January 1998

CHRISTIAN

Should Christians

FIRST WORDS

I••• from the editor

N THIS ISSUE of the magazine, we take on the thorny issue of capital punishment, a topic as relevant and timely as today's headlines. The theme was developed in consultation with the Peace Commission of the U.S. Conference, which has designated Feb. 22 as "Peace Sunday" in our churches.

Together, we commend this subject for your individual and collective consideration. While U.S. culture seems increasingly vocal in support of taking life as a punishment for murder, we Mennonite Brethren have been mostly silent on the subject. It's time for us to talk about it

As with most sensitive issues, we want to consider what Scripture might say Elmer Martens and John Redekop, respected scholars and churchmen, help us in that task. That article, which begins on page 7, is adapted from a booklet they cowrote for the Canadian Conference.

In addition to Scripture, we also want to recognize other significant perspectives. We decided to interview Paul Klassen, pastor of Memorial Road MB Church, because we knew his congregation, located in suburban Oklahoma City, has had to face the issue more directly than most of us He shares the varying emotions we all feel as we struggle to be both human and faithful.

We've also included material about "nonbiblical" issues (page 8). Frankly, we feel these issues affect how we understand and promote the Bible's call for justice.

Finally, Michael B Ross's testimony helps us to humanize the perpetrator as well as the victim. No, not every convicted murderer experiences conversion, but he reminds us all of the possibility of repentance and change.

In our Bodylife section, you'll want to read about the exciting vision Faith Bible Church has for reaching innercity Omaha, Neb. This article, written by Natalee Roth, our student intern, is the ftrst of a series of congregational proftles we're calling "Churches on the Growing Edge." Be looking for more in the coming months. -DR

COMING

• FEBRUARY 22, 1998-"Peace Sunday" for U S. Conference churches.

• MARCH 13-15, 1998-Annual meeting of U.S. Conference boards, Phoenix, Ariz.

• MARCH 15, 1998-First public worship service of Copper Hills Community Church, the new Mission USA church plant in Phoenix, Ariz

• JULY 17-20, 1998-U.S. Conference biennial convention, LaMirada, Calif

4 In the aftermath of terror

Pastor Paul Klassen of suburban Oklahoma City talks about the emotions and issues that tug at the heart and mind when terrorism and murder strike home.

7 Does the Bible offer a verdict?

Two of our most trusted scholars review the passages and message of Scripture in regard to capital punishment. The answers aren't as clear as sometimes we like to think

14 Transformed on death row

A convicted and confessing murderer reflects on the meaning of Judgment Day for him and for the rest of us. He's convinced God is patient, waiting for all to repent. BY MICHAEL

B ROSS

DEPARTMENTS

• Resolution convolusions

Minds

• Our silence on personal finances • Jesus and "mammon"

the Journey

• PROFILE: Omaha Faith Bible Church 20

• Top 10 news stories for 7997 24

• Confession of Faith: Article 74 26

• MCC sends aid to violence victims in Mexico 28

• Church notes 28

• Deaths 30

• We should oppose the death penalty

ART CREDITS: Cover and pages 4 -6, file photo courte sy of the Wichita Eagle; pages 7, 11 and 13, woodcuts by Albert Dore; page 14, Ed Wal/owitch ; pages 20 -24, Faith Bible Church and Natalee Roth ; page 25, Jo n Warren.

VOLUME 6 1, NUMBER 1

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CHRISTIAN

PEACE SUNDAY 1998: JUSTICE,

ULTIMATE SENTENCE, ETERNAL QUESTIONS

SHOULD A SOCIETY, in the name of justice, take the life of a person who has w il lf ully and delibel'ately tak en the life of another person or persons! In the wake of court trials for Oklahoma City bombing suspects Timothy McVeigh and Tel'r y Nichols, fe w questions ha ve played at our national psyche during the past year more than this one.

We be lieve the q uest io n is particulalIy I-elevant for Chr isti ans li vin g in a soc iety w here the w il l o f the people pre va il s. As people of God and followers of Jesu s, OUI' gospel IS rooted in both Justice and glace The tension inherent in those two

conce rn s has led many Christians, in clud ing Mennonite Bre t hren , to vary in g and so me t im es oppos ite co nclu sio n s on th e issue of cap it al punishment.

Because the iss ue has dominated o ur national scene this past yeal-, capital punishment IS the focus of OUI obsel'vance of "Peace Sunday," designated as Feb 22 by the Peace Co mmi ss ion of our U S Co nference. We hope th e following arti cles cont ribute to o ur indi vidual and corporate I'ef lect ion - The editors

GRACE AND THE DEATH PENALTY

In the aftermath of terror

FOR PAUL KLASSEN, pastor of the Memoria l Road MB Church in suburban Oklahoma City, the bombing of the Murrah Building mo ved the discussion of capital punishment from theory to practical ministry . In thi s interview with the Christian Leader, Klassen speaks from the heart about the agonizing tension between justice and grace .

CL: How has the Oklahoma City bombing changea your feelings about capital punishment?

KLASSEN: Even before I was a pastor , I struggled with a number of tensions in this area . Going through this experience hasn 't resolved them, but has brought these tensions to the surface with even greater intensity . I often wish the tensions would be favorably resolved and I could live with a clear , decisive sense of how I should respond .

CL: What are those tensions?

KLASSEN: One side ofthe issue is justice , God is a God of justice who requires that justice be administered in a nation . He requires justice of his people , In the Old Testament , one of the indictments brought by many of the prophets against the people of that day was that they had ceased to be a people who exercised justice .

We emphasize Jesus Christ 's message of love but I think of when he was pronouncing woes on the Pharisees . In Luke 11 :42 , he said , "You give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs , but you neglect justice and the love of God ." We see that Jesus is very on justice being administered - in the final chapters of Revellation , Jesus comes and administers justice to the natiQtl& . I think about the justice issue every time I go to bombing site . When you look north across the street where the Murrah Building was located, there-is a scrawled with spray paint . It says , ''We search for the

we seek for justice The courts require it, the victims cry for it and God demands it." The message is dated 4-19-95, the day of the bombing

When we saw the terror of what was done that day, how someone deliberately planned and executed a plan to kill as many people as pOSSible , there 's something that cries out within us that justice needs to be done - that this person deserves to die for what he has done . There is an abhorrence within me for the kind of brutality and suffering that has been inflic ted on so many, many people . So I have this very strong tug in my heart This cry for justice.

IIWhen we saw the terror of what was done that day... therels something that cries out within us that Justice needs to be done-that this person deserves to die for what he has done. 11

eL: What ts the other side o/the tssue?

KLASSEN: The pull on the other hand has to do w ith grace We unde rstand grace to mean that God chooses to :give us what we don 't deserve to receive . Spiritual ly speaking, you and I were

under the death penalty, and we deserved it because of our sin . Yet God didn't give us what we deserve He gave us grace . So w e proclaim a message that highlights grace We say God offers us grace instead of what we deserve Then we go on to say that the grace we have received from God is the grace we exte nd to others who don ' t deserve it We offer to them a mercy and compassion that they do not deserve . It' s these two things that pull my heart apart It 's sometimes like a tug of war . Sometimes the justice side wants

to win . Sometimes the side of grace is stronger .

CL: Do Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicho ls deserve God's grace?

KLASSEN: That's the t e nsion. Actually I'm saying they deserve justice, but that they also need to be offered grace . It's;a travesty of justice for me to say to McVeighandNichols , "I'm sorry that you have shattered the lives of so many people . We 're a people of grace ,and therefore you 're free to go We ' re not going to hold this against you ." That's not what grace means .

CL: What does grace mean in thts instance?

KlASSEN: It 's always amazing how your circumstances can put new color into the text of SCripture . The bombing took place three days after Easter Sunday When we came to Pentecost Sunday 50 days later, we as a church were still trying to process all the things that were happening . How do we respond as Christ's people in the midst oj all this?

In preparing for the Pentecost sermon, I read from Acts 1tiActs 2, Peter is looking at the Pentecost c;:rowdand he say$', "Al\dy<>u, with the help ot wicked put him to death by nailing him to the CL:oss." .And then a little later Peter says , "Thereforeiet alllsrae1 be assured of this : God has made this Jesus , whom you crucified, both Lord and <;hrist. "

it struck me Peter was htl'es that 50'(fays out with almo$Um insane rage, "Kill that man . Put hhn to d e ath . W e want him to die

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

Thousands of people in the United States have lost a friend or family member through murder; between 1973 and 1981 about 200,000 murders occurred in our country.

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

The United States is currently the only Western democracy still carrying out executions. From 1971 to 1996, 358 persons were executed in the United States.

the worst possible death Crucify him " Peter is looking at the people who had blood in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts and he's very direct with them: "You killed him. "

Peter's message to them is the most amazing thing "God is going to get you . You are going to pay for what you did. Repent and be baptized. This promise isn't just for you but for your children and all who are far off." I take that to mean Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols and us too.

"TIle absolute hellishness of what they did heightened in me the

cry

for

justice.

But reading Acts 2 clarified that we must proclaim grace to guifty people

and that sins can be forgiven and wiped out"

Peter is looking at the people who were responsible for the most atrocious murder of all. He tells them they are gUilty, but that God offers them grace. In Acts 3, Peter tells the people they killed the "author of life." And right after that Peter says, "Repent and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out."

CL: Is this the message that Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols should hear?

KLASSE N: Yes. When I read those Scriptures it was like a slap in the face. It seems to me that Peter's message to us is direct. Assuming McVeigh and Nichols are guilty, we'd have to say, "You are responsible, but God offers to wipe away your sin and to free you."

The absolute hellishness of what they did heightened in me the cry for justice. But reading Acts 2 clarified that we must proclaim grace to gUilty people and that sins can be forgiven and wiped out. Even to those who are gUilty of the most atrocious crimes-like killing]esus Christ.

We have to offer gracethat is plain to me My dilemma is how grace and justice fit together Grace means that God offers undeserving people the opportunity to be completely and utterly forgiven. But it doesn't mean there are no consequences to face as the result of wrong

actions.

CL: Do you believe capital punishment is an appropriate consequence?

KLASSEN: That's where , very truthfully, I have strug-

gled over the years. Some· times I say yes and sometimes I say no. Most of the time I lean in the direction of no to capital punishment, yet I would insist that there be lifelong consequences.

CL: What do you hear the average Oklahoma City resident saying about capital punishment considering the events of April 1995?

KLASSEN: The predominant voice we hear is for capital punishment. The majority of interviews that I see are with victims' families who have gone to Denver or who are watching the proceedings in Oklahoma City over closed-circuit TV. It seems to me that since April 19, 1995, this has in some way, shape or form been part of the news every day. For people removed from the bombing, it's a little bit like, "Sentence the guys , hang them and let's get on with things " I think there's a way in which people don't want to deal with it anymore.

For the families of victims it's not that easy. A very decisive line has been drawn between people who, through the bombing, experienced loss very closely. The predominant voice is a cry for capital punishment. There is also a lesser voice-but clearly being spoken by some-that there should not be capital punishment

Nineteen people in our community were killed in the bombing and we as a church made personal visits to most of those families within six to eight weeks after the bombing. It was interesting that during two of the visits-to a woman who had lost her husband of five years and to a man who had lost his wife of 29 yearsthese families spoke against capital punishment. They spoke of the need for justice, but not a killing for a killing

Does the Bible offer a verdict?

AKEY QUESTION for the Christian regarding capital punishment: What does the Bible say?

Based on the study of Scripture, Elmer A. Martens, one of our most respected Bible scholars and leaders, favors retaining capital punishment for murder. John H. Redekop, who is . trained in political science but has been involved in theological formation within our conference for many years, does not support it. They outlined their respective positions in a booklet published in 1987 by the Canadian Conference Board of Spiritual and Social Concerns called On Capita! Punishment. We have abbreviated and adapted the material into a conversational format. For a more complete development of their arguments, we encourage readers to order the booklet from Kindred Productions (Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063; 316-947-3151)

The Bible must be the starting point fot" conscientious Christians concerned about capital punishment-as with all issues of faith and life. But that doesn't necessarily mean the Bible gives cleat" answers, does it?

MARTENS: While it is the Christian's belief that an answer comes from Scripture, it must be admitted that even when there is agreement on the authority of Scripture, committed Christians arrive at various-even opposing-answers.

REDEKOP: Many Christians are eager to get a forthright answer, or at least support for their preconceived views, quickly and easily. "Is capital punishment right or wrong?" they ask. Such a question states the issue too simplistically. Many considerations need to be weighed carefully. Here is a more basic way of phrasing the issue: "Is capital punishment commanded as a universal, timeless principle or is it God's prescription for a second-best arrangement under certain conditions?" I believe it is the latter

Pet"haps the strongest case in the Bible fOt" the death penalty as a "universal, timeless principle" is found in Genesis 9:5-6, right?

MARTENS: Some have held that this text does not necessarily call for capital punishment since the clause "by man shall his blood be shed " is in the nature of a forecast as to the way the

murderer will fare. A murderer will come to grief. But while the verb is not in the imperative mode, the imperfect mode of the Genesis text is not uncommon when speaking prescriptively.

Genesis 9:5-6

"And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man '"

"Capital punishment stands as a witness to the sacredness of life and the seriousness of invading the realm reserved alone to God."

-ELMER MARTENS

Moreover, the statement, "for in the image of God has God made man," is fitting as a reason to support the earlier statement as a command to inflict the death penalty. The command is grounded in the order of creation.

At minimum, the phrase "image of God" denotes that God is man's closest relative. As understood in the context of ancient Near East practice, the "image of God" means authority to rule. The taking of human life is serious in that man has overstepped his delegated authority. Such who take the life of another human being disqualify themselves for responsibility and even for the privilege of life.

REDEKOP: Several important points need to be made about this vital passage. Seen in context, it is first a limitation rather than an exhortation. If Genesis 9 :6 is also a requirement, which it may be, then it does seem odd that God would protect the life of the first murderer. God did not kill Cain nor did God pennit any human authorities to kill Cain. The logical explanation, supporting the restraint interpretation, is that vengeance happens naturally, God does not require it. God's

intervention prevents it from being overdone.

MARTENS: It is noteworthy that Cain the first murderer is not so punished (with death). God does not impose the death penalty in this particular case, though the Lord does declare, as though to safeguard the principle, "... if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over" (Gen. 4:15).

In addition to Genesis 9, many supporters of capital punishment point to the Mosaic law's "life for life, eye for eye" passages in Exodus 21:12, 23-25 and Deuteronomy 19:19-21.

REDEKOP: I understand that view, but wish to emphasize that the underlying rationale remains a limitation of punishment rather than an encouragement of vengeance Of course, the provision of cities of refuge constituted a further restraint of vengeance. The Deuteronomy 19 passage, incidentally, deals with the bearing of false witness. It prescribes the death penalty not for murder but for the false testimony on a matter worthy of death.

Beyond the Bible: Issues for Christians

THE QUESTION for Christians is not whether they should respond to murder, express their outrage, or hold offenders accountable for their actions, says Howard Zehr, director of the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Office of Criminal Justice. "The question is how we should respond," Zehr says

Zehr agrees that for Christians, discussions regarding capital punishment center on a number of issues aside from biblical directives. He outlines these issues in a pamphlet titled, "Death as a Penalty ; A Moral, Practical and Theological Discussion."

• DETERRENCE.

For capital punishment: The death penalty deters others from committing similar crimes Deterrence assumes ;

1 Ea ch of us decides our actions by weighing the cost of these actions against the benefits When the cost- in

this case the threat of death-outweighs the potential benefits, we are discouraged from committing crimes.

2. People understand the costs and have a high degree of certainty that they will suffer the costs .

3. The consequences are seen as a significant cost at the time of the act.

4 Potential offenders identify with those being punished

Against capital punishment: If the death penalty deters, the deterrent effect is so small that even the most sophisticated attempts have been unable to measure it. The vast preponderance of evidence suggests that the death penalty is no more effective than imprisonment at deterring others from committing violent crime.

Homicides are most often impulsive acts of passion committed under tremendous stress and/or influence of alcohol or drugs by individuals prone to aggressive,

impulsive behavior Few murderers are caught, prosecuted, sentenced and actually executed From the 1930s to the 1960s, when executions were frequent, less than one execution occurred for every 70 murders

In 1979, one person was sentenced to death for every hundred murders, a rate of 1 percent. So it is impossible for a potential killer to know the risk of his/her act.

To make the cost of murder certain, we would have to quickly and automatically execute convicted murderers, regardless of circumstances . This would require the government to abolish most of the procedural safeguards and constitutional rights we now have

Some potential killers see executions as evidence that lethal vengeance is justified Instead of identifying with the offender who was caught and executed, they identify with the exe cutioner .

Two points seem clear. If advocates of capital punishment rest their case on the Mosaic Law, they need to explain why they do not insist on capital punishment for all the crimes for which the Mosaic Law did. If, on the other hand, the case is made on the basis of the Noahic Covenant-Genesis 9, for instance-then it must be demonstrated that the commandment in question was not primarily sacral and that, if it required capital punishment, it has not been altered by Jesus .

MARTENS: A decision about capital punishment must take into account more than the Mosaic imperatives or even precedents. One needs to examine the inner dynamic of the Scripture texts. The Scripture presents the living God whose will is made known . But that will is not a set of moral precepts detached from the person of an active God. Those precepts are not all encompassing, but rather indicate what the God of the universe desires of his people.

First, God sets boundaries and limits. In creation, God divided the water from the land and the light from the darkness Boundaries were set

• REPEAT OFFENSES.

For capital punishment: Preventing the recurrence of murder is a serious concern. If a murderer is sentenced to death, that known offender is prevented from killing again.

Against capital punishment: Statistics reveal that many murderers commit the crime only once in a lifetime. Such murders happen under extreme pressure and abnormal circumstances and are unlikely to be repeated. Alternative ways of restraining offenders do exist. Provisions are needed to take the genuine transformation of a convicted individual into account.

• THE LEGAL SYSTEM.

For capital punishment: Our legal system is adequate for decisions of life and death . The U.S. Supreme Court recognizes that the death penalty must be applied rationally and without error. It demands specia l trial procedures and the opportunity for appeal and review of decision in cases involvi ng the death penalty Chances of error are minimal because of numerous procedura l safeguards.

forth for each. In the realm of morals, the same principle applies . The prohibition of taking life is one such boundary. So serious is such an offense against God and against the dignity of persons, that punishment in its ultimate form-death-is mandated. This responsibility God has entrusted to man within human societies. Capital punishment stands therefore as a witness to the sacredness of life and the seriousness of invading the realm reserved alone to God.

It is interesting that capital punishment in Israelite law touches transgressions involving the rights of persons and reverence to God. Crimes against property were not punishable by death. In other ancient Near East cultures, certain offenses against property brought the sentence of death. Israel's law has a different focus. The most serious punishment possible is reserved for him who engages in the most serious crime, the crime of taking human life.

Let's move, then, to Jesus and the New Testament. Many people who oppose the death penalty do so on the basis of Christ's teach- -JOHN

"What did Jesus mean when he said, 'You have heard it said, but I say unto you? Was he not spelling out a new and higher ethic? He certainly was ."

REDEKOP

Against capital punishment: The historical record shows that many innocent people have been convicted of capital crimes, and some have been executed . A 1985 study identified more than 200 cases involving nearly 350 defendants who, although innocent, were convicted in this century of crimes that were or could have been capital cases. These researchers identified 25 cases in which innocent people were executed.

Opportunities for errors are many, despite complex safeguards. The quality of legal counsel is a factor. Most attorneys handling death penalty cases are underpaid and inexperienced in death penalty law . Death penalty juries tend to exclude those who have serious reservations about the death penalty. Death penalty cases are usually appealed, but appeal courts can only look at points of law . They can't question the evidence or look at evidence introduced after the trial.

• DISCRIMINATION.

For capital punishment: In 1982, the U.S Supreme Court in effect called a moratorium on executions by finding that

capital punishment as it had been administered was unconstitutional because of the arbitrary and discriminatory way it was applied. Juries had been free to sentence defendants without guidelines that ensured rational and uniform decisions. As a result, the death penalty was applied much more frequently to black defendants than whites and there were no uniform standards for what cases justified execution.

Later, the Court ruled that mandatory sentences were unacceptable because moral standards require room for mercy and individual considerations. The Court required "guided discretion" that would leave room for individual considerations, yet allow for uniform and rational standards.

New death penalty laws were designed in many states with these guidelines in mind These new procedures have corrected many of these concerns

Against capital punishment: New sentencing patterns have not significantly changed earlier patterns The death penalty continues to be applied in a discriminatory way. Death row continues to

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

The American Bar Association has adopted a resolution seeking an immediate halt to executions because the process is inequitable and unfair.

ing. Is this a legitimate understanding of what Christ intended to teach?

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

REDEKOP: In light of Matthew 5, I cannot concur with Elmer's ftrst sentence, but I agree with his comment on Matthew 26:52. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) raises additional important considerations What did Jesus mean when he said, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you"? Was he not spelling out a new and higher ethic? He certainly was Signiftcantly, he speciftcally addresses and revises the "eye for eye and tooth for tooth " ethic. In Matthew 5:43-48, he addresses the matter of attitudes and speciftcally sets aside hatred of enemies.

MARTENS: To argue from the Sermon on the Mount that the lex talionis ("eye for eye") has been superseded by the love ethic is to read

hold a disproportionate number of the poor, the black, the mentally handicapped and the disturbed. Death rows do not necessarily contain the most dangerous or deserving people.

Only about 1 percent of all killers end up on death row. They are not necessarily the worst 1 percent, but the unluckiest. Most people on death row are poor. Only a tiny minority on death row are women, even though women commit about one in five criminal homicides Almost half are black.

A person, especially a black person, who kills a white person is much more likely to be sentenced to death than the killer of a black person More than half of murder victims are black.

Yet in one recent year, 87 percent of those on death row were there for killing whites

Variables cannot be eliminated. We cannot remove discretion and still leave room for mercy.

• ECONOMICS.

For capital punishment : The death penalty is a cost-effective punishment

Scripture selectively In the same sermon, Jesus speaks about the ancient law forbidding murder. In this connection, he refers to the punishment with the statement "shall be liable to judgment"capital punishment (Mt. 5:21).

Christ affirms the Old Testament law, one gathers, but he radicalizes both the command and the punishment: "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment" (Mt. 5:22) Whoever expresses disdain for a brother and says, "You fool," shall be guilty enough to go into the hell of fire

Some scholars accept Jesus's "new ethic" as normative for Christians, but insist that it is not intended for governments.

REDEKOP: Maybe it is not normative for governments, but in this connection we must stress a very important point. If the ethic which Jesus taught is not normative for governments, is it because Jesus has provided an alternate and lower ethic for secular governments, or is it because sub-Christian governments do not live by Jesus's ethic and, as the supreme human

that is cheaper to the taxpayer than prolonged imprisonment.

Against capital punishment: The death penalty is expensive because the trial process in death penalty cases is longer and more complicated, owing to the safeguards required to minimize errors and arbitrariness The appeals process is also more costly The costs of maintaining those on death row are higher than normal prison costs

One New York study estimated that costs for trial, appeal, housing on death row and execution run to more than $2 million per person This far exceeds the $300,000 to $750 ,000 that it costs to maintain a prisoner for 30 years.

•

HUMANE PUN I SHMENT.

For capital punishment: The use of the lethal injections in executions is more humane than methods used in the past.

Against capital punishment: Lethal inject ions involve medical personnel, who are dedi cated to saving life, and do not eliminate the substantial suffering and horror for the person executed. Each

method has failed to work properly at times.

• HEALING PROCESS.

For capital punishment: The death penalty helps the families and friends of murder victims deal with the loss of a loved one

Against capital punishment: The ritual of the death penalty takes precedence over the ritual of mourning and remembrances. The offender receives attention and concern while the needs of the victim's survivors are overlooked The needs of families and friends of murder victims deserve much more consideration than we have given them. Does the death penalty heal or does it leave a bitter hatefilled legacy that is incompatible with real healing? At the very least, the death penalty process would seem to hinder, not encourage, healing.

•

For a free copy of "Death as a Penalty: A Moral, Practical and Theological Discussion " contact: MCC, P.O. Box 500, Akron PA 17501; phone (717) 859- 1151; e-mail see@mcc.org

authority, simply claim supreme earthly power? Clearly it is the latter and not the former

MARTENS: Jesus indicated that for the Christian community, "eye for an eye" is not adequate. Love, not retaliation, is the principle Still, outside the kingdom community, other principles apply. One is that society is subject to God's creation order The reason given for capital punishment is that man is in the image of God. That reason, grounded in creation, is permanently valid.

As in the case of marriage and divorce , definite instructions are linked to the creation order. Modifications and especially accommodations have been made for both capital punishment and marriage in the life of the people of God. But the answer of Jesus regarding divorce in which he affIrms the original design is likely the direction his answer would take on capital punishment.

REDEKOP: For me, the obvious response to Elmer's argument is that capital punishment was not part of the order of creation It is not analogous to marriage, but to divorce! like divorce, it is a post-Fall pheG.0menon and , like divorce, a divinely postulated accommodation to the sinfulness of fallen mankind. Accordingly, capital punishment should not be cited alongside marriage, but alongside divorce. The distinction is fundamentally important.

The only direct New Testament reference to capital punishment is John 8:1-11, which is the story of the woman caught in adultery. She was brought to Jesus for punishment, which, according to Mosaic law, was the death penalty. What, if anything, can we learn from Jesus's response in this case?

REDEKOP: Jesus did not confront the Mosaic law directly but invoked two deeply spiritual principles and emphasized two moral considerations . The first prinCiple is that a life is sacred because every person is made in the image of God The second is that we are all sinners and all deserve the death penalty.

The first moral consideration is that the moral authority of civil government can be challenged . The second is that compassion and forgiveness can overcome a narrow , legalistic application of the law . In this instance Jesus clearly sets aside the notion that forgiveness can be extended but justice must nevertheless still be carried out .

MARTENS: Jesus did not repudiate the law which called for the death penalty. He proceeded in accordance with the law which called for a minimum of two witnesses. In the absence of

witnesses, he released her. He made two specific points in dealing with her case. First, punishment of the evildoer also calls into question the moral condition of the ones punishing. "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" On. 8 :7). Second , there is another way of dealing with an offense : waive the penalty.

REDEKOP: I fmd the argument about a lack of witnesses unconvincing. In the first place, the "teachers of the law and the Pharisees" knew the Mosaic law very well and, given the fact that they were intent on laying a "trap" for Jesus, would not likely have come with such a weak case Significantly, the account says twice that she was "caught" in the act of adultery. I am convinced that the witnesses were at hand.

More important, perhaps, Jesus acknowledges her gUilt in the statement, "Go now and leave your life of sin" (8 : 11) . Jesus was not condoning what she did, but neither was he condemning her to death.

Jesus's response in this key situation illustrates a continuing development of the New Testament ethic: that is , Jesus was placing additional limitations on vengeance It is surely important that when Jesus was specifically asked to support the death penalty, his response was, "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." This penetrating comment takes on

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has called on all countries to abolish the death penalty.

John 8:7

When they kept on questioning him, (Jesus) straightened up and said to them, "If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her "

"The theme of God's overall dealing with man is life rather than death. In gray areas, Christians lean toward life "

-JOHN REDEKOP

added significance when we realize that Jesus was the only one "without sin" and therefore, according to his own new redefinition of the Mosaic law, he could have cast the first stone but did not do so.

The Pharisees and teachers, incidentally, must have concluded from his earlier teachings that Jesus was not leaning in the direction of capital punishment and therefore concluded, wrongly of course, that they could easily entrap him.

MARTENS: If the case concerning the adulterous woman is apropos to the subject of capital punishment, then we are left to examine in the New Testament-as in the Old Testament-exceptions to the capital punishment requirement.

Romans 13: 1-5 suggests the authority of the state has been established by God, and that people are subject to that authority-which could include authority to administer capital punishment ("the sword"). Does this passage establish the state's right to take life through capital punishment?

MARTENS: Within the New Testament community of the people of God, capital punishment has no place; within the state, it is otherwise. The principles of life in the kingdom are such that the execution of criminals is out of the question.

A difference must be made between the kingdom and the state. The directive about the sanctity of life and the propriety of capital punishment is given at the occasion of the new beginning with Noah but apart from the covenant people of God. It remains valid.

The ideals of the kingdom cannot be imposed on the state for the state does not have the context of the kingdom as its base of operation. Forgiveness is appropriate to the new community. It is an option of the state, but not the principle. God and Caesar rule different territories, as Jesus made clear (Mt 12:7). Nor does it follow that by making this distinction between the redeemed community and the state, that the church is to abdicate its responsibility to bear witness to a higher ethic before the state.

Redekop: 'Nonbiblioal ' issues must be oonsidered, too

WHILE JOHN RE DEKO P beli eves the Bible mak es a strong ca se for Chri st ian s to opp ose t he death pena lty, he al so g ive s signifi ca nt w eight t o w hat he call s " non bi bli ca l" reaso ns to oppo se it Specific ally , he ide nt if ie s thr ee:

1 Courts and judges make errors "Mi scarriage of ju sti ce , even o n life and death issue s, is f req uent eno ugh t o be ext remely tr ou bli ng Nobody knows th e exac t f ig ures of inn oce nt perso ns wro ng ly execu t ed, but many spec ific exampl es co me to mind Th ere is no re medy f o r th e in nocen t wh o have bee n ex ecuted "

2 Relat ively few convicts a re executed . " Ge nerally spe aking , f ewe r than 10 per ce nt of criminals convicted of ca pital crime s in North America hav e bee n exec uted." Redekop agrees w ith t he con clu sion of Cha rl es Milli ga n: "When a nati on has ar o und 8,000 homicides and le ss t han 50 exec uti ons a year, it is obvious th at as it is now

appl ied , the death penalty is noth ing bu t an arbitrary discriminati o n ag ainst an occas ional victim ."

3. The death penalty discriminates against minorities and poor people. "Virtually every statistic tells the same story of discrimination Wealthy, eve n middle -clas s peopl e, very rarely pay t he ultimate pr ic e."

Redekop also challenges several notions that are sometimes used t o promote capital punishment by Christians and society :

• Capital punishment deters capi. tal crimes "Virtually all stud ies show that (capital puni shm ent) has no net deterrent effect and may even have a reverse impact. Imprisonment may be a gr eater deterrent than exe cut io n I"

• Protect the innocent "The argument that ca pita l punishm ent is required to pro t ec t the innocent is unconvin cing . In ca rce rati o n, with treatment and th erapy, will achieve the same goaL "

• The threa t of capital punishment prevents anarchy. "Al t hough thi s argum ent is of t en ma de in a gene ral way , I know of no o ne w ho has shown th at so me an archisti c or nea ranar chis ti c si t uation res ulted f ro m th e impl ement ation of t oo much Christi an love "

• Society in general, especially victims and relatives of victims, have a right for revenge . " Publ ic revenge is no real therapeu t ic treatment f or grief nor doe s reveng e mak e th e seco ndary victims feel better in th e lo ng run In any event, th e des ire f o r revenge provide s no adequ at e moral gro un ds for a second killing and it s resul t ing tr ail of new second ary vi ctim s "

• The majority of people support capital punishment " Public opinion poll s corroborate such a statement, but that does not mean th e pub lic is always right or that publ ic op inion is th e only factor to con sider "

REDEKOP: I begin with a basic affirmation: Death is not God's highest will for mankind. The theme of God's overall dealing with man is life rather than death. This affirmation means that in gray areas, Christians lean toward life .

A second affrrmation is that vengeance was never God's highest intent for people's relations with one another. Elmer himself has written, quite eloquently: "What God always wanted to do with evil, and what he wants men to do with it, is to swallow it up, drown it in the bottomless sea of his crucified love."

A third basic truth is that the state shall uphold good-as much as it is able to uphold good-in contrast to arbitrariness. In carrying out this function, the state shall keep vengeance to a minimum (see Luke 3:14). At the very least, this injunction means that if violence less than the taking of a life is sufficient, so much the better. The state may, indeed, be required to use force, but not when it contributes to disorder rather than order. That seems to be the intent of "does not bear the sword for nothing " in Romans 13:4.

Currently, capital punishment is legal in the United States. The government has presumed the right to administer the death penalty. What is the role of the Christian in such a context?

REDEKOP: Christians in society have a permeating effect They are salt and light. The Christian ethic permeating non-Christian society makes it more Christ-like, not less Christ-like. The question is, should kingdom people, themselves committed to the higher ethic, urge the sub-Christian kingdom toward that which is higher or toward that which is lower? To ask the question is to answer it

MARTENS: Witness to God is not an accurate witness if grace is emphasized to the virtual exclusion of wrath. The Bible witnesses to the seriousness of evil. The church can and should

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

The General Conference Board of Faith and Life has included the following statement in their proposed revision of the Confession of Faith: "God has given governing authorities the power to punish evil. As Christians, however, we do not condone capital punishment" (Article 14, The Sanctity of Human Life). See page 26.

reaffirm this witness in its day. It is not a matter of delighting in severity or harshness, but in fulfilling the responsibility of declaring that there are boundaries, which, if overstepped, call for the ultimate punishment. The gospel message is one of good news, but it can hardly escape notice that Jesus, the Savior, the bringer of good news, was the most vocal about the reality of hell.

The church's witness in the modem society is one that affirms the death sentence for the crime of murder, but calls for the exercise of clemency as an option. The church should call for the statute to remain and to be enforced, but only as hedged by the safeguards of due process and taking into account the circumstances of the crime, of clemency and reprieve.

REDEKOP: For reasons that are partly biblical but also partly nonbiblical, I am convinced Christians should urge governments not to practice capital punishment. As recipients of boundless divine mercy, Christians-of all people-should be the last ones to clamor for justice, to press for a "just death "

MARTENS: While I declare myself open to the discernment under the Spirit by the faith community, I favor retaining capital punishment, but exclusively for the crime of murder only . In this way, Christians bear witness to the seriousness of crime against human persons and to the violation of the decree of a Creator God. •

"Witness to God is not an accurate witness if grace is emphasized to the virtual exclusion of wrath. The Bible witnesses to the seriousness of evil "

-ELMER MARTENS

Romans 13:3-4

Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear th e sword for nothing

Transformed on

death row

What follows is an important but seldomheard perspective : from the convicted. This is the testimony of M ic hael B. Ross, who admits to killing eight women and now sits on death row in Connecticut. Having experienced a life-changing encounter with Christ while in prison, he reflects on the meaning of Judgment Day for him and for us .

HE END OF TIME, OF ALL THINGS AND all life as we know it, will be a terrible time, a frightening time, a time when "the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fIre, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up" (2 Pet 3:10, Living Bible).

But as fearsome as that time promises to be, it also promises to be the most glorious of times . It will be a terrible and painful transformation from the limited experience that we have now to what God promises we will have with him . It will be a time of judgment, when the righteous and just will be separated from the unrighteous and unjust "just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats" (Mt. 25:32, Today's English Version).

When will that judgment come? What is God waiting for?

God is love and shows this love through infInite patience, not just with the righteous but with transgressors . If all God cared about were the righteous, then the end time would have come centuries ago. But God cares for all of us, even the greatest of sinners . God wants all of us to fInd our way home "The Lord is not slow to do what he has p romised, as some think. Instead he is patient with you, because he does not want

anyone to be destroyed but wants all to turn away from their sins " (2 Pet. 3:9, rEV).

I am one of the greatest of sinners . I have murdered eight women in the most horrible manner. Many of the righteous believe that I have no place in "a new earth in which righteousness dwells" and that instead I should be condemned to eternal damnation.

Not too long ago I would have agreed with

be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be" (phil. 3:12, Living Bible).

I was covered with evil, as sinful as they come. I was filthy in the eyes of the Lord. I didn't deserve God's help I have sinned far more than most. Yet as filthy and repulsive as I was, God wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and reach down into that dark, dank pit of evil to give me a hand up to the light. It didn't happen overnight. them. I had given up on myself. I couldn't see beyond my bloodstained hands. I couldn't see beyond the anger and hatred in my heart. I was consumed by an evil sickness that made me subhuman, and I believed I was beyond redemption. I couldn't believe in myself; I couldn't forgive myself; I couldn't love myself

And if I couldn't do these things, how could I expect God to love me?

But God is love and

Transformation takes time and is often painful.

Sinners like me understand this all too well. My transformation took years-a long, painful

process of self-realization and growth-and I'm

not finished.

loves me. It isn't a love saved only for the righteous, the deserving. It is an unconditional love offered to everyone.

In Matthew Jesus ate at the tax collector's home with sinners and outcasts. He said to the Pharisees, who were outraged that Jesus would associate with such sinners, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick. ... I have not come to call respectable people but outcasts" (Mt. 9:12, 13, rEV).

God reaches out to us all. It is easy to welcome the righteous and reject sinners. As theologian Edward Gabriele writes, "We are quick to moralism and slow to love. We who have been forgiven much and embraced by a compassionate God are too slow, if not totally unwilling, to be accepting, forgiving, compassionate and loving."

But God works to transform sinners into the righteous. Transformation takes time and is often painful. Sinners like me understand this all too well. My transformation took years- a long, painful process of self-realization and growthand I'm not fmished. Paul recognized transformation as an ongoing process He wrote to the Philippians, "I don't mean to say that I am perfect. I haven 't learned all I should even yet, but I keep working towa rd that day when I will finally

Marvin Moore writes in his book Conquering the Dragon Within, "The entrance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is not like turning on a light switch that instantly dispels all darkness throughout the room. It's more like dropping some yeast into a lump of dough. The yeast penetrates slowly and has to be kneaded in . As the yeast spreads through the dough, each part that it touches is changed, causing it to rise. That's how the Holy Spirit works in

our lives . The Holy Spirit is a principle of life that God drops into our minds and hearts, and as time goes on, the Spirit touches various parts of our character-our inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil-and changes them."

I was one tough lump of dough, and it took a lot of kneading before the Holy Spirit began to influence who I was. It took much time and effort, not just on my part but on the part of God, and on the part of a special priest, who like God refused to give up on me, no matter what.

ULTIMATE SENTENCE

Nationally, the death sentences of 87 people were overturned, and appeals courts vacated the execution sentences of 38 prisoners in 1996, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In that same year, 45 people were executed after spending an average of 10 years and five months on death row.

There are many others like me, sinners on whom the righteous have given up But God hasn't given up on them. And God will wait whatever time it takes to bring them to his glorious light. The day of "a new earth in which righteousness dwells" will come. Perhaps not as soon as some might wish, but it will come as promised. God is giving every opportunity possible for even the greatest of sinners to repent their sins and transform their lives for God's glory.

Michael Ross has been on Connecticut's death row since June J 987. He is under a stay of execution pending the resolution of the appeals process. He expects to be executed before the year 2000.

BY PHILIP WIEBE

Resolution convolutions

Most resolutions are about things one should already be doing or things one will never get around to doing anyway. So, why make a big deal about it?

SOME PEOPLE frown upon making New Year's resolutions. Is the morning of January 1 really that different than the

schools went to you-knowwhere, I should add that I attended an urban Southern California high school that evening of December 31, other than that was quite ahead of its time queasy feeling stemming from too much bean in the areas of drugs, sex and apathy that seem so worrisome today dip and too little sleep on New Year's Eve?

Besides, most resolutions are about things one should already be doing or things one will

Though I think there is validity in the concept of "limiting government," as the call is raised these days, I'm not crazy about the never get around to doing anyway. So, why make a big deal about it?

Don't ask me Even I, a longtime resolution-maker, have toned it down in recent years because, well, too many of my resolutions were about things I should already have been doing or things I would never get around to doing anyway. But I still like the idea of making resolutions. Something about the clean slate of January invites the writing of goals and objectives.

Rather than making the obligatory resolutions about weight loss, time management and household O1-ganization, however, I think this year I'll set my sights elsewhere ....

• I resolve to quit bashing govenunent. I've decided to withdraw from this popular pastime upon realizing that-I know this is hard to believe-my government is treating me very well, thank you. I enjoy broad freedoms and excellent services, even from the much-maligned U.S. Postal Service, which still boasts the world's best communication deal at 32 cents. I've also received a fine education from public schools (Easterby Grade School, Mission Viejo High School, Western Oregon State College). And for those who might object that I was a student before

stripped-down version of government some seem to favor Government should be about providing , things for all that we can't adequately provide for ourselves as individuals: education, national parks and preserves, environmental regulation, and yes, care for the needy, to name a few things some would like to dispense of or move to the "private sector."

Forgive me for being blunt, but thinking the church alone can handle the responsibility of caring for the great variety of needy people in today's culture is unrealistic at best, antiscriptural at worst. Charitable giving among Christians declines yearly. Relief organizations can't even keep up with current demands. On average, churchgoers give away a measly 5 percent of their incomes, studies show, and among the wealthiest Christians the percentage is even lower You do the math

Besides that, God made his feelings about governmental responsibility to the poor abundantly clear through the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people" (Is 10 :1-2).

• I resolve to ask, WW}WMID?

In a lot of places lately I've been seeing the slogan "WWJD?," which stands for the question churchgoers were challenged to ask themselves in Charles Sheldon'S novel In His Steps: "What would Jesus do?" It's an excellent question, of course, especially in regard to broad considerations about how the church should minister, what kind of relationship Christians should maintain with society, and so on . On a more personal level, however, I wonder how far one can really go with WWJD? What would Jesus do, for instance, as a writer and editor crashing this week's deadlines? The answer is: Jesus wouldn't be a writer and editor crashing this week's deadlines. Jesus would be what he already was and is: a teacher, discipler, healer, intercessor, Savior, Lord.

That's why I think a more useful everyday slogan is WWlWMTD? (What would Jesus want me to do?). WWJD? by itself seems too hypothetical. Many times Jesus made it a point, in fact, to do just the opposite of what people expected or speculated he would do He still does.

So for me, it sounds more direct and practical to ask WWJWMTD? In fact, I can take a moment to ask right now.

• I resolve to quit resolving so much. OK, we're right back where we started, questioning this whole New Year's resolution business But God has been talking to me in recent weeks about trying too hard. At times I get so worked up trying to make things happen, I forget to seek the true source of strength and inspiration.

Last week I came upon a Scripture passage about that quite by accident. How appropriate. I wasn't seeking this bit of wisdom, but God gave it to me anyway, apart from my efforts: "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: '''In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength'" (Is. 30:15) .

-why are we so hesitant to speak about money in the church-about our personal financial dealings and choices? Should we not be free to talk about one of the most common and frequently used things we possess? (California)

AThe inquirer is so right. We rarely discuss our fmancial affairs with others in the church. People would like to see a separation between church and money. It is perfectly proper to share an answer to prayer or a prayer request or a victory over sin or even a restoration of a marriage gone wrong. But when is the last time you heard someone give a testimony in church about how he/ she was doing in the area of stewardship?

Too many of us think money is not spiritual. Money is a private matter . Money is the last taboo. Yet Jesus discussed a variety of economic topics: like fair wages for employees, saving as opposed to hoarding, shrewdness in investing, the duty to provide for the poor and especially your own family .

Jesus wasn't too spiritual to talk about money. Yet a recent survey showed that only 5 percent of all churchgoers said they would discuss their personal financial condition with someone in the church. Strangely enough, we are probably more at ease discussing personal fmances with nonchurch friends than with those who could help us make a difference.

I suppose some people don't like to hear about money in the church because it always smacks of "give us more money." Others think conversation about money in the church is irrelevant because the church doesn't have any "savvy" about fmances. The fact remains, however, that money is Jesus's most discussed

Have

, INQUIRING MINDS

BY MARVIN HEIN

topic after the kingdom of God. So before you criticize your pastor for preaching stewardship sermons-and all too few preachers do-remember that Jesus preached a lot of them So do you want your pastor to be like Jesus?

Recently, a fellow church member talked with me about money. He told me he had lost a significant sum through bad advice. He shared what he was trying to do to avoid another such occasion. We didn't enter deeply into his finances, nor mine, but at least the path is now open. I think we can talk about money.

I cherish the day when we will be more free to say to someone we can trust: "I make so and so much money. I am saving a certain amount I am trying to be faithful to the Lord not only with my 10 percent but with the other 90 percent. I'm thinking about buying this or that. Do you have some counsel about my stewardship practices?"

Such conversation is freeing. I covet that freedom for more of us.

QWhat did Jesus mean when he talked about "mammon"? Does it Simply mean money? What makes it so bad or dangerous? (CALIFORNIA)

AA commonly stated notion in stewardship discussions is that mammon (money), like all other basically good things , is something that can be used for good or for evil purposes. I'm satisfied this is partially true. Money can be used for good or evil purposes.

But mammon, which I equate with money or possessions, is more than a neutral force. Jesus warned us so distinctly about worshipping mammon because it has a power that struggles to take control. Mammon is always trying to command our total allegiance. And if it succeeds, it becomes our god

Mammon and the spirit it nurtures is unrighteous because it inevitably tugs at us, seeks to control us, and tries to replace those things God would have us center on. So I'm not persuaded that money simply has the same influence upon us that other material temptations may bring. Mammon has a "narcotic" effect about it. Mammon can engender a form of slavery. That is not to say that other things cannot numb our sensitivities to God's ways, but mammon seems to carry with it a peculiar and compelling way of diverting us from righteousness.

Gary Kauffman, writing in a recent issue of Sharing magazine, suggests that one of the safeguards against letting mammon become our god is to talk about money in classes, small groups, and in prayer circles. That sounds a lot like what I suggested in the previous article. Kauffman proposes that it is in such groups that we will find strength to dethrone mammon. In an ideal faith community, it would seem sensible to think that we allow our brothers and sisters to support us in those areas that bind us. They mayor may not share our area of struggle, but they can support us

Kauffman suggests several topics that might help liS start talking about money. I share them with you and would be delighted if you would write me a short note telling how you have found it possible to talk about money in the church.

• Talk about consumerism. How do we deal with the many invitations (TV and otherwise) to spend our money?

• Talk about the companies with which we deal. Do we have any responsibilities to boycott those who exploit workers or create pollution?

• Talk about how we invest our money. For ourselves? For retirement? With those who produce products harmful to society?

• Talk about planning beyond this life . Wills . Estate planning .

ON THE]OURNEY

BY ROSE BUSCHMAN

Christmas fact and fiction

How could fiction have become fact in this Bible story? I guess when we hear something often enough, it becomes fact to us.

Now THAT CHRISTMAS is over for another year, it's a good time to look at some of the myths that have crept

We have all seen pageants of how Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem at night, can't find a motel (all are full), go to a stable and there among the animals, Mary gives birth to Jesus and lays him in a manger.

have become so intertwined over the centuries that fiction has become fact.

Luke writes that Joseph into the Christmas story over the centuries. took Mary to Bethlehem, and that "while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born" (Lk. 2 :4-6) . This implies a time lapse from when they arrived in Bethlehem to when the birth actually took place Nothing in the gospel account indicates a hasty late night arrival or a sudden birth.

About the only parts of this story substantiated by the biblical account are that Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem and that Mary gives birth to Jesus and lays him in a manger. Luke does not mention a late-night arrival , a stable, Joseph's inability to find appropriate lodging, nor animals around when Mary gives birth

I've often wondered about these discrepancies. Recently, I found some definitive explanations as discussed in a videotaped lecture by Kenneth E. Bailey, A Clear View ofJesus ' Birth. Bailey grew up in Egypt as a missionary kid and has lived and worked in several Middle Eastern countries He has spent his life studying the languages and cultures of the Middle East in an effort to understand the Bible in the cultural context in which it was written . According to Bailey, the embellished details-he calls them barnacles-of the Christmas story come not from the Bible , but from a novel written about 200 years after Jesus ' s birth. This novel gained wide appeal and has survived into modem times in manuscript form in seven languages . Some parts of the novel are too explicit to be repeated here, but the bottom line is that parts of this fictional story and the biblical account

Furthermore, the novel has Joseph going to a commercial inn looking for a place to stay This is not in keeping with the cultural practices of his day. Mary had family in the area-at least cousin Elizabeth in the hill country nearby. Since Joseph was of the house and lineage of David he probably did too, in Bethlehem He was expected to look for lodging with a relative and would have been welcorned with open arms.

The problem lies with how the word used for "inn" has been translated Bailey explains that Luke uses the Greek word for a commercial inn in the story of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10:34). He does not use this word in Luke 2:7, but instead uses the Greek word kataluma, which is the same word he uses again in the story of the Last Supper when the disciples met with Jesus in the "upper room" (Lk. 22 :12).

The translation "upper room" for kataluma makes a lot more sense when viewed in the culture of the day. Bailey says that many homes had an upper room which was reserved for guests and special occasions . Because of the census and many peo -

pIe traveling, it could well be that the upper room in this home was already occupied by other guests, so that when Joseph and Mary arrived there was no room for them in the "upper room " Why did the Bible translators take the same word kataluma and translate it two different ways?

The Bible is very explicit that Mary laid Jesus in a manger. But does "manger " imply "stable" and animals milling around? During my stay in Morocco-similar in climate and culture to Palestine-I never saw any buildings used as animal shelters Instead, animals were kept on the open fields during the day and brought into a walled courtyard with locked gate for security at night. They were never housed in a stable . Bailey describes the houses of ancient Palestine-some still exist to this day-as having a large room with a raised platform for the family living area and a lower entrance area where the animals were brought in at night for security. He describes these platforms as having mangers (indentations) dug out ofthe platform near where the animals were housed at night.

So when Mary laid her baby in a manger, it made perfect sense In a house crowded with family and guests, this was a safe place to put an infant , especially since the guest room was already occupied

According to Bailey, the clincher for an in-home stay rather than a stable birth is the reaction of the shepherds when they came to see the baby Jesus. They were well satisfied with what they found. They would not have been had they found Jesus in unsuitable housing among animals in a stable

After living in a similar culture for several years and looking at the biblical account from a Middle Eastern perspective, Bailey's explanations make a lot of sense to me

How could fiction have become fact in this Bible story? I guess when we hear something often enough, it becomes fact to us .

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Working for change in urban Omaha IiiIII

first in a series of profiles

• Faith Bible Church's vision for ministry is to revitalize the hearts of their inner-city neighbors.

" W HEN YOU think about a city, you may think of garbage, bad things, a place I don't want to be. But the fact is, God loves the city, and God loves the people in the city," says Peter Thomas, the energetic pastor of Faith Bible Church in Omaha, Neb.

Five years ago, Faith Bible Church was a struggling, one-service church. Today it is a multicongregational church that includes three congregations and a tax-exempt ministry corporation.

"The church has just taken off," says Thomas. "The place where I can pinpoint the time when things changed was when God gave us our vision. The vision, which is printed

BY NATALEE ROTH

on the front cover of the church bulletin, says in part: "Our church purposes to reach Christians with a heart for the city so we can reach people in the heart of the city. "

Thomas says God began to change the church when God gave the leaders the vision.

"When God gave us our vision, he just took over, and has just been pulling us. We've been trying to keep up ever since."

Thomas said after he graduated from Denver Seminary, he knew he wanted to be the pas-

tor of an urban church. He and his wife, Jodi, had applied at churches in the Eastern United States in part because both of them are originally from New York. But it was Faith Bible Church in Omaha that contacted them.

"God has a sense of humor, sending two New Yorkers to Nebraska," Thomas says. "This church was exactly what we were looking for."

He said he was impressed with the existing leadership and that the congregation wanted to minister to the urban community. Faith Bible Church

is located in south urban Omaha, but many churches have moved to the suburban areas. Thomas came on staff in November 1992.

"God has a wonderful plan for Faith Bible Church, and he wants to use Faith Bible Church as a tool to present and represent Jesus Christ to the unchurched, multiethnic people living in south urban Omaha."

He calls the process of restructuring the church over the last five years a spiritual renewal. Thomas and the Faith Bible elders spent two and a

At the heart of it: The Builder/Boomer congregation.

The scene in south urban Omaha: "When God gave us our vision, he just took over, and has just been pulling us," says pastor Peter Thomas

half years seeking a vision for the congregation_ They purchased a demographic study of the neighborhood, went on prayer walks, read several books about vision and met for retreats to focus specifically on God ' s vision for FBC. "A lot really happened at those retreats," Thomas said.

Church leaders have chosen to target the community surrounding the church known as Columbus Park. This nine-by-nine-block area has a population of about 6,000 people.

From the demographic study, Thomas learned that the community is racially diverse and of a low economic class More than half of the households are headed by single parents, and much of the housing was built before 1939.

The community has the problems of any city: drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, gangs and prostitution. Although the area was predominantly Catholic many years ago, most churchgoers have long since moved to safer, newer parts of town.

Diane Zecchini, a Faith Bible member, says, "The pattern in Omaha is for people to move out of places like this, and that's left not a lot of healthy families ."

Church leaders have recognized that the 6,000 people in the community surrounding the church are hurting and need to know Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, many Christians are living comfortable, busy lives and failing to share the good news .

Zecchini said, "The vision and understanding of the people around us really excites me about Faith. I mean, it's easy as Christians to say we love everyone or we desire for everyone to become Christians. But to actually put that into practice in a way that's applicable to our neighborhood is a totally different step ."

Faith Bible Church has tried to put the Great Commission into practice in their three congregations and ministry corporation. The original congregation was started 30 years ago and is now known as the " Builder/Boomer congregation ." Thomas leads this congregation, which recently added a second Sunday morning service. He views this body as the main resource for the other congregations and ministries .

The Builder/Boomers have nine discipleship groups which meet for Sunday school or during the week. These groups range in topic from parenting and Promise Keepers to a new group for seekers.

The second congregation is called Iglesia Agua Viva (Living Water Church). Pastor Walter Preza leads this Spanish-speaking body which ministers to the growing hispanic population in Columbus Park. They meet on Sunday afternoons at the church . Iglesia Agua Viva has been growing

for four and a half years. Preza and his wife, Amalia, live in the neighborhood near the church. The hispanic and Builder/ Boomer congregations have a combined average attendance of about 160 , compared to an average of 72 attenders five years ago.

The third congregation is a new outreach tailored to "Generation X," a label applied to people between the ages of 15 and 32 This congregation began meeting Saturday nights in the church gym last month. James Epp leads the congregation which is known as "We llspring." The name

A presence in the hour of crisis

HOWARD LIVES across the street from the Faith Bible Church parsonage When we met, Howard ' s right hand was in a cast. Eight days earlier he had attempted suicide by nearly cutti ng off three fingers and stabb ing himse lf in the stoma ch Doctors were able t o reattach the fingers, and, miraculously, Howa rd is slowly regaining use of them .

Howard had lived with hi s girlfriend for five year s They ' d had two chi ldren together The woman, who was addicted to drugs, left one day and too k the kids with her . Devastated. he cou ldn 't stand the thought of being without his children He was angry and felt alone Suicide seemed his best op tion . When Howard was released from t he hospital , he returned to an empty apartment His girlfriend had taken the furniture and $180 worth of groceries . She had also cut up all of Howard's clothing At t hat point, Howard says he had a breakdown He decided to go to Peter Thomas for help . Howard has known Thomas- Howard calls h im " Father Peter"- for the five years the Thomases have lived in the neighborhood Thomas says they've been

A new lease on life: Howard finds a home at Faith Bible friends all along, but Howard had never been open to the gospel.

Howard and his parents and family have lived in the Columbus Park neighborhood for years and have always been on good terms with the Faith Bible staff. When Howard needed help, Thoma s was glad he contacted the church Good Neighbor Ministries, the social ministry arm of Faith Bible, paid one of Howard's bills and took care of some of his other immediate needs. They also offered to pay for some professional counseling sessions for Howard

In November, Howard attended a worship service for the first time During the service, he got up and thanked the congregation for their generosity and for the time they had spent praying for him and helping him He said they had given him something he had never received before " I hope someday I' ll be able to accept the lord into my life," he said

A few weeks later, Thomas wa s on the phone . "I have some good news," he said "Howard invited the lord into his life " Thomas and some people from the church organized a celebration party for Howard

Thomas says Howard 's story is becoming a familiar one in the Columbus Park neighborhood "God is doing a mighty work and changing the lives of people in south urban Omaha ." - Natalee Roth

was chosen to represent the Bible story about the Samaritan woman at the well . Services consist of worship with a contemporary band, and a biblical message in an informal, coffeehouse atmosphere.

"Our desire is to plant a congregation that worships in a way that's culturally relevant in music and format that people from my generation can understand," Epp says.

He said his generation generally finds the church irrelevant and has negative connotations of a sanctuary setting. "We feel like there are less barriers [in the gym] than a sanctuary," he says. "We're going to break the mold and start over new."

Epp and other church leaders have "advertised" the new church by spending time meeting and getting to know young people in the community. They have gone to coffeehouses and other popular teenage and youngadult hangouts in the area, and host a weekly open-gym night at the church for young men.

Epp said the open-gym nights have been challenging because of the diverse backgrounds of the participants. In his contacts with community young people, Epp has invited them to attend the Saturday night church service. He believes word of mouth is the best way to encourage people to come.

"Most of the people in the community are not churchgoers, and so the traditional church is very foreign to a lot of people anymore," says Diane Zecchini. "So I think reaching people in their different cultural backgrounds and hitting them where they're at spiritually is really the way churches

need to go in order to bring in the unchurched. "

Her husband, Walter, agrees. "It's really the biblical pattern, especially with Paul. When he evangelized, he became all things to all men. He didn't compromise doctrine or the message. "

The ministry will focus on relational discipleship because Epp believes this generation has experienced brokenness in many areas of life.

Epp and his wife, Amy Beth, are raising their own support to come onstaff as missionaries. They recently bought a house near the church and live there with their infant son, Joshua .

Though the people of Faith Bible Church have reached out in many ways through the three congregations, they wanted to create an organization specifically for outreach ministry.

StephenStout is the director of this organization, which is known as Good Neighbor Ministries. He, like Epp, has raised his own support to come onstaff.

"Good Neighbor Ministries (GNM) is really the missions organization," Stout says. "Our purpose is to meet some of the physical needs of the people in this neighborhood and to show that we care and thus to share about Christ in an effective way."

For example, after a recent snowstorm, many people in Columbus Park had piles of fallen tree branches in their yards. GNM removed branches for one woman in the neighborhood. Epp said this woman had been unresponsive to attempts to form a friendship with her, but opened up after seeing this act of kindness.

"That's the heart of the gospel," Walter Zecchini says. "It's loving people and meeting their needs. Jesus did that himself. He wouldn't just preach to people He would meet their physical needs. [The outreach] has given us the opportunity to earn someone's respect-to earn the right to share with them the gospel."

Through GNM, Stout has also taught English to hispanics, led a Bible study in one of the nearby apartment complexes, and done other street ministry. Stout and his wife, Jane, recently bought a house in the neighborhood .

"Steve and Jane are perfect for the job," Diane Zecchini says. "They have the desire to go and create relationships."

GNM was started more than one year ago. So far, Stout has spent much of his time registering GNM as a corporation with the State of Nebraska and working to achieve tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Ser-

Walter and Amalia Preza lead Faith Bible's hispanic congregation, Iglesia Aqua Viva.

Epp, Stout and Thomas (left to right) use humor to explain and promote FBC's vision to other groups. Their tour of district churches is partially funded by Mission USA.

vice. GNM operates under the auspices of Faith Bible Church but has its own board of directors.

Now that GNM is up and running as a corporation, Stout has several new goals. One is to reach people through a van and companion ministry, which is currently in the works because of two sisters who have been longtime members of Faith Bible Church, Beth Gallet and Kathy Habegger.

Stout said the two women told Thomas several months ago that they believed God had called them to quit their jobs and to serve as missionaries alongside GNM. Gallet, who had been a nurse for 23 years, saw the need to help the 40 percent of households in the Columbus Park neighborhood

who don't have a vehicle.

Thomas says many people in the area have mental and physical disabilities.

"These people can't just call a cab when they need to go somewhere, they need help getting in and out of the car, or help while they're at the grocery store or doctor's office. ,.

Theintent is that through this ministry , the women would build relationships while meeting physical needs. Gallet and Habegger are currently using their own vehicles to help people in the area, but they are looking to purchase a van for the ministry. They are seeking to support themselves by securing grants and funding for their salaries.

As a second ministry, Thomas said the elders would like to remodel the existing gym/ fellowship hall as a multipurpose worship center. For now, they want to use one corner of the building for a coffeehouse . Another possible coffeehouse location is in a house adjacent to the church. The Central District Conference recently gave Faith Bible the money to purchase the property. Currently the house is used as a clothing and food pantry, but the board of directors will ultimately decide its future use.

Stout has many dreams for GNM. His primary obstacles are a lack of money and human resources-the church needs more Christians with a heart for reaching the city.

GNM and the new Wellspring con-

The new Thomas family: One in the bond of love

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Ri chard and 9-year-old Christina ar e th e adopted chi ldren of Peter John and Jodi Thoma s, the pa storal couple at Faith Bible Chu rc h

Shy at f irst , they qui ckly warm up to a visitor. Chri stin a talks about school and the family' s upcoming va catio n; Richard t ries to interject a f ew word s whenever he can. Richard excels in reading and Christina sings b eautifully . Both play sports w ell. They lOVe their adopted parents dearly It would seem they have always lived happy, carefree lives

But they haven ' t. About a year and a half ago, Richard and Christina. who lived with the ir mother in a lowincome apartment complex near the parsonage, were anything but happy and carefree

The Thomase s learned to know Richard Chr istina and their younger sister, Sharon , when the kids stopped by each day to pet the Thomases' dog Eventually, the couple met the mother and learned that she was

addicted to drugs and lived in deplorable conditions . The three children have two fathers- both are currently in pri son

A visit to their apartment was a real eye-opener for the Thomases . " There was no furniture in the apartment and it was fifty {degrees)," Peter says "Richard took me into a room where he was sleeping, and all he had in the room wa s a curtain taken off the wall that he used to sleep on "

Horrified and concerned , the Thomases tried to help They invited the mother to live in their basement and paid for her to attend a drug rehab program- until they caught her shooting drugs in their home

The si tu ation di dn ' t change Finally , with many people p rayi ng , Pet er an d Jodi approa ched the mother and gently expl ain ed that her life styl e wa s hurting her and the childre n . She wa s open to their mes sage and asked if th ey thought she shou ld give up the children The Thoma ses said ye s, and she agre ed

The Thomases gave the mother additional time to think over her deci sion Within 24 hours, Christina and Ri ch ard came to live with them Sh aron moved in with Ri ck and Mar ile e Reck Rick is an FBC elder

That was in August 1996 . The Th o ma ses began the adoption proces s through Nebraska Children's Home, a donation-based organization . Adoption s usually cost thousands o f dollars , so the Thoma ses were thankful God allowed th e m to work through NCH

For eight months , Ri chard and

Christina lived with the Th omases, all the while unsure if th e adoption would go through Because both of t he children's fathers had to sign papers relinqu ishing their rights as parents, NCH sent lawyer s into the prison to do this Th e mother signed papers as well

At that po int , the Thomase s turned Richard and Christina over as wards of the state , sin ce th is makes an adoption more secu re . In Apr il 1997, the ad o ption was made official. The Reeks have since adopt ed Sharon as well

"The whole thing was just of God, it wa s a miracle , " Peter says . "G od has stepped in in a mighty way. and God ha s a great plan for Rich ar d and his two si sters. " - NataJee Roth

Home and family: Jodi and Peter John Thomas with their children, Richard and Christina

Helping neighbors is a key way to build relationships that can lead to a verbal witness.

gregation still need to raise $20,000 to meet their budgets. One way the church seeks to raise this money is through the help of other Mennonite Brethren congregations.

FBC also looks to other congregations for human resources. Faith Bible Church has been accepted as a target church for renewal by the Central District and U.S. Conference. "Ed Boschman [executive director of Mission USA] told us, 'Get on the road and get to the churches. They need to see what's going on, '" Thomas says.

Faith Bible Church received a $2,000 grant from Mission USA for that purpose. For several months, Epp and Stout, joined occasionally by Thomas, have traveled to churches in the district to explain the church and its ministry.

W.alter Zecchini believes the presentation gives people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do urban ministry the chance to help.

Thomas said he wants the district to know Faith Bible Church is unique. "We're an urban church, we're not a suburban church, and we're not a rural church," he says. "This is much different. This is a lower-income neighborhood with a lot of diversity and a lot of city problems."

In its presentation to churches, Epp and Stout do a skit based on Matthew 9 :37 : "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." They also show slides of people in the community and of Faith Bible Church ministries.

Paul Kroeker, one of Faith Bible's elders, says , "I think the Mennonite Brethren are really beginning to see

that there's something happening here that really needs to be happening. And by the grace of God we want to be a kind of title program, a ministry that enables them to see how to accomplish these things. "

Some churches are already beginning to respond. For instance, the Harvey (N.D .) MB Church donated a load of clothing and food for a fund-raising sale at Faith Bible in November.

"We're very thankful for the partnership of other Mennonite Brethren churches," Thomas says.

Epp says people can become partners with Faith Bible in several ways. One is by participating in a week-long mission experience in the neighborhood. This opportunity is specifically for Mennonite Brethren churches in the Central District Faith Bible leaders have planned one week for youth, June 22 -28, and one week for adults, Aug. 10-16.

Stout said the experience will include urban education, high-impact ministry, "and lots of fun."

The other two ways to assist Faith Bible are through financial investment and prayer.

Epp said, "Steve and I have raised our own support as missionaries and stepped out in faith. It's a little bit scary when you have a new house and new child . But God has provided in incredible ways."

Prayer is also necessary, he says. "We challenge people to pray because we're involved in a spiritual battle here. It's not just a physical thing, but we're going out and making a difference in people's lives. It's God's Holy Spirit going before us, and we are literally storming the gates of hell. Satan won't take that sitting back, so we request-we very strongly beg-people to actively commit to pray for us."

Elder Rick Reck says he is energized by the challenge. "We can be thankful that we live in a time when we can visibly see that God is at work. You don't always have the benefit of watching God work in peoples' lives. But God is working in a mighty, mighty way, and I'm thankful to be a part of it. "

Natalee Roth, a senior at Tabor College, is an intern at the Leader.

TOP 10 NEWS STORIES

1997: Global awareness tops agenda

JANUARY is a time to look ahead and resolve to "do better" in the future. Before the events of 1997 become lost in the activities of the present, the Leader editors offer one last look back.

In ranking our traditional list of Top 10 news stories, we consider both the immediate and potential impact of a particular event, and then try to fit it into the larger picture. Here's how the year looked to us.

lYear of the Global Church.

Following the lead of MB MisSions/Services, 1997 was the year we celebrated global mission. Mennonite Brethren congregations in the United States, Canada, Japan and India experienced firsthand the unique energy of worshiping Zairian-style when Esengo, a choir of young adults from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) came to town.

North Americans who attended Mennonite World Conference in Calcutta, India, were visually reminded that the Mennonite family has more brown faces than white.

In 1997, Mennonite Brethren became more serious about being a global family. Delegates to the binational General Conference convention in July made it clear that international partnership should be a priority for the future.

According to Harold Ens, MBM/S general director, the purpose of the "Year of Global Mission" was to increase loyalty for and funding of the missions program Did it work? Time will tell

2DiSSOlUtiOn of the General Conference avoided-for now. North American Mennonite Brethren were pretty sure that when

it comes to the binational conference structure, something has to change But what and how were up for debate.

Delegates at Waterloo ' 97 weren't ready to go along with a recommendation to pull the plug on the binational conference. Instead , they voted to appoint a task force that would launch a "no-holds-barred" review of all levels of denominational ministries in the United States and Canada.

3confession of Faith revisions completed_ An unveiling of sorts took place at Waterloo '97 when the draft revision of the Confession of Faith draft was presented eight years ahead of schedule. This version includes five articles approved in 1995 , five new articles and eight reworked articles cranked out by the Board of Faith and Life during the past two years.

Many congregations heeded BFL's call to process the draft revision before the Feb. 15 deadline. BFL will take into account all responses and plans to call a leadership convocation to give final shape to the Co nfession. A final draft will be presented to delegates in 1999

4

co n flict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mennonite Brethren in North America prayed hard for their brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo during 1997 and our Congolese leaders there attribute their safety to those petitions Civil war broke out in Congo (formerly Zaire) in October 1996 and by mid-April the capital city of Kinshasa was under attack by rebel forces. The path to Kinshasa led rebel troops through ar e as where many of the 73,000 Mennonite Brethren live . Masolo Manunga, chair of the Congo MB Conference, described April and Mayas "the most threatening period in which we have lived. " Among Mennonite Brethren, three lives were lost , including those of two children . But the bloodbath most feared was avoided . The transition of governments has given Congo Mennonite Brethren modest hope for a better futur<;:, but they continue to fac e dire economic challenges . In spite of the turmoil , the church thrives

5FPU

welcomes a new president. In addition to a new name, Fresno Pacific University in Fresno , Calif , welcomed a new president Allen Carden was inaugurated as the school's seventh president Oct . 13 . Carden says his short-term goals are to develop additional facilities, increase enrollment in the traditional undergraduate program and strengthen ties with the denomination.

Carden lauded former President Richard Kriegbaum for much of FPU's recent development and growth. One indicator of these changes was the college's name change. The Fresno Pacific "College " became a "University " officially last January

6

Weat h er. For many Mennonite Brethren, 1997 will be remembered as either the "Year of the Big Snow " or the "Year of the Big Flood." Or both . At one point, all of South Dakota and a section of Minnesota were declared disaster areas because of high winds, bitterly cold temperatures and lots of snow Mennonite Disaster Service went to work when winter flooding hit California, Washington, Oregon , Idaho and Nevada.

In spring, the snow melted and flood waters led to the evacuation of virtually the entire Red River Valley from Fargo, N.D , to Winnipeg , Man MDS established two flood response centers : one in Fargo, where the river crested at 22.5 feet above flood stage, and the other in Winnipeg , home to 42 Mennonite congregations and numerous denominational agencies

7Mission USA Board restructured. Funding strategies prompt-

ed the U . S . Conference Board of Church Ministries to approve changes in the composition of the Mission USA board The shift tilts board composition away from pastors and toward business and lay professionals. The revised board will be comprised of 13 voting members who are each responsible for raising $10,000 for MUSA

8 MCC aid to North Korea. Mennonite Central Committee ' s emergency shipments of food and agricultural supplies to North Korea provided much-needed nourishment to the recipients as well as favorable publicity for the relief agency. By some estimates, more than 1 million people died of starvation in 1997 in North Korea as a result of severe droughts, floods and disastrous agricultural poliCies

In November, Christianity Today included MCC's shipments in its list of "100 Things the Church Is Doing Right "

9AgencieS

f"mish in the red. For the second year, revenue fell short across the board for denominational agencies and conferences. But unlike last year , the shortfall in giving translated to a deficit bottom line. In spite of underspending its budget, the U.S . Conference overspent its income by $20 ,683. Giving to the General Conference, MB Biblical Seminary and MB Missions/ Services declined.

The only ministry for which U S. churches actually increased their giving was Mennonite Central Committee . Even with an overall increase in giving, other factors contributed to a reduction in cash income for the relief agency.

1OCOllegeS recognized. Two national magazines confirmed what some of us had known for a long time: Fresno Pacific University and Tabor College are two of the best colleges around . Money magazine ranked Tabor as one of the top 100 best buys among u.S. colleges while Fresno Pacific was rated fifth among western universities by u.s. News and World Report. -Connie Faber

An Indonesian dancer leads in worship at the world gathering of Mennonites in Calcutta.

New article aims to communicate the value God gives to human life

The General Conference Board of Faith and Life (BFL) is in the process of revising the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith. The board is now gathering feedback about its initial draft. BFL invites your participation. This is the third in a series of articles written by Lynnjost, BFL chair, on selected articles of the revised confession Responses can be sent by regular mail to BFL, c/o Lynn jost, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063; the e-mail address is lynnj@tcnettabor.edu.-Theeditors

THE ARTICLE titled "The Sanctity of Human Life" inspires high interest, even fierce debate Why would we include such controversial issues? How can we place in a confession of faith items about which Mennonite Brethren have not

believers can wrestle through the questions.

The article aims to present a brief, concise, yet complete statement of what we believe about human life . The opening paragraph searches for words that will communicate

Because of the reached consensus? Aren ' t these topics better suited for a study paper? Why do we mention some sanctity of

issues but not others, h um an life, such as in vitro fertiliza- h umans are not tion, cloning and selection of a baby's gender? free to How does capital punish- terminate life ment fit here?

Perhaps the questions, as a ma t ter of coupled with the level of interest in Article 14, convenience. actually justify its place in

the high value God gives human life. The paragraph depends on the statements of "Creation and Humanity," Article 3. The God-given value of humanity flows out ofthe Creator's design.

nience. The article's intent is not to stigmatize suicide victims. While we hold that suicide is wrong, we also want to extend God's grace in a pastoral manner.

The rush of medical progress precludes our responding to every new technique, but we take a reserved approach to such advances. Stewardship demands that Christians weigh the costs. Will a procedure prolong life? Will it monopolize resources at the expense of others?

The issue of capital punishment is also included in this article In this draft we take the position that our commitment to life must be consistent. On the one hand, we recognize that governments acting with Godgiven authority may execute criminals.

On the other hand, we contend that our desire to follow Christ keeps us from supporting such action Though other Christians may differ, we confess that we oppose capital punishment because of our Christian conviction.

The second section shifts the emphasis from theological propositions to practical implications. We must state these conclusions since Scripture seems either not to anticipate them (abortion or the confession. Science forces us to think about new possibilities. Society struggles with these ethical issues . Our confession attempts to provide a biblical framework within which

The article concludes with a paraphrase of the great commandmeflt. Finally, our specific actions in these complex questions of life and death are to be determined by love for neighbor.

Questions

euthanasia) or not to specifically address their morality (suicide and assisted suicide). Because of the sanctity of human life, humans are not free to terminate life as a matter of conve-

MENNONITE BRETHREN CONFESSION OF FAITH

Article 14: The san ct ity of human life

Human Dignity We believe in the sanctity of human life Ea ch person is created in the image of God Although death is part of human existence , the certainty of resurrection expresses the ete rnal dimension of life

Human Life and the L aw. God values human life highly . Therefore, we hold that procedures de signed to take life , including abortion , euthanasia , suicide and a ss iste d sui cid e, are wrong Although we h ighly esteem the life -giving findings of medical sc ien ce , the re are limits to the ability to sustain life In re c ognition of God's sovereignt y over life and death , C hristians may decide to forego extraordinary medical efforts to prolong life

God has given goveming authorities the power to punish evil. As C h ristians , however, we do not condone cap ital punishment. In all complex ethical issue s regarding life and death , we seek to live according to the command to love our neighbors a s ourselves Gen 1:26 -27

1. Is this article appropriate for our confession of faith? Should we address the issue of the high value of human life in the confession or in a different form?

2. Is the phrase "sanctity of human life" the best possible term? Does this imply that life is "holy"? Is it better to simply confess that "God values human life highly"?

3. Are the specific issues raised in the second paragraph sufficient? Is the wording clear? Is it sufficiently strong in stating our opposition to abortion?

4 Mennonite Brethren have not officially condemned capital punishment. Do we agree with the statement as suggested? Does the statement fit best in this article or in Article 12, "Society and State"?

The fUll draft of the Confession of Faith is available in your church office or at the follOWing web site: http.//www.mbconforglmbc.

Encouraging to new heights in Christ

Rolling Hills Church, as an emerging Mennonite Brethren church plant in Papillion, Nebraska, has chosen "Encouraging to New Heights in Christ" as its theme, based on Hebrews 10:25. "In this passage we find the only command in Scripture to gather as a group of believers, as well as the reason to gather:' said Pastor Rod Anderson. "We intend to encourage others to new heights in Christ through captivating worship, challeng-

Pastor Rod and Donna Anderson meet regularly with acore group of 40 to 50 peaple on Saturday nights in an area church. These gatherings are called "rehearsals" as the Rolling Hills Church prepares to shift to Sunday morning services. Asearch for afacility for the emerging church is under way.

ing teaching, communion with God, compassion for people, commitment to giving, and caring fellowship. Jesus

Christ and the salvation provided in Him are central to the establishment and building of this church."

The Papillion Task Farce serves as interim leadership for the emerging church. Pictured at arecent task force meeting are members (clockwise from left) Gary lanzen, Chair of Central District Church Planting Committee and Task Force Chair; David Brawn, CPC Rod Anderson, Church Planter; [fint Grenz, Central District Minister, and Loretta lost, Mission USA.

MISSION USA BOARD:

Ed Boschman, Phoenix, AZ.,

Chuck Buller, V"lSalia, CA.

Rick Eshbaugh, Topeka, KS

&nie Friesen, Wichita, KS

Tim Geddert, Fresno, CA

Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN

Loretto Jost, Aurora, NE

Fred Leonard, ClOvis, CA

Howard Loewen, Fresno, CA

Stephen Reimer, Shaher, CA

Clarice Rempel, Buhler, KS

Mike Schuil, Reedley, CA

Clint Seibel, Hillsboro, CA

Randy Steinert, Bokersfield, CA

Tim Sullivan, Hillsboro, KS

Ex Officio Members: Henry Dick, Fresno, CA.

Clinton Grenz, Bismark, N.D.

Roland Reimer, Wichita, KS.

IN BRIEF

APPO I NTED: A tas k for ce ha s been a ppo i nt ed t o exa mine the need s and e ff ec tiv eness of th e cu rre nt Ge n era l Co nfer e n ce of M e nn on ite Br ethr e n Chur ch es Pete Penner , an agr i bu sin ess m a n fr o m Reedl e y , Ca l i f , w ill ser ve as chair. Other ta sk f orce memb e r s ar e Jasha Boge of Winn i p e g , M an , a Ca nadian Confe re nce app o intee ; Lyndon Vix o f Wi chit a, Kan ., a U .S . Co nference appo intee ; and Gayle Goossen of Kitchen er, Ont., and John Wiebe of Abbotsford, B C. , membersat-large . Delegate s to the General Conf e ren ce convention th is summ e r appr o ve d the appointm e nt o f a ta sk for ce t o conduct a " no-ho ld s-ba rr ed " r ev i ew o f conferen ce stru cture s a nd mini stri es The re commendat i on ca ll s fo r br oad -ba sed pro cessing at all conferen ce le vels and with local chur ches The gr o up held its fir st m eeting in midDec ember ( GCMB C)

OWN ERSHIP: Th e M an it o ba MB Co nfer ence, me et ing in W innip eg, acce pt ed own e rship of Co nco rd Co ll eg e ih late Oct o ber during a spec ial co nve nti on of the provin cial co nfer ence an d th e Concord Co ll ege annual meeting . In add i· tion t o th e Winni peg lo ca ti o n , del egate s fr o m no rth ern Manit o ba gath · ered in Th o mp so n , where th ey co uld listen to t he co nvention by ph o ne and fax in the ir co mm e nt s and vot es. Th e delegates also ap proved Con cord 's proposal to ad d a Sc hoo l of Disci pl eship , a one-ye ar program includin g thre e components: Bible study and Christian di scipline s, int e rnational mini stry and debriefin g (MB Herald)

CONTACTS : Volunte er s with Chur ch Partner ship Evangeli sm , a cros s-cultural door-to-d o or evange li sm program supported by MB Mis sio ns/Servic es , contact ed mo re t han 22, 500 individual s in 1997, r epo rt s CPE executiv e dire ctor Peter Loewen Thi s past yea r CPE co nducted 15 campaign s in nin e diffe re nt countrie s and ha ve pl ans f o r 16 campaigns in 1998 At each lo ca ti o n, CPE work s i n partner ship with a lo c al chur ch Vo lunteer s share their te stim ony with the aid o f a lo cal Christian translato r, who th en doe s foll o w -up as needed (CPE)

MCC to aid victims of violence in Mexico

• Attack by paramilitaries kills 45, displaces others in December

MENNONITE Central Committee will provide an immediate $1 , 500 to help supply food, clothing and medicine to some of the 2,200 families displaced by violence in rural Chiapas, Mexico .

The aid will be distributed through existing women's and religious groups already assisting the " internal refugees." MCC worker ]. Eduardo Rodriguez, who lives with his wife in San Cristobal, the capital of Chiapas state , will monitor the distribution.

On Dec. 22, paramilitaries associated with Mexico's ruling political party, the PRI, massacred 45 displaced indigenous persons who had sought refuge from earlier violence in the area.

The victims were members of a peasant organization called "The Bees" (Sociedad Civil Las Abejas). The group's views and politicS are similar to those of the Zapatista guerrillas but its members do not support armed struggle. They were attending Mass when the shooting started

The massacre occurred as part of a wave of violence in the Chenalho area in recent months-causing dozens of deaths, numerous wounded and thousands of displaced persons While the killings are blamed on well -armed paramilitaries affiliated with Mexico's ruling party, human rights monitors say the violence often takes place within sight of-and sometimes with the outright support of-the Chiapas state police. -MeC News Service

. CHURCH NOTES

• Baptism/membership

HILLSBORO, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-Adam Miller, Peter Richert, Monica Schale and Shelly Schale were baptized and welcomed into membership Dec . 14. Vaughn and Taryn Jost, Ernie and Donna Luna, Jamey Luna , Jandy Luna, and Bryce and Sara Wichert were also welcomed as new members . VISALIA, Calif. (Neighborhood)- The

congregation welcomed 23 new members Dec . 7. Joining by baptism were Nick Bartsch, Stephanie Bartsch, Bill Bawks, JoAnne Bawks, Christy Bawks, Lorna Crenshaw, Kevin Ford, Kristen Ford, Kimberly Ford, Lynn Jahn, Jacob Klint, Christopher Klint, Mike Lusk, Carol Lusk, Brandon Landry, Chris McCarthy, Charlene McCarthy, Jenna McClure, Britney Muller, Danny Vogt and Stephen Vogt JoAnn Heidebrecht and Rick Williams joined by transfer of membership

FRESNO, Calif. (Bethany)-Randy Berg, Sam Freshwater, Liz Freshwater, Josh Freshwater, Beth Freshwater, Matt Freshwater, Emily Freshwater, Veronica Garner, LeRoy Goossen, Jeanie Goossen, Tracie Herd and Dan Stobbe were welcomed into membership Nov. 30

OLAmE, Kan. (Community Bible)-Jason Hall and Melanie Katzer were baptized and received as members Nov. 23. Justin and Kim Kenas also were received.

HENDERSON, Neb.-Keith Braun shared his testimony and was accepted into membership Nov. 23.

DINUBA, Calif.-Lisa Harmon was welcomed as a new member Nov 16. Youth pastoral couple Brent and Teresa Cummings were accepted as new members Nov. 9. Barry and Jennifer Lloyd were welcomed as new members Nov 2

HESSTON, Kan.-Jordan and Whitney Allen were baptized Nov. 16. Roman Hofer and Sharon Toews were also baptized and welcomed into membership.

WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)-

Tabor College

Faculty positions for 1998-99

Full-time positions in:

• English, Writing/Literature

• Music, Instrumentall Band Conductor

• Music, Vocal

Tabor College is an evangelical college affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church; faculty must be committed to the college's mission. Positions open until filled. Send resume and cover letter to: Dr. Lon Fendall Vice President of Academic Affairs, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063 E -mail: lonf@ tcnet.tabor.edu Home page : www tabor .edu.

The congregation broke ground for a new multipurpose facility Nov. 23.

REEDLEY, Calif.- Flowers were placed in the sanctuary Dec. 7 in honor of the 50th wedding anniversary of Harry and Rose Buhler. Sanctuary flowers Nov. 30 honored the 50th wedding anniversary of Wally and Irma Isaak.

INMAN, Kan. (Zoar)- The family of George and Menda Kliewer hosted a program and 50th wedding anniversary open house Nov. 23.

DINUBA, Calif.-Sanctuary flowers Nov. 16 celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of Roger and Barbara Friesen. The 50th wedding anniversary of Henry and Rosella Isaak was recognized Nov. 9 with flowers in the sanctuary .

• Ministry

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (Community Bible)-This month the young congregation began offering Sunday school classes for all ages The group just recently purchased their own facility.

ENID, Okla.-An outreach event targeting women was held Nov. 17. The evening program featured hints for homemade and inexpensive Christmas gifts, wrapping and packaging. Of the 170 attenders, more than half were guests.

ADMINISTRATOR

Dedicated to Enhancing the Oy,ality of Life

Retirement Management Company, a recognized leader in longterm care and retirement communities, and Garden Valley Retirement Community , a leading CCRC in Western Kansas have an exciting opportunity for an experienced health care administrator. If you have Medicare experience, possess strong interpersonal communication skills, have a proven commitment to quality care and services, and you are interested in working with a dedicated team of professionals, please submit your resume to:

Retirement Management Company 4830 W. 15th Street Lawrence, KS 66049

Attn: Donna Bell

MARSHALL, Ark. (Martin Box)- Saturday Night Alive, a community outreach ministry for local teenagers sponsored by the congregation, is held twice each month in a downtown storefront donated by the owner

CORDELL, Okla. (Bible)-Southern Dis-

trict Conference minister Roland Reimer was the guest speaker Dec 9. MB Missions/Services worker Vic Wiens was the speaker Nov. 9.

CORN, Okla.-Ray Badgero was the guest speaker for the Harvest Thanks Festival Nov. 23 Badgero is currently director of the North America Indian Mission headquartered in Point Roberts, Wash . He and

Sword of the Spirit"

July 1 17, 1998 with John & Roma Ruth as leaders. and other options:

• Guatemal a and Belize, January 23 - February I

• Vienna: Music & Cu lture, April 22 - May 7

• Cities of the Apostl e Paul , May 28 - June 8

• Lands of the Bibl e, June 7-22

• St. Lawre n ce Seaway Tour, July 12-21

• Alaska, July 15-27

• Maiestic Canadia n Rockies, July 18-31

• Engl and, Scotland & Wa l es, August 5-19 Call T ODAY for more information .

IN BRIEF

RESOURCES : AI and Anne Dueck of Fresno, Calif , are serving as resource people fo r the annual Southern Dist rict Conference Pa stor 's Advan ce held Jan 19-21 in Hutch inson , Kan The Due cks will be talking to pa storal staff member s and spouses about health and wholene ss in ministry AI is professor of pastoral counseling at MB Biblical Seminary and Anne is director of day care at Fresno Pacific University ' s Older Adult Social Services (SDC)

EXCHANGE: Two Fresno Pac ific University math professors , Richard Thiessen and Dave Youngs , recently traveled to Vietnam to conduct a math education se minar for high school and university faculty Th e pu rpose of t he workshop wa s to help teachers make math edu cation more student centered and to help students better understand math concepts The trip was part of an ex change agr ee ment between the Univer si t y of Cantho in Vietnam and Fresno Pac ifi c. (FPU)

ARSONS : In the pa st two years , more than 100 church building s have been burned in Indonesia In late Novemb er, for the fir st time , a Mennonite church wa s destroyed by rioters On Nov 25 , th e M ennonite church in the village of Bayur sari, Karyatani , in central Lampung , was burned by a crowd of 300 t o 350 people , according to reliable Indonesian sources At least one man wa s injured during the attack The pastor, pa storal intern and their famili es have sought refuge since the situation as of mid -December was not yet sa fe for them to stay in their hom es (M ennonite World Conference)

GATHERING : The 14th A sse mbly of Mennonite World Conference will likely take place on the continent of Africa in the year 2003. The MWC executive commi t tee , meeting recently in Strasbourg , Fran ce, expressed a preference for the year 2003, rather than waiting until 2004 , and agreed to study which country will be the host. Three churches have is sued offi cial invitation s: the Br ethr en in Christ Chur ch of Zambia, the Breth re n in Chri st Chur ch of Zimbabwe and the Me serete Kristos Church of Ethiopi a. (MWC)

his wife served as missionaries in Europe for 15 years before he became a faculty member at Moody Bible Institute in 1981.

HILLSBORO, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-On Wednesday nights during January, Jon Wiebe, newly appointed president of MB Foundation, is giving a series of Christian stewardship seminars.

• Workers ". "

MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn.-Ron and Kathy Seibel were installed Dec. 14 as the pastoral couple.

. DEATHS

BARTEL, TILLIE, of Fairview, Okla., a member of the Fairview MB Church, was bomJuly 14, 1911, near Fairview to Henry A. and Wilhemina Bartel and died Dec 6, 1997, at the age of 86 She is survived by several nieces and nephews.

BERGEN, NELLIE, of Novato, Calif., was born March 23, 1909, at Hinton, Okla., to Peter and Helena Krause Petker and died Nov. 14, 1997 , at the age of 88. On Feb. 14, 1930 , she was married to Arnold Bergen, who predeceased her in 1994 She is survived by two daughters, Doris Bergen Lynch of Novato, and Carolyn Bergen Franklin of Bakersfield, Calif.; a son, A

Paul Bergen of Encinitas, Calif.; four granddaughters, and eight great-grandchildren.

CLINE, DONALD CLIFFORD, of Inola, Okla., a member of the Parkside MB Church , Tulsa, Okla , was born Jan 3, 1935, in Upland, Calif., to Ernest and Lorena Habeggar Cline and died Nov. 22, 1997, at the age of 62. On March 19, 1954, he was married to Ardell McGregor, who survives He is also survived by three daughters, Dawnell and husband Gabe Rubio of Cone, Texas, Janelle and husband Keith Anderson of Longview, Texas, and Karen and husband Curt Bryan of Broken Arrow, Okla .; one sister, Gwen Smith of Shafter, Calif.; and nine grandchildren.

JANZEN, HENRY H., of Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born May 23,1899, at Henderson, Neb., to Heinrich F. and Helena Toews Janzen and died Nov 13, 1997, at the age of 98. On Dec. 29, 1921, he was married to Viola Agatha Janzen, who predeceased him in 1990. He is survived by a son, Marvin and wife Ellen of Reedley; a daughter, Marilyn and husband Ed Janzen of Visalia, Calif.; a brother, Dan Janzen of Independence, Kan.; six grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren.

JOST, FRANCES F., of Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Ebenfeld MB Church, Hillsboro, was born Dec. 5, 1918, at Hillsboro, to ].R.M and Marie Friesen Jost and died Nov. 29, 1997, at the age of 78. On Feb. 10, 1943, he was married to Rubena Loewen , who survives. He is also survived

by a daughter, Sylvia King of Belmont, Calif ; a son, Larry and wife Sherry of Peabody, Kan.; two brothers, Titus and Harry; a sister, Norma Bergman; two grandsons, and a great·granddaughter

JUST, CLIFFORD, of Fairview, Okla , a member of the Fairview MB Church , was born Aug. 14, 1909, near Fairview, to

CLEARINGHOUSE

Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Need to sell or acquire property? Reach U.S. Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad The charge is 40 cents per word, with a $15 minimum Withhold payment until an invoice is received. The editors reserve the right to turn down inappropriate material. For display (boxed) ad rates, please call us.

POSITION AVAILABLE

URGENT OPENING with Mennonite Central Committee: Computer programmer/analyst. Two-year, fulltime volunteer service opportunity with Ten Thousand Villages in Akron, Pa Qualifications include a commitment to Christian faith, active church membership and nonviolent peacemaking. Volunteer will be responsible for the development, maintenance and support of business software on an IntraNetware LAN system. Two years of programming experience preferred. For more information, or to receive a copy of the job description, please contact Prem Dick, 21 S. 12th St., PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501, e-mail: psd@mcc org ph (717) 859-1151.

Peter M. and Mary Cornel son Just and died Nov . 23, 1997, at the age of 88 . On Oct. 13, 1929, he was married to Alice Duerksen, who survives. He is also survived by

one son, Loren and wife Janice of Plano, Texas; one daughter·in law, Mary Lou Just Wiens of Isabella , Okla ; four grandchildren and five great·grandchildren.

ALASKA

July 15-27, 1998

Enjoy maje....c;tic beauty, shimmering glaciers , deep fjords, soaring eagles , thundering caribou , 1 ,aGO-mile cruise and the fellowship of Mennonite friends from all over North Americ a.

Call 1 -800-565-0451 TODAY for a brochure.

Ask about our other tOllrs : Vienna, Lands of the Bible, Europe, England, Scotland, Waies and more

TOUR MAGINATION

22 King St. S , Suite 401 Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8

Reg.#1567624

KOPPER, ERVIN ARTHUR, of Shafter, Calif , a member of the Shafter MB Church, was born April 16, 1916 , at Aberdeen , Idaho, to Peter and Susie Boese Kopper and died recently at the age of 81. On October 18, 1947 , he was manied to Mar· jorie Pickell, who survives. He is also sur· vived by two sons, Richard and wife Bever· ly of Clovis , Calif., and Tim and wife San· dra of Kingsburg, Calif. ; a daughter, Pam and husband Mark Parrott of Stockton, Calif.; a brother, Ed and wife Margaret of Aptos, Calif. ; two sisters, Frances and hus· band].C. Krause of Bakersfield, Calif, and Dorothy Kopper of Bakersfield; and eight grandchildren.

REIMCHE, ESTHER, of Harvey, N.D., a member of the Harvey MB Church , was born May 7, 1915, near Harvey to Daniel and louisa Bich and died Nov 12, 1997, at the age of 82 On Nov 10, 1938, she was married to Roy Reimche, who died Nov. 4, 1997. She is survived by a daugh·

ter , Geraldine Knodel of Dilworth, Minn.; five sons, Gerald, Duane and Daniel, all of Harvey, Jerome of Moorhead, Minn . , and Curtis of Minot, N .D.; three sisters, Ruby Seibel and Anna Seibel, both of Harvey , and Delaine Schimke of Las Vegas , Nev. ; 13 grandchildren and six great·grandchil· dren.

REIMCHE, ROY, of Harvey, N .D , a memo ber of the Harvey MB Church, was born June 17, 1912, near Harvey, to Christ and Salome Reimche and died Nov. 4, 1997, at the age of 85. On Nov. 10, 1938, he was married to Esther Reimche , who died Nov. 12 , 1997 . He is survived by a daughter, Geraldine Knodel of Dilworth, Minn.; five sons, Gerald, Duane and Daniel, all of Har· vey, Jerome of Moorhead , Minn . , and Cur· tis of Minot, N.D. ; a brother, Wilbert of Antioch, Calif.; a stepsister, Elma Ebel of Sacramento, Calif.; a stepbrother, Ben Hauff of Billings, Mont.; 13 grandchildren and six great·grandchildren

CHURCH PARTNERSHIP EVANGELISM

(CPE)

Invitation: TO: Born-again Christians

King Road MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C., is seeking volunteers for its Church Partnership Evangelism outreach to Cost/person*

1. PHILIPP INES - Manilla, Roxas City .. .. .... Jan . 16 - Feb. 9, '98 ... .. . $1 ,200

2. INDIA - Mahabubnagar Jan. 16 - Feb. 9, '98

3. PHILIPPINES - Davao Feb. 9-25, '98 $1,200

4. NICARAGUA - Managua

Feb. 7-23, '98 $1,200

5. PERU - Lima March 7-23, '98 $1,200

6. PERU - Sullana, Trujillo April 4-27, '98 $1,200

7. UKRAINE - Tchernovtsky, Alexandria, Odessa May 2-25, '98 . .. .. ..... .. $1,600

8. CONGO - Kinshasa, Kikwit

9. CUBA.

PARAGUAY - Asuncion, Chaco

12. NICARAGUA - Managua

13. UKRAINE - Novomoskovsk, Pavlograd Berdyansk, Alexandria, Kirowograd

14. PERU - Chiclayo, Talara

May 1 - June 1, '98 $2,000

June 5-22, '98

4-20, '98

July 4-20 , '98 $1,200

July 25 - Aug 18, '98 $1,600

'98 $1,200

8-23, '98

Note: Dates may be subject to change, pending further confirmation of some campaigns. 'Canadian dollars

• Team up with national Christians and witness for Christ door to door.

• Some knowledge of the language of the country is helpful.

• Between 800-2,800 persons have prayed to accept Christ as their personal Savior and Lord during a two-week CPE campaign Come and be a part of an enriching spiritual experience-discover what God can do through you.

For more information, contact: CPE office : Tel.-Fax: 604-864-3941 , or Evelyn Unruh, 604852-5744; or Peter Loewen, 604-853-3173 or FAX 604-853-6482

Church Partnership Evangelism is a ''church·to -church '' effort that involves lay members in personal evangelism worldwide Your application to participate wiff be forwarded to the C.PE Executive Committee for processing

Peter Loewen

CPE Promoter

Harold W Ens MBMI S General Director

Bom LIII,

ROTH, LOUISE E., of Bismarck, N.D., a member of the former Washington Heights Community Church, Bismarck, was born May 30, 1912, at Omaha, Neb., to Gottleib and Anne Benisek Nigrin and died Oct. 8, 1997, at the age of 8S. On Feb. 4 , 1932 , she was married to Jacob Roth , who predeceased her in 1994. She is survived by five sons , Stanley and wife Pauline of McClusky, N.D., Jerry and wife Janice of Casper, Wyo. , Donavan and wife

YOUTH PASTOR

The Topeka Mennonite Brethren Church is currently accepting applications for the position of part-time youth pastor. With more than 50 youth (junior high and senior high) involved in our program we are looking for an en e rgetic, self-disciplined Christian capable of working with our youth ministry team Please call the church for further information and job description, 7854782929; fax : 785478-971 1.

Sharon of Baldwin, N.D , Glenn and wife Loretta of Bismarck, and Rodney and wife Linda of Mandan , N .D. ; two daughters , Claudette and husband Lester Welk of

Me

nno nite

Englewood, Colo , and Dedree and husband Daniel Voegele of Bismarck; a sister, Mary Schaeffer of McClusky; 16 grandchildren and 1S great-grandchildren •

Brethren Foundation

invites applications for the position of

Field

Seeking a Field Representative to work primarily in the Pacific District area with a focus on ep.couraging and assisting Christians in faithful stewardship. Specific res ponsibilities include stewardship planned giving, charitable estate planning and Foundation -related activity. Qualifications include an ability to communicate effectively and a desire to assist people in achieving t heir stewardship objectives.

Direct inquiries to : A.ttn : Jon Wiebe . POBox V Hillsboro ; KS 67063

MEDIA MATTERS

BY BURTON BULLER

The scent of authenticity

We are called to live in the odorous kingdom of this world so that we understand it at a deep enough level to impact it with the good news.

ATHE AGE OF 30, my father aspired to be an auctioneer. Auction school ad given him the basics. Now he

two kingdoms sometimes gets lost? Certainly it is more comfortable living in God's kingdom, with its known ethical and moral needed experience to hone his skills.

This experience came in the form of late-night selling in a local auction house where cast-off goods found new homes The air hung heavy with cigarette smoke and burger grease.

The signature trademark of an auctioneer was a Stetson hat and a suede leather jacket. The leather jacket, especially, took on the rancid odor of the auction house. When he returned home in the early morning hours, the jacket stayed outside the house in a small closet on the porch Every time we crossed the porch into the house the inescapable smell of father'S reeking jacket reminded us of who he was and where he worked .

Martin Marty of Christian Century has said "North American popular culture reeks with religion ." By that he meant that in television, film, advertising, and magazines , religious themes abound. As the odor on my father'S jacket was inescapable, so are religious themes inescapable in popular culture.

Marty is not alone in his observation . Author and communications professor SutJhally writes that "advertising has increasingly come to provide answers to those same questions that religion often raises ." He says this is especially true when those questions involve defining a moral life . If popular culture is loaded with religious themes, why do many Chris· tians take such a dim view of television and the movies? Could it be that in our rush to personal piety, the paradox of living simultaneously in

boundaries . But we are also called to live in the odorous kingdom of this world , and to do so successfully enough that we understand it at a deep enough level to impact it with the good news.

Rather than engaging the culture in serious debate , the preoccupation among some evangelical Christians at the moment seems to be to draw the wagon train in a tight circle around our church , around our homes , and around ourselves in an attempt to form a shield against the evils and excesses of popular culture

Connecting

with God's Word and embracing a biblical value system is at the heart of what it means to be a friend of God. But in our quest for purity and holiness, do we sometimes insulate ourselves so completely from the culture in which we live that we fail to recognize the religious themes that beg for religious answers? What do hurting souls see when they look into our circle of wagons? A group fearfully huddled around the fire dreading the darkness?

Or do they see a group of people who have left the circle of wagons incomplete to form an entry point for world-weary travelers? Do they see people who invite the brokenhearted to sit around the fire with them, who tell stories that make the visitor certain that these people understand and have experienced the darkness outside? Do we just talk the talk? Or do we reek with an odor that verifies we've been there and know what

we ' re talking about?

Being in the world but not of the world is no simple matter When one walks through a muddy field , the shoes get muddy. Four hours in a reeking auction house leaves no doubt about where one has been.

Are we preparing ourselve s a nd our children to live as Christians in a broken and hurting culture? Or is our emphasis on living in a Christian culture-a culture composed of church meetings and activities, Christian friends, Christian music, Christian movies, Christian television-leaving us unprepared to engage the broader culture in serious debate?

Certainly , one must find the core of one ' s being in Christ and the church. The issue of purity is always with us. If we compromise our faith, engaging the culture will lead to not only reeking of the world, but a saturation with an odor that permeates beyond the outer clothing to the center of our beings. We don 't want that.

But can we allow ourselves to intimately experience the culture around us so that we can provide real answers to real questions hurting people really ask? Using Martin Marty'S imagery, maybe it's time we begin to reek a bit with the odor of popular culture. Maybe it's time we understand better the religious themes that infuse the world in which we live .

Perhaps the stories we tell ourselves and others need to be retold in forms that let people know that we understand and have experienced the broken culture in which we live Parables taken from real-life sett in gs served Jesus well Are we connecting with our culture as well as he did? Are our stories rooted in culture as deeply as his were? '

What would happen if occasionally the odor from the coats hanging in our churches wafted into our sanctuaries, reminding us of our place in two concurrent kingdoms? Would those who are sea rching for answers to the deep, religious questions that popular culture asks find in us a more credible source for answers?

LET's TALK ABOUT IT

A GU IDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION

SESS ION 1 OU I lesponse to capital punishment

Based on "In the Aftermath of Terror, H page 4 , and 'Transformed on Death Row," page 14

GET READY - Getting started

• Have you personally known someone who committed a violent crime or has your life been touched by violent crime?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1 Summarize the tension between justice and grace as related to the Oklahoma City incident?

2. How has God dealt with that tension (i e , Rom 8 : 117)?

3 How is it possible to be totally repulsed by someone's actions and yet extend grace to that person?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1 What kind of consequences do you think people like Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols shou ld experience for their actions?

2 How does reading a testimony like Michael Ross's influence your opinion about capita l punishment?

3. Are there ways in which our churches can respond to the needs of both victims and offenders in situations like the Oklahoma bombing? What would those be?

SESSION 2 Capita l pun ishment & God's Word

Based on "Does the Bible Offer a Verdict?, H page 7

GET READY - Getting started

• Has your view regarding the death penalty changed or stayed the same over the years?

GET SET - Examining the issue s

1. Why is Redekop' s phrasing of the issue preferred to just asking "Is capital punishment right or wrong?

2 . After reading the authors' discussion regarding Gen. 9 :5-6; Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 19, what are the key concepts to keep in mind from those passages?

3 What other important considerations are added from the teachings of Jesus?

4 How do Martens and Redekop respond to the question of whether the state has the right to take life through capital punishment?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. How can Chri stian s be salt and light on the issue of capital punishment?

2 . Do we as individuals need to have an opinion of such issues if they do not directly affect us?

3 . What factors , other than teachings from Scripture, need to be considered when deciding about capital punishment?

SESSION

3 Med ia c1nd populal' cultule

Based on Media Matters, page 34

GET READY - Getting started

• What is something that has recently "reeked " in your home?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. What does Martin Marty mean by the statement, "North American popular cu lture reeks with religion " ?

2 What are some religious themes being suggested by the popular culture?

3 What causes Christians to draw into tight circles?

4 What are the results of doing so?

5 What does the article suggest that it means to " compromise our faith"? Do you agree or disagree?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. In what ways are you intentionally seeking to understand our culture?

2 Do you think that you and/or your congregation shou ld be more or less involved with the culture in which we live?

3 How do passages such as John 15 : 18-25 and" Corinthians 2 : 14-17 relate to the discussion?

4. Which risk is greater- to take on some of the odor of the world or not to take on any?

SE SSION 4 Per so nal change

Based on Ph 'lip Side, page 16

GET READY - Getting started

• What is the best kept resolution you ' ve ever made?

GET SET - Examining the is sues

1. What are the benefits of making resolutions?

2. Do you think making resolutions should be part of spiritual discipline?

3 How do you respond to Wiebe's blunt statement regarding the role of government and the church in meeting the needs of society?

4. Have you found "WWJD?" to be helpful in your life? In what ways?

GO - Applying idea s to the way we live

1 Are there areas of your life in which you try too hard?

2 How would you answer the WWJWMTD question for today?

3. What, if any, resolutions have you made for 1998?

4 Is there a way we as brothers and sisters in Christ could help each other make and keep resolutions?

We should oppose capital punishment

k;THIS ISSUE goes to press, Terry Nichols awaits word of his fate now that a federal jury has convictd him of conspiracy in the Oklahoma City bombing. His partner, Timothy McVeigh, convicted last June of murder and conspiracy, has already been condemned to death. Whatever sentence Nichols receives, it seems certain he and McVeigh will be tried for murder in Oklahoma, where prosecutors all but promise that a death sentence awaits them.

Earlier in the week, the media reported that Theodore Kaczynski offered to plead guilty to Unabomber charges in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. The offer was rejected by Attorney General Janet Reno's

As

human life is a moot point for Christians. As John Redekop points out, the state-correctly or incorrectly-has already presumed that right. The point of influence for Christians is whether the state should exercise it. Every Western democracy except the United States has decided not to execute criminals .

• Emotion is a legitimate, but not ultimate, factor in this debate. Let's admit that most of us have a profound desire to see murderers pay for their crimes with their lives . The more ghastly the crime, the stronger the emotion. Whose heart hasn't been wrenched by the anguish of murder victims' families and sympathized with their call for the death penalty? Who among us, though, can honestly discern death penalty review committee. Kaczynski has been accused of killing three people and injuring 28 others with mail bombs.

The day after the Kaczynski story broke, a Wichita, Kan., man was found guilty of murdering his friend's wife and daughter. Jurors will be meeting this week to decide if this man, too, should be condemned to death.

In the midst of it all, this issue of the Christian Leader dares to ask: Should Christians support the death penalty?

And to that question, we editors dare to offer our conclusion: No.

I understand God's how much of what we feel is fueled by an innate need for justice or for vengeance? Christians ought to strive for justice, but vengeance is God's domain.

ultimate will for people, I would

rather

'err' on the side of life than on the side of judgment.

We do not reach this verdict easily . To us, the issue is not as clear-cut as proponents on either side of the issue would like us to believe We choose to oppose the death penalty after reaching several contributing conclusions along the way:

• Compelling cases can be made from Scripture both for and against the death penalty, but neither case is conclusive. At tension are the justice of God and the grace of God, the commands of the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the interplay between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God. As Elmer Martens puts it, Christians committed to the authority of Scripture arrive at various-even opposing-answers.

• The "nonbiblical issues" cannot be ignored. The evidence is irrefutable: courts have mistakenly executed innocent people Even if we set aside important debates about deterrence, discrimination, recidivism, economics, humane punishment and the healing value of retribution, the potential for mistaken execution should turn us against the ultimate, irrevocable sentence of death.

• Whether the state has a God-given right to take

• When biblical directives are unclear, Christians must make judgments based on their best presumptions about God's intent. Put another way, would you rather fmd out in heaven that God intended murderers to be exe-

cuted and we Christians opposed it, or that God intended us not to take life and we supported executions? The argument sounds specious at first, but it isn't. As I understand God's ultimate will for people, I would rather "err" on the side of life than on the side of judgment. I would rather give murderers every opportunity to repent and leave to God the punishment of those who don't.

We would like to see Mennonite Brethren take a formal stand against the death penalty because we believe it is consistent with our historic positions on the high value of human life, our commitment to peace and reconciliation, and our desire to see every man and woman come to Christ in repentance.

Should that stand be taken in our Confession of Faith, as the General Conference Board of Faith and Life proposes (page 26)? That is less clear to us. It depends, to a large degree, on how one understands the purpose of a confession of faith.

Yes, we Mennonite Brethren affinn the justice of God. Justice demands consequences for criminals. But our infallibility as people should lead us, in humility, to say no to capital punishment. -DR