There are some unexpected benefits that come from purchasing a new vehicle. When the transmission in our family car died last month, the mechanic suggested it was time to buy rather than repair. A brand new vehicle was more than our budget could bear so we opted for used. While our "new" minivan isn't new-there are worn spots here and there-having a vehicle free of accumulated clutter, dusty ledges and dirt in hard-to-reach places is an unexpected benefit.
Because I am a child of God, my life can and should be new and clean-just like a new minivan. But too often life is cluttered with unhealthy spiritual and physical habits, dusted with discontent and there are some hard-ta-reach places in which I let sin accumulate. While this month's feature articles concern a variety of topics, a common theme is sin and the call to live as new-clean-creations in Christ. The articles by Danette Baltzer Roland and Terry Hiebert challenge us to be alert to both the subtle and prevalent influences of sin in our culture and those sins we are tempted to consider mild. Using Psalm 88 as his text, Kenneth Gibble reminds us that it is OK to express to God the full range of human emotions. Telling God about our anger, hurt and despair is not a sin. Sometimes we are tempted to put God in a box-to think he only wants to hear happy thoughts and to limit the complex awesomeness of his character. The Old Testament story ofJonah, says Pierre Gilbert, opens the box in which we put God and reveals him to be our relentless God. In the closing article, Tom Friesen cautions us Christians against living individualistic lives. Using marriage as his example, Friesen reminds as that new life in Christ means living in community with other Christ-followers and making decisions in light of our ministry to this community. May God add his blessing to the words of these writers, and may we be encouraged to live the way Jesus did.
Our news section focuses on the many ways we Mennonite Brethren minister to our world. You will read about a Mennonite Brethren congregation that serves a free breakfast every Sunday morning in an effort to minister to its neighborhood, including the homeless, and about a college professor who works as a Spanish Bible translator. You can learn about a quilt made by Mennonite and Brethren in Christ men, women and children from around the world that is now making its way around the globe in an effort to educate us about the AIDS pandemic, and about volunteer health workers in the Ukraine supported by North American dollars who are healing both the body and the spirit.
Sometimes a Leader news brief is a bit too brief That is true of a recent report concerning the transformation of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission International, a North American partnership that included MBMS International. The full report of AIMM's changes and MBMSI's future involvement in this partnership is published this month.
COMING
• JULY 21-23, 2004-National pastors' convention, Salt Lake City, Utah Printing by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kan.
• JULY 23-25, 2004-U.S . Conference convention, Salt Lake City, Utah
• JULY 25-26, 2004-55-Plus Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah
4
FEATURES-
Getting angry with God
Where did we get this idea that God wants us to be happy all the time? Sometimes our lives are filled to the brim with worry, pain, anger or despair. Psalm 88 reminds us that God welcomes whatever feelings we have BY KENNETH L. GIBBLE
6 The relentless .God: A reflection on Jonah
When God asks Jonah to call the people of Ninevah to repentance, the prophet finds himself involved in a series of unfortunate events. Looking at the story of this "gooey prophet" with sensitivity for the humor, sarcasm and irony so often part of Hebrew narrative compels the reader to stand in awe before the God of the universe. BY PIERRE GILBERT
10
Called to freedom
We live in a sinful world- and sometimes we forget how pervasive the power of darkness is in our culture. Satan loves not hing more than to enslave us in the very sin that Jesus died to defeat. As a community of believers, we ought to strive for lives characterized by freedom from sin . BY DANETIE BALTZER ROLAND 12 Battling
for our souls
A quick review of e-mail junkmail reveals that the "seven deadly sins" are as common today as hundreds of years ago. How do I combat the influence of sin in my life? The writings of the apostles and a f ifth century poet encourage us to live our ordinary days with clarity, alertness and faith in God BY TERRY HIEBERT
14 Scandalous marriage
The apostle Paul understood marriage much much differently than does our 21 st century world. When we live by Paul's marriage ethic as individuals and as faith commun ities, we find ourselves engaging in an act that the world would consider scandalous BY TOM FRIESEN
DEPARTMENTS
Forum By Glen E. Quiring 17
• A seasonable truth
Inquiring Minds ..........
by Marvin Hein 18
• What to do with Saddam Hussein and computers talking back Chuck's Corner by Chuck Buller 19
• Pure and faultless religion Ph'lip Side
• The "hot list" On the Journey
• Maria's thankful heart
• Koinonia Quilt does battle against
by Philip Wiebe 20
• Ukrainian traveling medical clinic ministers to body and soul
• Winter adds difficulties for traveling medical team
• AIMM story
• Translator strives to honor
VOLUME 67, NUMBER 2
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Reggie Hunt, Phil Neufeld, Moises Tagle, Dalton Reimer
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CHRISTIAN
IIVITH
Sometimes our lives are filled to the brim with worry, pain, anger or despair. God welcomes whatever feelings we have.
some things in the Bible that make me shu der e i point-Psalm 88.
scholar Walter Brueggemann has call d the 8th psalm "an embarrassment to conventiorllll £Ii " He writes, "It is the cry of a believer.. ose life has gone awry, who desperately see cont: ct with (God), but who is unable to evoke a response. This is i n deed 'the dark night of the soul. '" Here is a portion of Psalm 88. (NRSV)
o LORD, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence, let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regio n s dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwh elm me with all your waves. You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them.
o LORD, why do you cast me off?
Why do you hide your face from me?
The tone of t h e 88th psalm is unrelentingly dark and desperate. Even more, the psalmist accuses God of being the caus e o f it all. ''You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them " This is an angry psalm , and
the anger is directed at God. There is not asingle word of praise to be found here.
How did such an outpouring of despair and anger make it into the pages of Scripture?
I'll never forget how surprised I was when I first realized this kind of language was in the Bible. I was in high school and had decided to read through the psalms. I'm not sure who or what prompted me to do that, but I am sure I could hardly believe what I was reading. I had no idea that the writers of Scripture expressed such doubt and anger. Anger at God no less! And I remember thinking what a relief it was to discover such honesty. If it was okay for whoever wrote the psalms to express their doubts and anger to God then surely it was okay fo r me to do the same. Reading the angry psalms was liberating for me at that point in my faith pilgrimage When I got angry with God, doubted God's love or even his existence it was alright. God could handle my doubts. God could handle my rage.
I still believe that. I think it is a mistake for Christians to suppose that faith is always a matter of being cheerful and upb eat. Where did we ever get this idea that God wants us to happy all the time? Maybe we breathed it in from the messages in our culture, in a North America that aut h or Douglas John Hall in Lighten Our Darkness has described as "the officially optimistic society."
Ours is the great love affair with "success ," defined usually in terms of growth, a rising stock market, more material goods and so on. This definition of su ccess has infected even the church of Jesus Christ, with "successful " churches being those that have more members, more programs and more money than surrounding churches Th is is all very strange when we remember
ANGER
by Kenneth L • Gibble
who Jesus was and what he told his disciples. "Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve , and to give his life a ransom for many " (Matt. 20:26-28) .
What God desires from us is our entire self, just as we are. We don 't have to come to God with the masks we so often wear for the benefit of others . "How are you doin ' ?" "Oh, fine." And often, usually, we are fi ne Bu t sometimes we aren't. Sometimes our lives are fill ed to the brim with worry, pain, anger or despair. God welcomes whatever feelings we have. The great commandment, Jesus said, is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." Not just with the good stuff in your heart, soul and mind. We are to love God with everything we have-with the best in us and with the worst in us.
That's not easy to do. We have been conditioned to be good , to think good thoughts and to do good things , especially when we imagine God is watching or listening. The writer Madeleine L'Engle says t hat when she was a little girl she used to end her prayers by praying, " and God bless me and make me a good girl." Now looking back she says, "I become less and less sure that it was a good prayer." Now she has come to understand that goodness is what God can do in us, not something we can accomplish by an act of will. She writes in A Stone for a Pillow, "If 1 am ever good, it is not because I am trying to be, but because goodness is for a moment offered me as a gift of sheer grace. "
And so how freeing it is to come to the prayer book of the Bible, Psalm, and to find there both great joy and great despair. Some of the psalms express a desire for revenge on enemies. Psalms 109 contains a string of curses directed at those who "attack me without cause," says the psalmist. "He loved to curse," is the accusation, therefore "let curses come on him ." Earlier in the psalm the writer says, "Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children " On and on goes this chilling set of curses. And again we must ask, what is stuff like this doing in the Bible?
Again the answer is honesty. The psalmist is being ruthlessly honest with God about deeply held feelings of rage. Let's face it, you and 1 can get very angry about the way others have treated us. People we count on offend us or betray us. Sometimes we're afraid to acknowledge ou r anger, our rage, to God because such feelings aren't well "nice "
The psalmist suffers from no such misgivings. The longing to have the wrongdoer suffer is poured o u t to God with a vengeance . But notice that the ps alm is t d oes
not exact revenge Instead the feelings are given to God because there is a deep trust that God will know what to do and will do what is just. What a healthy kind of faith this is. Sometimes just naming our anger and giving it to God may be just the right therapy for our anger.
Often we think our prayers should contain the "right" words We wrap ourselves in a cloak of religious piety and goodness when what we may be feeling is the very opposite. In fact, genuine praise of God comes from the very depths of our being, and in those depths there is always a measure of suffering and pain.
When I read the prayers in the book of Psalms, I am greatly comforted knowing that prayers from the heart are not just okay, they are gladly welcomed by the Shepherd who longs to lead me by still waters.
God knows that situations sometimes arise in our lives for which there are no clear answers. Why am I feeling so depressed? Why did my loved one have to die? These are questions that when expressed you and I are tempted to answer with an explanation or a word of encouragement. But that is probably not the best response. Sometimes the best we can do is to point to a psalm like Psalm 88- "My soul is full of troubles "
And, of course, the final word is not the reality of suffering. In the words of Psalm 30, "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning ." When that morning will come-and exactly what it will look like-you and I cannot say. At best, we have clues from our faith and from the Scriptures Clues like an empty tomb, a risen Lord preparing a breakfast for his friends, John's vision of "a new heaven and a new earth" and of God wiping away every tear from our eyes.
And even though the 88th psalm ends on a somber note, with the psalmist unable to give voice to praise, it is hard to miss what follows. Immediately after the 88th psalm is , of course, the 89th psalm . And these are the opening words of that psalm: "I will sing of your steadfast love, 0 LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations "
That song can be our song too A song of God ' s steadfast love. A love that will not let us go, no matter how long and winding the road, no matter how dark the shadows in the valley, no matter no matter what •
Kenneth L. Gibble is serving as interim pastor of the Greencastle (penn.) Church of the Brethren and has served congregations elsewhere in Pennsylvania as well as in Virginia and Ma ryland. Gi bble is a frequent contributor to religiOUS magazines and the author of nine , books, including the soon-to-be-published Journey to Jerusalem : Scriptu res, Meditatio ns and Prayers from Ash Wednesday through Easter (B rethren Press).
JONAH
by Pierre Gilbert
I'Wl!bJCd we face when we read Hebrew narrative is that we often read it too seriously, without any sensitivity for the humor, the sarcasm and the irony that are often integral parts of Old Testament narratives. A light heart and an easy laugh are vital requirements to reading Hebrew narrative successfully. We need the same attitude of eager expectation as when we are about to hear a good joke. But beware! H we are going to laugh, we have to be willing to pay the price.
There is an old Jewish folktale that illustrates quite well how we should approach the story of Jonah This is my own "Reader's Digest" version of it.
Once upon a time there was a poor farmer who lived in a tiny little house with his wife and their nine children. Unable to bear the situation any longer, the poor farmer went to his rabbi to seek a solution. "What can I do for you, my dear friend," the rabbi asked him.
''Well, rabbi," the farmer answered, "I have a problem. You see, my house is too small for my family and me 1 have no space I can call my own Tell me what I should do."
After pondering the problem for a few minutes, the rabbi resp(')nded. "My dear friend, here is what you will do over the next five days. Tomorrow morning you will take your 15 chickens and bring them in the house to live with you. On the second day take in your two goats On the third day, your sow and her five piglets . On the fourth day bring in your cow. And on the fifth day, you will take in your horse. Come back and see me in three weeks "
The farmer did as he was told. Three weeks later, he was back in the rabbi's house, more dejected than ever. "Well," said the rabbi, "How are things?" my good rabbi, what did you do to me? 1 have never been so miserable in my life I have chickens in my bed, a goat in my bathtub and pigs in the kitchen. I don't have anywhere to Sit, and 1 will spare you the stink. My good wife is so upset with me that she won't let me come near her, not with the horse looking on anyway."
The rabbi answered, "Tomorrow take all your animals out of the house. Then come see me on the following day." The poor farmer did as he was told . Early the next morning as the rabbi was taking a walk, he saw the poor farmer running down the hill towards him. ''What seems to be the problem?" the rabbi asked the disheveled farmer. "There is no problem, Rabbi," said the man "I rushed here simply to thank you. You've done a miracle.
1\vo weeks ago, I was a miserable man who lived in a tiny house. Now 1 am a contented man who lives in a mansion!"
I am not suggesting that the story of Jonah is Simply a folktale, but we will gain more insight if we keep in mind some of the tongue-in-cheek characteristics of Hebrew narrative.
Let's review the biblical story. One day God erupts in the prophet Jonah's life and commands him to preach the word of the Lord, a word of repentance.
One day God erupts in the prophet Jonah's life and commands him to preach the word of the Lord, a word of repentance. Normally that should not represent a problem; this is what being a prophet is all about. But there is more to it. The Lord adds, "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me" (1:2)
Normally that should not represent a problem; this is what being a prophet is all about. But there is more to it. The Lord adds, "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me" (1:2).
Jonah's reaction is swift. We can almost hear the prophet scream, "Time out! God! Nineveh? Never! These people are liable to believe the message and be saved'" The text does not say it in so many words, but it's there Jonah's reaction is understandable. Nineveh was an important Assyrian city. The Assyrians were the bullies of the Ancient Near East world. They were a cruel and oppressive people who ruled with an iron fist for over a century. They were hated by all To put it bluntly, to ask Jonah to preach a message that might lead to the salvation of the Ninevites would have been akin to asking a rabbi to speak a message that might have led to the salvation of the Nazis during World War II. God's command went against every fiber ofjonah's being.
At this point, the problem with Jonah is his narrow understanding of God's character. Jonah's God is neatly wrapped up in a little package. As a "professional" prophet, it was Jonah's business to know God, and the one thing he did know was that God had no right to ask him to do this. In one way, Jonah was right. The primary task of the Israelite prophet was to speak to his own people, not to contribute to the salvation of the enemies. Caught in the jaws of a painfully contradictory paradox, Jonah adopts the only reasonable course of action open to him. He attempts to put some distance between him and God; he takes off for the great city of Tarshish.
The move to Tarshish is brilliant. First, it's exactly in the opposite direction from Nineveh. By this strategy, Jonah is perhaps hoping to weaken Yahweh's ability to
JONAH
force him to go to Nineveh. Or more realistically, perhaps Jonah is hoping that in the time it takes Yahweh to get him back on track, the city of Nineveh will fall . A great plan indeed!
BUT! What does the Lord care about borders and oceans? The God of Israel demonstrates his absolute control over the seas by cooking up a great storm. The prophet, however, is not at all intimidated. He simple goes below deck and falls asleep. Jonah is not worried. He cares little for his life only that the Ninevites should die.
BUT! The sailors need answers and they cast lots. Lo and behold, God controls those too. They discover Jonah is the cause of their calamity. They rouse him, and
he is forced to testify. His version of the Four Spiritual Laws is remarkable by its simplicity: "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land" (1:9). From this confession of faith , we learn Jonah knew all along that distance would not matter. Yahweh is the God of heaven whose authority extends to all of creation. Is Jonah out of options? Absolutely not "Throw me overboard," he says. He cares little for his life o nly that the Ninevit es should die! The sailors object. The last thing they want to do is harm this man for who knows what the Lord will bring upon them if they kill his messenger
BUT! They have no choice, and so they throw him overboard . The sea grows calm and they are saved. Plus as a bonus they worship the Lord . The reason behind Jonah ' s reluctance to preach in Nineveh is now plain. He has a super power A gift. Like the great evangelist Billy Graham, every time he speaks , people tum to God.
Now Jonah is in the sea. Clearly, there is no longer any hope of survival. One can almost hear Jonah's cry of victory: "I win , God! I win!" He cares little for his life only that the Ninevites s h o uld die
BUT! God summons a great mons ter from the depths of the sea. Before Jonah realizes what is happ ening, he is swallowed whole! Three days and three nights
he sits in the belly of the great fish. What does one do for three whole days in the belly of a sea monster? For starters, you think. There is nothing else to do! You think a n d you pray. You think about yourself. Your life. Your priorities. Your future. You think about God
Poor Jonah. He thought he had God all nicely boxed in. But now he has three whole days to figure out that there is no box big enough to contain the Lord of heaven and earth-three whole days to figure out his real job description. There is nothing like the overpowering rotten smell of a fish belly to focus the mind. In time, Jonah has a change of heart. ''What I have vowed, I will make good," he says. "Salvation comes from the Lord" (2:9b). Left with no other option, Jonah finally agrees to fulfill his mission.
the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah unto dry land." Ending up in the belly of a great fish is bad enough , but there is worse . It is to be vomited by a fish. I give you the gooey prophet. Think of the humiliation; even a fish won't have him.
Well now, we are right back to square one. In spite of all his efforts, Jonah is no further ahead. God speaks to him a second time. "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you" (3 :2). The prophet obeys Jonah has apparently learned his lesson, but the message he is to convey is very puzzling It is short (only four words in Hebrew), crisp, not very constructive and in fact quite belligerent essentially a curse. "Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed" (3 :4). From]onah's perspective, this shows promise. The message represents a categorical announcement of destruction. This is a tight case If anything, this curse will arouse the indignation and the anger of the people. They might beat him up and perhaps even kill him . No problem. Jonah cares little for his life only that the Ninevit es should die
BUT! Something totally unexpected happens Upon hearing the message of the "gooey" prophet, the people and the ki ng of Nineveh believe and repent. ''When God saw wh at they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them
the destruction he had threatened" (3:10).
As far as Jonah was concerned, this is the worst thing that could happen. Who could have guessed such an outcome with a message like that? Jonah is very upset. Now we know why Jonah fled Somehow he knew that God would give these pagans an opportunity to repent and be saved (4:2). Jonah is so disgusted by this tum of events that h e asks openly what he only hinted at earlier. "Take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live," he says (4:3)
BUT! The Lord is willing to let it sit. The least we can say about God is that he is strong willed. God proceeds to nudge Jonah a little. "Have you any right to be angry?" (4:4). Jonah stubbornly refuses to answer. Instead he looks for a place to keep watch on the city, hoping against all hope, I guess, that it would be des t royed anyway.
One could safely assume that by now God would have been done with Jonah. But not the living God The living God is more like an annoying little brother that just won't let you be. The living God is more like a mosquito that keeps buzzing around your ears when you are trying to sleep This God is relentless. And God cranks it up a little more.
One can't help but admire the subtlety of God. Rather than scolding the prophet, God proceeds to give Jonah the opportunity to feel the loss of something for which he cares deeply. God provides a vine to shade the prophet. For the first time in the story, Jonah is very happy about divine intervention
But the next day, the vine dies and God causes a scorching wind and a blazing sun . Jonah once again repeats his complaint. "It would be better for me to die than to live" (4:8) Then God nudges him a little more "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
"Of course," he replies. Jonah has every right to be angry. The plant that provided such wonderful relief from the sun is dead. It's all shriveled up and now Jonah is shriveling up. In fact, he is so angry, he could die (4:9)
Then God goes "for the kill" and asks the final haunting question with which we are all so familiar. ''You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (4: 10).
Where does this odd story leave us? For starters, if we think Jonah was a b it of an idiot or if we are tempted to laugh at his expense, then we have joined the idiot's club! The instant we start laughing at Jonah, we are caught like a fly in a spider's web . We are in fact laughing
at ourselves, for you and I are Jonah!
The book was written at a time when the people of Israel had lost sight of who God really was. The Israelites had created a God who would be theirs, who would serve them and who would exclUSively look after their own interests. They had reduced the God of the universe to a tribal deity. Welcome to God in the box.
The story of Jonah is designed to pry open that box Let me offer a few of the important lessons the book conveys.
1. God is free.
God is beyond our simplistic ideas of him and our expectations. God's actions are not detertnined by our own narrow agendas but by his own nature and purposes
2. God is unfair.
Jonah discovered the hard truth that God is fundamentally unfair. To a city that has no future because of the sins of its inhabitants, God offered a future. To a prophet that deserved to be discarded, God offered grace . In the book of Jonah , we discover a God who does not give us what we deserve but offers what we need above all else-his compassion. The God of Jonah obstinately seeks the redemption of all men and women, whether we think they deserve it or not.
3. God is relentless.
When everything is said and done, there is nothing unusual about Jonah. His reaction and behavior represent the default position in most of us. We too flee from the living God and prefer to find solace and comfort in the feeble constructions of our imagination. Were it not for that little word BUT!, we would hopelessly and inexorably slide into the black hole of our self-made delusions. This simple conjunction signals the constant intervention of this "annoying" God who, through his Spirit, passionately intervenes to rescue humanity.
4. The important things in life.
In his most recent book, My Stroke of Luck, Kirk Douglas describes the devastating impact of a stroke and his subsequent struggle with depression. In this book the great actor passionately shares with his readers the great lesson he learned from this difficult experience. This man who was adulated by all throughout his life, pu t on a pedestal and made to believe he was the center of the world discovered near the end of his long life that the most important thing is to care for others. How tragic that it came to him so late in life. He would have been better off being a factory worke r. Clearly, he wou ld have been better off in the belly of the great fish .•
Pierre Gilbert is associate professor of Old Testament studies at MB Biblical Seminary and Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Man.
o rff om
"1 will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts" (Psalm 119:45).
the movie "Braveheart" is one movie tells the story of the to subdue the Scottish people, raping and killing of innocent people
Scottish Revolution. After leading years Gibson's character is captured by the Eng8e)1ltence<1 to be drawn and quartered, a cruel as crucifixion As our hero is about the hangman tells him to renounce his save the Queen ," promising to have mercy on him in death. Gibson turns his head to speak. All pause, thinking he will give in Instead he screams, "Freedom!" It is a moment of human triumph
We identify with this character. Freedom is the ultimate human yeaming. Paul says "it is to freedom that Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1). Jesus tells us that he has come to "proclaim freedom for the prisoners" (Luke 4: 18) and that "if the Son sets you free , you will be free indeed" Oohn 8 :36). How we long to be free! The "Braveheart" character was clearly speaking of political freedom But of what sort of freedom are Jesus and Paul speaking? A greater bondage than any government could impose-slavery to sin and death Recently a friend who was a drug addict stayed with us Her life was misery as she fought daily to stay clean.
Truly, she longed for freedom from her addiction.
We tend to think of sin as acts committed by individuals that are wrong or in disobedience to God . While this is true, in
Celebration of Discipline
Richard Foster points out that sin is a "condition that
plagues the human race sin is part of the internal structure of our lives " Sin is the widespread condition of the human race that alienates us from God Sin is being subject to the powers and principalities in the world
We often think of the powers and principalities as individual demons that cause havoc in our world. We presume they operate like the demons of Hollywood , inhabiting us, until they are exorcised. But this picture limits Satan's power
SCripture describes many powers. When Jesus was in the desert, Satan tempted him with power, prestige or fame and physical comforts. In Revelation John speaks of the powers of darkness as the Roman Empire While the Roman Empire ,is gone, John's description of what the political powers do in our world remains true. The list also includes money, racism , sexism, nationalism, individualism and even religion . What does the Bible say concerning sin and the powers of darkness that rule our world? In Eph. 6: 12 , Paul speaks of our struggle as not being against "ftesh and blood"- the evil people of this world- but against the ones who rule-"the powers of this dark world'\,and "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." He charges Christians to stand firm against "the devil's schemes " MB Biblical Seminary faculty member Mark Baker says, "Paul's readers would have understood 'rulers and powers ' to refer to heavenly beings that controlled and/or embodied earthly rulers or governments. Most people saw heavenly powers as controlling not only their corporate lives, but also their individual lives (see Rom 8:38; 1 Cor. 15 :24; Eph . 1:21 , 6 :12; Col. 1:16.)"
The scientific mind-set of the 20th century has tried to discount the validity of such forces. Even in the church, we forget or underplay the activity of evil in our community. Most Christians describe their encounters with powers and principalities as battles with unseen forces that swoop in, making cars stall when one is traveling to Bible study or as little creatures that sit on a shoulder tempting us to sleep in Sunday mornings.
Evil is not discounted in modem churches. Rather, how we interact with evil is misunderstood and misrepresented We do not see how the principalities take on images, ideologies or institutions. And our failure to
by Danette Baltzer
,understand and recognize the powers of darkness as both corporate and individual cause us to be subject to them without realizing what they are.
There are many ways that the powers are active in our culture, but most telling is the influence they have in our churches. A popular trend for measuring the spiritual maturity of a congregation is counting how many people attend worship services and other activities. There seems to be a misgliided notion that if we are growing in the Spirit our numbers will increase. This attitude is a cultural rather than a biblical value.
Jesus' followers are rarely numbered other than to identify who is present-the 12 disciples-or to identify sigilificant miracles-the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus was not after numbers. He was after mature believers who could stand when testing came: when their families rejected them, when they were persecuted and killed for their faith. When the powers of darkness attacked them.
Another way we measure spiritual success is in terms of how often we read the Bible or have quiet time. While I certainly do not criticize reading Scripture, I do propose that reading is simply not enough. If we read Scripture daily, then go off in search of the great god money, how spiritual can we be? If our churches "recruit" wealthy people while ignoring or merely tolerating the poor, how mature are we? If church business meetings are concerned with budgets that are not met rather than ministering effectively with what we have, how are we modeling Christ?
We, individually and corporately; are still mired in sin when we fail to recognize that Satan loves nothing more than to enslave us in the very powers that Jesus died to defeat. We as a community of believers ought to have as our goal the freedom that Christ spoke of
How do we do that? The road to freedom is not easy.
Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith
Article 4:
Sin and Evil
Sin and its consequences
Roland
Among other things, it requires recognizing that we are enslaved by money, fame or materialism and then resisting the power that it has over us. Not long ago I recognized that I was enslaved by money. I am not wealthy nor do I want to be, but I was so concerned over meeting our daily financial needs that it affected my marriage and made tithing painful rather than an act of worship
In order to combat this power, I did several things. I began giving money to homeless people on street corners. I doubt if my dollar changed their lives significantly; but it changed the way I held onto my money. I began tithing before I bought groceries or paid bills. The tithe was based on giving a little more than I thought I could afford rather than a percentage. I also included giving to an impoverished child to remind me monthly that there is hardship and hunger in the world.
These are small changes, but they have changed my heart. We recently went through one of the most difficult financial periods of our lives. I found that the stress of the bills and creditors had little effect on my daily well-being. The battle is not over, but I see the prize and I continue to strive toward that day when I will live as Christ did when he shrugged off the physical cares of this world saying he had "food that you know nothing about" Oohn 4:32).
We are called to freedom. Not to a random abandonment or to doing whatever we want, but to be people who have been freed from the powers of darkness and who live as such .•
Danette Baltzer Roland lives with her family in Denver, Colo. The Rolands are members of Garden Park Church where Danette is active in leading worship. She is a student at Denver Seminary, majoring in biblical studies with an emphasis in Old Testament.
We believe that the first humans yielded to the tempter and fell into sin. Since then, all people disobey God and choose to sin, falling short of the glory of God . As a result, sin and evil have gained a hold in the world, disrupting God!s purposes for the created order and alienating humans from God and thus from creation, each other and themselves Human sinfulness results in physical and spiritual death Because all have sinned, all face eternal separation from God '
PrinclpaHtiesandpoweN
Sin is a power that enslaves humanity. Satan, the adversary; seeks to rule creation and uses sin to corrupt human nature with pride and selfishness . In sin, people tum from God, exchanging the truth about God for a lie, worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator Sin opens individuals and groups to the bondage of demonic principalities and powers These powers also work through political, economic, social and even religious systems to tum people away from holiness, justice and righteousness , Whether in word, deed, thought or attitude, all humans are under the domination of sin and, on their own, are unable to overcome its power Gen. 3; Gen . 6 :11-12; Psalm 14:1-3; 36 :1-4 ; 52:1 -7; 58 :1-5,82; lsa . 53 :6; Ezek. 16 :49-50; Amos 2:4-8; Mark 7:20-23; John 8 :34,44; Rom . 1:21 -32; 3:9-18, 23; 5:1214;18-19; 6 :23; Gal 5:19-21 ; Eph 2:1-3; 6 : 12 ; 1 Peter 5:8-9 ; 1 John 1:8-10; Rev 12 :9
In 19!55 a young Billy Graham published a small book Called Seven Deadly Sins. He argued that putmilder labels on sin was like calling a bottle of poison candy. The milder the label, the deadlier the
Now almost 50 years later, the seven deadly sins are still poisoning the soul but at an increasing rate. And like the sloW degeneration of our atmosphere from daily !nPUts of carbon monoxide, the slow degeneration of our soul's life .results .&om daily inputs of small but deadly & messages we have mislabeled as "mostly hatm.less "
__ for instance, that annoyinsJnwsion to your e-mail called SPam I receive1lbout tOO pieces of Spam per week. My initial reaction is to get angry at inconsiderate invaders and then simply d¢lete the messagest But why is Spam such big busfness?What isit sit in front of their computers that them vulnerable to these otrers?You 'WOuld th!'iUlat people are smart enough not to reply and etreiltUally Spamproduction would become like New'Coke-abriefmemory.
p ut people are not that smart. I heard 1. V. Thotnas sar dlat percent of Canadians do not think that they are define sin as committing some serious crime J.ikt! And in comparison to murder, we suppose tha,t Spam is an inconvenience at best. But here is the !l)1'Oblem 1bo many of us tend to think of battles with sin as direct power encountets with demons And while there is truth to this idea, we need remJndets to become more watchful and alert to the subde attacks on the soul These attacks are more common and more deadly to the life of the soul than we might think.
What does something as seemingly innocent as Spam have to do with battles for the soul? C. S Lewis commented, "The safest road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfOOt, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts "
10 the 5th century a Christian poet named Prudentius wrof!:,lJattlefor the Soul, an allegory that became immensely popular in the Middle Ages . He wrote the poem during a time with similarities to ours . For 300 years after Christ, early Christians faced opposition from the Greco}taman culture . Whether it was simply pressure to conform or outright persecution, many Christians knew that they were in the world but not of the world When the persecutions ended and Christianity became culturally acceptable, monastics continued to battle on the spiritual level.
Early monastics believed that followers of Christ must overcome the subtle battles for the soul through discernment, watchfulness and prayer They developed this mindset as Christians in the Roman Empire experienced peace and prosperity for the first time Their peaceful world ended in AD 476 But in this time of transition, the awareness and labeling of sins became an art form .
How does a Christian wage war in a time of peace and prosperity? In his allegory Prudentius created a dramatic picture of the seven enemies that sought to destroy the Christian 's soul. These enemies were depicted as attractive feminine characters fighting and deceiving the soul. The vices were frequently renamed and revised to what eventually would become the Seven Deadly Sins. Looking at my recent delivery of Spam, I discovered the old sins are still taking attractive forms. Many vices overlapped and so the total is more than 100 percent. That's the enemy's old math The Seven Deadly Sins :
1 Pride-the feeling of superiority and excessive belief in our own ability. Considered the worst of all sins, pride seeks to place the self above God Pride Spam accounted for 27 percent of messages with appeals to Rolex watches and whiter teeth .
2 Aoger-tbe feeling of wrath potentially leading to violence . Anger desires quick satisfaction but leaves regret and brokenness Anger Spam accounted for a mere 5 percent of messages including software that apparently stops Spam
3. Lust- the desire for physical and sexual pleasure. Lust Spam accounted for 50 percent of messages including numerous hardcore, confidential and personal sites along with performance enhancing drugs .
4 Greed- the desire for material gain Discount dgaretteS, free cable 1V and free vacations are a few of the examples Greed Spam accounted for 100 percent of messa,ges because none assumes that we are content.
5. Gluttony- the obsessive desire for food . Overindulgence is tile softest weapon of the enemy. Gluttony Spam accounted for 21percent of messages including dietary pills and growth hormones .
6. Jia'vy--the desire to possess what others have . Envy displays sadness at4.t}Other's fortune or happiness at another's misforturte Envy accounted for 30 percent of messages oft.ett.remiOOing us that bigger is better
7. and spiritual apathy. Sloth Spam accounted for 20 percent of messages looking for quick debt reduction schemes to the .recreational possibilities of the world's smallest cameras
The products and the fonns of communication have changed since the 5th century. But the seven enemies are attracting smart ones with computers. Billy Graham tells the story of a minister who spoke against sin one Sunday morning. A member came to him and complained. ''We don't want you to talk so plainly about sin because if our boys and girls hear you mention it, they will more easily become sinners." Unfortunately, it is not just boys and girls who fall into sin.
Three years ago Christianity Today surveyed its readers. The responses of these intelligent people were troubling. At least 33 percent of clergy and 36 percent of laity had visited sexually explicit web sites . A total of 18 percent or one in six clergy were visiting sexually explicit web sites between a couple of times per month and up to once a week. The statistics for laity were quite similar.
The apostle John believed that freedom from sin occurs when the darkness is exposed to the light. 1 John 1:5-9 says, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. H we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another; and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not.in us. Ifwe confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Many of us are aware of people entrapped by these attractive sins A person spends several thousand dollars in one day buying needless stuff on Ebay. A lonely person spends hours in chat rooms and eventually has an affilir with a stranger. A worker wastes hours surfing the net for nothing in particular. An entertainment lover downloads huge amounts of "free" music and video for personal enjoyment.
With one click, the battle for our affections is on. What or who do we love more than God? As our 5th century poet says, "For the flesh that was formed of clay bears down upon the spirit, but again the spirit that issued from the pure breath of God is hot within the dark prison-house of the heart, and even in its close bondage rejects the body's ruth." Ordinary life is a battle of flesh and spirit.
If we accept the reality of the battle, then the enemies of the soul must have their heroic counterparts. Who are the heroes doing battle on behalf of the Christian 's soul? Prudentius believed that the Spirit's work in the heart called forth godly sentiments or virtues to overcome the evil ones.
by Terry Hiebert
The seven heroic virtues gaining the victory were humility over pride, patience over anger, chastity over lust , generosity over greed, abstinence over gluttony, kindness over envy and diligence over sloth
But these virtues are not enough. Repeatedly, the New Testament calls for wakefulness and alertness. The image comes from the story of Jesus in Gethsemane. He is praying in an hour of great spiritual battle, while his disciples are sleeping (Matt. 26:41). Several times Jesus calls them to wake up to the seriousness of the situation.
1 Peter 5:8-9 continues this theme, "Be self-controlled (clearheaded, pay attention, Low German paus oPP) and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing .firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
Peter urges Christians to start paying attention, to be clearheaded, self -controlled and alert as the end of the age draws near. 1\vo situations require this stance . First, the coming of Christ will bring reward to the faithful and punishment to the unprepared. God's judgment will be upon the losers of the battles in the soul. Second, the testing of faith through inner battles or outer pressures requires clarity. Peter mentions clearheadedness as a presence of mind while being threatened by mental confusion and disturbing passions. He is picturing disciplined guards on alert, maintaining their watch, without distraction , obeying the call of their master until he calls or comes.
The battles of the soul come from ordinary sources in life that we often ignore. One counselor remarked, "People only change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing." In many cases we live in peace and prosperity; and the pain of change becomes too great. That is precisely the time for clarity and alertness.
Knowing that the battle rages on between the flesh and the spirit, our ancient Christian poet looks to God in faith. He sees the battle between darkness and light continuing on, and Christ our God coming to our aid, changing our character into his image and out of the soul's trials, building his temple in the center of our hearts
Therein lies the healing and restoring potential of the church 's ministry to people in the midst of their battles of the soul. The clearheaded poet looks beyond present attacks on his soul to the joy awaiting those who overcome. "How often, when the plaguing sins have been driven away, have we felt our soul aglow with the presence of God." •
Terry Hiebert, is professor of theology and general studies at Steinbach Bible College. Ibis amclefirst appeared in The Messenger, the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference.
Dr. Hiebert adds this note: "/ recently installed free antispam software on Outlook 2000 from Spambayes Ibe software learns what you count as Spam and classifies it for deletion. My inbox no longer contains spam. Unfortunately, no such simple solutions are in sight for the soul "
n unusual requestennon at th wedding. Why would never married to speak at their weddi What could a single person possibly have uple at their wedding?
This where Christiani l shows itself to be a very - doL religion indeed, and am in good company. We community bases its sexual ethic on the writing of a e e apostle Paul. Was Paul out of his league when he spoke on the topic of marriage? Why wouldn't Peter, who we know to have been married, be the one to write the most on this topic?
To reconcile Paul as the most prominent author on sexual ethics and marriage, you have to understand Paul's view of marriage. Our society's understanding of marriage is profoundly different from Paul's. Marriage in our society has become a commodity. It is something to be had. In a society where we are isolated and alienated, marriage has become a device to fill the void individualism created . We are a very lonely people and we wait for our Prince Charming to come and sweep us off our feet or to stumble upon our Cinderella. We find our true love and live happily ever after.
That is until we decide that the one we found wasn't at all what we believed them to be and we cast them off for a newer and sleeker model. Marriage is stiJl spoken of as for life, but we are not nearly so naive as to think that it will be. We have contingency plans. Failed marriage is almost an expectation in our society. As a result, Singleness is on the rise. In 1970 here in Canada, 55 percent of men between the ages of 20 and 24 had never been married; in 1994 that number was up to 81 percent. For males between the ages of 40 and 44 who had never married, the number went from six percent in 1970 to 13 percent in 1994, more than double. The numbers follow a similar pattern among females. Across the board there is a growing hesitation towards marriage.
We live in a confused society, a society that both fears commitment and suffers from alienation and loneliness. If I can find someone to marry I will no longer be lonely, we think. But if I do get married it won't work out anyway, so why bother committing to an anachronistic concept like marriage in the first place? The number of couples simply living together rather than marrying has jumped in the U.S. from 523,000 in 1970 to 3,661,000 in 1994. This is an astronomical jump and this trend does not seem to be reversing.
by Tom Friesen
So what would possess a couple to marry in our day? Many Christians still marry without contingency plans. No prenuptial agreements and an honest belief that it will be for life. A Christian marriage is a very strange act in our society. What gives Christians this boldness? Is it an
intense naivety that allows them to enter marriage with the belief that it will be for life? Perhaps. But as a close friend of several couples, I can say with conviction that their marriages will be for life. How can I be sure? Because they were married in a church? Because they are both Christians? No . I am sure because as their friend, I know their marriages are Christian marriages in the truest sense of that word
When the apostle Paul thinks of marriage he thinks of it in the context of a Christian community. That is very different than two people simply joining with the hope of spending their lives together. Community is an ethic that has always been key for the Mennonite church and I believe it is one that needs to be stressed in our day more than ever. Marriage in our society has become a commodity that is used to serve one's own end, to find fulfilment and happiness. This however does not fit the Christian worldview for to be Christian is to be in community. There can be no such thing as "one's own end" or an autonomous self.
To be Christian is not simply to know God. It is also to know and be one with the people of God. This is what it means to be a Christian as understood by Paul and the early church. This is what Christ has called us to This is why a single man can speak about marriage: marriage in a Christian context is a communal event. Marriage involves me . It involves the whole Christian community. It especially involves those Christians who make up the couple's local community. The church in which they choose to fellowship, their close friends who are Christians and their family members who are Christians are their immediate community. These individuals are involved in a very profound way in a couple's marriage .
How? The Christian community is called to nurture, encourage and build up the couple. They are called to be there at the most difficult times. It is the community's duty to support the couple in prayer, in times of financial need and emotionally. When the couple in such a community says "I do," the community says, ''We do. We will be there for you'"
This may not be the typical, current treatment of marriage in our churches, but this is to what we oUght to call ourselves. Marriages should be our responsibility. If a marriage fails, then we have failed. We will have let the couple down, and we will have failed to fulfil our duty as their covenant community. If I am part of a couple's community, then I am responsible in aiding them to maintain their marriage vows That is my responsibility to them.
This is the responsibility of the community to the couple, but what does marriage mean for the couple themselves? What is its point? Why would they marry? It may help to consider another question-why remain single?
Our society holds singleness as a safe haven. It means to be free of commitment. It means you're not tied down to anyone. You can come and go as you please. Once again when we Christians start to actually follow the ethic set up by Christ and elaborated by the apostle Paul, we start sounding really strange. The Christian doesn't view singleness as a curse because we're destined to be alone. We're not; we have a community that surrounds us. The Christian doesn't view singleness as a safe haven free of commitment. Much the opposite is true. To remain single is a gift of God because one can be of greater service to God and the church. In a sense, rather than being a state of freedom, singleness is a state of even greater commitment. To be single is to be tied down, tied down to a life of service to the church. That's why one remains single. So then why marry? As Christians we hold that sex is only acceptable in the context of marriage. Clearly not all people can remain single with an ethic like that. Marriage, however, in the Christian context is not an outlet for sexual frustration. Rather, to marry in a Christian context is also viewed as a gift of God.
God places someone in our lives to whom we commit our entire being. Marriage then is also an act of service. And here is where marriage, in the words of Stanley Hauerwas is, "the ultimate act of subversion." In Christian marriage a man and a woman do the unthinkable: They declare, in a society where nothing is forever and commitment is a swear word, that they commit themselves to each other for life. This is possible because in a truly Christian marriage, the spouse is not viewed first and foremost as your choice for yourself: but rather as God's choice for you. Each spouse views the other as a blessing and gift from God. This is why marriage ought not to be entered lightly. One who considers marriage ought to ask God for guidance, but they ought also ask the opinion of their community. What a strange concept asking others if marrying someone is a good idea. These all attack our society's structure: that I am a free agent who can do whatever I wish. Marriage is the ultimate act of self-denunciation . In Christian marriage a man and a woman place their own needs as secondary to those of their spouse. To marry means that we commit ourselves to not meeting our own needs, but rather the needs of the other. It is then the ultimate portrait of what ought to already happen in the community of God. We submit ourselves to someone else. A husband commits to loving and serving his wife and so she too commits to lOving and serving him And on top of that, marriage is an act within the context of the community. A couple asks the community
to aid them in discerning the will of God for them. They ask for the blessing of the community, that this is God's will for their life and not simply them follOwing their own passions. This is why the question to the congregation is asked in marriage ceremony, "Does anyone object?" This is a question asked to ensure that the community supports the couple's choice for one another. In doing so, not only does the community commit themselves to the couple, but the couple, in seeing their marriage as a gift from God, commit themselves and their household to the community.
This couple, in receiving each other as a gift from God, in turn uses that gift in serving the community. like the single person who understands his singleness as a gift to be used for God and the church, so too the married couple understands their marriage and household as a gift to God and the church. In marriage a couple commits to serving one another first and foremost and meeting each other's needs, but from there they use their marriage as a gift of service given to God and the church.
Christian marriage then is a subversive act that undermines our society's notion of the person as a "free agent." It is an act done within the context of a community, for to be Christian means to be in community. Let this always be our vision of marriage and church as Mennonite Brethren.
Christian marriage is also subversive in that it declares a couple to be bound to one another for life. This is done not because one has found the ideal partner, the Cinderella or Prince Charming. Rather, it is done with the realization that there is no such thing as the ideal partner as society understands the concept. Christian marriages are grounded in the knowledge that humans are far from ideal The reason a Christian marriage can possibly succeed is because of this knowledge.
Because Christians realize they are far from perfect, they ground their marriage in the fact that things will not always be wonderful. Indeed worse will come with the better, poorer may indeed be one's lot rather than richness and sickness is a distinct possibility. In those times however, Christian couples should have a community that they can lean on for comfort and strength and a God that walks with them through the pain It is within this context that such a scandalous and subversive act as marriage can make it in our day and age . •
Tom Friesen is the youth pastor at Scott Street MB Church in St. Catharlnes, Ont. This article is adapted from a sermon he gave May 9, 2003 at the wedding of Mike Klassen and Lauren Schiebel and is also being published in the Feb. 6 issue of the MB Herald.
A seasonable truth
BY GLEN E. QUIRING
REASON IS BUT ONE WAY of knowing.
I am reminded of this everyday as I commute to work. In the long straight roads of the central valley of California I see pink and white blossoms erupting against the black gnarled stumps of the fruit trees. Very soon these old craggy branches of old peach trees and gnarled grapevines will hide their age as they sprout iridescent green foliage. I know spring is coming. But I know it's coming not simply because it's reasonable-there are four seasons and winter is mostly past so spring is on the way. Rather, I see the visual cues everyday and I know spring has sprung. Newness of life is on the way. In a story from the Early Church, Peter relearns what it means to be part of God's people While he was praying, Peter receives a vision on the rooftop of a friend's house. In this vision a sheet comes down from heaven with animals of all kind sprawled on it. Peter hears a voice tell him to take, kill and eat. But Peter refuses because according to ancient Israelite law the animals are forbidden . These animals are "unclean. " The sheet appears three times and finally a voice from heaven exclaims, ''What I have made clean, do not call unclean. "
Peter heard the voice but didn't comprehend the truth Personally, I find that incredible, or at least very curious. Peter, like a few others, was close to Jesus and watched firsthand as Jesus loved the unlovable. Peter heard Jesus preach the royal law of love But Peter also knew his religious tradition well. He shared in the
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collective consciousness of the Israelites. He could reason clearly that God was calling the Israelites to fulfill their calling as a chosen people of God. Personally, I think this is why we find Peter in a flurry of postresurrection activity: he preaches, does miracles and baptizes diverse groups of people in diverse places . And yet, despite this passionate miSSionary impulse, Peter didn't know that in God's heart all people are related to God's self. It seems that Peter was simply being too reasonable.
The story of Peter's revelation on that rooftop vision isn't new to me. But for many years, I simply assumed that it was Peter's vision of the sheet that paved the way for Peter to hear something new about his religion. Further, I assumed that this short interlude, this short story in the Bible, confirmed a popular myth that our behavior follows our patterns of thinking. This line of thinking suggests that humans first think and then act.
Peter-whom I always expect to do the unexpected--confirms for me that knowing the truth is not solely about reason. That is to say, that knowing the truth doesn't rely Simply and exclusively on our cognitive abilities Sure Peter eventually uncovers the riddle of the vision. But the truth-the reality of inclusion wherein God includes every single person into relationship-doesn't by necessity proceed from Peter's mind to reality; from his thought to experience After all, so the story goes, Peter was puzzled by the vision. He didn't understand what the vision meant.
Enter, stage left, Cornelius. Peter finds himself in the presence of people for whom it was forbidden to him to associate. It is only when Cornelius becomes part of the story that Peter's vision has any meaning. It was only when Peter allowed the visual cues of the season to impact his perception, that he experienced the truth
and the depth of God's love. Only when he is standing in the presence of "unclean" persons does he understand whom God is for. "Ab ha," says Peter, "Now I know God is for everyone!"
Seasonable truths have now become my constant companion. My grandfather died just a few days before celebrating Thanksgiving. Kirt Quiring was in his 90s when he passed into death at Palm Village in Reedley, Calif As I grieved, I began to recognize cues of this season. Kirt Quiring spent many years as provider, prayer, encourager and suffering servant. Now this diSciple of Jesus was ready to enter a new season of life wherein he would live life in its fullest expression . Life after death is not reasonable. However for me and for my family it is a seasonable truth expressing itself in its proper time.
Truth can be, and very often is, reasonable . But very often, the truth is simply seasonable and, more to the point I think, right under our noses. Peter's vision is no more important to this story than is his newfound willingness to recognize the importance of others as people of God. See the signs. Watch for the cues of the season because the truth isn't always reasonable. Like the blossoms in springtime, sometimes the truth is right under our nose.
Glen E. Quiring lives in Reedley, Calif , and is a member of Reedley MB Church. He graduated last year from MB Biblical Seminary and is currently serving with MBMS International, the global mission agency of North American MB churches, and as a Fresno Pacific University adjunct faculty member.
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questions about faith Be life
QWhat should they do with Saddam Hussein? (California)
AIt was a pleasant evening. I was in
the midst of devouring a piece of delicious lemon cream pie, when one of my best friends across the table said, "Marvin, what do you think they should do with Saddam Hussein?" He raised the question because we had had frequent conversations about the war in Iraq through the months before and during the war.
I confessed quickly that I didn't know what should be done but that it probably should be left to the Iraqi people, with some help from international agencies, to try him and impose the penalty. After a slight pause I suggested that I wasn't very happy with the manner in which President Bush had verbalized his feelings about the capture of this cruel leader. That broUght an immediate and almost irate response from everyone else at the table. "What was wrong with what he said? Didn't he speak the truth?"
I assured my friends that I was happy that Saddam had been found and that I hoped he would receive the punishment that was proper for his crimes. I went on to say that I had thoughts of terrible punishment for Saddam but that I recognized those thoughts as carnal. I then said that I thought the leader of our nation should be a bit more discreet with his words. I want my president to have a sense of decorum (good taste in speech) even when he speaks to or about an enemy. President Bush treated Saddam like this wicked tyrant would have treat-
ed us-and I hoped we were a bit more civilized, let alone more Christian. To answer "good riddance" to Saddam's capture may be permissable when Private Citizen George W. Bush speaks on his ranch with close friends and in the absence of news reporters. But when he speaks as PreSident, whether he is Democrat or Republican, Christian or nonChristian, I want him at least to show respect to Jhe man's humanness, even though he has not earned it.
I thought later about what I had said. Is it really Christian to wish even the worst of humans the worst of punishment? Is there not a sense in whi<;h we as Christians acknowledge that this cruel monarch neVertheles!O is made in the image of God (tremendously fallen) and is a candidate for conversion? I confess my faith in that happening is rather weak, but is Saddam not a sinner in need of salvation? Can he, or anyone, be so evil and wicked that he no longer stands as a potential child of God and the object of our prayers?
Methinks I hear the voice of a New Testament man of God, who was first a murderer, calling himself the "chief of sinners " Paul had put innocent people , even Christians, to death. No, admittedly, not tens of thousands of them like Saddam but I doubt that God goes entirely by arithmetic. Methinks I may even hear the voice of one who was reviled but reviled not in return, asking his followers to walk in his ways. Perhaps it is too much to ask a national, political head of state to act in this manner, but surely those who follow the Prince of Peace should listen carefully.
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to ''Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710
QIs someone looking over my e-mail shoulder? (California)
AThis time it is I who asks the
question. Here's how it happened. I had been having a pleasant e-mail conversation with a friend in another state on the issues surrounding the war in Iraq. I suggested I would be glad to send him a sermon I had preached in Reedley, Calif., before the start of the war. He said he would welcome that.
I went into my e-mail, attached the sermon to the e-mail, and promptly told the computer to "send." Imagine my surprise when there appeared a message for me
''Your message may cause offense. Your message to (name of sendee) regarding 'Sermon' is the sort of thing that might get your keyboard washed out with soap, if you get my drift."
The message was illustrated with three red flags and a warning signal. I asked my computer guru friend about this and he couldn't figure it out. It wasn't a one-time accident either. I've tried it since and the same result occurs each time. Have I don'e something terrible to Bill Gates at Macintosh or to Eudora or Netscape or Yahoo? Who's looking over my shoulder? I'm about to join the "conspiracy" theory crowd. Can someone help me?
BY CHUCK BULLER U.S. CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Pure and faultless religion
Caring for our family members is a way to put feet to our faith
WE EVANGELICAL TYPES HAVE been taught that "religion" is a dirty word. If I remember it once, I can remember it being said a thousand times: Christianity is not a religion but a relationship.
The theory goes that religion represents humanity reaching up for God while Christianity is God reaching down towards us. It's a thought that preaches particularly well at Christmas.
Yet there sits a word quite prominendy in James 1:26,27. Thrice in the span of two verses we are given simple advice about religion that is worthless and religion that "God accepts." James, the brother of our Lord, was a good Jewish Christian and not afraid to talk about Christianity as a religion in the best sense of the word. In his mind this was precisely because our false dichotomy of up versus down misses the point of Christ reaching out.
James' point was Simple. Faith without works is 0 E A D! No Greek exegesis required there. Just the facts, plain and Simple! Our faith must be multidimensional and multigenerational. While God reaches down and in, we are to reach out and lift up. Regardless of spiritual gifting, personality types, cultural milieu and denominational affiliation we are expected to obey God in this matter. Jesus modeled perfecdy what it means to be attentive simultaneously to the inner condition of our soul and the outward condition of our neighbors. This is the quintessential version of what it means to be religious in a biblical sense of the word.
Allow me an example to shine light on the way. As often as I am able, I visit my aging mother at Palm Village Nursing Home in Reedley, Calif. Believe me, she and I define quite differently how often a good Mennonite son should visit his
mother. Regardless, we do our best to meet somewhere in the middle between her highest hopes and my occasional appearances.
It dawned on me recently while driving away after a visit, back to my world of appointments, phone calls, budgets and sermons, that she would begin the slow countdoWn to my next visit. I again had to affirm the biblical truth that one of the most "spiritual acts of worship" I perform has nothing to do with music, preaching, evangelism or world mission. It happens quiedy, without much fanfare in those silent moments when I sit with a mom whose life slips more deeply into the recesses of her Parkinson's disease. I am sobered by the thought of the aposde Paul who says rather bluntly, "If a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion (there's that word again) into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God (1 Tim 5:4). Wow, pleasing God may not always be as complicated as we make it.
One of the reasons I enjoy being Mennonite Brethren has to do with this holistic aspect of the gospel. I have preached for nearly 20 years that the church is like a hospital in that it should provide every service from a birthing center (people getting saved), to an emergency room (ministry to the hurting) to a geriatric unit (caring for the aged).
In a literai sense of the term we Mennonite Brethren have attempted to practice "pure and fauldess religion" by helping our most aged members grow old with dignity in the midst of often declining health. And I must admit that until you have had a parent or loved one in need of this care, it is something that you can easily take for granted . I know I
sure did-until 1993 when I unloaded my mom's possessions at what I affectionately refer to as "the big house" in Reedley. Call it a decade of gaining a new perspective on my Christian life! To be sure, it is not a ministry for the timid. From rapidly changing laws that govern geriatric care to the enormous budget challenges of these institutions, this "true and undeffied religion" is being squeezed from all sides. Thankfully, most of us don't have to ,grapple with the systemic challenges of caring for the aged. We are simply asked by God to reach out to someone in our life that is growing older. Could be a parent, uncle or aunt, neighbor, former Sunday school teacher or friend.
Let me let you in on a secret. Sometimes when my prayer life seems flat, the Bible unopened and the worship service feels irrelevant, I know I need to jumpstart my inner life and I have found just the place to do so at the back side of my mother's wheel chair. I have found that Mom loves the fresh air and my soul gets filled to thanksgiving as I celebrate the simple gift of health, the joy of family and the presence of God in service to one of his aging children.
When I look at the landscape of Christianity American style I am often left to ponder what would Jesus do if God had chosen the 21st century for the incarnation instead of the first. I'm sure he did, it would have included a crucifixion and resurrection so that we could all know etemallife, and I am pretty sure he would have practiced "pure and fauldess religion" by teaching us to love our neighbor as ourselves regardless of age, status or race. That much will never change! So when was the last time you called your mother? •
BY PHILIP WIEBE
The "hot list"
What the. skould be doing seldom
AS I WRITE THIS EARLY IN 2004, it's the time of year when many "hot lists" are out, I've read articles about the top 10 movies of the year, for example, and "biggest" stories of 2003, Other lists include everything from "most popular celebrities" to "best-perfonrung mutual funds " Then there are the lists for the coming year, predicting a variety of potential trends and popular personalities
Many of these lists are fairly trivial One article I read stated in breathless tones that a particular actress had displaced a long-reigning woman at the top of a celebrity hot list. The article made it , sound quite monumental, though I must , admit it didn ' t cause a great deal of giddiness for me
I'm not sure why our culture seems more interested in the top 10 celebrities rather than, say, the most important medical breakthroughs. Breakthroughs certainly have more impact on real life But they're kind of boring, I guess, because they don't involve the beautiful people and extravagant lifestyles with which so many are enamored.
Technological hot lists garner a lot of interest, though, because so many new gadgets keep working their way into the mainstream. For instance I can now get a cell phone that plays games, takes photos and plays my favorite pop song for a ring tone It isn't clear to me why I'd want all these things on a phone, which is a device I've tended to use for talking to people But for items to make it on a hot list these days, they apparently have to have a lot of entertainment value .
This year I haven't seen any hot lists related to Christianity and the church, but if there were some , what would be
on them? Probably the newest music groups and books, the latest worship songs, the popular seminars and movements. Like most Americans, Christians seem to have a hearty appetite for the latest and greatest.
If I were to come up with my own hot list for the church this next year, though , it would probably be on the boring side. Because the things I've been thinking about aren't particularly new or trendy. They are merely what I believe the church should be doing every year. So here are four things I wish would be hot on churchgoer's lips, creating a buzz of excitement for the year.
1. Holistic worship. It may sound kind of New Age-ish, but the dictionary I looked in defines "holistic " as "concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than dissection into parts." Modem worship is often dissected into a particular part, meaning music style But worship of God involves much more than music. Many of the style controversies would go away if we Simply asked some bigger questions. Is our passion really for worshiping God , or merely for cultivating our personal tastes? Are we true worshipers or just worship spectators? How clearly does our worship connect with and witness to those God is still trying to reach in the world? How are we worshiping through our daily work and service? The questions could go on The point is, loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength reflects worship that involves our entire being.
2. Simple service . It's interesting how organized and strategized service and ministry have become in the church. We've gravitated toward large-scale programs . Certainly there is good in this, as we try to address big needs in the world.
But I wonder if the large view sometimes causes us to look past the opportunities right in front of us. We tend to think of Jesus ' washing his disciples' feet as a monumental act, and in many ways it was. But on one level it was just a simple act of daily service. Something the household servant usually did. Since no servant was present, Jesus took on that role and said his followers should do the same . It's good for believers to participate in global acts of service, but perhaps it's most Christlike to serve in simple, daily and ongoing ways.
3. Word keeping. It is disturbing that surveys indicate the majority oftoday's churchgoers rarely read the Bible. Maybe that's because we've come to prefer quick, easy concepts over things that take effort and study to digest and understand But ifwe don't know the Scriptures, we are in trouble . The only way we can be fruitful for the kingdom, Jesus said, is when our hearts are like "good soil." In such hearts the Word can take hold in a deep and life-changing way.
4. Different living. Studies keep showing that modem American Christians barely live differently than the culture around them. What kind of witness is that? If we aren't living in transfonned ways that run counter to the trite, trendseeking, materialistic ways around us, then nobody is really going to be interested in our message. People need a hope more secure than the fantastically false promises that continually are spewed all around us. Believers have the greatest hope of all. Perhaps-and here I speak to myself-we might try living by it. •
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Maria's thankful heart
I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET MARIA. She is a very special lady. Maria lives in the Mexican border town of Reynosa, just across the Rio Grande River from Pharr, Texas. She has two children and a husband, but he isn't around much. In her early 40's, Maria's big problem is that she is a diabetic and has epileptic seizures. Both of these conditions require expensive medication to keep her functioning. Her family has had to make a difficult choice between buying medicine for her or paying rent for a place to live. They couldn't afford both, so the family decided to buy the medicine and move in with some relatives. However, this arrangement soon became unsatisfactory.
Maria looked around for what else they might do. She had friends who lived in a nearby colonia, a poor man's shantytown. In Reynosa, a colonia is land that the local government sets aside for the poorest of the poor People can apply for the use of a small plot of land on which to make a home for themselves. They are then expected to find building materials and construct a house in which to live. From her friends, Maria heard about missionary Johnny Cox who is in the area and whose mission it is to build homes for people who can ' t do it for themselves.
She applied to the authorities for a small plot (approximately 20 feet by 50 feet) of land. The "mayor" of the colonia assigned one to her and asked Johnny for help in building a house for her.
The missionary's home church near Dallas started a fund drive to raise the $750 needed to buy materials for the home. In order to claim her land and not have it "stolen" by someone else , Maria went to the site every morning for over two months, put up a hammock between
the trees and sat there all day long dreaming of her new home.
Eventually, enough money was raised and the missionary built her a home. It is a modest, 12 foot by 16 foot one-room structure. Maria has very little furniture-just a double-sized mattress on the floor and a rickety table. She cooks and washes her dishes and laundry outside. There is no running water in the colonia so there is none in her home. Several strategically placed tanks along the road provide safe drinking water that she carries to her house. An outhouse in the back of her lot serves its designated purposes The house isn't completely finished yet. She still needs a good door. What she has now is a conglomeration of wooden slats that provide closure. The house has a dirt floor, but there are hopes to put in a cement one at a later date.
I had the privilege of visiting Maria in her new home this past Christmas Eve. I was down there with my husband and my sister's family on a mission trip. With a big smile she welcomed us and invited us into her home. I couldn't communicate with her very well since she speaks only Spanish and my skills in that language aren't as good as I would like them to be. The best she and I could do was to exchange a simple greeting and then we smiled a lot and used sign language.
When compared to some of the other "houses" we saw in the colonia, this house is a big improvement over what most of the other people live in. I sensed her excitement over the house that she had recently moved into She was so grateful for her new home. But as I entered it, I was dumbfounded by the poverty I saw there . How could someone
who had so little be so excited?
And then I thought of the first home we bought-a small, 1,000 square-foot cinder block house built on a cement slab-and how excited I was when we moved in. It was sparsely furnished with "early Sears" and garage sale finds. Our friends had much better homes and lived in a better part of town. They had more and better furniture but that didn't matter to me. What mattered was that it was ours and I felt like a queen. Remembering, I knew how Maria felt.
Standing in Maria's home, my thoughts went to my 1,800 square-foot home in Kansas and I was deeply humbled . I counted eight tables-not including end tables-that I have scattered throughout the house, each bigger and better than the one I saw at Maria's house. I have hot running water and a kitchen sink. My house has three bathrooms and a choice of bathtub or shower. I have a nice stove to cook on and use for baking. I have a refrigerator and a freezer. My towels, dishes and cooking utensils are adequate. I even have a washer and dryer to do my laundry. In spite of all this, here in America I don't feel that I am rich when I compare myself with people who have bigger homes and more things than I do. But after visiting Maria I know I am very rich . And I have to ask myself; I as thankful and content for what I have as Maria is for what she has? Or do I keep thinking that I need something more or newer or whatever?"
I went on this mission trip with the intention of giving to others. However, as is so often the case, I received much more than I gave •
Denver church dishes up eggs, bacon and neighborly love
Free Sunday breakfast for congregation also serves community
The line fOnDS under the "free breakfast" sign well before the breakfast officially begins. Inside, a few early comers chat over coffee. The kitchen bustles as the cook joyfully directs a massive undertaking-breakfast for 50 to 60 people. A doctor in an apron tends eggs on the stove. A gray-haired neighbor sets out muffins and then begins washing dishes. The air in the gym smells of bacon and coffee. On the menu today: scrambled eggs, bacon, muffins, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. Another Sunday; it might be French toast or breakfast burritos with homemade green chile.
The door opens at 8:45 a.m , the pas-
tor prays and the volunteer server takes his place filling the plates of church regulars, community members and homeless men and women. Each receives a smile and a joke. At the tables, a white-collar worker in a suit sits across from a man who's been on the streets too long. Neighbors greet each other. A church member passes out socks, collected by the children, to the homeless guests. Another greets them by name.
Welcome to Sunday morning breakfast at Garden Park Church in Denver, Colo.
A good ministry idea has become more than this small church imagined. Since its start in the summer of 2000, the breakfast has become an outreach to both
the community and the homeless population, and it has created one more "door" to this neighborhood church. Steve Johnson, one of the church's two part-time pastors, says that God has "taken the things that we've done-which were good-and made them better than they could ever have been the way we had originally planned."
Johnson says the idea for a Sunday morning breakfast began as a way to boost Sunday school attendance and reach out to the community. He admits, "We had no intention of having homeless people here for breakfast," but adds, "Here we are today a better church with a better outreach to people than we would've had otherwise."
Inviting the homeless came about as the church searched for financial help for the breakfast. Garden Park is a small church, with attendance of about 75, so funding a breakfast outreach was daunting.As they searched for grant money; first from the Southern District Conference and then from the inter-Mennonite agency Urban Ministries, they were encouraged to advertise their breakfast in an advocacy newspaper for Denver's homeless. Now the
church serves anywhere from a few to 20 homeless men and women each Sunday. The breakfast is free to all. In fact, Johnson says, the only way to make a donation would be through the church offering. That's intentional, so that members of the community will feel that it's truly free. The breakfast is funded primarily through a grant from MUM of about 53,500 per year. The church contributes about $1,000 annually out of its own budget.
Church member Helen Landers cooks the meals each Sunday. The church pays her a small wage, but it's clearly a labor of love for her She smiles as she directs the kitchen volunteers and explains Simply, "I like to cook and I like to watch them eat."
In a city with almost 10,000 homeless people, the breakfast isn't solving Denver's homeless problem. Nor is the purpose to buttonhole folks for evangelism. But those who come get a hot meal, and, because Sunday school begins in the comer before many are done eating, they do get a chance to hear the gospel before they leave. Pastor Glenn Balzer says, "The breakfast program is one of the ways in which Garden Park has chosen to respond to the call of the Gospel." He says that feeding their hungry neighbors is "getting to the heart of what Christ has called us to do."
Johnson says that church members have learned from and benefited from the breakfast in unexpected ways. "It gives us a chance to form relationships with people we would never otherwise meet." Johnson quotes an acquaintance who told him, "We've got to stop talking about poor people and start talking to poor people." He adds, "We do that here." It's a big difference. He says that when you talk about the poor, poverty is a problem to be solved. ''When you talk to poor people, you discover that underneath all of the grime and the alcohol and the scars is somebody that Christ died for."
Not that it's easy. ''You do get your hands literally dirty," Johnson says. He admits that it's sometimes difficult to shake hands with a man who's obviously
ill, or let someone who hasn't showered in recent memory ride in your car. But, he says, when you begin to view that person as someone Christ died for, you go that extra mile. The breakfast is only part of the larger outreach of the church, much of which hap-
pens in the same gym. The building houses a food and clothing bank known as Community Ministries and a counseling center. Once a month, the Neighborhood Association meets here. '!\vice a month, seniors from the community gather here for lunch. "Lots of really interesting things happen in this building besides the breakfast program, and all of them are interrelated to one another in many ways," Johnson says.
A Significant portion of Garden Park's community is seniors, many of whom have been in the church neighborhood for 30 years or more. Garden Park reaches out to this population with arlOther meal-a twice-monthly luncheon known as Neighborlinks.
Neighborlinks began in the mid-90s as "a program to reach the elderly in the community," according to Glen Givan, one of the ministry's founders. Givan and his wife , Berniece, have faithfully organized and shopped and cooked for the luncheon since its inception Anywhere from 40 to 60 seniors, mostly from the immediate
neighborhood, come the first and third 1Uesday of every month for a homecooked meal and a brief program on a topic of interest to seniors. Mostly, though, they come to visit with neighbors and meet new friends.
With Neighborlinks, as with the breakfast, the food and clothing bank and the Neighborhood Association meetings, numbers don't seem to be the goal. Rather, this is a neighborhood church willing to get their hands dirty, literally and figuratively, to get involved in their community.
According to Balzer, "We are called to make the kingdom of God a reality in our community-we are not called to build the I kingdom of Garden Park." Johnson says, , "We're rubbing shoulders with our neighbors that we might not otherwise meet , and that might ultimately lead to them recognizing the need for Christ in their lives. " But even if that doesn't happen, the I church's efforts are making the neighborr hood a better place. If that's all they I accomplish, Johnson says, "that would still I be a good thing " -By Myra Holmes I
Koinonia Quilt does battle
Globe-trotting handmade quilt rallies support and connects Mennonites
The Koinonia Quilt, begun in Africa in August 2003, is on a mission to do battle against HN/AIDS. It has already traveled to North America and Europe with more stops to come.
At Mennonite World Conference Assembly 14 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, more than 400 women, men and children from around the world hand-stitched fabric patches onto muslin squares. After the assembly, the nearly completed patchwork traveled to California. Women there sewed the last dozen blocks and Elaine Wiens of Reedley did the final machine quilting.
In late October, the finished quilt was displayed at an AIDS workshop in Fresno, which concluded with a dedication service
I Oct. 27. The next day, the quilt was off to Gennany with Peter Klassen for display in I the Mennonite church in Berlin. Then it , was on to the Mennonite church in Regensburg for an HN/AIDS awareness exhibition and workshops arranged by Denise Landes in November. Landes works with a group that raises funds for children living with AIDS in South Africa.
Workshop participants came from Catholic, Mennonite and Evangelical churches. Landes said the quilt served "as a powerful symbol of solidarity" and inspired youth, women and seniors to support those living with AIDS.
December 6, Brunhilde and Dankwart I Horsch carried the quilt to France for display in Mennonite churches there, begin-
ning with the Strasbourg Mennonite church. French Mennonites collected money this year for the HN/AIDS work of the Congolese Mennonites as their Christmas project.
The quilt returned to Gennany Jan. 18 for the worship service at the Weierhof Mennonite Church. It was one of a series of 2004 televised worship services in Germany on the theme of peace. Pastor Andrea Lange suggested that Weierhof was selected early in the new year since it is a historic peace church.
In February, the quilt returns to North America, this time to the east, beginning in Ontario, Canada. Plans for its ongoing saga, back to Africa and to other lands, are still developing.
"This is exactly the kind of thing I want to have happen with this quilt," says Pakisa lShimika, a Mennonite Brethren from Fresno, Calif, and an expert on HN/AIDS who works with MWC's Gift Sharing Program.
Months earlier, he and Sarah Adams were planningworkshops on HIV/AIDS for MWC'sAssembly 14 in Zimbabwe. If they gave information about the pandemic, Mennonites and Brethren in Christ would surely respond lavishly. It is one of the things they do best. But what kind of symbol would rally the masses?
A quilt! Not just any quilt, but "a global Anabaptist quilt," dreamed lShimika. It could begin as separate fabric scraps in Bulawayo, be transformed into one unit and travel the world. He tested his idea with Adams, a HN/AIDS program coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee.
"The quilt, for me, brings out the best in all those who make it and observe and contemplate the finished product. It can help one reflect deeply as well as providing space to express one's emotions," he says.
lShimika knew nothing about making a quilt, but he remembered a college classmate who did. He contacted Pauline Aguilar from Reedley who had designed and donated a quilt to raise funds for MCC's Generations at Risk (lIN/AIDS) project. Aguilar grabbed the global quilt idea and ran with it. She arrived in Bulawayo loaded with fabric bought in California and solicited from people from India, Brazil, Indonesia and African countries. How big would this quilt be? She didn't know, but she trusted many people would show up to sew the patches she was cutting.
They did. Some had never sewn before; many didn't understand the concept of quilt making. Others thought it was a class to learn how to use up fabric scraps. They stitched the tiny pieces together, often adding their name, the name of an AIDS victim or a special message.
On the first day, they completed 125 blocks. On the fourth and last day, finished squares totaled 258. By then, a sense of community had developed as those stitching learned to know each other by name.
"It's a true celebration of unity in diversity," says Aguilar. "Each block is unique, but the variations of size and stitching don't stop the flow of connection and unity." Hence the name, "Koinonia Quilt."
lShimika hopes the travels of the qUilt will be selffinancing, will connect churches and people involved with HIY/AIDS programs and will raise funds for the struggle against HIY/AIDS such as MCC's Generations at Risk project.
Requests for the quilt can be addressed to MWC's California office (PakisalShimika@mwc-cmm org), which will organize the Koinona Quilt's travels.MWCnews service
Fierce Goodbye Living in the Shadow of Suicide
What does the Bible say on the topic of suicide? What does it not say? G. lloyd Carr began to ask these questions after a daughter-in-law died by suicide. He embarked on a thorough canvassing of the scriptures and church history on this topic, which helped him on his grief journey. Gwendolyn C. Carr found solace in writing out her responses and thoughts in mOving, sensitive poetry. Their combined efforts meld the pain and poignancy of the devastating experience of a family member's suicide. This book is first and foremost a penetrating account of a family dealing with suicide, and offers solid guidance for those who worry about the eternal fate of a loved one. It also provides a reliable and readable summary of Christian thinking about suicide, useful for pastors, counselors, students and teachers. Paper, 168 pages, 0-8361-9267-2: $10.99
dodO", nurses, chaplains, social woriers and boarcMstaff leaders of health amfl\uman ministries are gathering for:
new rdtlas that integrate faith and work
Ukrainian traveling medical clinic ministers to body and soul
"TVolunteers offer free' care but say sharing God's love is more important
his is my 64th trip," says Anna Nemchina in a van traveling alongside the rolling sunflower fields of Ukraine. "I started six years ago and still go almost every month."
The elderly Nemchina, a retired nurse-midwife, joined five other medical professionals on this weekend in late July to head to the small city of Merefa in northeastern Ukraine. At the invitation of a Gypsy Evangelical Christian Church there, the group of Christian volunteers
came to do the work of healing body and soul.
About once a month, the Christian Medical Association of Zaporozhye oblast (province) travels to area church locations to prOvide a day or two of free medical care for anyone who wishes to come. They work in cooperation with local churches and village authorities, sometimes setting up shop in a village first-aid station or even council offices, or in a local church.
In 2002, these volunteer Christian doctors, dentists and other medical profes-
sionals gave consultations and dispensed medicine to approximately 6,000 patients through clinics and at their drop-in center in Zaporozhye.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, medical care has deteriorated in many places. Hospitals and clinics, especially those that are far from major urban centers, do not always have the resources they need to care for the people who depend on them. In addition, infrequent and expensive transportation can make it difficult for patients to get care.
Since 1998 Mennonite Central Committee, the service and peace agency of North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches, has helped sponsor the free, traveling clinic. But when it first started, the doctors paid for the trips out of their own pockets Even now, many take personal vacation days from their full-time jobs to volunteer. Several doctors also volunteer monthly or weekly with a similar group centered in Molochansk, a former Mennonite village of Halbstadt in Molotchna Colony.
In these brief trips, doctors cannot offer the more extensive care that many people need, but they can make referrals, offer advice and perform basic procedures , such as extracting teeth. Significandy, they are able to offer friendly attention and spiritual support, not only to patients, but to the churches that host their visits.
In Merefa, the home of "God's Way" congregation, is an aged and ailing building. It has been transformed into a church with a large meeting room which doubles
as a sanctuary and dining hall, several Sunday school rooms and a kitchen.
Inside, the five-woman medical team briskly created a clinic of sorts, complete with consultation rooms and a pharmacy. Outside, 10 to 15 members of the church sat in a circle with guitars and an accordian, singing folksy hymns in rich harmony. A short distance away, a steaming tea ketde promised more fellowship over tea.
It was a reunion of friends and family, for a small group from God's Way's sister church in Zaporozhye had come along on the trip. The young adults, who have few peers in the Gypsy Christian community, spent hours in conversation-listening to each other's stories about coming to Christ and sharing joys and struggles of their faith journey.
Several nonchurch members also trickled onto the churchyard the first afternoon, perhaps drawn by the music , or perhaps they had heard about the free clinic beforehand. One woman returned the second day with her young daughter, after
her son had been tenderly looked over by Irina Chernova, an ear, nose and throat specialist.
A spirit of compassion infuses Chernova's treatment of each patient she sees. "The consultations and medicine are not the most important part of these trips," she says. "Rather, it's the opportunity to demonstrate and share God's love, especially to nonbelievers."
This tangible act of Christian love is a powerful witness to many who have never before set foot in a church-especially in a society where kindly health care is a rare commodity.
For these reasons the pastor of God's Way, Nikolai Burlutsky, persistently invited the medical group to his church. Afterwards he gave thanks for the "kind witness that touched the soul of Christian and non-Christian alike. Through your service we saw thankfulness to God and His hands," he wrote to the volunteers, "and the healing of people's bodies and souls."-Elisabeth r Harder for MCC
Winter adds difficulties for traveling medical team
WITH WINTER SmlNG IN,
the nature of rural medical clinics changes somewhat, as Qemonstrated by a November 2003 trip by the voluntary Christian doctors to the tiny south-central Ukrainian village of Pyatihatki
Examination rooms and a pharmacy were set up in the small village council house and in its first-aid station, two rooms in the back of a decrepit community bUilding where a pair of nurse practitioners serve three area villages .
"The village council warned me that there's no light, no electricity, no heating," said the neighboring pastor who arranged the visit. "But they begged you to come anyway."
A coal stove in the entryway, together with many bodies
wrapped in winter coats , did keep the "clinic" passably warm However, by 4 p m no more light filtered through the windows, making it too dark to read prescriptions or find the right medications
The health care situation in Pyatihatki is typically grim Doctors from larger neighboring towns used to make village calls, but now people must make the trip to town themselves when emergency strikes, which can be difficult or impossible for patients with limited finances and poor health
So it was most unusual for patients to be examined by medical professionals , fre e of charge, right in their own village '!\vo general practitioners, a pediatrician, a gynecolOgist, a dentist and a pharmacist made
the trip from Zaporozhye, all volunteering their time and services out of Christian commitment. A total of 73 patients were seen, including two house calls after the clinic ended because of the dark. ''We didn't even know there were such kind, gentle doctors as yours," said an elderly babushka (grandmother) waiting to receive medicine With her was an even older babushka, who had three of her few remaining teeth pulled and several other ailments examined, yet was in high spirits She had walked 5 kilometers (3 . 1 miles) to get to the clinic and in the gathering twilight set out for the equally long and cold journey home
In the corridor around the coal stove, the medics ' van driver, Mark Gerasimenko, who
is also a pastor, spent much of the day visiting with waiting patients He also read from the New Thstament, answering questions about faith and Scripture . One woman asked what Jesus meant about " turning the other cheek. " After Mark read about loving one's enemies, she paused and then I responded, "But that's pretty difficult, isn't it "
yes ," said Mark "But we're not asked to do it without the Holy Spirit's help "
From seeds planted through this kind of personal contact and the medics' kind treatment, many a village church has emerged . While it's too soon to know what the results will be in Pyatihatki , a worship service and Bible study were set up for the following week. - Em
Anabaptists have a long tradition of pulling together in time of need. Whether it's helping disaster victims or pooling resources for mutual aid, working together for the common good is part of our heritage And it's one of the reasons MMA was founded almost 60 years ago
When you participate in MMA's Insurance, financial serviCes, and charitable gi vi ng programs, you are joining forces with other Christians who share your values. Through MMA, members help make educational programs available as well as grants for fellow church members in need. Plus, you can be sure any money invested with MMA products will be used to build a better world.
more information contact your local MMA representative, visit MMA-online (www.mma-online.org) or call (.) 348-7468.
AIJ products may not be available in every state.
AIMM transforms itself for the 21st century
MBMSI workers to continue serving with AIMM in joint projects
NOrth American Mennonite global mission work is changing-just ask any of the Anabaptist mission agency representatives from Canada and the u.s. that met late last month in Chicago for the annual gathering of the Council for International Ministries Manyagendes are experiendng financial shortfalls at a time when there are increased opportunities for cooperation in the global Mennonite community.
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission International is one North American agency that has wresded with how best to meet the demands of a changing time. Can a 90-yearold Mennonite mission agency re-create itself? Last year the AIMM International Governing Council answered that question with a resounding ''yes.''
At the 2003 semiannual meeting held in October, AIMM leaders agreed to radically reshape the agency to provide innovative and responsible leadership for Mennonite missions in the coming decades, says Dave Dyck, ofWmnipeg, Man., and the AIMM transition coordinator
MBMS International, the global mission agency of North American Mennonite Brethren churches, has been one of AIMM's six supporting partners and while MB workers will continue to serve with the interMennonite agency; MBMSI anticipates a new administrative relationship with the agency; says Harold Ens, MBMSI general director.
The new AIMM will be "unique with respect to the nature of partnership with African Mennonite conferences and perhaps also unique in the way AIMM will make involvement in mission accessible to local congregations in North America," says Dyck.
The process of transforming AIMM has been a careful and prayerful one that has spanned a period of years. It included indepth consultation with African Mennonite conferences as well as conversation with African indigenous churches relating to AIMM. Three key changes are seen "as of great significance by the church in Africa, "
saysDyck
• African Mennonite churches will be e qual partne rs AIMM will be changed from a North American mission agency to one that is a partnership between Mennonite churches of Africa and Mennonite churches of North America. This partnership will also welco me new partners from throughout the global Mennonite world.
• Decisions will b e made in Africa. Partnership councils will be put in place for each country in which mission activity takes place. These councils will have final decision making responsibility for the program in that country and will meet in the country of mission activity.
• Mission work will originate from Africa While the new AIMM will continue to facilitate mission in Africa, it will also facilitate mission from Africa to other parts of the world including North America. This will provide a vehicle for the growing commitment and capadty for mission in the African Mennonite conferences.
Churches in Canada and the u.s . will also be impacted by AIMM's transformation. Individual congregations in North America will be invited to partner directly in AIMM mission activities and decision making in the countries or regions fo r which the congregation has a particular interest. The new AIMM will also have reduced central staff and
The old AIMM was a partnership involving the mission arms of six North American Mennonite conferences/denominations, including MBMSI. The new AIMM presendy includes three of the six partners: Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Mission Network Other partners in the new AIMM will include at least three African Mennonite conferences and may include a European group.
The partners who have withdrawn from AIMM are MBMSI , Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference and Fellowship of Evangelical Churches. "It is qui te possible that one or mo re of the three, including MBMSI,
could very well partner in the 'new' AIMM within a year or two as they are able to recruit and fund personnel for work in Africa," says Dyck
MBMSI has altered financial partnership with AIMM, says Ens, but MBMSI will continue involvment in AIMM's multipartner as workers emerge. Ens goes on to explain the finandal side of the equation. For several of six partners, the old AIMM served as the partner's only ministry arm in Africa. But that was not the case for MBMSI. Currendy Nzash Lumeya is the MBMSI Africa program director and he works with a total of 21 Mennonite Brethren workers serving in six African countries. In addition to funding the cost of running Mennonite Brethren mission work ill these African countries, MBMSI also contributed to AIMM's administrative, program and worker expenses. Given MBMSl's current financial shortfall, paying for two Africa "desks" was no longer feasible, says Ens, and as ofJan 31, 2004, MBMSI is no longer supportingAIMM's administrative
But MBMSI will continue to partner with AIMM as the opportunity arises, says Ens. For example, MBMSI was part of a North American multiconference/agency church-planting effort in Burkino Faso. MBMSI personnel are currendy talking with a couple interested in working in that country in partnership with AIMM.
While the withdrawal of the three groups meant the "squeeze was on" for AIMM in terms of timing, the process for major change was initiated long before and involved issues other than funding Recruiting workers was a concern since AIMM, along with other Mennonite mission and service agendes, has had difficulty in recent years securing long-term personnel for international placement. The AIMM International Council chose to turn this "crisis" into an occasion for bold, new action, says Dyck.
The AIMM web site www.aimmind.org provides additional information concerning the details of these changes as well as the ongoing work of AIMM in Africa --CF
Translator strives to honor biblical writers
to ten the
For Hugo Zorilla, "the idea is to be a translator, not a traitor "
A member of the biblical and religious studies and Spanish faculties at Fresno Pacific University, Zorilla takes that charge seriously while translating a manual for translators and parts of the Bible into Spanish. Seriously enough, that is, to devote years of evenings and weekends to sentence-bysentence, verse-by-verse and sometimes word-by-word study. "It's a schooling for me," he says. "It gets me in touch with the reality of Latin America. "
Zorilla recently completed two years of work on A Translator's Handbook Gospel of John, a guide for people translating the Bible into the indigenous languages of Latin America This 300-page book is for the United Bible Society, based in Miami. The manual is awaiting publication.
Before that Zorilla translated the Gospel of John, Revelation, the Epistles of John, Acts, 1 Peter, the Psalms, Micah and part of Isaiah for Nueva Biblia Interna-
cional, the first new edition of the Bible in Spanish since the 15OOs. He was one of 16 scholars from the U.S., Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chili, Colombia and other parts of Central and South America. More than two million copies of this Bible have been published since its release in 1998-1999 by the International Bible Society of Colorado Springs.
A native of Costa Rica, Zorilla came to FPU in 1989. His undergraduate degrees are from Seminaro Biblico Latinamericano and Universidad de Costa Rica. His master's degree is from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and his doctorate is from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.
With snowy hair and a ready smile, Zorilla shakes his head at the problems translators have in telling the Bible stories in a way Latin Americans can understand. Talk of plows and shepherds, for example, mean nothing to people who have never seen them. ''What does it mean to be a pastor in a that doesn't have a flock?" Zorilla asks.
Simply translating to Spanish isn't the answer, since not everyone in Latin America speaks it. Mexico has about 200 ethnic groups, many with their own language In Colombia, 75 percent of the people do not use Spanish as their first language. Even among those who do speak Spanish, words have different meanings and connotations in different countries, Zorilla says.
A change in imagery leads quickly to theological questions , so Zorilla and other translators struggle to find alternate but accurate language "We want to honor the Bible writer, but there's so much that doesn't make sense," he says.-FPU news service
According to the California Department of Insurance Homeowners Survey, the same insura(lce offered by Mennonite Insurance 'Services Is .t ,..at 50% than the E?Q'uivalent Qffered by 4 olher leading compaoles in cerltraI Qillifomia " "'tf1& .. ... No fI'IIIe, .".."., bIllS. fYlenponite J"sutan6'e Services is toe 91<9'usive atient01 MennoniteAitj Plan of the Pacific Coast. So ltl.ou're a o;\ernber ot, or regularly a Mennonite, Brethren in Cnrjst or a Mennbnita Brethren Church, call tot a FIIB no-ol;?figatloO quote and a copy of the survey A/sQ inquire abOUt oor
Penner devoted life to humanitarian work in Central Asia
MBMSI missionary dies in plane crash
"LIVING AND WORKING in parts of the former Soviet Union is a challenge that is hard to explain," wrote MBMS International worker Richard Henry Penner several years ago "I have gained a new appreciation of what it means to live on the edge .. ."
Penner, a 56-year-old humanitarian worker to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan with MBMSI, was killed Jan. 13 in a plane crash in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
"For over two decades, Richard was committed to serving the people of Central Asia, even through a period of much conflict in the region," says Harold Ens, MBMSI general director. "His sudden death is a great loss, not only to his family, but also to the people he served so well. My hope is that his example will challenge others to give their lives in service as Richard did."
Penner, bornJan. 26, 1947, in Winnipeg, Man , is a
member of North Kildonan MB Church. He married his wife Ann in 1971 and in 1978 the couple along with their three young children moved to Afghanistan to serve with International Assistance Mission. What began as a two-year term on behalf of MBMSI turned into over 25 years of service. While in Afghanistan the Penners worked with medical projects including setting up a prosthetic clinic and an eye hospital.
"Richard was very decisive, a man of action and deeply committed to the work in Mghanistan, says Herb Friesen, a longtime coworker in healthcare in Mghanistan. "He had a real way with people and a real passion for the people of Afghanistan. "
After serving in various administrative capacities within lAM, including executive director, Richard and Ann moved to Uzbekistan in 1993 to serve with World Concern, an inter-
national Christian humanitarian organization. Last year the couple moved back to Mghanistan where Richard was serving as the country manager and overseeing a food-production project at the time of his death . "Richard was an expert on the culture and the politics of Mghanistan and the entire Central Asia region He was well known both to government officials and to nongovernmental (NGO) workers throughout the region and was appreciated
for his wide experience, wise insights and sense of humor," said World Concern in a statement.
Penner is survived by his wife and their children, BettyAnne and husband Matthew Siebert, Rebecca and husband Dennis Warkentin and Daniel and wife Lorilee Penner, all of whom live in Winnipeg A funeral service was held in Tashkent, and a memorial service in Winnipeg. A memorial fund has been established with MBMSI.-MBMSI
MBMSI search committee prayer and in put
AS MBMS International, the mission agency for Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the U.S., prepares for the transition to a new general director at the end of 2004, the MBMSI board requests prayer for the search committee and the search process . "While there is some urgency about
this process, the board and committee are committed to seeking and following the leading of God in this important matter," says board chair Dennis Fast of Reedley, Calif
The search committee began work in early January and is chaired by Ike Bergen, the board vice chair Other
members of the search committee are Joan Godard, MBMSI board member from Hepburn, Sask., David Wiebe, executive director of the Canadian Conference , Chuck Buller, executive director of the U.S. Confer· ence, Nick Rempel, longtime pastor from Buhler, Kan., Sara Fast, current MB Biblical Semi·
nary student and forme r missionary in Thailand and Phil Stangland, missioq pastor at Laurelglen Bible Church in Bak· ersfield, Calif
The search committee invites those wishing to submit names or suggestions to contact Bergen at isbergen@telus net. -MBMSI board
MO NEWS
Kindred releases new study book God Among Us: Studies In t he Gospel of John by Raymond Bystrom, associate professor of pastoral ministry at MB Blb"cal Seminary, Is the newest release In the Lumlnalre Studies produced by Kindred Productions. Lumlnalre studies are designed for the dlscemlng reader and student of the Scriptures. Bystrom's book guides the reader to a better understandIng of t he original context of John's gospel and also Its relevance for the present. Also hlgh"ghted Is the appeal John has for those new to the Joumey of faith as well as the mature disciple. The book 'Is written In narrative style and Is suitable for personal study or group Interactlon.KP
Miller appointed sese editor
Douglas B. MI"er, associate professor of blb"cal and religious studies at Tabor C0llege, Hillsboro. Kan ., has been appointed the Old Testament editor for the Believers Church Bible Commentary series published by Herald Press. He succeeds Elmer A. Martens, Old Testament editor since the beginning of the commentary project In the late 19705. In 2002 Martens, former MB Biblical Seminary president, requested to be released from the assignment Miller grew up In the Mennonite Church, now part of Mennonite Church USA and Is currently a member of Ebenfeld MB Church In Hillsboro. He Is a graduate of Oral Roberts UnIversity In Tulsa, Olda., and Associated Mennonite Blb"cal SemInary In Elkhart, Ind. He holds a doctoral degree In Old Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, N.J., where his concentration was In wisdom literature His dissertation was jointly published by the Society of Biblical Uterature and E J. Brill (2002) under the title, Symbol and Rhetotlc In Ecclesiastes: The Place of Hebel In Qohe/ef's Wolfe. He Is the c0author of An Akkadian Handbook (Elsenbrauns, 1996) anel has also wrttten numerous articles for scholarly publications Since 1996, Miller has been general editor of Direction, the Mennonite Brethren academic Joumal. He Is currently writing the Ecclesiastes commentary for the BCBC serles.-BCBC
Co ng olese ·to distri bute MCC aid
IF ALL HAS GONE ACCORDING
TO PLAN, in la te January three Mennonite Central Committee shipping containers filled with aid arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The supplies were then transported to Tchikapa, Kikwit a n d Mbjui Mayi , the headquarters of the country ' s three Mennonite Conferences , for distribution. This month the conferences will now distribute the blankets, soap , clothing and newborn , health, sewing and school kits, valued at $15,000, by truck, b icycle and foot to more than 50 d istribution points MCC is also providing $30,000 for local pu rchase of food that will feed some 16,000 people
Following years of civil war and government corru ption , the p e ople of Congo face wid esp re ad hunger, illness and poverty. Governme nt e mployees go months with no salary, wh ile congregations struggle t o provide even mi nimal payment to the ir pastors and church school teach e rs. AIDS has orphaned some 930,000 children; malaria and other p r eventable d iseases claim thou sa n ds o f lives
In the midst of this suffe rin g, the Mennonite Community o f Congo , th e Me nn onite Brethr en Community of Congo and the Evange lical Mennonites o f Co n go are seeking to h elp each o the r and their neighbors . Each conference has establis hed committees t o p lan and carry out the distribu tio n s . a n d h ave po lle d co n gregations to est ablis h its list o f r e cipients, which combine for a t otal of 2 5 ,00 0 r e cipi-
ents across southern Congo. The churches will also distribute supplies to local health centers and needy fam ilies outside the church.
"It is hard for me to come up with an analogy of how significant a gift of a quilt or a shirt or a pair of pants is to the average person in Congo," says MCC worker Fred Kaarsemaker, who is working with Congolese Mennonites on the project. "Everyone acknowledges that valuable as it is, a new set of clothes or a blanket does not solve all of a person's problems," Kaarsemaker says. "But they are an important symbol of international Christian solidarity, a tangible sign that poor people in Congo are not ignored and forgotten in North America "-MGG
MCC provides earthquake relief and rebuil ding
MENNONITE CENTRAL Committee has sent 50,000 b lankets and is collecting an I ad ditional 18 ,000 in respo nse to the Dec 26 earthquake in Bam, Iran The q uake leveled the histo ric city of 80, 000 and surrounding areas and kille d an es timated 30,000 peo p le Another 40 ,000 to 100,000 have bee n left h o meless, according t o news reports
While the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported last month that there are sufficie n t relief supplies , items are badly n ee d e d to renew IRCS supplies and t o allow the organ-
ization to continu ing responding in this e arthquake-prone area MCC has worked with the IRCS, the le ading Iranian disasterresponse organization, since 1990
The blankets are the first step in MCC's response to the earthqu ake, which will include intennediate and long-tenn eflbrts. MCC will provide funds for othe r relief items , including milk powder MCC staff will be wor king with IRCS on reconstruction priorities, likely in the area of health or education.-MGG
CHURCH NEWS
CHURCH
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTE RS ACROSS THE UNITED STATE S
Baptism/membership
Ba kersfield Ca lif.
Alicynne Chaney, Kyle Chaney, Li ly Pinault and Darryl Whisnand were baptized the weekend of Nov. 2930, 2003 Jim and Betty Barks, Bi ll and Helena Born, Caleb Bussell, Nathan and Susan Carlson, Christine Deeths, Tim Denari, Nancy Ewert, Jesika Floyd, Don and Suzy Friesen, Lindsay Friesen, Christine Geary, Alison High, Bob Jensen, Matthew Kennedy, Judy Kurtz, Steve and Valerie Lewis, Carlie Machado, Mike Munoz, Ted and Sharon Pierce, Nicole Sampley, Patty Scott, Daniel Wahl and Angela Williams were welcomed as members the weekend of Dec. 6-7, 2003.
TUlsa, Okla. (The Anderssen, Kristin Anderssen, Kelly Carter; Rachel Gatewood, Amy Ratzlaff, Jeremy Shelton and Kelly Shelton were baptized in December.
Bakersfield, Ca lif (Roseda l e David Driskill, Mike and Lisa Pitcher and Ken Yoss were baptized Oct. 26 and welcomed into membership Nov. 9, 2003. Tom and Nora Gartska and Sheri Yoss were received into membership. Matthew Younger and Tyler Younger were bapti zed Oct. 26 and welcomed into membership Dec. 14, 2003. Garth and Beverly Hart, Byr on and Gail Kroeker, Josh Kroeker, Virginia Pool and Sheri Younger were also welcomed into membership.
Com, Okl a.-Beatriz Arias was baptized Dec. 7, 2003
Fellowship
Bakersfi eld, Ca lif. (Heritage men's retreat is planned for March 5-7 which will include fellowship and winter sports such as fishing, snowmobiling and downhill and cross-country skiing.
Reedley. Cal if.-An evening of Ufaithbooking" was held Jan 9 during which women were introduced to involving their faith in the pages of photo albums. Rhonda Anderson, cofounder of the Creative Memories scrapbooking company, was the guest speaker
Hillsboro, Kan .,-"Soul Goals," a women's winter retreat, was held Jan 30 and 31 Deborah Raney, award-winning a uthor of nine novels, was the guest speaker Her book A Vow to Cherish has been made into a movie by World Wide Pictures and has sold more th an
160,000 copies in video. Retreat sessions encouraged women to evaluate the spiritual, p h ysical and emotional aspects of life.
Cl ovis, Calif (Coll ege
The 11th annual chili cook-off is being held in February as a high school youth fund-raiser for future youth conferences Each youth is recruiting at least 10 people or family units to cook a pot of chili. The best pot is dubbed the winner of the 2004 contest and their name posted on a plaque in the fellowship hall
Blaine. Wash. (Birch members of the youth group participated in the New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim at Birch Bay. For the second year in a row, they received the best costume award.
Bak ersfield. Calif. (Heritage);
Reedley. Calif; Fresno, Calif.
These congregations are hosting dinners to benefit Mennonite Central Committee. The meal fea-
eit her the 5th and/or 20th of each month.
Harvey N.D.-The congregat i on is bei ng encouraged to consider becom i ng part of a short-term mission team tha t would go to Port ugal in spring to work with Cra ig and Fabiana Jost, MBM S Internati onal mission aries. The group w ill serve for approx im at ely 10 to 14 days.
Wichita. Kan. Weekend" Jan. 24-25 feature d A ndy and Carmen Owen, MBMSI wo rk ers in Thailand, and Russell Schm i dt, former MBMSI missionary to Thailand who is a present MBM SI board member and pastor Th ey spoke Saturday evening an d Su nday morning and evening on t op ics such as how to effectively commun icate with Thai people and the conve r-
gence of Buddh ism and An i m ism and its influence in A m er ica Sess io ns a lso i ncl ud ed r o l e-pl ay i ng and a time f or questions and answers.
Teaching/Nurture
Yal e S.D. To m
Cartney serves as t he evangelism outreach trainer f or A rea Youth M i nistries, a prog r am in which area youth are trained to re ach thei r peers for Jesus Chr ist. It in clu des a three step training p rog ram during which youth are inte nti onally trained in ways to lea d t heir f r i ends to Christ and disciple new Christians. In the past two years nearly 100 youth in t h e Yale a r ea have made first -time commitments to follow Jesus Christ as a resu lt o f AYM's outreach.
If)MI 71"C1vef withtil Purpose
Disciple Maldng Intemational
loi n DMI on a 2 -3 w e ek p e r so n-to person inte r n at ion a l mission e xp er i ence. tures verenika and German sausage and is followed bya program including music and featuring speakers who share about the work of Mennonite Central Committee. Donations for MCC are also received.
Ministry
Bakersfield, Calif.
Electronic fund transfer was offered to the cong regation beginning in January for regula r monthly or bimonthly giving. Withdrawals are made
2004 CAMPAIGN PROJECTIONS
INDIA FEB 4-23
$2900
PHIUPPINES FEB 8 $2700
PARAG UAY MAR 17-APR 5 $2600
GERMANY APR 14 - MAY 3 $2800
NIGERIA APR 2 1- MAY 10 $3600
Pm ( STUDENTS) MAY 3-JUN 7 $4000
R USSIA MAY 12-31 $2800
U KAAIN E MAY 16-JUN 14 $2800
PERU JUN 2-21 $2600
CoNGO JUN 9-28 $ 3600
INDONESIA AUG 4-23 $2700
ECUADOR AUG 18-SEP6 $2600
UKRAINE SEP 2-20 $2800
THAILAND SEP 9-27 $2900
MEXICO SEP 29-0018 $2400
CoLOMBIA Nov 3- 22 $2600
I NDIA Nov 10-29 $2900
ALL PRICES ARE IN CANAOIAN DOU.ARS. PLEASE CA LL FOR THE US EQUIVALENT. CAMPAIGNS MAY BE ADDED, RESCHEDULED OR CANCELLED BASED ON PARTICIPANT ReSPONSE CHURCHES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPONSER MEMBERS ON DMI MISSIONS. We are lookin g for ordinary peop le wh o want to he lp churches overseas bring others into God's family 1fow about 1/0U?
CIII
Dinuba, Ca lif.-" Alpha," a ten·week exp loration of the validity and relevance of the Christian faith, is being offered to those who are investigating Christianity, those new to faith or those wanting to review the basics of their fa ith walk. Each week participants meet together for approximately two hours for a meal, presentation and small group discussion on topics such as why Jesus died and how to be sure of one's faith. M idway through the course, a retreat will be held that focuses on the person and work of the Holy Sp i rit.
Leaders hip
Hesston, Kan. (Crosswind Conference Center}-A seminar for lead pastors in the Southern District Conference called "Thinking theologically and strategically about pastoral leadership" was held Jan. 26-28. Presenters included Henry Schmidt of MB Biblical Seminary and Lynn Jost of Tabor College. The Southern District Faith and Life Commission sponsored the event.
Sioux Falls. S D. (Uncoln Hills Bi ble Church}-The District Ministry Council met Jan 26-27 to review and deal with ministry projects in the Central District Conference. The DMC includes the executive committee and all committee members.
Workers
Dinuba, Calif.-Jim Aiken is serving as interim preaching pastor January through March. He and his wife Annett live in Bakersfield.
an initial six month term.
Deaths
ESAU, SARAH, Buhler, Kan., member of Buhler MB Church, was born Oct. 22, 1912, to Gerhard and Anna Toews Esau on a farm northwest of Collinsville, Okla , and died Nov. 30, 2003, at the age of 91. She is survived by one sister, Margaret Koop of Buhler.
FRIESEN, LYDIA J. GUNTHER, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, was born July 14, 1921, to John and Helen Gunther in Rosedale, Calif., and died, Nov. 22, 2003, at the age of 82. On Nov. 11, 1944, she was married to Irvin Friesen, who survives. They served as MBMS International missionaries in Africa for 26 years She is also survived by one daughter, Karen of Yellville, Ark. ; one son, Glenn of Bonners Ferry; three sisters, Caroline Ens of Reedley, Calif., Rubena Ewell of Fresno, Calif., and Eva Willadsen of Oakland, Calif ; one brother, Wesley of Fresno, seven grandchildren and silt great grandchildren
KLAASS EN, ELD ON HENRY, Wichita, Kan., member of First MB Church, was born Aug 6, 1935, to Henry P. and Bertha Wiebe Klaassen, in Mountain Lake, Minn., and died Sept. 15, 2003, at the age of 68. On Aug. 17, 1956, he was married to Mary Ann Siebert, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Crystal of Wichita and Melanie and husband Stan Bergen of Whitewater, Kan ; one son, Darryl of Whitewater; one sister, Bernice Esau of Newton, Kan., and six grandchildren.
KLASSEN, LLOYD, laVerne, Calif , was born June 27,
1962, he was married to Katherine VanWyhe, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Manley of Ventura, Calif., and Douglas of Atlanta, Ga ; one daughter, Janelle of San Diego; three brothers, Robert, Victor and Roy and six grandchildren.
KUEWER, RAYMOND PAUL, Dinuba, Calif , was born February 27, 1926, to Walter and Tillie Kliewer in Rosedale, Calif , and died Dec. 1, 2003, at the age of 77.
SCHAFER, HERMAN W., a member of Harvey (N D.) MB Church, was born Oct 14, 1906, to George and Johanna Schock Schafer near Alta, N.D. and died Nov. 14, 2003, at the age of 97. He was married to Mabel Delk who predeceased him. He is survived by three daughters, Marilyn and husband Peter Friesen of Winkler, Ma!1 , Geraldine and husband Abraham Friesen of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Sandra Heinrichs of Wichita, Kan.; one son, Duane and wife Barbara of Livermore, Calif; two brothers, Ernest and John of Bismarck, N.D.; one sister, Elsie Friesen of Wichita, seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
SCHMIDt ANDY, Hillsboro, Kan , of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Dec. 25, 1920, to Andrew Sr. and Bena Balzer Schmidt in rural Hillsboro and died Nov 8, 2003, at the age of 82. On Aug. 12, 1948, he was married to Wilma Woelk, who survives He is also survived by two sons, Larry of Newton, Kan., and Donovan of Plains, Mont.; one daughter; Lucretia Vance of Sedgwick, Kan.; three brothers, Emmanuel of Wichita, Kan., Malvin of Hillsboro and Daniel of
Mooresville, N.C., one sister, Alma Rempel of Hillsboro, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
REDDIG. CALVIN c., Glasgow, Mont., was born April 24, 1917, to Karl and Bertha Funk Reddig in Lehigh, Kan , and died, Nov. 12,2003, atthe age of 86 On July 1, 1945, he married Martha Toews, who predeceased him. In 1987, he married Mary Sperry, who survives. He is also survived by four sons, Weldon and wife Jackie of Glasgow, Gerald and wife Debbie of Stevensville, Mont., Duane and wife Millie of Boise, Idaho and Merle and wife Sue of Billings, Mont ; four daughters, Kathy and husband Ben Laws of Flower Mound, Tex., Brenda and husband Bruce Boyum of Havre, Mont., Carma and husband Rod Bartel of Wolf Point, Mont. and Nancy and husband Sam Ortmann of Lustre, Mont.; one sister; Ella and husband Elton Berg of Henderson, Neb; one brother, Wilmer and wife Frieda Reddig of Missoula, Mont , 25 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
STOUFFER, ANDREW JONATHAN AN D ADAM NATHANIEL were stillborn Dec. 23, 2003, to Doug and Amy Stouffer of Enid, Okla. They are survived by their parents and triplet sister, Kate Hannah.
TOEWS. DAVID ABRAH AM, Kremlin, Okla., was born Oct. 20, 1916, to George P. and Anna Buller Toews on the family farm near Kremlin and died Dec. 12,2003, at the age of 87 On Aug 3, 1943, he was married to Rosa M. Voth, who predeceased him He is survived by three sons, Galen of Ann Arbor; Mich., Dwayne of Chapel Hill, N C. and Myron of Omaha, Neb., and five grandchildren. Newton, Kan., (Koerner Heights}-The commissioning of Ron Braun as interim Southern District Conference minister took place in his home church Jan 11. Roland Reimer; who retired from the District Minister position in January, gave the charge. Braun, formerly MCC director of the Central States Region and an active participant in Southem District ministries, has been called to serve for 1940, to George and Leah Leppke Klassen in Patterson, Calif., and died Nov 26, 2003, at the age of 63. On Aug 25,
C LEA R IN Gil () USE Employment-FPU
Director of Athletics, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, Calif Seeking individual to provide administrative leadership, supervision/coordination for intercollegiate athletic program at comprehenSive, independent university. FPU is a community of learners committed to a distinctive vision of Christian higher education. A complete position description and the application process are found on our web site at www.fresno.edu
Emplovment-CCMRS
Central California Mennonite Residential Services in Fresno, Calif., seeks a full -time Executive Director CCMRS provides residential services and programs to persons with developmental disabilities It is affiliated with West Coast MCC and with Mennonite Health Services Deadline for applications is March 1,2004. For further information and application forms please contact Ken Janzen, Board of Directors, Central Calif Mennonite Resid ential Services, PO Box 5298, Fresno, CA 93755- 5298 e-mail : ccmrs@mindspring co m
34 • THE C H R 1S T I A N L EA DE R
Canadian Mennonite University
CMU invites applications and nominations for the position of Vice President and Academic Dean for the CMU Main Campus, effective summer, 2004. The successful candidate will provide overall leadership for all academic activities, projects and programs at the CMU Main Campus, and be a key member of the CMU leadership team.
Expectat ions for the positi o n in d u de:
• Experience in developing and administering academic p rograms
• Ability to be innovative and entrepreneurial in leading CMU to meet the academ i c challenges of the future
• A personal commitment to the church, and the mission of CMU
Canadian Mennonite University is a dynamic, new Christian University with three program centres: the CMU Main Campus, Menno Simons College affiliated with the University of Winnipeg, and Outtatown For further information about CMU or the position check the CMU web page (www.cmu.ca)orcontactthePresident(ggerbrandt@cmu ca)
Processing of applications and nom inations will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled Please reply via ma il or e-mail to: Canadian Mennonite University, Susan Wa rke ntin, Director of Hum an Resources, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2, or swarkentln@cmu.ca
Raisin Capita to Build Churches
I want to partner in the ministry of the local church.
To receive an Offering Circular and Applicatio n, please fill out this coupon and s end it to MB Loan Fund Yo u may also call ( 1-800-551 - 154 7) to request more information .
Investor participation through MB Loan Fund is needed to fund loans for churches and other M.B. organizations. Your partnership in the ministry of MB Loan Fund helps to seek the lost, make disciples, and train the leaders of tomorrow. Dollars and cents are transformed into changed livescltwtoh and at a tune!
Loan Fund
P.O. Box 220 315 S. Lincoln St. Hillsboro, KS 67063-0220 a supporting organization of Mennonite Brethren Foundation
This shall not constitute an uffir to sell or th e solicitation of all qjJer to buy. nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any stute in which such offer. solicitation or sale is not authurized The <>/fering is mude solely by the OFFERfNG CIR CULAR
• Not FDIC or SIPC Insured· Not a Bunk Deposit
• No u.s. Confere nce Guarantee
1IIiiiiiiiiio.-
Stories to tell
We love a good story. Think about how you react when the pastor includes a story in the Sunday morning sermon. Don't your ears perk up? Doesn't your wandering mind come back from its travels? Don't you see the story unfold in your own mind and isn't it easier to remember that part of the sermon than the parts that didn't include a story? Stories touch us in a way that factual information and philosophical arguments do not.
Jesus knew that about stories "Vtrtually nothing Jesus says is found in lecture form; instead, every word the gospels record is communicated through metaphor, parable or simile," says Christian storyteller Wllliam R. White. Jesus helps us imagine the kingdom of God through pictures of seeds, pearls and unemployed workers . Through parables of lost children and dishonest servants, he asks us to picture a gracious and loving parent. The Old Testament prophets also recognized the power of a story. Remember the story Nathan shared with King David after David had Uriah killed so that he could marry Uriah's wife. Nathan's story of a rich man with many sheep who robbed a poor man of his one sheep showed David the sin of his actions.
Ten years ago educators warned us that America's children were becoming morally illiterate. Books like Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong by William Kilpatrick outlined the concerns and collections of character-building stories like William J. Bennett's The Book of Virtues became popular resources for parents and teachers. We can't assume children already know right from wrong or hope they will figure it out during their lifetime, these folks cautioned. Children need to be taught moral values and that involves giving them good models and good codes of conduct to follow, said educators, and books can do both.
When it comes to good role models, it is not a question of whether our children will develop role models but who those role models will be. Books are the best way to increase a child's available supply of good examples. "In this age of broken neighborhoods and broken families, where adults are too busy, too selfabsorbed, or too exhausted to supply strong personal examples, the stock of good examples available in books becomes all the more important," wrote Kilpatrick and co-authors Gregory and Suzanne M. Wolfe in Books That Build Character.
Since a story is such a great way of communicating the truths of God's kingdom, including the values we want to pass on to our
children, why don't we tell more stories? The next time I want to emphasize to my Bible class of third grade boys the importance of honesty, why don't I tell a story-like the tale of Pinocchio? Or better yet, why don't I tell the boys a story about a time when I suffered the consequences of not telling the truth? Maybe it is because I don't think of my life as a story.
Last month Reedley (Calif.) MB Church hosted an evening program at which Rhonda Anderson, co-founder of Creative Memories photo album company, was the guest speaker. A photo album, says Anderson, is more than a collection of photos. Photo albums that also include descriptions and journal entries record life's lessons, heal life's hurts and help you "recognize signs of the miraculous in your daily life," says Anderson. Over the years, as she has seen God actively leading in her life, Anderson has begun recording in her scrapbooks "life's signposts" to encourage herself and her family in their daily lives. Her presentation at Reedley encouraged other scrapbook enthusiasts to do the same. A photo album that conSciously shares my faith-now that's a new way of looking at the photos included in an album. What a wonderful way to remind myself that my story is God's story.
Sometimes we are tempted to think that the best way to witness to God's presence in our lives is to gloss over life's difficult seasons as well as the mistakes we make and the tough lessons we learn as a result. In order for our stories to be "good," they need to focus only on the good things of life, we think. Seasoned storytellers will tell us that that is not true. Author Deborah Raney was the speaker for a January retreat hosted by Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church. Raney is best known for the first of her nine novels, A Vow to Cherish, the story of a family dealing with Alzheimer 's disease that World Wide Pictures made into a movie of the same name. "No one can identify with a sinless character," says Raney on her web site and so storytellers need to create imperfect characters. "But having said that, it is important that readers see that our characters are empowered by their faith to do the right thing, or are redeemed by their faith when they have done the wrong thing."
May we be challenged to share stories-including our ownfor the purpose of building God's people and his kingdom. And may our stories be honest ones that give witness to God's work in us rather than perfect ones that minimize his power and grace .-
