EVERY SO OFTEN-like this month-we schedule an issue which doesn't address one particular theme so that we can include a number of articles that speak to important topics not covered in other issues. This month, our three authors explore the Bible, political responsibility and grief.
In our nrst article, Pierre Gilbert reminds us just how important the Bible is-not just to believers but to the world in general. He challenges us to rediscover the life-giving character of this unique and revolutionary book.
Next, Jon Isaak zooms in on Rom. 13:1-7, a passage of SCripture Christians have used throughout the ages to ngure out how we should relate to the government-and how far our allegiance goes.
Our last article is a honest journey through years of grief. Naomi Gaede Penner shares her family's story of loss, how they walked through the years following, and where they are today. Her story reveals God's faithfulness-and gives us valuable insights into the needs and experiences of those who have lost loved ones.
The rest of the magazine is also a potpourri of sorts. Our People Prome focuses on Gary Wall, the newest and youngest district minister, a pastor who "pastors the pastors." In BodyLife, we jump to Africa to explore how our African brothers and sisters are responding to that continent's HN/AIDS crisis. We then move back home to look at the transitions and celebrations of some of our congregations here.
Blessings. -CA
COMING
• SEPTEMBER 11-911 Remembrance, a national prayer event.
• NOVEMBER 1-3-eentral District Conference convention, Grace Bible Church, Gettysburg, S.D.
• NOVEMBER 8-9-Pacillc District Conference convention, Fresno, California.
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BOARD
Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Harold Loewen, Phil Neufeld, Dalton Reimer.
EDITOR Carmen Andres
ASSOOATE EDITOR Connie Faber
BY PIERRE GILBERT
ONE BOOK ABOVE ALL OTHERS has infiltrated our history and culture as a human race. One book has influenced our world like no other book has done. Itsimpact is unparalleled, revolutionary and traDsfonning.
This book is the Bible.
For many Christians, the greatest impact of the Bible is the salvation story of Jesus-but its impact goes beyond that. For over 4000 years, the Bible has impacted human society and culture, changing the way humans think about themselves, the world around them and the way they live.
But today, those of us in the West-including Christians themselves-have lost confidence in the Bible and the life-giving faith it reveals.
Forces shaping culture
So, why the lack of confidence in the Christian faith and the Bible? There are a number of reasons to consider:
• Secularism has, to a great extent, relegated faith to the private sphere and to the outer fringes of social life. Unless there is a crisis of major proportions, like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we tend to frown upon overt expressions of faith in the public sphere. Christian practices and beliefs are increasingly pushed into the folkloric realm. We have entered a post-Christian era in which the church and its institutions have been stripped of much of the authority-moral and otherwise-they enjoyed in earlier times.
• Moral relativism and pluralism have also contributed to shaking Christian convictions. Movies, television shows and popular magazines produce a massive and constant flow of powerful messages that undermine the moral values traditionally associated with Christianity in our culture. Hollywood's impact is powerful, because we no longer make moral decisions on the basis of reason. Today, ethical conduct is determined commonly on the basis of a social consensus where power and glitz are equated with truth.
• Massive immigration from Arab and Asian countries has put Christians face-to-face with people who hold very different religious beliefs.
• Whether it was the televangelists' sexual and financial failures or the recent revelation of sexual abuse amongst Roman Catholic priests in the United States, the numerous scandals that have rocked ecclesiastical institutions in the last few decades have at best increased the level of cynicism towards the church and, at worst, contributed to undermine the legitimacy of the Christian faith.
• In addition to these factors, there is increasing-
ly an anti-Christian sentiment that finds expression in our culture. Christianity is often perceived as archaic, irrelevant, narrow and bigoted. The Christian tradition has frequently been portrayed as the root cause of many of the problems that have plagued Western culture-the mismanagement of the ecosystem, slavery, the exploitation of women and the repression of human sexuality come to mind.
The bottom line is clear: not only has the Christian faith lost a significant degree of legitimacy generally, but the church has partially lost sight of the unique and revolutionary character of the Bible and the worldview it contains.
Impad of the Bible
In spite of the bad publicity Christianity receives, the Bible remains the most remarkable work of literature ever to appear in human history, particularly as it relates to the way it impacts how we perceive ourselves, the world that surrounds us and the way we live. Consider two examples:
• From magic to science. Most of us find the notion of worshipping the sun, moon, stars or life force in the trees quite ludicrous, but since the dawn of time thousands if not millions of people have done so all around the world. Why is it that we don't do the same today? Is it because we are exceptionally smart? Enlightened? Sophisticated? I doubt it.
World renowned European historian Pierre Chaunu contends that the only reason we do not worship nature or sacrifice children to Baal, Molech or any other divinity is due to one fundamental reason: the subversive work of the biblical text in our culture.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1 NIV). Although this short sentence that opens the Bible may appear quite trivial at first Sight, it is probably the most revolutionary statement ever uttered in the history of humanity. In one swipe, this text eradicated the universe of the multitude of gods that controlled the lives of men and women and terrorized them. This text literally destroyed the conceptual framew6rk that made belief in magic possible. As people understood the implications of this text, it freed them from the illusion that warring gods and deities controlled their world and that they themselves were nothing more than pawns in the hands of the gods. Over time, men and women perceived nature as something they can analyze and, to some extent, gain mastery over, rather than as the manifestation of divine and magical forces.
The bottom line is clear: not only has the Christian faith lost a significant degree of legitimacy generally, but the church has partially lost sight of the unique and revolutionary character of the Bible and the worldview it contains.
And here is the remarkable thing. In the very process of eliminating the foundation for magic-by erasing the very existence of the gods on whom magic is contingent-this text opens the door to science as we understand it. Without the appearance of such a text to challenge and undermine the divine character of nature, it is virtually impossible to conceive of the development of a rigorous and fully developed scientific paradigm. The reason is simple: we cannot investigate, analyze or dissect what we
worship and fear. Ultimately, the kind of scientific assumptions we hold today are possible only if we have an authoritative affirmation that distinguishes nature from the divine.
• Soda1 transformation. On a different issue, Pierre Chaunu also contends that the very recognition of women as full.fledge human beings depends on moral and ethical categories that ultimately derive from the Bible. He points out in Fot et bis· totre (Fattb and History, 1980) that it is only in
:eartnership with God.....--...
THE I'EOI'U who first received the creation story In Genesis 1-2 believed that human beings were created to be slaves. For them, the ultimate purpose of human existence was to feed the gods.ln'OUl'day age, many share a $imilar view. The belief that the.-rth was the result of some cosmit accident provides no ultimate reason for human life.
Gen. 1:27-28 and are two texts that remind us thflt humanity was 'N\Nlted to be in a speciafJdnd of relationship with God. Here we have-for the first 1Ime in the history of humanltythe notion of a God who invites men and women to become partners with him in a great divine project.
In contrast to most reli· gions of the world. the God of the Bible desires, above all, to enter Into an intimate relationship and partnership with thinking. IMnO. breathing, loving end free human beings. There 'lies the essence of what it means to be in the image of God. And there lies the
source of our unique worth and dignity as human beings.
Cloning and embryonic research are topping the headlines. When it these issues. we can roughly divide people Into four groups:
mlhd).
• T110se who pie_for some latitQde because of the .-aordinaty·health benefits embryonic re,.arih entails.
• And those who are absolutely oppOsed to any kind of rase,"" involving
... tbe worth and dignity of each human being is linlltld to a divine declaratlon: that we are made in the image of God.
• Those. perhaps a majority, who do not have a firm opinion on the matter as. they fail to und....nd the ethical and social Impl" of the choices that are before us.
• Those who promote COQlPIite freedom of in the investigation and elcplo'ltation of the human genetic 'i1UIWrial :and fluman embryos. (the Ita.lan doctor 5everiho Antinori to
human embryos•
The major arguments generally put forward to embryonic research Or1iUman doning are twOfOld:
should be prolI} 58 each human nsicworth of his ,pNA5tructure.
• and cloning incnNllt the risk
of objectifying human nature. Le•• of turning hUm.i fMo objects IIIid human genetic material Into. commodity that can be bought and sold. These -vuinents are fine but. in my opinion, c0mpletely Inadequate in and of tt1em-Ives.
OUr intrinsic worth and dignity human Mings does hot d8rIM fI'OIII our unique. DNA structure. It IS Importantt that ahlmals are also genetically. H does not lie in our abOftr to produce great worb of art or even in this ff,azzy notion of an eternal soul.
In a biblical perspedJw. the worth and dignity of each human being Is Inted to a divine ded8ration: that we are made in the image of God. And the image of God Is fundamentally an expression of the special relationship we have Mth God. In the end. it Is on the basis of such affirmation that we can affirm the intihlte value of each human life.-/'G
those cultures where the biblical text and Christianity have had some long-term influence, that the status of women has gradually improved from that of property and progenitor to that of a full human being, equal to man. In cultures where the biblical text has not had any significant impact, women are generally regarded as property whose main purpose is to produce children. In such cultures, women are married as soon as they are able to procreate, they have little or no access to formal education and they are allowed little self-determination.
The main reason behind this social transformation is fundamentally linked to a statement found in Gen. 1:27: "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." This text affirms the intrinsic dignity of both men and women regardless of their gender or social status. This is in stark contrast to ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures, which existed in biblical times, where the value of human beings was primarily determined on the basis of their social standing. This statement is also the main rationale behind the abolition of slavery and the affinnation of human rights in general.
Opening the door to science and social transformation are only two examples in a long list of ways the Bible has impacted huananity. The bottom line? Whenever the biblical text finds entrance into a culture, it acts like an acid on structures of humanization and exploitation. In that respect, the biblical worldview is invaluable.
Out from under the bushel
Christians throughout history have often lost Sight of the revolutionary character of the biblical text and its power to transform cultures--and we are no exception.
Today, preaching the gospel is declaring saivation in Jesus Christ. But it must be more than that. We must communicate a new worldview-a new understanding of God, human nature and the universe. It is very tempting to tone down the biblical worldview in our postmodern, secular, pluralistic and relativistic age where Christianity is perceived as the main cause of social evil in the Western world. We do not want to "offend" others. But if we fail to expose clearly the biblical worldview, we contribute to sustaining the structures of dehumanization and exploitation that human societies create generation after generation.
The Bible is foundational in one fundamental respect: it provides the basic building blocks of a true worldview-an understanding of the universe that corresponds to ultimate reality. 'Worldviews are, for the most part, self-coherent and consistent. A
worldview can in some ways be compared to a bubble. When one lives inside any particular worldview "bubble," it appears completely plausible and credible. This does not mean, however, that all of the worldview "bubbles" generated by human societies reflect the true nature of reality. Logically, they cannot all be equally true, since they are often mutually contradictory.
Because worldviews ultimately determine how we live, how we treat each other and how we perceive ourselves, it is vitally important to ensure that we have and communicate a worldview that is deeply rooted into what I like to call "the ground of reality." By this, I mean a worldview that accurately reflects how things really are. Scripture is foundational in that it provides us with the conduit to plug into absolute truth.
There is very little doubt in my mind that, without the biblical text, we would still be worshipping the earth, sun, stars or moon-and we would, more likely than not, still be sacrificing infants to appease angry gods. Without the Bible, there is precious little basis for affirming human rights and the intrinsic dignity and value of human life.
I often read that the source of our dignity is found in our unique genetic structure (see "Partnership with God, n page 6). It is, in fact, the reason most often given to prohibit human cloning. But in reality, appealing to our genetic uniqueness is woefully inadequate, if simply because this characteristic is not the sole prerogative of the human race. Does a cockroach have special value simply because it has a unique genetic makeup? Of course not.
According to Genesis 1:27 (see also Gen. 9:6), our unique worth and dignity is linked to the affirmation that humans are made in the image of God. Without the biblical text, the door is left wide open for dehumanization, human exploitation and superstition. Nazi Germany was no accident. It came about because an ideology of death slowly gained prominence. It was an ideology that redefined what it meant to be human and resulted in declaring some as human and others as nonhuman. The biblical text and a faithful community may well be the only thing that stands between us and another Auschwitz.
I am convinced that the renewal of the church and the transformation of our society will be in great part the result of a rediscovery of the revolutionary, life-giving character of the Bible .•
Pierre Gilbert is associate professor of Old Testament at MB Biblical Seminary and Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Man.
Scripture is foundational in that it provides us with the conduit to plug into absolute truth.
R_•• 9:1 ,. e...., p .. ........ 111.' fer the.. Is no _II,•...., .xcept God• ... • uthorItIea exist h yGOd" (-RSV). But what.X8dIy ... that ., What I••y pelltlcal ...p........ to the ....,
O ? A doser /ooIc at e Romans 13:1-7
FOR ALMOST 2000 YEARS, Paul's counsel in the first part of Romans 13 has shaped and influenced the way Christian communities sort out political responsibility-their relationship and interaction with governing authorities.
Today is no different. We ask the same questions: What is the Christian community's political responsibility? What role does the church play with governing authorities? Just what does it mean to be "subject to the governing authorities"? How far does our allegiance go? Are we to obey government absolutely?
Again, we tum to Romans 13:1-7 to help us sort it out. But before we can understand what Paul is saying and how to apply his counsel today, we should understand the context in which these words were written-both within Scripture and within history.
In Scripture
Paul's words in Romans 13 are familiar to most of us. We've heard them from preachers in the pulpits and politicians on their stumps. But before we look at the verses themselves, let's take a look at why Paul wrote them in the first place.
Rom. 13:1-7 is part of a larger section in Paul's letter to the Romans (12:1-13:10) where he describes the transformation associated with becoming a follower of]esus and being included in God's people.
Paul has just completed an ll-chapter argument showing that God is faithful and continues the covenant begun long ago. Beginning with chapter 12, Paul starts to spell out for Jews and Gentiles the implications of being identified with the newly reconfigured people of God. By joining the people of God, now gathered around Jesus, people access
BY JON ISAAK
their true identity and find that Jesus' story becomes their story as well.
In effect, Paul explains how Jesus' faithful life on earth gathers God's people, fills out our understanding of God, exposes death-dealing powers for what they are and enables others to follow Jesus' overcoming way. Paul characterizes this transformation as being "a new creation" and effecting a real moral conversion. People are changed.
Paul sets out the basis for this transformation in 12: 1-2: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transfonned by the renewing of your minds" (NRSV). He then explores how the Christian community's existence as one body reshapes its own values in 12:3-8: "Do nqt think of yourself more highly than you ought" and "in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to the others" (NRSV).
Next, Paul turns to several practical implications for what it means to live this righteous corporate life (12:9 -13:10) including: cling to what is good, be devoted to and honor one another, be spiritually fervent, serve, share God with others, practice hospitality, bless those who persecute you, live in harmony, do not be proud or conceited, do not repay evil for evil, do right, live at peace with those around you do not take revenge but overcome evil with good (12:921). In the last part of this section, Paul embeds the instructions regarding Christian political responsibility (13:1-7); "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities ... " (NRSV).
At first glance, the instructions about government seem pretty clear. But if we take a closer look, we find Paul's counsel to "be subject to the governing
Romans 1-7 (NRSV)
Iff ptrson tae subjett govel\f\lng: autho reM' auth()ri{y ucetNft;om and those authorit1lS1b,'" exist ha"e been 1nstitutea by God.
Therefore Whoever resists authority r'-sists what God has appointed,
and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct" but to bad. 00 you wish to have no fear of the authority' Then do what is good;Jlrrd you will receive its appro"al: for It is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is
wrongryou shouid 1M. afraid, for the authority does not bear the swotel Jh vain I It is the serVant of God to execute wra'" q,1f the ..
Therefore one1ltust\be subject, not only_cag" of wrath but also because of (onldenc.. For the
reason. you alSO'payuKes, f!>r th, authorities are God's:setvants, busy wf1h this very thing. Pay to al' wh8\1s tb are due, r:e,,*,ue to-whom re"enue kdoe, whom .... honor to w,hom hq(lor Is due.•
.•• For Paul, the notion of governmentasan extension of the people is unimaginable. Western society viewsgovernment diHerently than Paul did in his day. We live in a democracy, which·
authorities" is problematic for people living at the beginning of the 21st century.
Why? Quite simply, western society views government differently than Paul did in his day.
In history
We live in a democracy, which means government is to submit to the will of the people, When politicians lobby for a bill, they argue that it will be good not for the government but for the American people.
like the refusal to give primary allegiance to the emperor, began to threaten the authority of Rome later in the second and third centuries.
So, as we work to interpret Paul's instructions God about government, we have to keep in
tmind that we are dealing with two du• rerent worldviews. , , • New Testament worldview.
ers ' , The Jewish-Christian worldview . / '" \ begins with God, before the chaos I , , \ (Gen 1: 1). God creates the cos-
That is radically different from Paul's day and his assertion that pe0ple are to submit to the will of the government. For Paul, the notion of government as an extension of the pe0ple is uniniaginilble. Governments in Paul's day exercised varying forms of hierarchy and authority (often domination and oppression). In that world, the emperor was the government-a state ruled by one, not the extension of the people. The emperor was supreme. At the same time, Paul and his Jewish-Christian contemporaries viewed and respected the emperor and the governing powers as "ordered" by God-that is, as being "told where they belong."
IIII
rebellious' mos and orders "the powers" to : carry out God's purpose. Essential I to this view is that humanity is I invited to participate in God's , ongoing creation "ordering" by giv, ing witness of God's way to "the pow-
Thus Paul's view of the state is rather ambivalent and detached. Rome was not an enemy (he appealed to Caesar for a fair hearing) but neither was it a willing ally (as his efforts to persuade Felix, Festus and Agrippa of the truth of the gospel show). It was expedient to be on good terms with Rome. He probably saw Rome as the means by which the gospel could be promoted and extended into the then known world. And Paul had good reason to be optimistic. Rome was remarkably tolerant of Christianity at first. However, this changed when the beliefs of the early Christians, means governmentis to submit to the will of the people.
ers" and by completing this process with .Jesus at the end of the age . • Western worldview. Contemporary western democracy is quite different. Here elected officials God? derive their authority from the people that elect them. In this system, God's involvement with the powers is unnecessary. Technically, God nor the powers are part of the system at all.
How does this work? Paul is simply voicing a typicalJewish-Christian worldview, where there are three basic levels in the hierarchy: God, the powers and humanity, in that order (Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2: 7). Paul, like other early Christians (Acts 5:29), was convinced that even though Christians now live in qualified subordination to the powers (rulers, principalities, spirits, angels, etc.), one day they would join the victorious Messiah Jesus in judging and redeeming the powers (1 Cor. 6:3). This amounts to an inversion of the hierarchy, which explains the "heel" and "footstool" language that characterizes the final "wrap-up" and "ordering" of the Messiah's appearing (Ps. 110:1; 1 Cor. 15:25; Rom. 16:20; Heb. 10:13).
The system of western democracy itself grants less authority to the state than Paul does, as God's involvement is minimized or absent. In a democracy system, the state is not granted authority by a person or God but by the masses. Interestingly, most popular Christian theology in America grants much mm'e authority to the state than this text or the system of democracy allows, often claiming automatic divine endorsement for the state and calling for automatic allegiance of the church to the state.
Paul's vision
While Paul never imagined a situation like ours where government is "we" instead of "them," his vision is still accessible and relevant to us today.
A closer reading of Rom. 13:1-7 reveals more about our relationship to government than we often take away from this passage. With a little thought and some imagination, we can place our contemporary faith community within the vision articulated by Paul-even though it was written in a particular time and situation far removed from us. This will go a long way toward helping us chart our own political responsibility.
Four ideals for Christian political responsibility can be drawn from these seven verses.
• Qualified endorsement of government. We need to be careful about translating Rom. 13: 1. Common translations indicate the governing authorities and the powers they represent are "ordained" (KJV), "established" (NIV), or "instituted" (NRSV) by God. However, these renderings-which suggest God's endorsement-are too strong a translation of the Greek word tasso. A more correct rendering is that the powers are "ordered" by God-something initiated at creation, clarified at the cross and resurrection and to be completed at the Lord's return.
It is important to note that, in using this language, Paul is drawing on the Genesis creation stories where God brings "order" to the chaos. However, just because God created the natural order and called this ordering "good" does not mean that all that happens in nature (floods, earthquakes, etc.) is good or complete. In a similar way, while governments operate under God's order, what they do may in fact be against God. Furthermore, God cannot be held responsible for rebellious powers or for what they do, even though ultimately God will "bring them into line."
So, the state or government can only claim qualified endorsement by God. As "ordered" by God, who is good, these powers or governments have a responsibility to do good. Whether they do or not is
WHAT WE BELIEVE
another question.
The church's role is to labor with God to bear witness respectfully to rebellious powers, inviting them to abandon their death-dealing policies and resume alignment with the life-giving purposes of God. This task is rightly characterized as "nonaligned submission" or "revolutionary subordination"-a truly subversive approach because it is a whole new way of living within a political system, no matter what it happens. to be. It is also profoundly missional and a witness to the world (1 Cor. 7:1216). This is the political responsibility of the Christian community, which continues until Jesus returns and brings all things in line with God's purpose, thus completing the "ordering" (1 Thess. 4:17).
Paul's counsel probably had an immediate application to his readers. He was most likely responding to an attempt by some Christians to join with their Jewish friends in an anti-Roman tax revolt. Paul reminds the Roman Christians that they should not be insubordinate to the state. He likely saw the payment of taxes as a way of showing love to the tax collectors. A peaceful situation would need to exist between the Roman government and the church if Paul was to use Rome as a base for his westward mission to Spain (Rom. 15:28-29).
This does not mean all resistance-even tax resis-
SQQieU-an.d State :'
Article 12: Mennonite Brethren Confession
Iwll GoII
We believe that God Instituted the state to pro,note the well-being of all people. Christians cooperate with ethe" In society to defend the weak. care for the poor and promote Justice, righteousness and truth. Believers witness against corruption, discrimination and injustice, exerdse sodal responsibility, pay taxes and obey all laws that do not conflict with the Word of God.
God has given governments authority to maintain law and order and to punish wrongdoers. Followers of Christ respect and pray for those in authority so that peaceful order may prevail. We deplore the loss of life in the exercise of state-sanetioned violence. etut.ta.a
The primary allegiance of all Christians is to Christ's kingdom, not the state or societY. Because their dtt-
zenshlp is In heaven. Christians are called to resist the Idolatrous temptation to give to the state the devotion that is owed to God. As ambasAdors of Christ, Qlrlsttans at as of recondllatlon anel seek the well-beh1g of all peoples. Because Christ forWcIs the swearing of oaths, we simply affirm the truth In legal transaction. Believers do not partidpate in secret societies which demand the swearing of oaths or which otherwise conflict with the
Christian's allegiance to Christ and the church. At aU times, believe" are called to live faithful witnesMs in the world, rejecttng p , sures which threaten to ccimpromlse Christian -integrity.
Christian political responsibility involves subverting the· political system from within. and all·creatloninvitIng to join In
. .God's ongoing mISSIon to bring life and wholeness to all.
tance-is ruled out. It would be hard to imagine Paul endorsing government policies that went expressly against the foundational principle to "overcome evil with good" that he just set out a few paragraphs before (Rom. 12:9-21). Indeed, Paul would probably have strong words for so-called "Christian states" that later twisted his counsel into mandating patriotic duty.
So, what are the implications of this ideal? Christians must be critically thinking citizens of the state while subordinating themselves to its rule, and they must give witness to God's ongoing mission to order all creation aexording to God's purpose.
• Exercise good judgment. How are the various appeals that come from "the authorities" to be sorted out? Paul's says, "Pay to all what is due" (Rom. 13:7). His words are probably an early commentary on Jesus' words, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God that which belongs to God" (Mark 12:17). In this way, Paul reminds the Romans that while the coins stamped with Caesar's image belong to him, Christians are to give God that which is stamped with the image of God: their very lives (Rom. 12:1-2).
The implications? The claims of the state are subject to evaluation-they are not absolute, but must be measured by the claims of love. Christians are to test and discern the ethical value of political policies against the standards of God's order and love, like those described in Rom. 12:9-21. We need to ask if the policy promotes wholeness and life, for that is what love does.
• Under government but not absolutely. Interestingly, Paul does not use a word that means "to obey" in verses one and five, but a word that means "to submit" or "to stand under" (bypotasso). Instead
of blind obedience, Paul suggests an internal consent, which comes only after reflection and assessment. This reflection and assessment is an important "middle step" because internal alignment is precisely that which is to be given to no one but the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1-2).
Paul says the Christian community is to stand under government because of conscience (Rom. 13:5). In other words, Christians stand under government because it is right for God's children to be supportive of good government-not simply because they are told by their governments to do so. Notice that the emphasis is on "good," or that which aligns with God's good purpose. When Paul asks, "Do you wish to have no fear of authority?" (13:3), he does not answer his own question by saying, "Then do what the authority says." Instead, Paul says, "Do what is good."
The middle step of discerning whether the action of the government is good or not must be inserted into Christian political responsibility and church-state relations. This middle step was obvious to Paul because of his worldview. However, it must be consciously reinserted today because the western worldview masks the death-dealing ways of "the powers" and their influence on institutions like government. We are easily fooled into thinking that democracy by definition operates in the interests of the people (i.e., government of the people, for the people, by the pe0ple), when in fuet it is often part of a larger power system promoting injustice and oppression.
There are many examples of church-state relations where the middle step of discernment was not taken. Too often, so-called "Christian governments" abuse Paul's words in order to silence any opposition to policies that are patently unchristian. The
silencing of Christian opposition to systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing in Nazi Germany, South Africa, Rwanda and elsewhere illustrates what hap· pens when the middle step of discernment is not consciously embraced. While "the powers" are not often able to "hear" critique because they are guided by self-interest and self-preservation, this does not release the church from its hope-filled and life-long mandate to "unmask" the powers and invite them to restoration and to God's order.
Implication of Paul's words? There may be times when internal alignment or conscience (which now belongs to God) requires serious and responsible disobedience, such as when obedience to government would mean disobeying God's good purpose for the world.
• Lethal force not acceptable. "But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain" (Rom. 13:4). It is common to hear this verse used to support the use of lethal force by governments. However, the sword (machaira) referred to here is the small dagger used by the police to ensure compliance. There is nothing said about the state's right or duty to exercise capital punishment. Paul is talking about the policing function of the state, not about execution or the use of violence in defense of justice.
Until the fifth century, Paul's words were taken by the early church as a call to peacemaking in relation to the government. Only after the rise of imperial Christianity was the text reversed and used as the basis for a Christian theology of the state and as a warrant ror the state's use oflethal rorce in executing justice.
Ironically, when this verse is read in context, Paul's aim appears to be more about calling Christians to a nonconformist (12:1-2) and a nonviolent (13:1-7) stance toward government rather than the more common interpretation of supporting the use of lethal force. Just because God orders the powers does not mean that whatever the ruler does is God's will. Instead, the Christian community is called to give faithful witness to God's ongoing mission to order all creation according to God's purpose. Whether the authorities pay attention is a different question.
The implication? Christians should not take up arms for or against the government.
Paul's vision today
Paul calls the church to engage its political responsibility in a particular way. The church functions not as the Kingdom of God but as a "sign" of the Kingdom of God, inviting all creation to reconciliation, healing and life in Christ.
So, how can we apply Paul's vision today?
• Bridging the gap. We need a great deal of
imagination in order to appropriate texts like Romans 13. The cultural gap between Paul's world and our own is significant. We may as well get used to the fact that what Paul viewed as self-evident-the state as representative of cosmic powers, etc.-may not be obvious for us.
Bridging the gap is difficult but not impossible. The Christian community confesses that God's living Word crosses cultures and is sufficient to negotiate the gap. The promise that accompanies the gap is that through creative and imaginative discernment, people can be drawn into the drama of God's ongoing creation work of ordering the powers. Christian communities in every context are invited to develop metaphorical bridges that connect Scripture with their contemporary contexts. Through community discernment, we can find ways to appropriate the vision and re-express it for faith communities in dif· ferent times and cultures. In this way, very different cultural norms can still be transformed and shaped by the deep structure of Scripture.
One practical way to bridge the gap is to insert the middle-step of reflection and assessment back into Christian political engagement. That step-obvious ror Paul-is not obvious today. Government policies that promote domination, oppression or enslavement will quickly become evident when tested against the life· giving way of God as demonstrated by Jesus.
• Read with care, caution and boldness. Romans 13 has a very negative history. It has been misread to promote the notion of a "Christian state," to demand unquestioning allegiance and to justify the extermination of others deemed as threats.
The vision that Paul tapped into calls Christians to choose voluntarily to comply with and to engage the basic political and social structures of society without giving up their primary allegiance, which is reserved ror God's rule and reign. In this way, the Christian political responsibility involves subverting the political system from within and inviting all creation to join in God's ongoing mission to bring life and wholeness to all.
Given this mission, the Spirit of God continues to use Paul's words in Romans 13 to shape contemporary Christian political responsibility. Today it is conceivable that there would be situations where civil disobedience (and not compliance) or running for elected office (and not detachment) would in fact resonate with the deep structure of Romans 13, yet in ways that Paul could not have imagined .•
Jon Isaak teaches New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, located in Fresno, Calif. He and his family are members at College Community Church in Clovis, Calif.
SOURCES USED IN THIS ARnCLE:
• P.G. Hiebert. ·Spiritual Warfare and Worldviews, • Direction 29 (2000)
• L.T. Johnson, Reading Romans (Crossroad, 1997)
• J.E. Toews, ·Peacemakers from the Start.· in The Power oftheumb (Kindred, 1986)
.W.Wlnk, The Powers That Be (Doubleday, 1998)
• J.H. Yoder, The Politics of Jesus (Eerdmans, 1972)
filtalt Day. Our family of four had skied in the pristine Colorado snow, reflett_i)n tf\e year's acdfmplishments, laughed and talked about the coming year. Then, as we watched TV football games at our condominium, my 41-year-old husband died suddenly and instantly of an aneurysm of the aorta.
LEFT BEHIND BY NAOMI GAEDE PENNER
That was New Year's Day 1991. Bryan had been my husband for 20 years and father to Nicole for 17 years and Aaron for 15. A man of exuberance, he had lived life without hesitation, flying his Cessna 210, scuba diving, leading AWANA game time and wildly cheering the Bronco football team. He'd repeatedly exclaimed, "Every year over 40 will be a bonus for me!" His mother had died at age 46.
Our close-knit family was ripped apart, leaving a massive, gaping wound in our lives. We wandered around in shock as we planned the funeral. We alternated between crying and stunned silence and found it nearly impossible to carry on daily living responsibilities. I staggered beneath the vast and complex tasks Bryan had left for me to shoulder, including running his construction company.
Several friends posted themselves at our house, answered and screened phone calls, notified people of Bryan's death and organized meals. With the stream of close acquaintances, we welcomed meals and fruit baskets that arrived among the sympathy flowers. We received cards or letters every day for four months, especially cherishing the notes that shared recollections about Bryan and didn't seek to minimize our loss.
Two weeks after the funeral, in a heavy fog of grief, we attempted to resume our lives. Nicole and Aaron returned to high school. I struggled to complete my master's degree at Denver Seminary and teach a class at a community college. like a needle stuck in a record, I needed to tell over and over the story of how Bryan died. Retelling was part of dealing with my continued shock at such a tragedy. I appreciated people who didn't grow impatient with this repetition.
We dreaded Sundays. Bryan was written over the entire day. Before church, he practiced songs to lead in the worship service and often left early to set up for puppets. At church, he taught Sunday school. At noon, we traditionally enjoyed a meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy. How could we survive this crater-sized void? In small ways, it helped when friends and family sat with us at church.
Besides thoughtful deeds, people spoke words of kindness: "We're praying for you." "We're here if you need us." "It must be difficult." "No, it doesn't make sense." "What can we do to help?" That helped. We wanted to be asked about Bryan and talk about him, even if it meant we'd cry.
On the other hand, some things annoyed me. Away from the house all day, I could barely keep track of myself let alone unclaimed dishes from meals someone brought over or people expecting me to return phone calls. Some individuals with whom we'd had no close relationship before smothered us in pseudo-friendship. Others told us how to
grieve or played therapist-"Don't stuff it," "Get angry," or "Don't try to do everything"-as if I had a choice to parent, grade papers, oversee 26 employees and deal with infinite legal matters.
Several sagacious soulstried to undermine the pain. "Think how useful this will be in your speaking and writing," one proclaimed. At that point, I was more concerned with sleeping through the night in an empty and cold bed, my heart mimicking Bryan's death, racing and pounding. I didn't write in my journal. I didn't want to go back and remember that "Black Tuesday."
I tried to remember that people often feel awkward or don't know how to respond and often fill conversational gaps in clumsy ways. But it did not help when people fed me Bible verses or lists of reasons it was "good" that Bryan had died or told me of all God could accomplish because of his death. I believed God to be powerful enough and kind enough to fulfill his purposes without striking Bryan dead. I was grateful I didn't have to trade in "quiet times" to ensure God's love and care. I could count on him to hang on to me first, in the same way that he loved me first.
Our anguish and frustration popped up in questions: "Why wasn't he organized with paying bills?" "Why did a good dad have to die?" "How could he have died in our memory-making condominium?" "Why do we have to be a single-parented family?" But even if these questions had answers, we wouldn't have been consoled.
At uneven and unequal paces, we stumbled about the grieving process. We didn't dare look into the future since we couldn't imagine a lifetime without Bryan-it was enough to bear the day's tasks and empty spots.
In all this, God was faithful. His strength, like manna, was enough for the moment, perhaps for the day, and fresh when needed.
Eight months later, Nicole left for her first year of college at Tabor, a Mennonite Brethren college in Kansas, where she and her father had attended orientation the previous fall. Now, Aaron and I lived in a two-person household. We established new routines and redistributed the weight of responsibilities. Aaron surprised me by his handyman abilities, and I appreciated when repairmen not only fixed leaking washing machines and maintenance breakdowns but took time to mentor Aaron. We carried heavy loads, but we endured. Each of us had learned much about ourselves, values, life and death.
This chapter ofloss, however, did not end the story.
$, OetokJ; 10 months after Bryan died, my mother flew from Alaska to be with her mother in Kansas who had had a stroke.
Early in the morning, my telephone rang. My mother cried out, "Daddy's gone!"
I couldn't comprehend her words. I was confused. First, I thought she had to mean her mother. Then, did she mean her daddy-95-year-old Solomon Leppke?
In confusion, I asked, "Whose daddy"?
"Elmer!" she shouted.
"Not my daddy!" I choked.
On a Sunday afternoon, my 69-year-old father had taught Sunday school and then flown across the Cook Inlet where he was building a missionary retreat house. On returning, this bush pilot doctor who had made medical emergency flights up and down the Yukon River, flown over volcanoes, hunted grizzly bears and crashed his plane into the family chicken coop, undramatically lay down in his recliner for his usual Sunday afternoon nap. But he did not wake up in the homestead house. His soul had taken flight to his eternal home.
I lost a father, my physician and a cowriter.
Before the week was over, I also lost my precious Grandma Leppke, who had supplied sunny preschool memories of gathering eggs, whistling hymns under her breath as she went about chores and nestling me into her soft hugs.
Cold and wintry, the year ended.
.%n'/l ami .J%ighed with relief when New Year's Day 1992 passed. We'd survived the "firsts" of a high school graduation, birthdays and Christmas without Bryan. I skipped my customary conversations of "What do you think will happen this next year?"
A month later, however, the tier of grandparents that my children were so privileged to have known started to erode.
In February, my mother's daddy really did die. Then in]une, Bryan's Grandma Penner died. The choir of faithful "pray-ers" that had echoed around us was fading into a cloud of heavenly witnesses.
and went again, and it was 1993. That fall, Aaron went off to Tabor, and the table setting dwindled to one. Whenever I called Nicole or Aaron at college and left a message for them to call home, they wondered who had died. I learned to preface my messages with "this is not an emergency."
No one died that year.
fi11ftel-J;lf 199--htarted off with the death of my 96-year-Old Grandma Gaede.
Now, all my grandparents were gone. All my children's great grandparents were gone. As young chil-
dren, the abundance of grandparents' names and faces merged into a warm security blanket.
Yet, how could we ask "why us?" We knew that old age, disease and decay were part of life. Nevertheless, each fresh loss ripped off the healing scab. Not only did we grieve anew, but we regrieved the previous losses as well. We couldn't seem to catch our breath.
Still, it wasn't over.
Another early morning phone call. Bryan's brother, Rod, informed me that his father had died unexpectedly. Howard Penner had gone to bed and awakened in eternal rest.
The loss of my children's most beloved grandfather was unbelievable. I couldn't imagine telling them that the big teddy bear of a grandpa who had smothered them in hugs since the moment they were born would no longer be in their lives. Only two weeks before, we'd storehoused heartwarming Thanksgiving adventures on a train ride to the Grand Canyon. Grandpa had good-naturedly teased Aaron with snowballs, cheated at cards and carved the turkey at Nicole's apartment. In his mannerisms my children retained glimpses of their father. Now Nicole's father would be missing to walk her down the wedding aisle, and there would be no grandpa substitute either. I longed to console my children, but felt inadequate to even comprehend the double death blows of father and now favorite grandfather, much less offer anything to diminish their pain.
That October, my mother flew out to visit me. I knew it was her final trip to soak in the sunshine of my porch. Inwardly and outwardly, cancer devoured her. Deep down inside, I sobbed on our last walk in the autumn leaves, as we stitched together a last picnic blanket and as I recorded stories about her childhood.
Between teaching weekend classes at Denver Seminary, I made trips to the homestead in Alaska. During this time, God's steadfastness saturated my daily life. When I wearily stopped for coffee on the drive to the airport, the shop owner-unaware of my situation-included a complimentary pumpkin muffin. Friends happened to be between houses and needed a place to stay. They housesat, provided dog care and prepared soul-nourishing meals. Henri Nouwen, the spiritual writer born in the Netherlands, writes in Life of the Beloved that kindness during times of hardship can be viewed as coincidence or God's gracious hand. I recognized his hand.
:?i::ellfY-Jf.ue d'!fo after New Year's Day 1995, my mother died. I wasn't ready. I hadn't learned to make spudnuts, crochet pillowcase edges or cut up moose meat. The links to my past lay scattered. Who would I ask for family recipes, questions about
childhood and how to mend a pocket?
Yet time plodded forward. Although we looked backwards, life moved on and carried us with it. With joys came sadness. One moment we'd laugh, cheer, clap and snap pictures. The next second, the thud of missing people in real life and photos hit us in the heart. We felt bewildered by the bittersweetness.
That summer Nicole soloed and obtained her private pilot's license. I watched and cried, imagining the thrill for both her and her father to have shared this accomplishment. In August, Rod walked Nicole down the aisle of a white-steepled church that her father had built.
(5)fI;;m am Ute ll(Jltt 5!>Twelve years later, I can't say that my children and I have "recovered." We are comforted to have settled on the edge of Denver, away from our previous neighborhoods and within four miles of one another. We have moved on and embraced life, yet our lives reverberate with the staccato of death.
Every person's situation, relationship to the loved one, personality and God-view is unique. Subsequently, the three of us, who experienced the same deaths, have ridden the waves in different ways and landed in distinct places.
Aaron identifies with the loss of childhood security and innocence that a child losing a parent experiences. He wonders if his life is half over. He hopes to be around when he has children who are 15years-old. He's carved out interests that distinguish him as a Penner as well as his own person.
Nicole feels left behind and homesick. Heaven has grown into a lively place, no longer abstract with streets of gold but a place of long-awaited reunions. She carries on her family history by attending Mennonite Central Committee sales and cheering at Bronco games.
And me? I savor my single independence, selfconfidence and assertiveness yet admit my inordinate attachment to Copperfield, Bryan's golden
retriever. I now matter-of-factly pay bills, manage fickle furnaces, mysterious sprinkler systems and obscure accounting matters. But Father's Day is still hard. I am heartbroken for my children, and I too am an orphan. At this point, most categories of Hallmark cards are irrelevant.
Both Nicole and I struggle with the randomness of suffering. We've found Jerry Sittser's A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss provides words for the deep, raw emotions we can't speak ourselves.
When I give workshops on living with life's losses, I conclude with spiritual perspectives. Even with a seminary degree, I acknowledge my finite mind and hesitate to speak for an unfathomable God. Often, I hear people confidently assert that "God told me" or "God is teaching me." As much as I grew up with that language, I am now cautious about it. It can sound arrogant and egocentric, as though everything that happens to a person is all about them.
Certainly I have learned some things. Suffering is universal, life and loss are linked and to be left behind hurts-no matter how much faith a person can muster up. Finding a "meaning" can be helpful, but Job never received an explanation of his comprehensive losses. Basically, God told him, "I am God." God knows infinitely more than I do, and as much as I'd like to know the big picture, I am called to be faithful moment-by-moment. I have learned the manna will be there when I need it-because he is faithful.
For those of us left behind, our true home is "over there." Only when we're wrapped in the arms of our Heavenly Father and surrounded by our loved ones will we ever truly recover or feel safe. We grieve, but we have hope .•
Naomi Gaede Penner teaches at Denver Seminary, helps maintain the Gaede-80 homestead on the Kenai Peninsula, and every day walkswith Copperfield. She is the author of Prescription for Adventure: Bush Pilot Doctor and The Three Boys.
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BY PHILIP WIEBE
Thoughts of summer
MA YBE Irs BECAUSE I'M A rain-soaked native Oregonian, or maybe it's just my brooding nature; but summer has never been my favorite time of year. I know that's kind of weird. Most people endure the damp or snowy days of winter pining for sunnier summer, with its warmer weather, longer days and chances to travel and recreate. I like that stuff too. It's the flip side I've tended to dread: too hot, too many trips and activities jammed together and too much work to do around the house and yard.
Usually there comes a point during summer when I long for the return of winter rains. They seem more conducive to reading and reflecting and hunkering over writing and editing work.
But things are changing.
Now in my second summer at a regular desk job, rather than that blistering hovel back of the kitchen I used to inhabit as a full-time freelancer, I find I'm liking summer more and more. The long days are a plus because I can leave the office and still have plenty of daylight left for a round of golf or some work in the yard. I'm actually growing fond of the warm evening temperatures after sitting in a climate controlled environment all day. And I'm enjoying the trips and outings more this summer simply because I can do them-for all the supposed freedom of freelance work, I found it much harder to get away and relax in those days.
So it turns out summer isn't bad after all. I can see what people like about it. And speaking of summer, here are a few more thoughts inspired by the season
• Some colleagues were talking
about the large quantity of vacation time they had accumulated. One said (I thought rather proudly) that he'd only taken a few days off in the last several years. This was uttered by a great guy and dedicated family man, so I'm not criticizing. Still, the whole idea makes me a little sad. Maybe because I've been there myself, slaving away while rarely taking a day off.
After that conversation I had a thought that sounds a little odd, but continues to reverberate in my mind: I don't want to be the kind of person who dies hoarding hundreds of hours of unused vacation time. For me getting away regularly is a must, in order to connect with spouse and kids, and find refreshment for body and spirit. This is, after all, what God intended when he proclaimed "Sabbath."
• In summer people pull out their shorts and swimsuits, and these days one gets the impression such clothing is scantier than ever. Going to the pool or beach brings a frown to my face and the recollection that when I was a teen, the young women of my day ... wore exactly the same skimpy swimsuits they're wearing now. I mean exactly. The styles of the 19705 are all back in, you know.
So I won't wax nostalgic about the days when women wore Esther Wtlliams-style one-pieces, but I will say all this lack of coverage bothers me from a relational sense. I think the cur· rent obsession with skin is demeaning to both women and men, and destructive for gender relations.
There was a story in the news about an actress covertly photographed as she was sunning, revealingly clad, in her backyard. She sued for invasion of privacy; the photographer countered that the photos were "newsworthy."
My temptation was to berate the photographer (deservedly) for soiling the concept of "newsworthy." But then I remembered millions of men daily consume such photos (and worse) in magazines and on the Internet. Then I also remembered many women pose readily for such photos. It's a strange time in which we live. When talk about self-respect and gender sensitivity is at an all·time high, thought and action in these areas seem to be going lower and lower.
• In one of his travel books, Paul Theroux writes that philosophical types have tended to view travel as "an attempt to escape from the ego." I don't know the details of such a view, but take it to mean that in travel one gets away from the self-made, self-centered world to lose oneself in unfamiliar landscapes and cultures. I can see that, but think I agree more with Theroux's opinion: he feels that travel involves not a losing of self but the finding of self. In my own trips and outings that's what I've discovered. While escaping from the hectic, antireflective pace of everyday life, I can reconnect withmy soul.
One can discover all kinds of parallels in the Gospels, of course. When disciples left homes and jobs to follow their Lord, they began a journey toward finding their true selves as}esus' friends and coworkers. When the disciples traveled about in pairs to minister, they developed their latent abilities and talents. When they escaped the busyness to pray and reflect, they grew in relationship with God.
It's a good reminder to take time during our summer trips not just for activities and amusements, but also fur God's input and inspiration as we get away from the normal and familiar.•
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questions about faith 8& life
Laws in the Old and respecting adult children
QWhat was God's motivation for setting up such detailed, stringent laws for Israel (examples: eat nothing unclean, eat fish with fins and scales but not others, don't cook a kid in its mother's milk). (California)
AAcquiring a reputation as an "answer man" by writing a monthly Christian Leader column has its hazards. As has happened more than once, recently in Sunday school when discussing Deut. 12-16 with its plethora of strange regulations, someone said, "Let's have Marvin explain why God made all these stringent regulations."
A rather lively discussion followed. There was considerable feeling that God simply wanted the people of Israel to be unique and that he made the laws so that by obedience or disobedience they would show their true colors. In other words, there was little benefit except that God would be honored by blind obedience to laws he had established.
That notion struck me rather negatively. I'm not certain that God would require actions from his people for no other reason than that obedience to those laws would prove loyalty to him. I'm rather inclined to believe that God sets boundaries for us because obedience to them will be good for us. In the same chapters of Deuteronomy God gave instructions concerning tithing (Deut. 14:22). Why in the Old Testament as well as in the New does God ask for that kind of faithful stewardship? I don't believe it is simply to fill God's coffers. He knows that the practice of stewardship has certain advantages for the steward. He wants the best for us, and the best cannot come unless we live
according to God's dictates. God's delight comes not merely in seeing his people act correctly. He delights in see· ing us become the best we can be. That happens only when we follow his laws.
The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament need to be seen in the context of the paganculture in which Israel lived. God knew that if Israel followed the practices of pagans, they would ultimately worship the pagans' gods. That was always Israel's chief temptationto worship the gods of the culture around them. So God is saying, "Your pagan neighbors boil their Sunday dinner in the slaughtered kid's mother's milk. Don't do that!" Probably the chief reason was not because it was so wrong, but because doing one thing like the pagans would lead to worshipping the gods of the pagans.
There may well have been hygienic reasons for many of these laws as well. The restrictions against eating pork came in a society where there were no meat inspectors watching the slaughter of livestock. There was no known treatment nor cure for trichinosis.
Many of the other laws that seem strange to us in our scientific culture may well have been given for dietary reasons. Perhaps God knew very well that fish not having fins and scales, caught in the environment in which Israel lived, were not healthy to eat. It isn't difficult to believe that animals and birds that prey on dead matter would be far more unhealthy than others. After all, there is no surer path to an ailing stomach than eating spoiled fish, even today.
Suffice it to say that I'm persuaded God's laws then and now are given not simply to satisfy the Lawgiver, but
Have a questton about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference poltcy, or other spiritual issue? E-matl Marvin at mbetnl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds," c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, C4 93727.
because he knows the keeping of those laws is beneficial to us.
QWhat may older folks do for the younger as we work together in the Kingdom of God? (California)
AThis is the follow-up I promised of the discussion last month on what the younger can do for the elderly. What about grandparents who are Christians and have non-Christian children? Certainly believing grandparents should pray constantly that their grandchildren (and children) would come to understand and accept the Savior's love for them. Grandparents should take time and expend effort to enjoy their grandchildren and serve as role models for them.
The time may come, however, when grandparents, difficult as this may be, should respect the decisions made by their grown offspring. Those decisions may gall the grandparents. Those decisions may lead to unsavory results. But as Anne Morse, an associate editor at Breakpoint, says, "There is no theological warrant for grandparents to override parental wishes." This is not to say that grandparents forfeit all rights to influencing their grandchildren. It is to say, however, that the older generation must respect the right of parents to train their children.•
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Laced with Christianity
,. Public school students receive accolades for projects of Christian nature
IN JUNE, THREE JUDGES OF THE Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued a ruling calling the phrase "under God" in the American Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. Given this order, children in nine western states under the court's jurisdiction would be barred from saying the pledge at school.
The reaction to this ruling has been swift, massive and mostly negative. I particularly liked the cartoon which appeared in our local paper several days later. It showed the three judges sitting on the bench with a copy of the ruling in their hands. A court officer tells one of the judges, "The payroll arrived, sir, but don't worry-I sent it back! All the bills had 'in God we trust' on them." In response to this outpouring of criticism, one of the judges involved has issued a stay of the ruling. Early reports indicate that many people believe the ruling will be overturned on appeal.
Religion in our public schools has been a controversial issue for many years now. Court rulings, for or against specific practices, are common. From time to time, there are also reports in the Christian press of students who are "persecuted" because of assignments they did which had a Christian tone to them. When I have been able to get to the source of these reports,it appears that the real problem was not that the student's work was Christian but that they did not follow the guidelines for the project they were working on.
Recently, I followed the work of three public school students I personally know who worked on topics of a Christian nature. Accepted not only for the content but also for the high quality, all three received A's for their projects .
• Lorena. did a project last year on
Menno Simons for her public middle school's History Day project. She researched his life and the impact he had as "One Man Who Changed the World." (Menno Simons is looked upon as an important person in the development of the Anabaptist movement which includes the Mennonites who carry his name.)
Lorena did her homework, visiting a Mennonite college and historical museum, reading books and talking to people. She produced a very attractive display board which included an open Bible as part of its presentation. Her project won second place in the regional contest and also at state. She made it all the way to the nationals near Washington, D. C. with a project that was religious in tone, laced with Christianity, as it pertained to the man she had chosen to study.
• The next year Rachel· entered a similar contest. She studied pacifism and called her project "Thou Shalt Not Kill." She documented her grandfather's experiences in Civilian Public Service during World War IT and her great great grandfather's trauma of being tarred and feathered, twice, for refusing to buy war bonds during World War I. Her writing had a distinct biblical base to it since both men had strong religious convictions which determined their actions. This project won first place honors both at her school and at the regional district contest. At the state level it appeared as though one of the judges couldn't handle her topic of pacifism (in view of Sept. 11) and changed his scoring from the top rank to a lower one. This meant she didn't qualify for the national competition, much to her teacher's dismay.
• Julie· needed to find a topic for her senior project. In her high school
every student who plans to graduate must complete a project that interests her, is a learning stretch and takes at least 15 hours to complete.
Since Julie is interested in missions she decided to organize a weekend mission trip for her youth group to a metropolitan city. She made all the necessary contacts and arrangements with the encouragement of her youth pastor. Thirteen young people and three adult sponsors made the weekend trip.
While in this city the young people worked at four different inner-city projects: visited and played games with low-income senior citizens, helped prepare and serve food for 300 homeless people, sorted food and clothes at an urban church, and worked at a homeless shelter visiting with residents and sorting donated toys.
Julie says, "It was an awesome, eyeopening weekend for everyone who participated. We leamed so much. I feel like we really helped some people out, which feels good But it feels even better to know that God is getting the glory for it." Following the trip
Julie made a 15 minute video and PowerPoint presentation to a five-member panel made up of teachers and community representatives. Her judges were impressed with her project and she received a grade of 100 percent for her work.
In all three of these examples the students followed the guidelines of their assignments. Their projects were accepted and received high marks. The fact that they chose Christian topics was not held against them, nor were they rejected because of them .•
*names have been changed
Pastoring the pastors
Gary Wall is the newest-and the youngest-district minister
BY CONNIE FABER
ith his ann around the shoulder of the man at his side, Ebenfeld MB Church pastor Gaylord Goertzen of Hillsboro, Kan., recently introduced the speaker for that Sunday morning with the words, "This is my pastor." Goertzen, like most Mennonite Brethren pastors and their families, is
ministered to by one of four men who have accepted the call to serve as a "DM," as district ministers are often affectionately called. Roger Engbrecht of Sioux Falls, S.D., serves the 25 churches of the Central District; James Fox of Lenoir, N.C., serves the six North Carolina District churches; and Roland Reimer of Wichita, Kan., serves the 39 congregations of the Southern District,
including Goertzen's.
Gary Wall of the Pacific District Conference is the newest-and youngestmember of this group of Mennonite Brethren pastors who pastor the pastors. He will replace Henry H. Dick who retired in December 2001.
Wall will begin serving the 101 churches of the Pacific District sometime before the new year. Until then, Dick will fill the role. Wall and his family will relocate to Fresno, Calif., where the PDC has its office on the Fresno Pacific University campus.
Wall is a 1986 FPU graduate and a 1989 graduate of MB Biblical Seminary. He is currently a candidate for a doctor of ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass.
Wall brings experience in both local church and denominational ministry to his new position. In 15 years of pastoral ministry, Wall has served four congregations, two as associate pastor and two as senior pastor. For the past eight. years, he has served as senior pastor at Vmewood Community Church of Lodi, Calif. He is currently the PDC chairman and was the PDC conference secretary for two years. He served four years on the board of Mission USA, the church planting and renewal ministry of the U.S. Conference.
As part of an ongoing series of people profiles highlighting the leaders within our denomination, the Leader talked with Wall via e-mail. The ministry goals and challenges Wall identifies in this interview are similar to those of the other district ministers and provide a look at the ways in which DMs serve our pastors, their churches and our denomination.
CL: What do you see as the primary responsibilities of the distrid minister?
Wall: This position has been referred to as the "pastor to the pastors." I like that. I am a pastor, and pastoral min, istry is what I've been called to do. I want to help shepherd our pastors as they shepherd our churches. I hope to become a friend and confidant to many-a safe place to be honest about real life issues we all face.
I'll travel to visit the churches of the district and preach as opportunities arise. I'll have a responsibility to the churches when there aretimes of con-
flict or pastoral transition.
In the PDC, we've said we're mainly about three things: church planting, church health and leadership development. I'll be the front person in terms of helping us keep that vision alive and on track.
My desire is to work closely with home missions concerns while not becoming overly involved in the administrative details of that board's work. I also want to invest in the next generation of church leaders.
I suppose the thing I've watched Henry Dick do so well is simply having a wonderful ministry of encouragement in our district. He is so positive and seems to see the best in a given situation and bring out the best in others. I can't begin to fill Henry's shoes. But if I can, in some small way, carry on that work of encouragement, then I'll be fulfilling a major part of my responsibility.
a.: In addition to a district minister, the PDC also employs an associate DM and a Board of Home Mission director. How do you anticipate working with these individuals?
Wall: My priority will be healthy staff relationships where we keep short accounts and deal with conflict appropriately. Sometimes hard decisions will need to be made. We'll work together as much as possible to develop win-win solutions. After we've been at this a while, we'll be able to make adjustments and course corrections so that we keep the mission the main thing and don't get bogged down in a lot of administrative minutia.
Each staff person is responsible to a particular conference entity. The structure doesn't really call for a centralized sort of top down authority system. I see myself as team leader and collaborative leader, not a kind of authoritarian commander in chief.
I'm not afraid of leading, but using a lot of positional power isn't really my style. It is interesting to read current leadership literature and discover that position-based authority is out and empowering others, building teams and collaboration is in. It's as if corporate America is discovering some biblical principles that perhaps the church has let slip.
a.: Among the currentdistrict ministers, you will be the youngest. What role did age play in the qualifications you and other PDC leaders were looking for in the next district minister?
Wall: We've watched Henry Dick serve with effectiveness and vigor in his later years of ministry. I think we looked at that model first because Henry showed us the way. When we started the search one and one-half years ago, our thinking was that, following a dynamic personal relationship with Jesus, of great-
time of prayer, reflection and consideration that finally led to my accepting the call to serve.
CL: How did the support of your peers affect your decision to accept the call to serve in this way?
Wall: This is a huge task. The stakes are really high. If I had a sense that there
II'm humbled by the support I've ----------------, received already. The only way we're
"My goals are to
help the PDC
accomplish its'
Kingdom goals.
I'm not here to
,mpose some n,ng
on t ,L.e d,·st'••ct.
I do feel called to
give bold and
enthusiastic lead-
ership to those
thinns we've
:I'
agreed are our
priorities. "
est importance were ministry experience, tenure in the conference and track record. Those criteria led us to contact a number of individuals who were nearing retirement age and had vast ministry experience. We worked off that model for quite some time. When those doors didn't seem to be opening, we wondered whether we should look to the next generation of conference leaders. That's when my I name came up. Because I was surprised by the question, that set into motion a
wasn't a strong vote of confidence coming from other leaders in the district, I then I'd still be happily pastoring a local " church.
going to make healthy progress is to do "Ii it together. So yes, the support of other
leaders played a large role in my decision to accept.
a.: What goals do you have for your work?
Wall: My goals areto help the PDC
accomplish its I'm not here to impose sOmething on the dis-
trict. I do feel called to give bold and
enthusiastic tomose things
we've agreed are our priorities.
If I can look"back over my ministry as district minister and see effective new
church plants reaching lost people for Jesus, long-time established MB church-
es excited about reaching their communities for Christ in new and fresh ways,
young men and women serving the Lord in ministry-perhaps because I
encouraged them to lean into God's call on their lives-and pastors loving their
churches and churches loving their pas-
tors, then I think I can say it was a good
run.
CL: What will be your biggest challenges in pursuing these goals?
Wall: I hope we can keep our focus in the midst of our diversity as a district. Strong personalities with differing opinions should be able to work together without sacrificing the progress we need to make together. I think the diversity in our conference is our greatest asset but has the potential to become our greatest liability if we consistently let our differences divide us. Whether it's church work or conference work, peripheral issues in ministry can distract us. Trivial matters sidetrack
us. There are times when conflicts occur and need to be dealt with. But it seems that the mission then grinds to a near halt while we deal with internal problems.
CL: What does the POC have going for it in the 21st century?
Wall: We've got a ministry vision worth giving our lives to. We have the opportunity to impact countless lives for all eternity. I'm about wanting to keep the mission ofJesus the main thing.
In the PDC, we have a strong base from which to work. We have resources, and the potential for greater deployment of resources. We have strong staff and volunteer resources. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe in the high probability of a bright future in the PDC.
CL: What challenges does the PDC face in the next 10 years?
Wall: Our greatest needs seem to be in leadership development. Often we will have sufficient vision and resources for a church plant, but what is lacking is the church planter. Search committees often work and pray for more than a year before an appropriate candidate is found. We must become more proactive in calling and training the next generation. It's not just the seminary's job.
Another challenge has to do with effecting change at a pace our existing churches can handle, while continuing to move forward in ministry effectiveness. These are the delicate issues that require wise pastoral leadership and willing congregations so that we avoid entrenchment and atrophy in our churches.
We also need to expand the ways people can give financially to our con· ference ministries. The "norms" system has served us well and continues to in many ways. But we cannot rely on this single method and continue expanding our resource base. We need to think creatively about other options.
CL: Uke many other denominations, all levels of MB ministry here In the U.S. are facing funding challenges. How will you use your new position to help address the present difficulties at the national conference level?
Wall: I'll do what I can to be a team I player in my involvement with the U.S. Conference. We need to once again find those ministry objectives we have in common and work together where possible.
On the pragmatic Side, I recognize that we all have funding problems to solve and there are few easy answers to the financial dilemmas we face. We must stay close to the churches and keep listening because we could not be far from deeper financial erosion if the churches lose confidence in our ability to manage the mission they've entrusted to us. That's not a critique of anyone in U.S. leadership. It's simply a caution for all of us in leadership that I feel is warranted at this stage of our denominational life.
0.: You have been a pastor for 15 years. What will you miss most leaving the pastorate?
Wall: I don't feel like I'm leaving the pastorate. I'm still a pastor; it's just that my congregation just got larger, more diverse and more spread out.
I think the sense of family-of working together in a community to do God's work and be God's people-is what I'll miss most about being a pastor to a single congregation. I know how to preach and lead in that kind of community context. Now I'm wondering how it's going to feel to preach "on the run." I'm not sure what it's going to be like to show up at a church in the district, preach and then head off to the next one.
0.: What have you enjoyed most about your work as a pastor?
Wall: I love watching people change as they come to Christ and deepen their faith. I love watching marriages get healthier when forgiveness and healing occurs. It's rare, but there's nothing else quite like it when it happens.
I love preaching God's Word in an increasingly aimless culture and then watching the power of the Word impact people in practical ways. I love leading God's people in forward movement. And I love the opportunities I have to move into those most private and personal moments of people's lives, hopefully giving them a better picture of God's heart and mind .•
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Church called to fight AI DS
Mennonites in developing countries face HIV/AIDS pandemic
MWC & AIMM NEWS SERVICE
In the western Burkina Faso village of Koutoura, life today is strikingly similar to what it must have been 100 years ago. By and large, villagers grow their own food, make their own clothing, live without amenities such as running water, electricity or telephones. The only way to and from the village is a narrow, rutted dirt path, scarcely wide
enough for a vehicle. The paths, however, are the perfect size for a moped, one of the few visible signs of modem life in Koutoura.
But a new, less visible aspect of modernity is menacing the village and many others like it across Burkina Faso: AIDS.
The HIy/AIDS pandemic is depopulating Africa faster than any calamity
since the slave trade, says Pakisa Tshimika, a Mennonite Brethren public health specialist and associate secretary for Mennonite World Conference. In the past nine months, Tshimika has participated in a number of HIV/AIDS conferences and consultations and is calling on the church to rethink its mission and transform its structures in response to the crisis.
Many of the areas where HIV/AIDS is prevalent are regions with large and growing Mennonite or Brethren in Christ populations-places like the village of Koutoura. (See story on page 27.) Nearly 95 percent of victims are in developing countries. Southern Africa is hardest hit followed by India, with a rapid increase in Indonesia.
Forty million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including five million new infections last year. Of the approximately 14,000 new cases worldwide per day, 50 percent are women and about one third are young people between the ages of 15 and 24, according to newly released statistics for 2001. There is no cure or vaccine in sight.
Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches need to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, says Tshimika. The church must condemn acts that stigmatize, exclude and deny the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS and be a voice of moral strength in their own communities and in the wider society.
"As the pandemic has unfolded, it has exposed mult lines that reach to the heart of our theology, our ethics, our liturgy and our practice of ministry," says Tshimika. "Churches are being obliged to acknowledge that we have, however unwittingly, contributed actively and passively to the spread of the virus."
He cites the church's difficulty in addressing issues of sexuality and an interpretation of Scripture and a theology of sin that promote stigmatization and exclusion.
Tshimika contributed to an April consultation in Fresno, Calif., in conjunction with the Mennonite Central Committee West Coast Relief Sale and in February to the Council on International Ministries in Chicago. He also participated in two international HIV/AIDS conferences. Tshimika was one of four Anabaptists among 916 participants from 87 countries in Washington D.C. in February at a consultation )
sponsored by The Samaritan's Purse and the only Mennonite among 130 people at a World'Council of Churches conference in Nairobi, Kenya (Africa) in November.
The Africa event, attended by professional advisors and representatives from churches and ecumenical organi-
zations in Africa, Europe and North America focused on education, prevention, care and social and spiritual supI port for victims. It developed a threeyear plan that will add an ecumenical dimension to existing actions by churches, better networking and communication and greater coordination to
avoid duplication of responses. Delegates declared that the church must confess its silence and denial, repent, speak the truth and be a voice of hope.
The Washington event aimed: to ensure that AIDS education and prevention programs are based on biblical principles; to build networks of prayer,
Church's ministry confronts HIV/AIDS
-WE coutD SAY 'yes,' there Is AIDS In this vlllage,says Moussa Traore of Kou· tour Burkina Faso• ...". problem is that people don't want to admit they have AIDS. Everybody around sees that they have the .' symptoms of AIDS and they know they have AIDS but the person himself, or the family, will say that he died of another illness. They won't admit he had AIDS.lhirty·threeoyear-old Tnore has been appOinted by the elden in hiS viHage to work with 0UUkIe 0rganizations to address HlV/AIDS in theircommunlty. He is'' a leader in Kotoura's OI'ly Christian church, which is' , part of the Evangelical Mtnnonite (burch of Burkine. Faso (Eglise E"angeliqw du Burkina Faso).
The Evangelical Menft()nite Church in Burkina Faso is about 300 members strong, and dates from 1983. Cpnference Abdias C.oulibaly leads the church. Coulibaly agrees With Tl'aore that tat'df1!l about HIVI AIDS Is difficult.
Coullbaly says that speaking out about-AIDS, no matter what the method, Is a bold thing to do In Burtdna Faso. Many peopfe would rather not hear about it.
"IssutS of se)( are a taboo matter to talk about here. If somebody says he has AIDS the immediate condusiOn is that this person Is sleeping
"Issues of sex are a ta'boo mat"'. ter to talk' about'. here. If somebody says he has AIDS, the . immediate conclusion is that this' person is sleeping aroune(, is committing adultery. So people would rather hide their illness. "
'15 committing adultery. J)8OpIeWOU1d
, hasmrted of sures to, $lOw the the MY Vft:w, ,ilklUditlg edu· eationat programs for youth stressIng1hei'inportance of But COuIibaly tells tbtt, differ·
flghteacbotherover ...... methodS,. tMtn if 1he $«Ular emphasis on condqrns., He says,- thing that been to •• Is to teaeta tbe,a.t Wlfl to keepyoursetf frOm AIDS
riage ... dUr· Ing. mar'rijlge.._1f those pe0ple wantto 90 and frght AIDS by saying 'W a con· dOm'1heyan'COntinu.doing'" tIMy do that on their side. W.1ay 1llIhat we
want to say. So we',. going to teach what the BIble says will also figbf AIDS. And w.-" also sptfak about what the we'D. sh4)w
Anptherdlfflculty people tn Faso .ncounter 1n their fight against AIDS Is the diffltulty in being test· ed for-the virus.
CouIIbaIy says, "'The *" 10 see whethet you're positIvt or negadMt are not easy to get. espedaIIy If you',.tn
•••• rural areas.even in.some provincial capittls AIDS wts are not avail-."". ColdIbeIy says a fJOfIl of the Mennonite Ch'i'rth iltfurtdfta Faso Is to k. su,. iD.members get l'he--churdlls also helpJng thoM WO are sick. SPY' COullbtly. yop ,.
A.IDS in the village are afraid. And the get tiNd of taking Clint of the sick person because taking care of someone with AIDS Is IonO and difficult. So If helps you get. weII.and.then you get sick apIn. helPs you again ... you get sick again, then they get tINd of It and so they just stOp heIping.-
A possible reason for this abandonment Is that when someone gets AIDS, it's an economk disaster for the entire family. "You ha.Ye to pay for aU kinds of it's just too, too expensive for the famYIes here.· says COulfbaly. "'Even regular drugs fQr deal"" with c n skkiiesI. it hilt gets too much. Ivenif they are able to Nduce the price 10 times. stili • tot of famlties would not be able to paythat.-
And the cost of drugs iM't the only ftnindaI hardship that f ...m.s of AIDS victims face. Whtn the sick person can no longer work. it can mean a sIgnHicant loss of Income for thel....... Iy. And in cases where IlION than one family member has AIDS, the .-.It can be m:astlephk. That's s0mething that CouHbIIy and other religious leaders in lurklu Faso praying happens as little as p0ssible. -by Chris Lehman of Africa Inter·Mennonite Mi.· sion news service
funding sources and expertise among existing ministries; to facilitate foundations and government agencies in joining Christian communities in battling HIV/AIDS; to mobilize local, national and international leaders; and to seek God's guidance in this ministry.
Among special guests in Washington were the First Lady of Uganda, who has been involved in AIDS prevention in
her country since her husband took office, and U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, who apologized for not supporting HIV/AIDS initiatives and expressed his desire "to redeem himself' in his remaining time in office.
"The HIV/AIDS pandemic does not recognize national, religious, denominational and socioeconomic boundaries," says Tshimika. Victims are not
Family puts face on AIDS
The two subdued girls dinglng to their grandmother were about six and seven. A burial mound outside the home was a grim reminder of their mothe(s recent death.
"'These children have seen their mother die,'" Don Peters' guide explained. "They see their grandmother is skk. And they don't know what will happen to them if\ shegoes.-
For Don Peters. .xecutlve dinKtor of Mennonite central Conunitleecanada. Jam. Hies like this one pu.t (I face to the overwhelming $tatJs.. tks regarding HIV/AIDS.
. . this family auring a trip to Botswana and Zlinbabwe in May. By 2000, AIDS had orphaned 12.1 million children In 1he World Health O(ganlza. tion estimates that In 2001 there were 28.1 million pe0ple IlYing witI\ HIV/AIDS In the regJon, which accounts for 70'PeKent of"-c:ases worldwide.
HIV/AIDS widely affects southem Aftican pe,opIe ages 15 to 48. Staggering loSses to this most pf'{)ductive middle sector of society Mean that many-older pe0ple, who hav, been counting on their children to care for thent In their .... yean, and have gained the adc;ct
responsibility of caring for grandchildren.
MCC is partnering with several organizations In southern Africa, including the 8otswaI:1a Christian AIDS IntetventIon Program (BOCAIP) and the Brethren in Christ Churdt In Zimbabwe. Together they work toward prevention and aIlnt of HIV/AIDS cases.
'Peters visited various sites in the two countries to get;a feel for the effectlveness of tt;te programs. He believed it was important to viSit familieS wJidg with HlV/AIDS while avoiding being simply -a-North American $pe(tatOf.'"
saY$ Peters: "We need to knowJf the investment that we put into (these1H'O" grams) to the need He seys he feels this Is happttning.
11'tent are signs of hope, he says.,despite the tragedieS. hteIS points to the grOwing reputation of BOCAIP at the govemment level.1he faith communlty is seen as a significant sedor and IOCAIP has received goVernmental recogniti(ln as '"an organlza. tion that hai a doorway Into (that) (OmmUnity.'"
Another sign of hope Is SCripture Union Zimbabwe, a group Who visit talk about ntIatIon$hips 'and sex..
just statistics, he noted, but people with names and faces whom he has met, some of them his childhood friends.
He sees strong leadership at aU levels and networking to best use limited resources as key factors in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the church community as an appropriate place for suffering people to find comfort, care and love .•
ual practices. Peters says, "1 see (signs of hope) In the courage that these young people have- as they speak about abstinenceand prevention despite being thought of as "weird'" by their peer group.
Through theBlC,a small communityin Zimbabwe Is putting together an income generation project to help local orphans. WIth outside capital. they plan to purchase a herd of 25 goats. The profits raised by breeding the goats will help cover the orphans' school fees and unlfonns and supplement their food supplies.
To broaden opportunities for publk response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, MCC has developed the Generations at Risk fund. Donations to the fund will provide support to HIV/AlD5-affected people In areas such as pastoral training, blood-testing
kits, home health care kits. and school supplies and fees for orphaned children.
Despite these positive signs. Peters retums in his conversation to the two orphaned sisters. Even there he sounds a note of cautious hope. His guide explained to him that in Africa, "your mother's sister Is your mother and your father's brother Is your father." The care frOm family and the community will provide some small chance for the girls and, says Peters, "there's something very healthy about that societal structure."-by Amy Kroeker, MCC news serviCe
.
Celebrating church family life
From facilities to leaders, three congregations celebrate special occasions in church family life
Completing construction of a new facility, remodeling an existing building, welcoming a new pastor and honoring the service of a departing minister are times of celebration for a church family. Three congregations recently celebrated one or more of these special occasions in the life of a church family.
Outreach enhanced by Denver renovation project
When Garden Park Church of Denver, Colo., hosted a grand opening celebration of their newly remodeled multipurpose facility May 18, the party was truly a community event. Community volunteers helped remodel the facility and four agencies ministering to the inner-city neighborhood surrounding the church campus will make use of the facility.
The project was funded jointly by GPC and Community Ministry, a coalition of 28 Denver churches. The goal of Community Ministry, organized in the late 19608, is to serve the needs of the poor in southwest Denver. In addition to GPC and CM, Youth for Christ and DOOR will also be using the
building. DOOR, an acronym for Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection, is an inner-city immersion ministry.
For the three months that it took to remodel the facility, there was only one paid employee who coordinated the volunteers and their work. Ninety different organizations contributed 2,250 volunteer hours toward the completion of the project. Some of the volunteers were from congregations involved with CM. Others were professional contractors who donated labor and only asked payment for materials. GPC members themselves put in 1,120 hours.
The main floor of the building now houses a community food bank, clothing bank and office, four multiuserooms, kitchen, gym floor, two bathrooms with showers and chair and table storage.
Two counseling offices, an office for the Community Min-
Iistry executive direc/ tor and a waiting area;1ounge are on the second floor.
The multipurpose rooms are currently used in the summer by DOOR staff. A GPC member and others provide
counseling services through Youth for Christ.
GPC is exploring expanding joint ministries with CM to include a prayer ministry, job counselirig center, computer lab, GED program and after-school programs as opportunities arise and people feel the call of God in their lives to participate, says Joyce Neufeld, GPC administrative pastor.
For almost 50 years, Garden Park Church has called home the 1700 block of Alcott Street in southwest Denver. But what was once a suburban, white, middle-class area has over the years become an inner-city neighborhood with a diverse representation of cultures and languages.
"As GPC began to seek in earnest how to effectively minister to this neighborhood, we noticed that basic physical needs were great," says Neufeld. "We desired to meet those needs without duplicating services already offered in the area."
Neufeld says, "Our involvement with CM had been ongoing but in a very fringe sort of way. One of the programs that was housed in our church facility was a clothing bank supported by the Foster Parents Association of Denver County. This seemed like a ministry that could be grown with more GPC involvement and the client contacts available through CM."
About the same time the congregation decided to propose that it work together with Community Ministry to enhance this service, they learned that CM was in the process of looking for a larger facility to house its food bank,
expand into other ministries and consolidate their offices.
The GPC multipurpose building was about the right size and was already being used for the clothing bank, parttime DOOR staff housing, counseling offices and a free Sunday breakfast program that the congregation had started a year earlier.
After about a year of negotiations, plans were drawn up to remodel the facility. The two partners agreed to share the renovation costs, "but GPC had no funds for a building renovation project estimated to cost close to $70,000," says Neufeld.
"But God was faithful and unexpectedly provided the first $25,000 through the sale of land jointly owned by Belleview Community Church and GPC:' Individuals within the church donated funds to help with the construction and an Mennonite Mutual Aid grant for putting in a new handicapped ramp was also received. In all, the construction was completed without incurring debt, says Neufeld.
Ethiopian congregation dedicates new facility
"We have a saying in our country," Pastor Endashaw Kelkele said on the Sunday his congregation dedicated their new church building. "You North Americans have all the clocks, but we Ethiopians have all the time."
Time was a recurring factor when Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Aurora, Colo., dedicated its new $1.5 million church building in mid-June.
At first there was not enough time. The week prior to the dedication service, the congregation prayerfully waited to receive its occupancy permit. By Friday, time was running out. Many prayers were answered when the permit was received late that afternoon. This allowed the congregation to celebrate its first service, which was also the dedication service, two days " later.
Then there was more than enough time. The celebration, which lasted over threeand-one-half hours, ran on "Ethiopian time," according to Endashaw.
Endashaw and his wife Geneat welcomed over 450 worshippers to the service that
was held predominantly in Amharic, the native language of many in the congregation. Ethiopia has over 240 tribal languages of which Amharic is the national language, explained Endashaw later when asked about his native tongue. Amharic is one of the oldest historic languages with many of its root words from Arabic and Hebrew, he added. During the Sunday dedication, explanations were also given in English for the benefit of visitors.
An opening prayer by Tesema Gebremaaiam, an elder of the church, was followed by a: time of worship. Presentations by the church's three choirs, featuring drums and dance, were interspersed among the words of congratulation and encouragement offered by numerous members and friends of the congregation.
Special guests included Loyal Funk, U.S. Conference executive minister, . Roland Reimer, Southern District Conference minister, Jon Wiebe, MB Foundation president, and Gary Janzen, pastor of Fairview (Okla.) MB Church. The Fairview congregation is a sister church to the Ethiopian congregation and provided new chairs for their sanctuary.
Other visitors included the congregation's first pastor, Zeleka Alemu, as well as several pastors from Ethiopian congregations across the U.S.
The service concluded with a poem written by Tamerat Reta, a member of the church, and a video presentation entitled "God's Faithfulness" prepared by Mesfin Mekonnin, an elder in the congregation.
Following the service, an Ethiopian lunch was selVed.
The new church building, totaling 11,000 square feet, is built on 2.5 acres of land. The facility includes a sanctuary with seating for 400, classrooms and offices.
The congregation was planted in the late 19805. Before building its own facility, it shared a building with another congregation and then occupied a school. While meeting in the school, EEC experienced significant growth to such an extent that it now fills the sanctuary it had originally built with room for growth. EEC joined the
Southern District Conference a year ago at the 2001 SDC convention.
omaha congregation
eelebrlltes ••• denhip trMSitlon Iglesia Agua Viva of Omaha, Neb., celebrated an exciting transition June 2 In their six-year history. The congregation honored the ministry of Pastor A. Walter and Amalia Preza, said &reweD to the couple and welcomed Jaime and Adriana Cazares as their new pastoral couple.
When the Prezas accepted the call to pastor Iglesia Agua Viva In 1993, the congregation was just emerging. Although their Intention was to serve the congregation for only a short time, the Prezas' stay stretched to nine years. They were initially supported by both MBMS International and the Central District Conference Church Planting Committee.
Under the leadership of Walter and Amalia, Iglesia Agua Viva grew. In 1995, the church was officially founded with 21 members signing the charter. Four years later, the congregation became self-supporting and called Walter as its first pastor.
In addition to meeting for worship on Sunday, the group has met regularly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. Over the years, signs of the group's spiritual and numeric growth has Included a growing number of baptisms, retreats, topical seminars and Bible studies, weddings, the selection of deacons, special outreach events, a jail ministry and the formation of a praise band.
The Hispanic congregation shared facilities with FaithBible Church, also of Omaha. In 2000, Agua Viva purchased, with the help of the CDC, the facility of another evangelical congregation looking to relocate. Their new budding, located In the middle of Omaha's Hispanic community, allowed the congregation to begin "olding Sunday school.
Although most members of Iglesia Agua Viva are Hispanic, the congregation is a blend of many nationallties and adjustments have been made between the different cultures. For example, Walter reported in 1996 that the arrival of Guatemalans who spoke a local dialect rather than Spanish was a matter of concern. Fortunately, God provided a translator so that the newcomers could COIttinued on ".". M
PROJECT HOPE AIMS AT ECONOMIC, EMOTIONAL RESTORATION
MDS ministers in Washington, D.C. in wake of 9-11 Starvation prompts MCCaid
NINE IIIONTHS AFTER American Airlines Flight 77 evaded national security and blew a hole in the side of the Pentagon, the drone of military helicopters continues to sound a drum roll above the national city.
For the Anabaptists who live in Washington D.C. this distant percussion is a steady reminder of the anxiety that has been building there since Sept. 11. Church members have lived through direct job loss, the anthrax scare, discrimination, budget cuts and gradual layoffs. Each day brings rumors of new threats to their city.
In response, Mennonite Disaster Service is using the Restoring Hope Project to sponsor opportunities for healing and hope in D.C. With guidelines that
grew out of experience in New York City, the project seeks to restore economic and emotional stability to individuals, congregations and nonprofit programs that have struggled since Sept.11.
MDS has invited 21 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the D.C. area to identify their needs. Seven grant requests have been submitted to the Restoring Hope Project and $23,000 of economic aid has already been distributed. Additional proposals are being considered.
MDS community worker Paul Unruh says, "Our experience with other disasters has taught us that significant effects are often not clear until months after the main event." -MDS
EPA RECOGNIZES U.S. AND CANADIAN MAGAZINES IN CONTEST
MB magazines receive avvards
THECHRlmAN Leader and the MB Herald were recognized in the 2001 Evangelical Press Association awards contest.
The Leader received third place in the "Cause of the Year: Restorative Justice" category for the article "Joseph Goes to School" by Ron and Roxanne Claassen.
Carmen Andres is the editor of the Leader, the monthly publication of the U.S. Conference.
The Herald, a publication of the Canadian MB Conference edited by Jim Coggins, received three awards. In the editorial category, Coggins received third place for "Choosing Children." The magazine
received third place in the poetry category for "Nadine," by Darlene Klassen. Graphic designer Mark Neufeld received a fourth-place award in the 1,2,3-Color Original Art category for his piece on mental health.
EPA is an organization with more than 375 members that seeks to promote the cause of evangelical Christianity and to enhance the influence of Christian journalism.-CL
MENNONITE CENTRAL Committee plans to provide emergency food aid to fend off starvation in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe-all fadng a food shortage the World Food Program has called "'a crisis of enormous dimensions."'
"'Our partner organizations in southern Africa are very concerned for the people affected and are requesting Mces help: says Willie Reimer, director of MCC's food, disaster and material resources programs. Many of the MCC shipments will come from farmers' donations to the canadian Foodgrains Bank. MCC is the world relief and development agency of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. -MCC
FROM PJS: Children at a primary school in Honduras receive Mennonite Central Committee school kits. The fabric for the bags came to MCC last summer when a New York corporation donated 10,800 pairs-two tractor-trailer loads-of purple flannelpajamas. Volunteers found the sleeves made perfectly sized school kit bags. The material has also been used for comforters, baby clothes, dresses and diapers.-MCC
MORE NEWS
Tabor tool time
-In a two-day effort known as Tool Time, Tabor College staff, faculty, alumni and friends spent July 12-13 sprucing up the campus for the upcoming school year. Projects included tree and bush i trimming, interior and exterior painting, concrete work and cleaning. A sprinkler system was installed on the soccer practice field. Volunteers from out of town were housed in the residence halls. Meals and childcare were provided for the workers. -TC
! FPU board ads
-During the most recent session of the Fresno Pacific University Board of Trustees June 21-22, tuition for 2003-04 wasset at $17,370, up from $16,200 for , 2002-03, the upcoming school year. Room rates in 2003-04 will range from i $1,065 to $1,285 and meal plans from $450 to $1,495 per semester. The average increase of 6.5 percent in room rates was driven by higher utility and insurance costs. The board also affirmed the process to grant continuing status to qualified faculty. Continuing status recognizes faculty for "their professional qualifications, their personal qualities, their dedication to the ideals and goals of the university and the effectiveness of their service." Normal requirements for continuing status include a terminal degree, six years of service and recommendations from an evaluation committee, the faculty personnel committee, the provost. the president and the board of trustees. -FPU
Reappointed
-Ron Mathies was appointed June 15 to a third three-year term as executive director of Mennonite Central Committee, the world-wide relief and development agency of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of North America. Mathies's appointment was made during the MCC Annual General Meeting in Hepburn, Sask. -MCC
GROUP REPAIRS ROOF AND ADDS SKYLIGHTS
USERV volunteers help church
Six USERY volunteers installed new shingles and skylights on the church building of Seattle Christian Retreat Church, a Korean congregation in Everett, Wash. The church covered the cost of materials and USERY coordinator Ted Thiesen estimates the volunteer labor saved the congregation over $10,000.
The church roof had deteriorated to the point that there were visible
I leaks in the sanctuary I i and fellowship areas, I I reports Thiesen. Electric ! I lights were required even during the daytime in the fellowship area and hallway. The skylights solved this problem.
John Smith from the , Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church, Lee Willems from ReedIey (Calif.) MB Church, Charlie Ewert from the Kingsburg (Calif.) MB Church, Walt Willems from the Emmanuel Bible Church
of Salem, Ore., and Don Loewen and Ted Thiesen from Rosedale Bible Church of Bakersfield, Calif., worked on the project.
The team also painted, repaired the broken rain gutter downspouts, installed spotlights over , the sanctuary pulpits, installed security lights and replaced a broken , faucet. The congregation provided the team and their spouses with lunches.-USERY
A IIIAJOR CONTRACT'to monitor poverty alleviation projects in Vietnam ha$ been won by ttie Mennonltt Economic Development Associates Consulting Group (MeG).
Through the c1>ntract MeG will provid, four yeaf$ of monitoring and advisory services for the Vietnam Rural Poverty Reduction Program, an initiative of the Canadian Intemational DeveloPment Agency. The goal of
the contract is to improve livelihoods and quali$Y of Jlfe for a $ignlficant number qf rural.J*)ple by ..,.ping them through emergence or expansion ofsmall-$Gl1e income activities.
Thl$ will be the first time in 25
Southeast Asian countty; in the 19705 MEDA was involveO in and small loan projects there. -M£DA
MEDAwins contract in Vietnam Volunteers respond to U.S. fires
THOUSANDS
of acres and hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed by multiple fires across an eightstate area-and Mennonites are responding.
Local Mennonite volunteers in Colorado responded to the crisis by feeding firefighters and cleaning up smoke and
flame-damaged properties. A similar response effort developed in Arizona by the MDS Arizona
Unit. The binational MDS office is accepting contribu" tions to fund a s long-term reconstruction response that will involve volQ unteers from '" throughout North America. The MDS 2002 Wddfire Response may use volunteer labor to repair or rebuild damaged property in firedamaged areas. -MDS
CHURCH
Baptism/membership
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Community Church)-The church plant led by Mike Miller had its first baptism June 9.
Hillsboro, Kan. (Parkview)Robert Cordts and Stuart and Carolyn Holms were accepted as membersJune9.
Papillion, Neb. (Rolling Hills)Daniel Cunniff, Dave and Nichole Bianchi, Mark Racette and Maria little were baptized in Lake Louisville in Louisville, Neb., June 9. The outdoor service was followed by a picnic.
Fresno, calif. (Fig Garden)-8i11 and Wanda Lockie and Judy Haney were baptized and received into membership June 9.
san Jose, (Lincoln Glen)Easter Sunday Ryan Buhler, Aaron Eldridge and Nick Friesen were baptized and welcomed into membership.
Fellowship
Hays, Kan. (North Oak)-A backpacking trip was planned for July 2629 at Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area in Buena Vista, Colo. Interested hikers also made a pre-trip hike June 7-8.
Dinuba, calif.-The congregation sponsored its first car show July 21. Prizes were given for "best of show," "wow, that's clean," and "I can't believe it's not stock!"
Fresno, calif. (North)-The congregation held its annual July 4 pancake breakfast at Woodward Park beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Littleton, Colo. (Belleview)-The annual men's bake off was held July 20. The event, hosted in the home of a church member, included three categories: salad and appetizer, main dish and dessert. Babysitting was provided.
Yale, S.D. (Bethel)-Elvira Nickel, chair of the Central District Women's Missionary Service who serves with her husband as the senior pastoral couple at Rapid City (S.D.) Fellow-
ship, spoke to the women's group June 12. Among other things, Nickel shared about the larger ministry of the district women's group.
Bellingham. Wash. (Community Bible)-Children's Sunday was celebrated June 9 with a pizza party and family softball game following the morning worship service.
Ministry
Enid, Okla.- Mike Miller, pastor of a MB church plant in Broken Arrow, Okla., has identified several Sundays in July and August when core group members will be on vacation. The EMBC outreach ministry team has invited members of the congregation to support this church by attending a morning worship service.
Bakersfield, calif. (Laurelglen)Summer missionaries were recognized in June and the congregation was invited to support their ministries with prayer. The congregation sponsored four ministry teams totaling almost 50 people and 27 individuals on mission trips from san Francisco to East Asia to Romania to Mexico City.
Dinuba, calif.-Qrganizers of Summer Celebration intend the series of family-oriented Sunday evening events to be an outreach tool. This year the series, first organized in 19B7, will include a movie followed by a faspa meal and a performing ensemble that includes able and disabled performers ranging in age from six years to adult.
Shafter, calif.-Nathan Penner was commissioned July 7. He is serving a three-year term with Mennonite Central Committee in Botswana, Africa. MCC is the relief and development agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.
Com, Okla.-Carey and Nettie Gossen were commissioned for seminary training. After a successful career with Mennonite Mutual Aid, Carey will be attending MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif.
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
New Hope, Minn.-The congregation received two sharing grants from Mennonite Mutual Aid to supplement the assistance already provided by the church for NEAR, a food panty, and for the family of a woman from South Dakota who is in an area hospital waiting for a heart transplant.
TeachingINurture
New Hope. Minn.-An adult group has finished a five-part exploration of mental illness. The series used resources from Mennonite Mutual Aid, presentations by health professionals from the congregation and panel discussions by "experienced" people.
Shafter, calif.-The Christian Education Committee organized a series of Sunday school classes designed to help participants learn to knowothers. In addition to meeting on its own for part of the summer, each class is also grouped with at least two other classes for two to four Sundays. The teacher and subject for the combined classes varies. Beginning in July, the children ages two through sixth grade met together for Sunday school using vacation Bible school curriculum.
Visalia, calif. (Neighborhood)Sunday mornings during the three summer months, children were divided into three large groups to experience worship in a corporate, age-appropriate way. Three teams of adults led each group.
Ulysses, Kan.-July 8-12 the congregation held vacation Bible school at three homes. One group met in the morning, another in the afternoon and a third in the evening.
Minot. N.D. (Bible Fellowshlp)During the summer months, the congregation held intergenerational Sunday school classes using the material, "Five Habits of a Happy Family." June 24 Lynford Becker with MB Foundation led a stewardship meeting.
Reedley, calif.-Ross Merritt with MB Foundation shared in the adult
Sunday school class June 16. His remarks were taken from Matthew 6 and he showed how MBF helps Christians "store up treasures in heaven" through estate planning methods.
Workers
Hays, Kan. (North Oak)-Timothy N. Baarts was installed as associate pastor July 14. A fellowship meal followed the installation service that was held at a local high school. Baarts and his wife Angie have been living in Chicago. They have two children.
Balko, Okla.-James and Amy Beth Epp were installed July B as pastoral couple. Epp most recently served as associate pastor at Faith Bible Church, an inner-city congregation in Omaha, Neb.
Youth
san Jose, calif. (Lincoln Glen)-A summer fine arts camp was held each evening July 8-12. In addition to Bible lessons, memory verses, daily puppet shows and games, each child could choose to participate in two fine art activities. Options included choir, vocal ensemble, hand chimes, visual arts, dance and voice.
Fairview, Okla.-Wednesday mornings June 12 to July 24 children grades one through six were invited to join the MB Kids Book Club. The group read and discussed books. Prizes were also given.
Enid, Okla.-The senior high youth group went to Broken Arrow, Okla., July 27 to Aug. 1. The group assisted Pastor Mike Miller of Community Church of the Heart with outreach events. The youth led children's Bible clubs, distributed flyers, held prayer walks and did other service projects.
Deaths
BARTEL. EUZABETII, Hillsboro, Kan., of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Aug. 1, 1925, at Inman, Kan., and died May 24, 2002, at the age of
76. She is survived by three sons, Donovan and wife Unda, of Burrton, Kan., Glenn and wife Lavonne of WIChita, Kan., and SCott and wife Brenda of Hillsboro; two daughters, Sharon Tomlinson of Wichita, Kan., and Darlene and husband Paul Ediger of Hesston, Kan.; 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
BAUMBACIC. Q.YDE, Fresno, Calif., of Reedley MB Church, was born July 28, 1928, in North Dakota and died June 22, 2002, at the age of 74. He is survived by Doris, his wife of 48 years; two children, Jane Ratzlaff of Fowler, Calif., and Mike Ratzlaff of Washington, D.C.; one sister-in-law, Ruby and husband Frank Grunau of Fresno; and three nephews, David Baumback, Phil Grunau and his wife Donna and Brian Grunau.
KUSOI. KENNETH c.. Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Dec. 13, 1913, at Fairview to Jake and Martha Schultz Kusch and died June 30, 2002, at the age of 88. On Feb. 14, 1936, he was married to Mary Wilma Howard, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Shannon DeYoung of Albuquerque, N.M.; one brother, Sidney and wife Vera of Enid, Okla., and two grandchildren.
NEUfELD, MARGARET KWSEN, Reedley, Calif., of Reedley MB Church, was born Oct. 26, 1908, to Jacob and Maria Toews Klassen at Kalmaka, Russia and died June 7, 2002, at the age of 93. In 1945, she was married to Curt Neufeld, who predeceased her in 1971. She is survived by three daughters, Frieda Mierau of Reedley, Tina Golbek of Dinuba, Calif., and Becky Neufeld of Evergreen, Colo.; three sisters, two brothers, five grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and one great great grand-
child.
PENNER, EUZABElH, Fairview, Okla., of Fairview MB Church, was born May 17, 1920 near Fairview and died July 1,2002, at the age of 82. On May 19, 1946, she was married to Fred Penner, who predeceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Lavada and husband David Koehn of Fairview; one daughter-in-law, Shelia Penner of Guthrie, Okla.; two sisters-in law, Francis Goehs of Montezuma, Kan., and Elsie and husband Harlen Nightengale of Fairview; three brothers-in-law, John and wife Ida Penner of Moundridge, Kan., Alfred Boehs of Isabelle, Okla., and Arthur Koehn of Macon, Miss., and five grandchildren.
REIMER, VIRGINIA CATHERINE, Port Neches, Tex., was born July 27, 1923, at Corn, Okla., and died June 8, 2002, at the age of 78. She was baptized and became a member of Corn MB Church at an early age but attended a Methodist church for the 40 to 50 years she lived in Texas. She is survived by two nieces and their families, Karen and husband Leon Neufeld of Fairview, Okla., and Phyllis and husband Richard Pankratz, of Topeka, Kan.
WIEST, KATHERINE E., Reedley, Calif., a member of Reedley MB Church, was born at Windsor, Colo., March 10, 1909, to Carl A and Maria Weber Buxman and died May 19, 2002, at the age of 93. In 1929, she was married to William Walter Wiest, who predeceased her. She is survived by four children, Adena Warkentin of Reedley, William of Portland, Ore., Raymond of Winnipeg, Man., and Kathyrn Sytsma of Farmington, Maine, 12 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.•
How will you remember Sept. 11, 20017
The U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches invites all MB congregations to join churches aaoss the country in the 911 R br••• project. Local congregations will be leading members in a week of prayer and inviting their community to join them in a Remembrance Service on Wednesday, Sept. 11,2002, to remember those who died and hold out the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who live.
The outreach is a joint effort of several ministries including Campus Crusade for Christ, Mission America Coalition and faithHighway.
Celebrating church family
continued from page 30
understand the Bible messages.
Pastor Cazares will have a good understanding of the congregation's needs and strengths because Agua Viva is his home church. Cazares is currently a student at Grace University, a local Bible college. Cazares was officially installed as the pastor June 23.
The Prezas may have said good-bye to Nebraska, but they haven't said farewell to church planting. The couple has moved to Kingsburg, Calif., where they will partner with the local MB congregation and the Pacific District Conference to initiate a work among Hispanic people in that community.
Topeka church dedicates sanctuary; installs pastor
Topeka (Kan.) MB Church celebrated a new phase in its ministry June 30 when a new sanctuary was dedicated and Steve Prieb was installed as senior pastor.
In 1994, the congregation, established in 1958 as Fairlawn MB Church, moved from a hard-to-find cul-de-sac to a new location and a new facility two miles from a major shopping mall. The first phase of the facility was built using an enonnous amount of volunteer labor. For the next eight years, the congregation, with a membership of 160, worshipped in their gymnasium.
The sanctuary, finished in late May, was funded in part by a grant from the Southern District Conference. It seats about 275 people and is approximately 3,000 square feet. Features of the sane· tuary include an eight-foot glass wall that stretches across the entire width separating the narthex from the sanctuary, a baptistery built into the floor that can be lowered and raised as needed and a hand-crafted sound booth and cross built by a member of the church.
Pastor Prieb came to TMBC after servo ing Garden Valley Church of Garden City, Kan., as senior pastor since 1994. He is a member of the Southern District Conference Faith and life Commission. Prieb is a 1994 graduate of MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif. He has served two other congregations including Fairview (Okla.) MB Church as assistant pastor. He and his wife Ruth have three chilo dren, Tyler, Andra and Rylan. -Connie Faber
Clearinghouse
Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity?
Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Reach U.S. Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge is 53 cents per word. with a $15 minimum. Withhold payment until an invoice is received. MB institutions advertising vacancies or position announcements may be eligible for a nocost ad. Contact the editor for more information.
EMPLOYMENT-CHURCH
Minister of Music and Worship
Dinuba Mennonite Brethren Church invites applications for the full-time position of Min"ister of Music and Worship. We are a large church in a small town. with a long history of musical excellence and participation. This pastor will work closely with other pastoral staff and the Board of Worship to promote, encourage, develop and coordinate various music ministries. Qualifications include:
• Formal music education
• Experience in church music ministry leadership
• Ability to playa musical instrument (piano desirable)
• Ability to work well with people
• Organizational skills
Please send resumes and inquiries to: Search Committee, Dinuba Mennonite Brethren Church, 110 Nichols, Dinuba. CA 93618; phone (559) 591-1176; fax (559) 591-8483; email dmbc@mobynet.com.
Pontius' Puddle
Itinerary and Invitation
CPE, under the sponsorship of MBMS International, invites born-again Christians to serve as volunteers for its evangelism outreach to:
NOTE: Dates may be subject to some changes, pending further confirmation of some campaigns.
• Team up with national Christians and witness for Christ door-to-door.
• Some knowledge of the language of the country is helpful.
• Between 800 and 2800 persons have prayed to acceptChrist as their personal Saviour and Lord during a two-week CPE campaign. Come and be part of an enriching spiritual experience-<:fiscover what God can do through you.
For further information, contact:
Church Partnership Evangelism office: telephone/fax: 604-864-3941
Peter Loewen (residence) fax: 604-853-6482
Church Partnership Evangelism is a "church-to-church" effort that involves all bornagain Christians in personal evangelism worldwide. Your application to participate will be forwarded to the CPE Executive Committee for processing.
Promote your values through a sales career
Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA) has opportunities for highly motivated individuals interested in a full-time career in insurance and financial services. Candidates will need to become licensed to sell life and health insurance as well as securities. A training allowance, plus bonuses, is available to qualified applicants. Opportunities exist in many areas of the U.S.
MMA is a church-related organization that helps Anabaptists practice biblical stewardship. MMA offers expertise in pursuing stewardship solutions through insurance and financial services as well as charitable-giving programs and fraternal benefits.
Send resume to: Joy Liechty P.O. Box 483 Goshen, IN 46527 (800) 348-7468 Ext. 202 joy.liechty@mma-online.org www.mma-online.org
The Bible tells me so
WHEN MY MOM WAS A KID, she had to memorize the multiplication table. She had a terrible time with the nines. She could rattle off the rest of the table with ease, but she just couldn't get the nines.
One day at school, she was working through a completely unrelated math problem. Something in the problem-she can't remember what-suddenly led her to realize how multiplication worked. In that instant, she understood why 9x9 = 81. "It really works!" she recalls saying. Soon, not only did she master the multiplication table, but it also made sense to her. She had working knowledge of a fundamental principle of mathematics.
My mother often uses that story to explain what happens when God reveals himself or something to us. "Ah-ha," we say, "it really does work that way!" We move from believing in God to actually knowing or experiencing him or his truth.
That's often the way we are when it comes to Scripture. We read it. Other people tell us its principles work. But we really don't understand or grasp it until we experience it ourselves.
In "How the Bible shapes our world" (see pages 4-7), Pierre Gilbert says that the Bible "provides the basic building blocks of a true worldview-an understanding of the universe that corresponds to ultimate reality." In short, Gilbert says the Bible accurately "reflects how things really are."
Worldviews are important, says Gilbert, because they "determine how we live." I agree. But I wonder-mostly because of my own experience-how many of us Christians actually believe the Bible is true.
Most of us accept the biblical idea that human beings are in need of redemption. We point to incidents like the Columbine High School shootings or Sept. 11 and say, "See!" Closer to home, we point to our own struggles with doing what we know we should not and say (perhaps in a meeker voice), "Here, too."
Scripture paints a picture of the condition of our souls, but it also paints a picture of what we can become. Our salvation is not only a forgiveness of our sins but an invitation to a new life.
But do we believe that?
As a teenager and into my 20s, I spent years questioning my salvation because I didn't experience what the Bible said or preachers proclaimed. Where was the peace? Why couldn't I be a better person? Was I really not saved?
Often, I hear other Christians say that they have tried to be what Jesus and Paul describe in the New Testament, but they just can't do it. "How can we be expected to live up to that?!" they exclaim.
Many believe what Scripture says but do not experience itlike memorizing the multiplication table without understanding it. We begin to question tenets of Scripture, from the viability of commands like "love your enemies" or "bless those who persecute you" to the achievability of the "fruit of the Spirit" (patience, kindness, etc.).
If we decide this kind of life is unattainable, we-however
unintentionally-reject the new life that Jesus offers. In essence, we reject the trustworthiness of the Bible.
However, if the Bible reflects the way life really is, then this new life can be ours. But how do we go from the creatures we are to the ones Jesus and Paul describe? How do we become more holy? How are we transformed?
For me, it started when I decided to be intentional. If this vision Jesus and Paul present was real, I wanted to know how to be a part of it. I went to Scripture and God and asked the hard questions. If Scripture was true and God was who the Bible says he is, he could stand up to it.
Eventually, I made ,a conscious decision to spend regular time in the Word and in prayer. I asked God to help me understand and reveal himself to me. After almost a year of regular Bible study and prayer, I noticed something. The Bible was making sense. I was beginning to experience the life Jesus and Paul described. And God revealed himself to me-in ways of which I'd never dared to dream. Like a child, I cried out over and over, "It's really true! What the Bible tells me is so."
Now, it isn't the prayer and Bible study themselves that bring about these revelations. They are only means or ways that God provided in order to begin his new life in me. Things like reading Scripture and prayer are not what change us, but they are resources God asks us to use in order to open ourselves up for the transformation.
It makes sense. Look at Jesus. He didn't operate in a vacuum. He constantly withdrew to pray. He studied Scripture, applied and meditated on it. He rested in solitude. He spent time with his disciples, his friends. He went to the meeting places. He helped people and served them. He fasted. He worshiped God and sought his guidance. He trusted that God's way was the right one, and he trusted God with his life.
His very life models the ways God uses to change and transform us. These things Jesus did don't give us new life, but they do open up the doors for God to pour his grace into us and transform us. They are doors through which God pours his promises and reveals himself in ways beyond our wildest dreams.
Sometimes God strikes people down on the road to Damascus, but most of the time we are like the disciples: learning from Jesus how to live. His life is a testimony to how the Christian life works. Ifwe intentionally decide to seek Jesus and do the things he did and said, we will begin to experience new life-not because of the things themselves but because God will use them to transform our hearts and make us more holy.
It isn't magic. God laid out in Scripture the ways he has chosen to use to bring us into this new life, especially in the words and person ofJesus. Most of the time, this is a lifelong process. And it can be painful. But is the best life-the real life.
Gilbert is right. The Bible is revolutionary and life-giving. It is true. We are not only forgiven but have a new life. This new life is a reality and not an illusion or unreachable dream. Don't just take my word for it-find out for yourself. It really works. ---C1
