthly newspaper, Panorama.
Education
and secondary school and a school with an enrollment of 1,400 that provides liberal arts and vocational courses.
Prison outreach
Mennonite Brethren have erect· ed a church building within the Asuncion penitentiary compound to house an MB congregation of Inmates. The penItentiary has 2,000 Inmates. Since 1994, 500 prisoners have been baptized. Currently the church has 250 members, the same as the number of seats In the buildIng. services are c0nducted dally.
Paraguay is home to two Mennonite Brethren conferences. The Evangelical Convention of Paraguayan MB Churches-Spanish is the largest at 2,500 members while the Paraguayan MB Conference-German numbers 1,600.
The newest development In education, largely energized by Mennonites, Is a Christian university. Mennonites, Baptists, Anglicans and members of the Disciples of Christ cooperate In the university, which offers CI8888S at six locations.
Paraguay Mennonite Brethren support two Bible colleges. The Instltuto BIb/leo Asuncion was established In 1966. It Is now a Spanlsh-language po8t48COlKlary Bible school with an enrollment of 55. Centro Evangellco Mennonlta de TeolOlla Asuncion Is a BIble school operated by the conference of Mennonites whose support comes from churches In BrazIl, Uruguay and Paraguay. The two schools Jointly sponsor an annual theological seminar and are looking for other ways to develop a closer relationship.
Mennonite Brethren also operate a 450-student private elementary
The congregation Is autonomous, with Its own leaders and overseers. Each leader has a trainee 80 that the ministry Is not Interrupted when a plt80ner with a church leadership role Is paroled. Church planter and MBSS graduate Ezekiel Villar conducts regular preaching seminars for a select number of prisoners.
Outreach
Mennonite Brethren are reaching out to Brazilians who have moved Into FJladelfta and are establishing a Portugu peaklng church. Other efforts among Brazilians Include two church plants near the Paraguay· Brazil border.
The Concordia MB Church In Asuncion, with a membership of 290, Is Involved In a valtaty of out· reach mlnlstltes. The MB congregation together with a Mennonite c0ngregation Jointly own the church campus and sponsor 8 Christian grade school. In an outreach to Qerman-speakers In the Independ8ncla area, the Concordia congregation Is organlzlng a church. The church has spawned 8 SpanlslHlpeaklng congregation, Ralces, which reaches the middle and upper classes, Including govemment and university personnel. -EM
Teen pilot program a success
Ministry Quest retreat part of MB Biblical ,. Seminary's Hearing the Call program
The 14 high school seniors who participated in the Ministry Quest pilot retreat last month have provided organizers with valuable and positive feedback and are nl;?w epgaged in spiritual formation stUdy with mentors. The retreat was held March 7-12 and hosted by MB Biblical Seminary on the Fresno campus. Nominations for fall participants in MBBS's teen leadership program are currently being accepted.
Ministry Quest is the high school mentoring component of MBBS's Hearing the Call program designed to encourage young adults from Mennonite Brethren congregations in Canada and the U.S. to consider church leadership and ministry as a vocation. The program will also train congregations in mentoring these young adults and assist denominational agencies in identifying and nurturing high school stu-
dents. Hearing the Call is funded by a $1.6 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., as part of its effort to provide high school students with
opportunities to encounter theological resources and to explore in depth the significance of one's faith for life and vocation.
"We want to work with congregations and other agencies of the MB church to create a climate in which potential leaders can develop and thrive," says John Neufeld, Hearing the Call project director. "Our hope is that the programs and resources offered through Hearing the Call will fuel the faith of both young people and the adults who care about their spiritual and leadership development."
Beginning this fall, Neufeld anticipates annually organizing three Ministry Quest groups of no more than 16 students. Each group, to be balanced in gender, ethnicity and regional representation, will attend one of three identical fall retreats hosted by MBBS. Because MBBS believes the local church serves as the training ground for ministry, Neufeld emphasises that Ministry Quest participants are nominated by their home congregation based on a growing personal faith, leadership capacity and interest in ministry as a vocation.
Participating congregations also nominate a mentor of the same gender from the congregation to work with the student. Mentors are to be recognized congregational leaders, says Neufeld, and regional coaching mentors will assist them. MBBS will also send a seminary faculty member to provide participating congregations with seminars designed to assist the
Program director appointed
RICI( BARflEfT HAS BSEN appointed by MB Biblical Seminary as the Ministry Quest program director effective June 2003. Ministry Quest Is a program giving high school youth the opportunity to explore ministry as a vocational option. Ministry Quest Is the high school component of the "Hearing The Call" project, directed by John Neufeld and made possible by a grant from the Lilly Foundation, Inc.
As the Ministry Quest director, Bartlett will teach courses and lead
seminars In youth ministry, leadership development and discipleship. He Is a 1992 graduate of MBBS. He has served In three MB congregations, at Hartland Christian Camp, 88 the assistant to the Youth for Chrlst-Brltaln national director from 1993 to 2000 and since 2000 88 the Youth for Christ Pacific Northwest Region leadership development director. Bartlett will be relocating to Fresno, Calif., with his wife Karen and their two children, Grace and Toby.-MBBS
leadership team in calling out and mentoring young people.
The pilot group was formed to help Neufeld and Ministry Quest director Rick Bartlett refine the components of the program. "We have a very mature group," says Neufeld after working with the pilot group during the March retreat. Students and mentors in the pilot group will be working through the various events and resources included in the three phases of Ministry Quest.
Compass, the first phase of Ministry Quest, includes the opening retreat and a 13-week mentoring segment. "A compass doesn't get you to your destination but it helps you fix your reference points," says Neufeld who used his love of sailing to name the phases. Providing participants with a common language to use in talking about the call of God is one of the reference points provided by the retreat. "We want to give (the students) language so they can ask meaningful questions," says Neufeld.
The retreat focuses on spiritual formation, the study of "calling" stories in Scripture and developing a greater understanding of leadership, and includes times of worship. MBBS faculty members were the resource speakers for the pilot retreat. Students were also given the opportunity to sitin on a seminary class, were hosted in MBBS faculty members' homes and visited Kings Canyon National Park.
The second component, Charting Your Course, follows in early spring, includes 13 more mentoring sessions and involves a short-term ministry assignment. The focus of the third phase, Setting Your Sail, is a churchbased internship. Ministry Quest concludes with a closing leadership retreat to be hosted by a Mennonite Brethren educational institution or camp.
After students complete one phase they can :J.pply for the next. Participants are evaluated in three areasaccountability, teach-ability and faithfulness-before being accepted for the
next phase of the program, says Neufeld. He anticipates that about one-third of the students who begin Ministry Quest will complete all three phases. MBBS has designed a program that can sustain itself even after the four-year grant expires, says Neufeld.
Neufeld's confidence in the future of the Mennonite Brethren church has grown thanks to the Ministry Quest pilot group. "Reading through the testimonies and recommendations that were part of the application for Ministry Quest, one becomes very excited for the future of the church," he says. "After four days with these youth, my excitement has become a confidence. God is at work, building and shaping another generation of effective spiritualleaders."
Information about Ministry Quest can be found at www.ministryquest. com. Neufeld says congregations interested in nominating students for the inaugural 2003 fall program should complete the nomination process this summer. -Connie Faber
Assisting in Faithful Stewardship
WORLD DEVELOPMENT. RELIEF ORG PREPARES
MCC ready to aid Iraqi refugees
Mennonite Central Committee is responding to a February request from the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, umbrella agency for all nongovernmental organizations working in Iraq, that international organiZations provide emergency items in preparation for what could be an enormous humanitarian crisis.
Five MCC 4o-foot containers of relief kits, blankets and comforters, valued at $750,000, have arrived in the port of Aqaba in Jordan, which borders Iraq. The supplies will either be sent to Iraq or used to aid Iraqis fleeing into Jordan due to the war. Working with partner agencies CARE and the Islamic Relief Agency, MCC has also purchased
200 tents, 3,000 blankets and 120 portable water tanks irl Iraq and valued at $50,000. The portable tanks will be used to supply water to hospitals and vulnerable • groups in central and southern Iraq. The tents will be used to house Iraqis forced to flee their homes due to the war. In February MCC also sent two containers of canned beef, valued at $134,000, to Jordan. Again, the meat will either be sent to Iraq or used to aid Iraqi refugees in Jordan.
Menno Wiebe, MCC co-representative for Iraq, says warehoused items like these will continue to be needed in economically shattered Iraq even if a major crisis is averted. -MCC
MENNONITES FROM AROUND THE WORLD EXPECTED
Molotschna settlement
bicentennial planned
Mennonites from around the world will be traveling to the Ukraine in 2004 for celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Molotschna Mennonite settlement. Religious services, academic conferences, the unveiling of memorials, bus tours and other special events
are all under consideration. A panel of organizers from North America and Russia, chaired by John Stapes of the State University of New York at Fredonia and including Paul Toews of the Center for MB Studies at Fresno, Calif., met in Zaporozhye in September 2002 to begin discussing the two-phase
celebration. The first phase may occur in late Mayor early June 2004 and would include the unveiling of a historical memorial and an academic conference. The second phase might occur in late September or early October to coincide with the arrival of various tour groups. -news release
FPU faculty honored
Three Fresno PacItIc University fac> ulty mernber8 were honored for their long-term contributions when the FPU Board of Trustees granted emet'Itqs status to Edmund Janzen, Ted Nickel and RIchard Thiessen during March 78 board meetings. Janzen came to the university In 1968 and served as .... Ident from 1975 to 1985, during which time he wrote "BroadenIng the Base," a plan to expand FPU pr0grams and outreach. He Is now a member of the biblical and religious studies faculty. Nickel, a member of the psychology faculty, began work at the university In 1986 and served as graduate dean 198&89. Thiessen, who joined the faculty In 1987, teacbes In the mathematIcs/8CIence/educatIonal technology division and succeeded Arthur WIebe as president of Activities Integrating MathematIcs and SCIence (AIMS) Educational foundation. -FPU
PROVIDING AID: Mennonite Central Committee Is assisting families displaced by recent fighting In the southem Philippines, like those who have erected these makeshift tents outside a warehouse. By early March, fighting between the Philippine military and a separatist group had displaced some 80,000 civilIans. MCC Is providing $15,000 for emergency food that Is being purchased and distributed by four part· ner organizations. -MCC
MORE NEWS
backup
Mennonite World Conference has reserved facilities In South Africa to host Its world assembly In August If problems In Zimbabwe, the scheduled host country, make It necessary to move the meeting. WIth this contingency plan, MWC has proceeded with plans to hold the assembly In Bulawayo, ZImbabwe, Aug. 1.1-17, despite the country's deepening political, economIc and humanitarian crisis. The backup host site Is In the Johannesburg, South Africa, area. This location would pennlt the nearby ZImbabwe church to continue to serve as host. A meeting of MWC 0fficers was held In late March and a decIsion regarding the location may have been announced by the time this Issue of the Leader Is published. The Invitation from the Brethren In Christ Church In Zimbabwe "remains finn, broad and deep•••• As the crisis deepens, their faith and trust In God seems also to deepen," say Larry Miller, MWC executive secretary, and Ray Brubacker, associate secretary for events and administration, after their February visit to southem Africa. "The Africa 2003 theme calls us to 'share gifts In suffering and In Joy.' Reasons to think that Bulawayo Is the most appropriate place to do precisely that are Increasing, not diminishIng," they say. -MWC
MDS changes
Mennonite Disaster Service executive coordinator Tom Smucker will not be signIng on for a third tenn. The announcement was made by the MDS board at the 2003 all-unlt meeting held Feb. 7-8 In Arthur, III. MDS Is a binational dlsaster-response agency that coordinates Anabaptist teers In the U.S. and Canada. Smucker's current and final tenn will conclude In AprIl of 2004. Next month a search committee will begin accepting applications for Smucker's replacement. MDS hopes to Introduce the new executive coordinator at the 2004 all-unlt meeting In Abb0tsford, B.C. More than 400 volunteers and dlsaster-rellef supporters attended the 2003 meeting. -MDS
SUMMER EVENT WILL BE AT NATIONAL COWBOY MUSEUM
Conflict seminar comes to OKC
JHANKS TO fHE efforts of an enthusiastic pastor, the Basic Institute of Conflict Management and Mediation will be offered July 28-Aug. 1 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The seminar is sponsored by Memorial Road MB Church of Edmond, OIda., and.supported by the Southern District Conference, Tabor College of Hillsboro, Kan., Joy Mennonite Church of Oklahoma City and the
Victim Offender Reconciliation Program.
Last year Paul Klassen, Memorial Road pastor, attended the Basic Seminar offered by the Fresno Pacific University Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies and held on the MB Biblical Seminary Fresno campus. Immediately upon his return home, Klassen began talking with FPU faculty members Ron Claassen and Dalton Reimer about bringing this week-long seminar to
the Midwest.
"Pastor Paul felt he had been given biblical foundations for peacemaking and the tools to implement what he had leamed-something, he says, for which he had prayed and yeamed for many years," says Jeanie Klaassen, who is helping to organize the event.
The Basic Institute enrollment form is available on line at www.fresno.edulpacs or by calling Jeanie Klaassen at (405) 348-1587.
MHS ALLIANCE TO EMPHASIZE COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS
Redesigned health alliance endorsed
LEADERS OF
Anabaptlst-related health and human service providers affIllat· ed with Mennonite Health Services last month endorsed a proposal to fundamentally redesign MHS. The new entity, to be called MHS Alliance, will emphasize a covenant relationship between providers, provide sponsorship services and equip and strengthen organIzations through customized consulting. It will continue to plan the annual Mennonite Health Assembly and to promote dialogue about health and human service minIstries In the context of Anabaptist values.
The MHS board of directors has approved the proposal
and leaders representIng MH5-afflllated organizations endorsed the plan March 6-9 at the 2003 Mennonite Health Assembly held In Greenville, S.C. Leaders from MHS' three sponsoring denominations (Mennonite Church USA, U.S. Conference of MB Churches, and Brethren In Ohrlst Church) are currently reviewing the model. Providers will process membership decisions over the next year. It Is anticipated that the new model will be Inaugurated at the Mennonite Health Assembly In March 2004.
An Important goal of the new organization Is to help minIstries relate to one
another and the broader church In more meaningful ways, say those Involved. "If we as providers are not deliberate, we can tend to drift from the denominations that spawned us," says David Reimer, executive director of Palm Village Retirement Community In Reedley, Calif. "This was the churches' Idea; we can't forget that. " Assembly attendees also endorsed a proclamation supportIng Cover the Uninsured Week, a series of events held March 10-16 designed to focus attention on the more than 41 million U.S. citizens without any form of health Insurance.
--MHS
CHURCH
Baptism/membership
UttIeton. Colo. {Belleview)-Kim Fras was welcomed into membership Feb. 9.
celebrations
Yale, S.D. congregation has set Aug. 15, 2004, as the date oftheir 100th anniversary celebration and appointed a committee to plan for the event.
Oovis, Calif. {College Community}-The congregation observed their 40th anniversary Jan. 4 with an evening of food, fellowship and reminiscing. They met at the Clovis Veteran's Memorial Hall, for many years the site of the congregation's annual Thanksgiving meal. A catered traditional German Mennonite meal was served for the occasion. Memorabilia was on display, and the adult education commission planned a program that included reflections by past moderators on the four decades of the church's history.
HaNey, N.D.-An appreciation dinner for all nursery workers and their families was held Feb. 23. The congregation is considering relocating the nursery to more adequately minister to families and their young children.
Fellowship
Bellingham, Wash. {Community Bible}-Women in the congregation have begun meeting on the second Friday of the month for an evening of fellowship and crafting. Participants bring the craft of their choice.
Reedley, calif.-A men's fellowship and service event was held March 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the morning, participants met together for worship and fellowship. After lunch they worked on a variety of service projects around the neighborhood.
Tahlequah, Olda.-The Southern District Conference women's retreat was held at Heart 0' Hills Conference Center near Tahlequah in early March. Shirley Bryan, part-
time director of women's ministries at Grace Bible Church in Dallas, Tex., was the speaker. Workshops were replaced with "relaxshops" as organizers hoped to provide women with an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal.
Wichita, Kan. (First)-The recent men's retreat organized by the men's ministry team drew over 90 men, most from FMBC but some from other area congregations. Praise and worship music was led by Four Guys from Church Band, made up of six men from Buhler, Kan. Businessman and former NFL all-star John Campbell led the men through the Success That Matters workshop, based on the book "Man in the Mirror." The book had been distributed to men in the congregation last June as a Father's Day gift with the goal of renewing men's commitment to Christ and to jump-start men's small groups.
Ministry
WIChita, Kan. {First}-The global ministries team is inviting volunteers to give one or two weeks of help to a summer project at Victory Bible Camp near Palmer, Alaska. Stan Gillespie, director of Victory , Ministries, spoke at morning worship services March 2 and to two adult Sunday school classes.
Weatherford, Okla. {Pine Aaes}"Invest and Invite" is a new outreach program. The congregation is encouraged to invest time in getting to know someone outside the church family who needs a church home, is struggling with life or is not a Christian. As a natural outcome of these new friendships, the members should invite their new friends to church and host them when they do visit.
Buhler, Kan.-The congregation has set the goal of giving $150,000 to missions in 2003. A fund-raising banquet March 8 included testimonies from individuals involved in five of 23 ministries that the congregation has adopted as part of the missions giving challenge. Mike Furches, pastor of United at the Cross Community Church, Wichita, Kan., and Daren Busenitz,
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
pastor of Lighthouse Community Church in Wichita, shared their testimonies. The Southern District Conference and World Impact, an inner city ministry, planted United at the Cross and is working to plant the Lighthouse in Wichita's Oaklawn neighborhood Tanya Crevier, known as the world's best female basketball handler, gave a presentation March 5 using her basketball skills to share about Jesus Christ.
Bakenfield. calif. {Laurelglen}Pastors Roger Poppen and Ed Boschman hosted the first meeting March 2 of those interested in helping to plant a new church in Bakersfield. The congregation has spent the last nine months in prayerful consideration of how best to use a piece of recently purchased property. Planting a new church was one of several possibilities under consideration and was the option approved by the congregation The congregation commissioned their missionaries for another year of ministry March 2. The evening included worship, prayers for mission work around the world, the commissioning and dessert.
New Hope, Minn.-Recently seven volunteers donated their time to a Habitat for Humanity work project. They worked alongside an Ethiopian family who is investing "sweat equity" into this house that they will purchase. The congregation received a Mennonite Mutual Aid matching community grant for the project.
Dinuba. Calif.-The congregation's board of properties is inviting members to make use of their hobbies and talents in support of the church by donating time to behind-the scenes projects. A list of service opportunities connected to the church's physical plant will be listed periodically in the bulletin. A recent list included tree trimming, masonry work, installation of a baby changing station and-transporting a storage container.
Henderson. Neb.-A lay ministry fair was organized March 2. Information tables were setup in the family center by different ministries within the church and volunteers
could signup to help with various projects.
Covis, calif. {College Community}-Twenty-three people from the congregationparticipated in a candlelight vigil Jan. 19 in commemoration of Martin Luther King and two members were involved in the program. Pakisa Tshimika was one of two keynote speakers. He was asked to speak on his personal experiences in local and global health issues. Mary Anne Isaak gave the closing prayer.
Brevard, N.C. (lbe River}-A grand ope'ning service was held Nov. 3. The group meets for worship on Sundays and in small groups on Wednesday nights. Pastor Peter John Thomas says the group hopes to begin a men's ministry and a worship band for Sundays. He requests prayer for their Easter outreach.
TeachingINurture
Sanger, Calif. {Grace}-Ross Merritt with MB Foundation started the Good Sense Budget Workshop Sunday school class in February Enid, Okla.-All ushers and greeters were invited to an orientation meeting Feb. 16. The meeting included a presentation on the value and significance of hospitality, door prizes and homemade pie served with ice cream.
Workers
Omaha. Neb. {Faith Bible}-Mark Dommel is serving as the coordinator of youth and young adult ministries. He and his wife Deb have formed Relay Ministries, a faith-supported ministry associated with FBC. The goal of Relay Ministries is to reach the youth and young adults in the Columbus Park neighborhood for Christ to disciple them into mature believers and to see them disciple others.
Dinuba. calif.-Senior pastor Grayson Piepgrass has resigned. He and his wife Bonnie have not announced their future plans. Kingsburg. Calif.-Jim
VanderMark is serving as interim pastor. He began his ministry in February and will serve for a year.
Worship
San Jose, calif. (Uncoln congregation's preparation for Easter highlighted missions. Guest speakers during March included Pakisa Tshimika, a Mennonite World Conference staff member, Chuck Buller, U.S. Conference executive director, and Ron Penner with MBMS Intemational.
Dinuba, Calif.-Ray and Opal Lutke, music teachers with over 30 years of experience, gave an evening concert March 9. They are with One A'Chord Ministries and their concerts include vocal and instrumental music and drama.
Bakersfield, Calif. and Viorica Oros of Inter-National Needs Network were the guest speakers Feb. 16. They worked in the underground church in Romania for more than 10 years before John was forced to leave the country in 1988. He and his family were reunited in 1990.
New Hope, Quiring, a recording artist with Incubator Records, gave a morning concert Feb. 16. She and her husband Craig are members of Henderson (Neb.) MB Church.
Cordell, Olda. and Brenda Word and their family, missionaries to Paraguay with Global Outreach Mission, were the guest speakers Feb. 9.
UttIeton, Colo. (BeileviewHarry Blue and the New Grace Quartet gave a mini-eoncert Feb. 2 as part of the evening hymn sing. Blue is associated with Denver's KPOF Radio. The group has an extensive prison ministry.
Minot, N.D. (Bible laRue Goetz with Revival Prayer Fellowship led a School of Prayer seminar Jan. 18-19.
Youth
Reedley, Calif.-The SO students and 8 adults who attended the national MB youth convention livere commissioned March 16. The youth convention was held March 22-25 in Estes Park, Colo.
Corn, Okla.-Junior high and high school youth are invited to spend the late afternoon at the Youth Building, open Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 3 to 5 p.m. A variety of games are available, and kids can purchase pop and snacks. The building is also used for Wednesday night Bible studies.
Deaths
Born, Henry c., Abbotsford, B.C., a Mennonite Brethren educator who served a number of institutions around the globe including Columbia Bible College as president, a pastor of MB churches in Kansas and British Columbia, and a radio preacher, was born in 1920 to Heinrich and Anna Born in Rosenbach, Man. and died Nov. 23, 2002, at the age of 82. On July 26, 1945, he was married to Esther Brandt, who survives. He is also survived by three daughters, Julia Toews, Naomi Born and Rebecca Janzen; three brothers, four sisters and seven grandchildren.
Caudle, Joe, Owasso, Okla., a member of
Westport MB Church of Collinsville, Okla., was born June 12, 1922, at Shawnee, Okla., to Emest and Brittie Smith Caudle and died March 12, 2003, at the age of 80. On April 28, 1945, he was married to Iva Filtz, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Barbara and husband Art Munger and her family.
DeFehr, Luella Balzer, Fresno, Calif., died Dec. 3, 2002. She is survived by her husband, Cornelius DeFehr; three daughters, Tamera and husband Dave Friesen, Kristen and husband Joseph Trujillo and Lisa and husband Ron Meyer-Hagen; three sisters, Lillian Janzen, Eunice Isaak and Fran Penner; one brother, Leonard Wichert, and six grandchildren.
Friesen, Tillie Neufeldt. Inman, Kan., a member of Zoar MB Church of Inman, was born May 30, 1911, to Gerhardt and Ida Epp Neufeldt near Inman and died Feb. 27, 2003, at the age of 91. On Nov. 23, 1939, she was married to Henry W. Friesen, who survives. She is also survived by two daughters, Elaine and husband Jim Peterson and Sandy Bundy, all of Inman; two sons, Dee and wife Ruth of Albuquerque, NM, and Dennis and wife Judy of McPherson, Kan., 11 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
Hendrix, Gaither Glen, Sr of Lenoir, N.C., a member of Laytown MB Church, was born April 29, 1924, to James M. and Joyce L Scott Hendrix and died Feb. 20, 2003, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Dula Hendrix, four daughters and two sons.
Janzen, Frank P., Buhler, Kan., a member of Buhler MB Church, was born Oct. 30, 1916, to Henry H. and Helena Schroeder Janzen at Inola, Okla., and died Feb. 12, 2003, at the age of 86. On April 14, 1940, he was married to Ethel Pauls, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Sam; one daughter, Nancy Hill, both of Tampa, Fla.; one brother, Herman of McPherson, Kan., four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Loewen, David F., Hillsboro, Kan., a member of Parkview MB Church of Hillsboro, was born March 18, 1922, near Goessel, Kan., to Abraham S. and Elizabeth Fast Loewen and died Feb. 13, 2003, at the age of 80. On Aug. 14, 1970, he was married to Alyce Faul, who survives. He is also survived by two sisters, Martha of Hillsboro, and Hulda of Wichita, Kan.; two brothers, Peter of Hillsboro, and Albert and wife Martha of North Newton, Kan., and many nieces and nephews and their families.
Torrence, Floyd "Bud, Hanford, Calif., of Reedley MB Church, was born Dec. 21,1930, and died Feb. 25, 2003, at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, eight children, Floyd of Hanford, Margaret Spatz, Steven Wright, both of Santa Rosa, Maureen Bird of Napa, Calif., Marie Jordon of santa Rosa, Marla Gullickson of Polson, Mont., Mark of Elko, Nev., and Matthew of santa Rosa; two sisters, Lucille Batemon of Petaluma, Calif., and Dolores Rogers of Hayward, Calif., 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Wiebe, Arno, Salem, Ore., a member of Kingwood Bible Church of salem and a Mennonite Brethren pastor, was born Jan. 11, 1921, to Henry and Anna Schultz Wiebe at Dalmeny, Sask., and died Feb. 11, 2003, at the age of 82. On May 27, 1944, he was married to Linda Kornelsen, who survives. He is also survived by
three sons, James of Los Angeles, Calif., Steven of Los Banos, Calif., and Philip of Salem; two daughters, Jean Deeter of Lyons, Ore., and Sylvia Regier of Madrid, Neb.; three brothers, Allan of salem, Henry of Omaha, Neb., and Loren of Fresno, Calif.; three sisters, Anne Buller of Beatrice, Neb., Erna Jantz and Jean Janzen, both of Fresno, 11 grandchildren and three great grandchildren .•
U.S. Mennonite Brethren Board of Communications is seeking an EDITOR for the Christian Leader
DIrect the procIuctfon of the Chlfstlalf Le., the monthly magazine of the U.S. Conference of MB Churches. Tasks Include pf8nnlng, writing, editing, managing atatf and witters and overseeing layout, printing and distribution. The editor also sllares in shaping the overall communication strategy for the conference, together with the Board of Communication and conference leadership.
• Christian commltment/llfestJle consistent with MB ConfessIon of Faith
• Membership and active participation In an MBchurch
• Excellent writing, editing skills
• Understanding of print media, joumalistlc style
• Journalism experience
• Managerial skills and relational gifts
• leadership gifts In shaping thought/ life of church
• Minimum of bachelor's degree
From this day forward
Asimple vow - 'for better, for worse' - seems an understatement of life's most complex calling. Everyday chaos that never appears in wedding-day dreams. Responsibilities that grow faster than a toddler's shoe size.
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More than coincidence
I REMEMBER THE MOMENT I realized the role Jesus played in history. I couldn't have been more than 20 years old, ruminating on a couch. Suddenly it dawned on me that Jesus' incarnation, life, death and resurrection were the crux of all human history. Everything revolved around that. In that moment, it was as if Jesus' 32-odd years were lifted high on a mountain while all history swirled like clouds at its base. In that moment, I knew God was in complete control of everything.
That was one of my first experiences of the reality of God's existence and power.
I wish I could live always in those moments, sure of God and his control. But I have a tendency to let things get in the way, and then I am in doubt. Sometimes it is a buildup of small things-a thwarted plan, a lost expectation, an unkind word or plain neglect of spending time in the Word and prayer. Other times it is a bigger thing-the death of a friend, a family member's illness or stories of war and human cruelty. Whatever the case, I find myself struggling to remember what life and God are all about.
Signs, the Mel Gibson film released last summer, illustrates well this dilemma. Graham Hess is an Episcopalian priest who abandoned his faith six months before, after a driver who fell asleep while driving killed his wife. Graham lives on a Pennsylvania farm with his brother Merrill and his two children.
At one point in the film, while watching news coverage of strange lights that have appeared over Mexico City, Graham explains to Merrill how he sees the world:
"People break down into two groups when they experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign--evidence that there is someone up there watching out for them.
"Group number two sees it as just pure luck, a happy turn of chance. I'm sure people in group number two are looking at those 14 lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation isn't 50-50. Could be bad, could be good-but deep down, they feel that whatever happens they're on their own. And that fills them with fear.
"But then there are a whole lot of people in the group number one. When they see those 14 lights they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen there'll be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope.
"See, what you have to ask yourself is, what kind of person are you? Are the kind who sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or look at the question this way-iS it possible that there is no coincidence?"
A few minutes later, Graham reveals which group he belongs to: "There is no one watching out for us, Merrill."
The beauty of this story, however, is that it plays on Romans
8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God is working for good in all situations, even in tragedy. Those things that make no sense in Graham's life-his wife's death, his son's asthma, his daughter's aversion to water, his brother's failed baseball career-are all used to work toward a greater purpose. God uses them to bring good into Graham's life and the life of his family. Ultimately, God works to bring Graham and others into to a deeper awareness of his presence, control and love-all to his glory.
In real life, we don't always get happy endings. But even in the midst of tragedy and suffering, there are signs that reveal something larger and bigger than ourselves-God.
Recently, I read an advance copy of 1be Treekeepers, a children's fantasy novel with strong Christian undertones being published in June. The orphan child Bird struggles throughout the entire story with whether or not to believe in and trust the Holder, what her people call God. At one point in the story, she suddenly realizes that in spite of her doubt and even rejection, the Holder had "kept her all the days of her life." She realizes that he had revealed his presence in many ways, including small ones-a reassuring dream, a patch of sunlight in a dungeon cell, a comforting hand.
Often, that is the way I am struck by God's presence and control as well. It is always unexpected-the words of a friend, a meal brought over at just the right time, a verse on a sign at just the right moment, even a dream. Sometimes it is the unexplainable peace that comes during illness or suffering. Sometimes-very rarely-I even witness something that can only be explained as a miracle. By themselves, these things are isolated incidents in life. Together, they add up to reveal something larger and bigger than myself.
Of course, the danger of viewing life as more than luck and coincidence comes when we try to work them up to a comprehensive understanding of God's will and purpose. I will never understand God's purposes for my life and the world-he himself tells us his ways and thoughts are far beyond our comprehension. And I don't pretend to understand how God can be in control and yet evil and horror occur in the world every second.
But it is God's revelations of himself that give me hope beyond myself-hope that he is in control and good in spite of a world that rails against that. Maybe that is the difference between assurance in the things hoped for but not seen, of walking by faith and not by sight. To others it seems blindness, but to followers of Jesus it is true vision.
Again, I wish I could live in that reality all the time. The truth is, I don't. Fortunately, God continues to reveal himself, work in my life and the world in spite of my struggle to believe and trust. And there is peace and hope in that as well. -CA
