January 2005

JANUARY 2005

FIRST WORDS

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This month we continue a 100year tradition of focusing the first Leader of the New Year on peacemaking. We often think of peacemaking in terms of whether or not we choose to serve our country in the military. But there is more to saying "yes" to God's call to shalom than saying "no" to military service. The Confession of Faith says that we "seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships .... " Peacemaking begins in our homes and spreads to our schools, churches, workplaces and neighborhoods. As past issues of the Leader have illustrated, peacemakers encounter complex issues when addressing crime, racism, capital punishment, school violence and the events that have drawn countries into ethnic or civil wars.

This year we want to continue expanding our understanding of peace by looking at how we can and do make peace with loss. While most of this month's feature articles focus on the death of a loved one, loss comes in all shapes and sizes. We can lose material things-like our "perfect" house thanks to a move or natural disaster. We can lose good mental or physical health. We can lose our innocence due to abuse or premarital sex. We can lose our sense of identity thanks to the loss of a job or divorce. We can lose a relationship we once treasured due to a misunderstanding, unresolved contlict or divorce.

What do we do when faced with loss and grief? Our writers offer a variety of insights. Don Ratzlaff learned that loss prompts one to either walk towards or away from God. Bonnie Redfern encourages us to make peace with the conflicts that come with loss. The Guire family reminds us that walking with God is the best way to survive times of loss. And Tim Geddert says that when we walk through life's storms, Jesus intercedes for us and walks with us. In a guest editOrial, Brad Thiessen reflects on what he has learned about living in the shadow of cancer. I join these writers in praying that their words will provide comfort and insight.

In the news section we include a review of U.S. Conference 2004 highlights, an interview with a Kansas couple that has ventured into the world of in vitro fertilization, the story of a growing community youth outreach in South Dakota and news from British Columbia of Mennonite Brethren facing the challenge of working with a local Buddhist temple proposing significant facility expansion.

Correction: The November 2004 issue reported that John H. Redekop visited the DR Congo June 9-12. Redekop was in the Congo June 9-23.

FRIEND. WIFE·MOTHER. DAUG=R

"" " SlSiER

t ," ","

KILLED BY A DRUNK DRIVER Kaye Bartel 1953-1994

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QUOTE "Death is destroyer and redeemer; the ultimate cruelty and the essence of release; universally feared but sometimes actively sought; undeniably ubiquitous, yet incomprehensibly unique; ofall phenomenon, the most obvious and the least reportable, feared yet fascinating. " Edwin S. Shneidman in Death: Current Perspectives.

COMING • • • •

FEB. 7-8 New Pastors' Orientation, Shell Beach, Calif MAY 1 U.S. Conference Sunday MAY 14 Leadership Summit, Denver, Colo.

MAY 15 Global Day of Prayer

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Printing by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kan.

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FEATURES -

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Peace in loss

A t the crossroad

VOLUME 68, NUMBER 1

One family's landscape is forever changed by unexpected events at a familiar intersection . W ill those events lead family members closer to God or away from him? BY DON RATZLAFF

Discovering peace in a winter of grief

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What does one do with overwhelming pain and grief? One mother discovers that making peace with loss has much in common with resolving conflict in relationships . BY BONNIE REDFERN

Embracing the transforming power of grief

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11 Read more about it 12 Peace that passes understanding In the midst of early-onset Alzheimer's, a Denver family gives witness to the amazing outpouring of peace that only God can give . BY MYRA HOLMES

14 Walk on by?

Where is God when we face the storms of life? A look at the account of Jesus walking on the water provides some answers- if we carefully consider the text. BY TIM GEDDERT

. by Philip Wiebe 16

• Both/and versus either/or

Inquiring Minds ..... . . .... . .. . . . . .. by Marvin Hein 17 • Deciding which Bible translation to buy

On the Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . by Rose Buschman 18 • To be or not to be a world Christian Conference Call .. .. . ... . . . .. . . . . ... by Chuck Buller 19 • How's that working for you?

Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 • '04 was year of change for u.s. Conference

Bodylife . . . . . . . . . .. . ...... ... .. . . ... .. .. . . . .. . 22 • • • • • •

Teens are sold on Souled Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Temple proposal concerns MBs .. . .. . . . . . . . .. ... . . ..

Carrying a new life for others .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .

MCC mourns Margaret Hassan's death . . .. .. .... . . .. . .

Reflection on the death of Margaret Hassan .. . . . . . ... . .

Events scheduled for MB pastors . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .... .

In Brief .. . . . . .... . . . ... . . .

Church News & Notes Editoral . . ... . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. .

• My backyard oil spill by Brad Thiessen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nadine Friesen

NEWS WRITER Myra Holmes

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elaine Ewert

MANDATE: The Christian Leader (lSSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition.

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the U.S. Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church. Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted. The editors invite free-lance article submissions. A SASE must accompany articles.

DEPARTMENTS Ph'lip Side . . .. . . .. . . . .

EDITOR Connie Faber

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26 28 29 30

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READER PARTICIPATION: The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays. Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject.

Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked "Not for publication." Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays should not exceed 800 words, and should include the writer's name, address, home church and occupation.

COMMUNICATION: All correspondence, including change of address, should be addressed to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063.

Phone: (620)947-5543. Fax: (620)947-3266. E-mail : christianleader@usmb.org .

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas.

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FRIEND · WIFE· MOTHER · DAUGHTER .SISTER

KILLED BY A DRUNK DRIVER Kaye Bartel 1953-1994

PEACE

IN LOSS

By

The wail of sirens is unusual enough in our small town that we still take note of it, but usually so routine in

purpose that we quickly dismiss it. On a warm June evening in 1994, they wailed for our family, and our routine was changed forever.

While pausing for oncoming traffic at a highway intersection only a mile out of town and a mile away from their farm home, the car carrying my sister Kaye, her husband and their two teenage sons was struck from behind by another car. The impact knocked them into the path of an oncoming vehicle, which plowed into the passenger side. Kaye, the primary passenger, absorbed the force of the blow and was killed in that tragic moment. Her family members were hospitalized but fully recovered from their physical injuries. All four were wearing seat belts. The driver of the car that rear-ended them was drunk. He walked away unscathed.

In that horrible moment, our family was transported to a place we would never choose to inhabit: a swirl of mind-numbing loss, of resolve and despair, of comfort and agony. All of it happening in no logical sequence, no clear path from one point to the next, no estimated time of arrival or departure. Clinging to the bonds of family, friends and faith, we groped our way through those initial days of grief one tentative step at a time.

Eventually, the swirl ceases. For me, it was the day following the funeral, when the blanket of supporters and well-wishers had receded. In the clarity of that new day, the landscape that spreads before survivors is both familiar and different. "Normalcy" beckons, but your world has changed. You step back into your structured life, but the foundation has shifted. Nothing looks or feels quite the same as it did.

And that includes God. Even for people of faith, the unexpected loss of a loved one tests the moorings of belief and confidence in the Divine Presence like few things can. When the initial wave of supporters recedes, and you are left alone to examine your emotions and thoughts, professions of faith become questions of faith: God is all powerful. Where was your hand, Almighty One, as that car sped toward our loved ones like a heatseeking missile?

God is love. Why Kaye? She had faithfully served you as a loving wife and mother, as a teacher of school chil-

Don

Ratzlaff

dren, as a vital member of her church. She was only 40 years old and in the prime of her life.

God is just. What about this man who, by his reckless abuse of alcohol, turned his car into a lethal weapon?

Kaye is dead, and he walks away. A husband is without his wife and two teenage boys are without their mother, but this man returns each night to the arms of his family.

Where is the justice in that?

How we face those questions-how we make peace with this God who suddenly feels capricious-will determine the future of our faith and, ultimately, our wellbeing. An intersection along a Kansas highway brought me to a crossroad in my personal pilgrimage. I faced a choice: What will I believe about God and his role in the events of life? More important, in this defining moment, will I walk toward God or away from God? For some survivors of tragedy, these questions can take weeks, months, even years to resolve. Some never settle it. For me, peace came relatively quickly. Even on the night of the aCcident, I ran to the arms of God and found comfort, courage and confidence in the embrace.

That was possible not because the answers came easy for me, but because I had already plowed the path several years earlier. Shortly after my high school graduation, my father was diagnosed with cancer and I was forced to wrestle with questions that a post pubescent teen is illequipped to handle. As I reflect on that time, I realize God gave me what I needed. By his quiet example, my father pointed the way. As I walked beside him through his decline and eventual death three years later, God and I made peace.

So what are "the answers"? If I have learned anything about stepping into the valley of the shadow of death, it is that the terrain varies for each person. My answers, my process, my timetable are my testimony of God's involvement with me. Yours will be different. At the same time, I believe God can use our experiences and insights as signposts to point others to himself. Certainly, the testimony of others has lifted me at critical times. With that hope, I offer the terms of my peace accord with God. • God owes us nothing beyond his companionship. The agonizing question of why a loving God allows his committed children to suffer and die prematurely pushed me to a more revealing question: What were my JAN U ARY

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expectations when I gave my life to God in the first place? Was it truly an unconditional surrender, or did I come with unspoken expectations of what God should do for me in return? Ultimately, I could find no fine print in my spiritual transaction with God that guaranteed a long life free of pain and hardship. Instead, God 's summary promise, articulated by Christ, is profoundly more valuable: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. " • God's perfect love gives us what we need, not what we want. More than anything in this world, we need to know we are not alone. When difficulties come our way, God is there for us. Because of that, we can stand with hope and confidence in our time of crisis, and be better equipped to offer those same things to others in the future .

• God's primary intent for people is not long life, but abundant life. It's natural to rail at God for shortchanging the loved one who died too young, or shortchanging us for depriving us of our loved one's presence. To this day I miss my father and sister, and sometimes imagine how life might be different if they had been with us longer. What would they have accomplished? How would their influence have changed our lives?

In those times, I remind myself that God measures life differently than we do. We tend to see life in terms of breadth, but God sees it in terms of depth. In God's equation, the fullness of life is not measured by the number of years we live, people we know, accomplishments we've achieved or resources we've accumulated.

For God, it's about the quality of our character-what kind of people will we become in the years we have on this earth?

In times of hardship, few verses are quoted more frequently than Rom. 8:28: we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." But in the hour of loss, those words often compound the pain for survivors because death has no redeeming qualities.

It is the antithesis of what God is supposed to be about, it is the enemy that steals and destroys. What "good" can come of it?

We don't do that verse justice unless we read beyond it. In verse 29, the writer tells us what "good" God has in mind: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son .. .."

God's intent is to mold our character into the image of Jesus so that we can experience the abundant life Jesus said he came to bring us Gohn 10:10). In that context, hardship and death are still painful, but not a senseless waste. These difficult experiences can be, as C.S. Lewis

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discovered in the loss of his wife, "a severe mercy" that one day leads to joy.

• God is all about life in a world where death is the norm. Why did Kaye's accident happen? Was it God's will? For centuries, philosophers and theologians have debated God's involvement in the events of life. At the extremes, some see God as a master puppeteer who manipulates every move, decision and event-we dance or die at a Divine whim. At the other extreme, some see a God who either is powerless, asleep at the wheel or dead. Neither scenario offers a deity worthy of our trust.

But in the totality of Scripture, I see a very different God. I see a Creator who is life and offers life. Life is about choice. When humanity chose sin, death entered the picture, and to this day the natural systems of this world that God created to maintain life now work against that end. Because of sin, life is not fair. Because ofsin, people make stupid, destructive choices-including the choice to drink and drive-and the innocent reap the consequences. It's not fair. But no one grieves the injustice more than God, whose load is doubled because he loves and grieves for the guilty as well as the innocent.

But couldn't God intervene? Several weeks after Kaye's accident, it occurred to me that God must also grieve the decision not to do so, God had the power to save Kaye; God chose not to exercise it. It had to be a painful letting go-God restraining his authority over creation, allowing the system he set in motion to reach a natural, horrible conclusion: the loss of a human life so dearly loved.

Because I know God is about life, the "Why us?" question has never plagued me. For me, the more troubling question is "Why not us?" Why should we or our loved ones be spared the consequences of living in a fallen world when other children of God are not? Are we worth more to God? Of course not.

And yet sometimes-for purposes only the Almighty knows-God does seem to intervene in a miraculous way. In truth, given the fragility of human life in a dangerous and dying world, every sunrise we see may well be a gift of God's intervention.

More than 10 years have passed since that fateful day in June. We still miss Kaye, but we see the years we had with her as God's gracious gift to us. And, in these intervening years, we can testify that the God of life has lifted us, strengthened us and renewed our hope.

We are at peace .• Don Ratzlaff is a member of Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church. He is the editor of a local weekly newspaper and was on the Leader stafffor 20 y ears, 13 years as editor.

PEACE IN LOSS

By

e Redfern

Two California families will never forget the winter of 1996. One will always remember with extreme joy; the other. with profound grief.

A woman and her three children gathered mushrooms Feb. 3, 1996, in the foothills east of San Francisco.

The mother used their harvest in the family's supper.

Within hours of ingesting the mushrooms, the family became violently ill and was admitted at a local medical center. Discovering the mushrooms to be poisonous, the medical center began immediate and aggressive treatment for all four family members. Each was placed on the emergency liver transplant list and transferred to the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. The

mother and her two sons began to show improvement with massive doses of antibiotics. But the 13-year-old daughter's health was deteriorating qUickly. Feb. 7, the family received news that a donor match was found for their daughter and she underwent a partial liver graft.

The young girl 's liver responded to the graft and began to regenerate. She and the other three eventually made fu ll recoveries.

Feb. 5, 1996, in Reedley, Calif., a teenager made a grave mistake in the woodshop at Immanuel High JAN U ARY

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School. A file he placed between a tool brace and the tabletop spinning on the lathe jammed, shattering the oak tabletop. The file and pieces of oak became projectiles in the woodshop. One 14-inch piece of wood hit the young man directly in the face. The blow left his family to contend with the realities of sudden death.

After 30 hours on life support, their son was declared brain dead . His family was forced to make decisions they had never imagined as they watched this handsome boy grow. Their precious son would become an organ donor at the age of 16.

The evening of Feb. 7, the young man's liver, heart, kidneys and pancreas were removed. A representative from the California Transplant and Donor Network came to the young man's home to tell his parents some preliminary information regarding the lifesaving value of their decision. Although no identifying information was given, the representative noted that their son's liver went to a young girl from the Bay area whose liver was failing after ingesting poisonous mushrooms.

Yes, I will always remember that winter with profound grief. The young man in the woods hop was my only son, Scott. The evening of Feb. 7, just 24 hours after saying goodbye to our only son, my husband and I watched as the late night news droned in front of our sleepless eyes. The television showed a helicopter land on the roof of the University of California Medical Center. Physicians stepped out of the helicopter with a small ice chest. A news commentator said, "A liver match has been found for the young girl who ingested the poisonous mushrooms." We watched with disbelief as our son's liver, in that small container, was delivered for transplant into the body of another human being.

"Our prayers have been answered," said the father of the girl who received Scott's liver. My husband sighed, ')\nd our prayers were not." As their family joyously celebrated the tremendous gift of life for their only daughter and Sister, our family tearfully recognized the tremendous loss of our only son and brother.

Grief and peace Before Scott's death, I viewed peacemaking in terms of restoring relationships broken by conflict. As a student of conflict and peace studies, a community mediator, a public school teacher and a parent, I know the opportunity peacemaking provides for transforming individuals and renewing relationships.

After Scott's death, I began to look at the experience of loss through the lens of peacemaking. As I talked with others who experienced loss, I recognized the potential of bringing wholeness to individuals torn apart by grief. I heard components of conflict in individ-

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ual stories of grief and loss. Similarly, I heard aspects of loss within stories of conflict.

I believe the lens of peacemaking illuminates commonalities in conflict and loss, brings new perspectives, and clarifies the potential of experiencing peace and reco nciliation with loss. To look at grief through the lens of peacemaking-to see common themes in conflict and loss-one firs t needs to understand the components of grief.

Loss comes in many forms . It can be tangible and intangible. Although death is perhaps the most obvious, grief can result from the loss of relationship, position, property or identity, to name a few. Grief is a normal, healthy response to all forms of loss. Yet, grief is very complex. Grief may mistakenly be viewed as only an emotional response to loss. In reality, grief is manifested through physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological elements. Individuals may encounter some or all of these elements.

Grief presents itself differently: anticipatory grief occurs as one watches a loss slowly take place, as with terminal illness; acute grief is the intense sadness immediately follOWing a loss; and chronic grief is sorrow that remains over a considerable period of time.

"Grief gone public" In my own personal journey, the notion of "griefwork," a word coined by Eric Lindemann, helped me focus the lens of peacemaking on loss. Griefwork is the process of encountering loss and learning to live with regards to the loss. Griefwork recognizes the reality of the loss, transforms relationships in view of the loss and reinvests in the future. Griefwork embraces the expression of mourning. Let me differentiate between grief and mourning.

Whereas grief is the internal response to an external event, mourning is the external expression of grief.

"Mourning is grief gone public," says Alan Wolfelt of the Center for Loss in Fort Collins, Colo. Although grief is often predictable, mourning appears to be influenced by cultural mores. These mores contribute to the establishment of criteria for what are acceptable or unacceptable public expressions of grief. Mourning becomes a means of communicating one's grief to others.

Patterns of mourning, established within families or systems, are influential in how one will approach future losses. In their book All Our Losses, All Our Griefs: Resources for Pastoral Care, Herbert Mitchell and Kenneth Anderson explain, "Early experience of loss dictates to a large extent how we shall experience the death of those whom we love." As with grief, if one 's family or faith community does not permit mourning-grief

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Embracing the transforming power of grief UNDERSTANDING GRIEF is often difficult for our western culture. French historian Philip Aries writes extensively on death and society's response to it.

Aries refers to America as a death-denying society, refusing "to participate in the emotion of the bereaved ... as a way of denying the presence of death in practice, even if one accepts its reality in principle." Aries underscores western society's zeal for

"technology and happiness" as a "systematic denial of death."

Aries posits that contemporary American culture "glorifies youth, beauty, and health. In so doing, it tends to deny the reality of death and thus, the human experience of grief."

One's attitude toward death directly influences one's approach toward grief. If one's attitude is shaped by a deathdenying sOciety, the experience

brought to the outside-an unhealthy pattern of repression may develop. If mourning is allowed, freedom to confront grief and openly mourn will be seen as appropriate. Mourning is an important element in the pursuit of experiencing peace with loss.

Jesus spoke to the bereaved in Matt. 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Jesus says we must not only recognize our grief but also bring it to the outside through mourning, for we will be strengthened by the experience. Sadly, how does the faith community often paraphrase this verse through our actions and words? "Blessed are those who stay strong, for they shall show great faith ." Or, "Blessed are those who mourn quickly, for they shall keep us all from being too sad."

Jesus' words in Matt. 5: 4 are more than just "red letter" words. Jesus expresses in 10 short words what psychology needs volumes to say. Experiencing peace with loss begins with acknowledging the elements of grief.

The physical needs of the bereaved must be met. The emotional needs, manifested by a broad range of emotions beyond sorrow, must be expressed and validated.

The spiritual challenges to the meaning of life and death must be accepted. The psychological needs will seek to

of grief may be perceived as negative, something to be denied or avoided. On the other hand, if death is seen as inevitable, an inherent part of existence, then it is possible to conceive of one's grief as a natural response to loss. The more willing one is to approach the grief, the more opportunity exists for transformation.

What role does our faith

community play in understanding grief? Patterns of loss established within families or systems influence how one will approach grief. If one's family of origin or faith community does not approach grief, but rather models avoidance or suppression, one may continue to replicate this pattern. If loss and grief are approached constructively, we will be more willing to confront it openly. -BR

regain a sense of order as revisions of one's assumptive world take place. Those who experience loss must recognize the reality of grief as they approach loss constructively.

With this brief understanding of the elements of grief, consider three themes-common to both conflict and loss-brought into focus through the lens of peacemaking: relationship, reconciliation and peace. It is my hope that this lens will help those who grieve move toward experiencing peace with loss.

• Relationship. Relationship is connectedness through common interests, kinship, attractions or goals.

Conflict occurs within relationships. "Everyone experiences conflict," says Ron Kraybill of Eastern Mennonite University. "Wherever people are alive and growing, they rub shoulders in ways that chafe." Clinical psychologist Dr. Larry Alan Nadig says candidly, "There is no such thing as a relationship without conflict ... it exists as a reality of any relationship." One's attitude and response toward conflict will ultimately determine the effect it has on the individual and the relationship. When a constructive process of peacemaking is engaged, relationships can be restored.

Similarly, loss occurs within relationships. The capacJAN U ARY

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ity to love requires the necessity to grieve when someone loved dies. I believe it is possible to translate Nadig's statement into the realm of loss: There is no such thing as a relationship without loss .. .it exists as a reality of any relationship.

When relationships end-whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological in nature-we experience relationship loss. Mitchell and Anderson write, "Relationship loss is the ending of opportunities to relate oneself to, talk with, share experiences with, make love to, touch, settle issues with, fight with and otherwise be in the emotional and/or physical presence of a particular other human being." Both conflict and death can result in relationship loss.

The lens of peacemaking reveals the theme of relationship in conflict and loss. Just as restoring relationships is a function of peacemaking in conflict, so, too, griefwork involves confronting a change in relationship.

The physical relationship, changed by loss, can be redefined from one of presence to one of memory. lfwe choose to love, we choose to grieve. Eventually, we will experience relationship loss through death or conflict. Peacemaking brings the potential of restored relationships. Griefwork offers the process for redefining and transforming relationships.

• Reconciliation. Reconciliation is rooted in the desire for continued relationship, modeled by God's offer to humanity and fundamental to our desire for community. Reconciliation becomes a response that repairs the breach in relationships.

John Paul Lederach, in TbeJourney Toward Reconciliation, describes reconciliation as a pathway leading to a healing place. Lederach draws from Psalm 85 as he depicts the healing place as "where truth and mercy have met, and where justice and peace have kissed."

Each element-truth, justice, mercy and peace-are all part of the process of reconciliation in conflict.

In reconciliation, truth casts her eyes to the past and remembers what happened. Justice casts her eyes toward the present to understand what can be done to rebalance a broken relationship. Mercy and peace cast their eyes to the future, and ask, "How can we coexist; how will we start anew; how can we rebuild with each other?"

Once more, the lens of peacemaking offers a fresh perspective of the potential of achieving reconciliation with loss. Taking liberty with Lederach's illustrative work with Psalm 85, it is possible to see how the healing place of reconciliation looks in loss. Truth casts her eyes 10 •

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to the past, remembering how it was before the loss and placing value on the relationship. Justice casts her eyes toward the present, recognizing the full weight of grief, and what can be done to restore wholeness and transform the relationship that has been changed forever.

Mercy and peace cast their eyes toward the future and ask, "How can I learn to live with this loss; how can the relationship be transformed from one of presence to one of memory?"

Reconciliation is rooted in the desire for continued relationship. I was not prepared for the relationship with my son to end after 16 short years. So, how could I achieve continued relationship in loss? I transform the relationship to one of memory.

Reconciliation with loss becomes the pathway for transforming relationships. In Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, the father was physically, emotionally and relationally separated from his son. In all respects, the son was removed from the father's life. Yet, in his book Exclusion and Embrace, Miroslav Yolf draws attention to a wonderful aspect of reconciliation. "The most significant aspect of the story is that the father who lets the son depart does not let go of the relationship between them," he writes. In his memory, the father of the prodigal son never severed the relationship. His desire for a continued relationship allowed him to transform the relationship with his son from one of presence to one of memory.

Reconciliation is not unique to conflict and peace work. Moreover, it is embedded in griefwork. Reconciliation is a pathway for relationships to be transformed .

• Peace. Although an obvious theme of conflict studies, peace may be misunderstood. Often within our faith communities we settle for what Johan Galtung calls a negative peace. It is merely a perception of peace, reflected by an apparent absence of conflict, established through patterns of coercion, suppression or avoidance.

The expression of one's values, cognitions and emotions are concealed or censured, as the reality of conflict is denied.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace, or shalom, in the Hebraic sense, acknowledges conflict.

Peace recognizes the values, cognitions, and emotions involved and strives to find the criteria to achieve reconciliation. Shalom endeavors to approach the factors that extend or escalate conflict and address the elements and variables that exist. Shalom can be present in the very midst of conflict. Even when conflict cannot be resolved, shalom brings transformation as one grows

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through empowennent and mutual recognition.

The lens of peacemaking illuminates how peace is experienced with loss. Peace is reflected in constructive griefwork as the reality of the loss is acknowledged; values, cognitions and emotions related to the loss are recognized; and the criteria to achieve reconciliation are understood. Like peacemaking, griefwork becomes the process for experiencing peace and transfonnation.

Additionally, the peacemaking lens sheds light on this notion of negative peace within the context of loss.

Negative peace denies the reality ofloss, suppresses or avoids the elements of grief, and conceals one's values, needs and feelings. Others may attempt to spare loved ones from grief through denial or diversion, all the while promoting negative peace.

Peace is a commonality of conflict and loss. Shalom is an inner value that brings wholeness and harmony within individuals who bear the pain and separation of conflict and loss. It is interesting to note another facet of peace, identified in the Greek word eirene. Eirene illustrates a peace that can "set at one again." What a lovely word picture. Peace, a theme common to conflict and

loss, in its very nature, binding together what has been torn apart. Relationships, severed by conflict, can be restored with peace, eirene. Individuals, torn apart by loss, can move toward experiencing peace.

I believe these themes-relationship, reconciliation, and peace-bring new perspectives for experiencing peace with loss. Although I will always remember the winter of 1996 with profound the lens of peacemaking has allowed me to transfonn the negative emotions and cognitions related to the loss of my son, reduce the factors that extend or complicate grief, and move me toward experiencing peace with loss .• Bonnie Redfern is a graduate of the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies at Fresno Pacific University.

She ministers along with her husband, Tony, through New Path Center, a ministry they founded in Kingsburg, Calij, to help individuals experience peace with God, peace with others and peace with loss. This article is adapted from her thesis work, Experiencing Peace with Loss; Looking at Grief Through the Lens of Peacemaking.

The author can be reached bye-mail at christianleader@usmb.org.

---

Read more about it KINDRED PRODUCT/ONS, the North American Mennonite Brethren publishing ministry owned and operated by the Canadian Conference, distributes two books by Wilma Derksen dealing with loss due to violence and crime. Derksen is director of Victim's Voice, a national Canadian program of Mennonite Central Committee Canada that assists people impacted by homicide and violent crime. She lives in Winnipeg, Man., with her husband and their two children. Derksen lost her daughter to homicide in 1984.

• Have You Seen Candace? With soul-wrenching

candor, this book describes a mother's agony and hope in the midst of the search for her abducted daughter. The book spans the events of one year, beginning with the day that Candace disappeared and ending with the anniversary of that day. The story reveals both the earnest goodwill of a supporting community, the life of an average family, the horror of the aftennath of murder and the way one family tried to cope. It is a book of insight and tells a tension-filled story.

• Confronting The Horror: The Aftermath OjViolence. Combining graphic honesty with compassion and

hope, this book serves as a road map through the aftennath ofviolence by addressing both the personal and justice issues encountered after a violent act. The book is written in an easy-toread conversational style and organizes the crime victim detour into the stages and elements that most victims will encounter.

The book is accessible and applicable for anyone who has experienced a crime and for those who support them .• JANUARY

2005·11

By

1L

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Myra

Holmes

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Peace Ihal paJJeJ ""de'Jla"di", qrace and ,r;el ;nlerm;n,le as Den"er lamUv clpes Jdilh earlV-Insei

mda Giere answers, "Yes, we are."

Linda is losing her ability to function as a wife and mother to Alzheimer's. She is only 49, the mother of eight-year-old twin daughters.

Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder that gradually destroys memory, judgment and the ability to function. So far, it has no cure. When this energetic woman with degrees in engineering management and Christian counseling began losing her powers of organization, doctors ruled out Alzheimer's. It simply doesn't strike so young, they said, especially without family history of the disease. To the couple's relief, one doctor told

12 •

THE

CHRISTIAN

LEADER

them it must be depression related to parenting twins.

But the strange symptoms continued. There was the Thanksgiving when Linda forgot everything but the turkey. There was the time she got lost going to the family cabin-a route she knew well.

In December 2001, the Gieres finally got a diagnosis from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. At age 46, Linda had early-onset Alzheimer's. They drove home to the foothills near Denver "crying a lot of the way," Dave says.

Linda adds softly, "Terrible, just terrible."

Now, three years after the diagnosis, two medications that helped at first seem to have lost their effectiveness, Dave says. Linda struggles to articulate her thoughts. She no longer drives and stays close to home instead of hiking freely in the foothills. She's more withdrawn and tired .

Dave asks her, "Do you feel that's true?"

Linda's careful response reveals her positive attitude and perseverance: "I just know Alzheimer's is what I do."

When Dave, Linda and Lucy tell their story, they shed tears, but not tears of self-pity. Rather, their story of loss is so intertwined with their faith that the lines between grief and grace seem to blur. Lucy says it well, "You do what you need to do. You grab hold of the Lord's hand and don't let it go."

Alzheimer's has meant practical changes for the family. Lucy moved in to help care for Linda and the twins, Hannah and Rebekah. Dave, an engineer by trade, took an early retirement. Further help in coping with this continuing loss has come from many quarters.

One of the first helps came from the Alzheimer's Association in Colorado. The Alzheimer's Association is an invaluable resource for the Gieres, helping them know what to expect as the disease progresses, gUiding them through legal and medical issues, offering activities for Linda and emotional support for Dave and Lucy. Lucy notes that similar resources are available to those experiencing loss of all kinds and urges others to take advantage of such resources. "People just don't realize the help that's there," she says.

From the beginning, the Gieres made a decision to be truthful about their journey with early-onset Alzheimer's, and that openness has been a help, too.

Their truthfulness starts at home, with each other and with the girls. Lucy says, "Whenever they ask questions, we tell them the truth." Even when the questions have no easy answers, like when one of the girls asked if her mother would die of Alzheimer's. Dave answered, "We're all going to die of something and for Mom, it may be Alzheimer 's."

Their openness has extended to their church family as well as to a host of local and national media. They have been featured in The Rocky Mountain News, Good Housekeeping, two local news stations, The New York Times and a British magazine, Best. Two years ago, Linda received the Alzheimer's Association's Ronald Reagan Award for her openness. Dave and Lucy view telling their story as an opportunity to share their faith. Lucy says, ')\oy time that we can share how important the Lord is in our life, it's important for us to share that. Usually it isn't printed or it isn't taped." They rejoice that, once in a while, a piece of their faith testimony is included in the final cut.

Such truthfulness has roots in Linda's "straightarrow" personality and desire to help others, Dave says.

Plus, they agree, telling their story is "therapeutic." Dave says they have watched others try to hide their Alzheimer's, which results in an unhealthy tangle of lies.

By contrast, Lucy says, "The truth makes you free ."

Help has come from the church. The Gieres became

members of Belleview Community Church in Littleton, Colo. about a year and a half ago. The church leadership simply asked how they could support the family. The family mentioned several needs, and the church readily responded. For example, one need they mentioned was for activities for Linda. Within a week of their request, Dave says, several women from the church began hiking regularly with Linda, an activity she has always enjoyed.

Dave says such responsiveness from Belleview has been like hearing the voice of God for him. "It's just been wonderful," he says.

Mostly, though, their help has come from God. Dave and Lucy both readily admit their journey is difficult.

When asked if they ever consider the unfairness of their Situation, Dave and Lucy respond almost in unison: "Oh, yes!" Dave, who is 12 years older than Linda, fights emotion as he talks about his fears for his daughters and about arranging for their care in the future.

But both Dave and Lucy qUickly turn the focus back to gratitude and to the peace they've found . Although they struggle to verbalize what they've lost, they talk easily about the blessings they've received. Lucy talks about the privilege of "watching two beautiful little girls grow day after day, not year after year," of helping with homework and sharing family dinners. Dave talks about his early retirement. "It's awesome," he says. "I've gotten to spend every day of the last three years with my wife and my kids and with Lucy." Gratitude is clearly key for both of them. Dave says, "If I can focus on what I should be thankful for, it's a lot easier."

Lucy says that faith is what carries them all through difficult days. "Without the Lord I don't know how anyone in any condition can handle life. I really, really don't, " she says. ')\od I thank God I don't have to."

Dave says that, contrary to logic, they have found peace in the midst of loss. "With the Lord there really is peace that passes understanding. I don't know how you tell other people how to find that peace, because it does pass understanding."

"I think part of it is you don't live in denial," Lucy adds. "You live with the truth, and if you're living in the truth, you're living in Jesus, because he is the truth. And this is what gives us peace."

Linda, too, is sustained by faith. Although some Alzheimer's patients become irritable and angry, Linda remains pleasant. Dave attributes that to her "natural sweet spirit," the friends who fill her life with positive activities and her own love for Jesus.

"If the Father wants me to go, that's where I'll go, " Linda says earnestly. "I love Jesus so much."

Her husband smiles at her and responds, "Me too.".

JAN U A R Y

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13

Aclose reading of Mark's account of Jesus walking on the water suggests that

Jesus intends to walk by the boat. Would he really walk on by?

14 •

T HE

Sometimes we are battling the storms of Iifeand Jesus seems absent. That is what I, along with numerous friends and family members, experienced when my first wife was dying of cancer.

Where-was j esus? Where was God's miracle-working power? Why were there no miracles?

The first disciples of jesus faced the same reality. On one occasion Jesus is asleep in the boat while they battle the waves. "Don't you care that we are drowning?" they shout above the wind. And then not long after, they really are alone in the boat. jesus has gone into the hills to pray and sends the disciples to cross the lake without him.

And sure enough, another storm comes up. The disciples struggle again, this time without jesus in the boat.

We know the story, recorded in Mark 6:45-52. jesus comes walking on the water. He enters the boat, calms the storm and calms the disciples. It all turns out wonderful-we think. And if that is all we see in the account, we will have missed the point, just like the disciples did (see Mark 6:52).

C HRI ST IAN

LEAD E R

Let's take a closer look.

Mark carefully records the time frames involved. It was in the evening that jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars. Will he come to their aid? Not immediately, that is clear. He goes into the hills to pray. My guess is that he is praying for his uncomprehending and faithless disciples, praying that they might gain understanding so that they don't panic every time they face a storm. It is a full nine hours later (i.e. in the fourth watch of the night) that jesus finally comes walking on the lake.

All night he knows his disciples are struggling while he prays.

And jesus does finally come.

Here we must read the text carefully: He does not come in order to get into their boat. He comes in order to walk past it! We are so accustomed to thinking that he walked on the water in order to get into their boat that we fail to read what the text actually says. It says he intended to pass them by (6:48). The clear impression given by Mark's text is that Jesus came into their boat and calmed their

PEACE IN LOSS

By Tim

stonn only because they failed to recognize him, and because his presence and their failure to recognize him caused them more terror than the storm itself had caused.

And then Mark tells us the disciples were amazed.

Are they amazed that Jesus can walk on water and calm the storm? On the contrary, they are amazed that Jesus, who has the ability to do these things, would rather allow them to struggle all night without coming to their aid .

And then when he finally is coming, he would have walked right past their boat without doing a thing! What an amazing way for a miracleworker to behave. As strange as it seems, that is what the text seems to say.

Why would Jesus behave this way? Why walk past the disciples in the stonn? Is not the sheer improbability of such a scenario sufficient warrant to look for some other interpretation, despite what the text itself says?

It is not such an improbable scenario, if we see things the disciples failed to grasp. For Jesus to pass by them in their time of need could be interpreted as a sign of unconcern, lack of involvement and an unwillingness to help. But if we notice a clear allusion to an Old Testament text, a very different interpretation emerges.

Exodus 33:12-23 tells of a special meeting between Moses, Israel's leader, and Yahweh, Israel's God. God has commissioned Moses to lead this "stiff-necked people" (v.

5) to the Promised Land, and Moses, not surprisingly, informs God that he has no intention of leading the people unless he has some assurances that he will not be doing it alone. God comes to Moses in his distress and graciously offers to pass by (,'parerchomai," vv. 19,22).

By doing so, God is assuring Moses that even when times will be hard, Moses will not be leading the people alone. God will be accompanying them to the Promised Land. God does not change any circumstances for Moses; God does not huddle beside Moses in his mountain cave and make the problems disappear. Instead God "passes by," assuring Moses that on his journey, God's presence and concern and ever present and caring help will go with him, even when times are tough and the road ahead is unknown. Circumstances remain hard, but God has "passed by" and that is enough. Well, not quite enough.

God does one more thing for Moses. Graciously God offers Moses, "I will cause all my goodness to pass by in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, Yahweh, in your presence" (v. 19).

Back to Mark's story. Jesus is walking on the lake intending to "pass by" in the presence of his terrified disciples. But they respond in terror, not recognizing that before their eyes, Jesus is passing by to assure them that he knows and cares about their troubles. The disciples can only imagine a ghost has come to terrify them further.

Cieddert

And so in their presence, Jesus identifies himself. "It is I," he says (v. 50), or at least that is what the disciples hear! In the original text, the words used can just as well be translated "I AM" (ego eimt). It is the divine name, Yahweh, which God had pronounced in Moses' presence as the glory of the Lord passed by.

But the disciples are blind to Jesus' intentions and deaf to his words. They are still terrified and amazed (vv.

50, 51) so Jesus abandons his original plan, climbs into their boat and calms the sea. Instead of experiencing what theologians call a divine epiphany (a glimpse of God's presence), the disciples are fearful, amazed and clueless.

Mark tells us, "They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves, their hearts; their hearts were hardened" (vv. 51, 52). Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with a few loaves and fishes. Apparently the disciples thought that meant Jesus would produce miracles on demand whenever they had a need. No wonder they were baffled by a miracle worker who lets them fight the waves all night, and then plans on walking right past their stonn-driven boat!

What causes the disciples' fear and amazement? Are they amazed that Jesus could do such amazing miraclesmultiplying bread, walking on water? I don't think so. I think they are amazed that the great miracle worker they had come to know would refuse to come rushing to his disciples' aid and smooth their path. They fail to see that in Jesus, God himself desires to pass by and speak out the divine name in their presence so that they can be filled with courage and hope, even while still battling

wind and waves.

Not long afterward, Jesus feeds another large crowd (8:1-10). And he again uses a sea-crossing episode to urge his disciples to look more deeply into the meaning of his miracles and the Significance of his presence with them (8:14-21).

It is comforting to know that Jesus does not give up on us when we have trouble understanding. And it is even more comforting to know that when we battle the storms of life- when we face illness and loss, danger and frustration, wondering whether Jesus knows or cares- we can be assured that our intercessor is praying for us. Praying that our courage, strength and faith will withstand the storm. And sometimes, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we will catch glimpses of Yahweh, as God graciously grants us a glimpse of the divine presence passing by in front of us, and the echoes of God's voice whispering above the roaring of the storm: "I AM! I am with you always!".

Tim Geddert is professor of New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary.

JA N U A R Y

2 00 5

15

PH'UP SIDE BY

PHILIP

WIEBE

"Both/and" versus "either/or" The mixed-up world of absolutes and broad-minded thinking BEFORE LAST NOVEMBER'S presidential election I caught a little of the Saturday Night Live special featuring election-related comedy sketches. As I watched a few bits, I noticed something interesting. Some of the recent sketches characterized our latest election as a battle between candidates with huge ideological differences. By contrast, comedy clips from the previous election portrayed a race in which the hopefuls had few discernable differences.

I had forgotten about that. It is astonishing that in four short years we have transformed from a country with a reasonable amount of harmony into a nation of "either/or." On a variety of issues, people seem to be completely on one side or absolutely on the other.

After the election I heard some politicians and analysts observe that the country needed to focus again on bridging gaps and working for consensus. As a political moderate, I heartily agree with that. I don't seem to have much company, though. All around I see a spirit of bitterness and divisiveness not only continuing but perhaps even worsening.

I feel our nation's politicS should back away from the attitude of "either/or" and try to recapture a spirit of "both/and." Let's work together, find some common ground. When it comes to our differences, let's discuss them with civility and understanding.

That doesn't mean we should all try to agree on everything or say it doesn't matter how we act or believe because anything goes. There are appropriate times to take an "either/or" stand just as there are times to be broad-minded and inclusive. I think a lot of people these days get it backwards, however. They can be "either/or" when they should be

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CHRISTIAN

"both/and," and vice versa.

For instance, when it comes to personal integrity and morality our culture tends to be "both/and" rather than "either/or." We say we kind of believe in marriage and family, but if you want to have an affair or dump your spouse in favor of a newer model, who are we to judge? We should sort of be honest and follow through on our promises, but you know, sometimes you need to fudge a little or flake out. We suppose we should give others honor and respect, especially our leaders and superiors, but well, sometimes they get on our nerves so they deserve to get bad-mouthed.

In these kinds of things I believe we should be "either/or" rather than "both/and." Either I'm faithful , honest, trustworthy and respectful, or I'm not.

Pursuing situational ethics and self-serving methods in these areas is destructive to loved ones, society and self.

An area where our culture seems to be "either/or" rather than "both/and" is in the realm of work and rest. Either you spend yourself on your career, making as much money and consuming as conspicuously as you can, or your career stalls out because you're not willing to prioritize work above family, church and service to others. Our society pays lip service to leading balanced lives, but when you see all the stress and rushing around and bowing down to materialism, you realize people really are, as the saying goes, prioritizing the urgent over the important.

Work and rest should be "both/and" rather than "either/or." The Bible says so.

Work is a great thing and we should do it well, to use our talents, provide for our dependents and benefit society. But stepping completely away from work on a regular basis is equally important, for the

LEADER

nurture and development of our relationships with God and others.

A place where our society has definitely become "both/and" rather than "either/or" is in the area of spirituality. In that, pretty much anything goes. People take a little of this and a little of that and a little of the other thing, and what do you know, they've patched together a value system. It may include some God and Jesus, but also some secularism and materialism, and of course some self-help and new ageism too. And these are just the people in the church pews. Get out into the world at large, and you can add a dozen more ingredients into the mix.

In the church, too many are under the mistaken impression that being a kind-of-believer is OK. As long as you show up for services and put out a decent Christian vibe, it doesn't matter if you're far more steeped in cultural trends and entertainments than God's Word and Spirit. No problem if your aptitude for shopping exceeds your attitude for serving. Not an issue if you approach church as a consumer (what can you do for me) rather than a worshiper and minister (what can I do for God and others) .

Jesus has made it clear, however, that following him is an "either/or" proposition. Yes, he was very inclusive about many things, especially in his penchant for hanging out with the so-called "sinners" of his day: But again, people get it backwards. Christians can be "either/or" about who they associate with, where Jesus was "both/and." Then they can be "both/and" regarding their commitments to Jesus and the world, where Jesus was "either/or."

Either we need to switch some priorities around, or our spiritual lives will end up being both weak and ineffective .•

INQUIRING MINDS BY

MARVIN

HEIN

Questions about faith Be life Questions to consider when deciding which Bible translation to buy

Q A

I want to buy a new translation of the Bible. Which should I choose? (Kansas)

There is no one answer for everyone. Do you want a study Bible, the most literal, the most accurate, the easiest read, one translated by a panel or an individual or a combination of all the above?

William Tyndale (1525) composed the flfSt English version from the Greek and was burned at the stake. In 1607, at the behest of England's King James, 47 scholars worked for six years to produce the King James Version based on a Greek family of manuscripts called the Textus Receptus. Most of those manuscripts were transcribed 1,000 years after Christ's coming. In the 1800s, Englishmen Westcott and Hort formed a text using newly discovered manuscripts written as close as 200 years from Jesus' time. Most translators during my seminary days used this text as it is assumed that copies written nearer to the time of the events are more reliable than later ones. By now, about 24,000 older and more reliable manusCripts have been found and there are new texts that have succeeded Westcott and Hort.

As an example of the changes these newer manuscripts have prompted, the Textus Receptus (KJV) renders 1 Thess.

4:15, which speaks of Christ's return, as "We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." How could we?

The NIY, based on newfound evidence, changes the word "prevent" to "precede," which was the meaning of the Greek word in Jesus' time.

Likewise in Luke 5:3-4, when the KJV says an angel "troubled the water" when the man was healed, the more recent texts omit the verses entirely simply because they don't appear in the oldest manuscripts. With aU due respect to the KJv. these are but two of many reasons someone has said, "One of the least accurate translations is the KJY." Ironically this "least accurate" version still is the second best seller of all Bibles.

The one big difference in translations is if the translator sought to maintain the literal meaning or the dynamic equivalent. Dynamic means "changing" and eqUivalency means "about the same."

Some more generous "dynamic equivalents" are called paraphrases, where the translator determines many meanings for the reader. In my mind some degree of paraphrase is mandatory. Greek writers used idioms, euphemisms, puns, sarcasm, poetry, etc., which simply can't be understood with word-for-word translation and must be explained or paraphrased.

How generous do you want the paraphrase? I recall my surprise when reading my beloved). B. Phillip's translation to see that the translator had Peter saying to Simon the sorcerer, who was trying to buy the gift of the Spirit, "to hell with you and your money" (Acts 8:20). That's not 1611 Old English vernacular, but its meaning is clear in our culture. Eugene Peterson's The Message, one of the latest paraphrases, is popular, often arresting and rich in meaning.

Both literal and paraphrase translations can be misleading. There are texts in the Bible that are not clear in the Hebrew or Greek. The translator must select what he thinks is most consistent and that ......................................................

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " clo Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93 710.

depends on his theology. So don't expect an expert, perfect rendition from a literal translation or a paraphrase. On the other hand, what doctrines are at stake? Not the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the Trinity, salvation by grace or justification by faith .

So you may have to choose on the basis of other preferences-Old English or modern language, easy reading or serious study; gender neutral language, capitalization of names or pronouns for God or a host of other criteria.

In Nehemiah the people "read from the book . . . clearly and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading." That's the task of preaching and the motivation for translators. Elmer Martens makes the following assessments: King James Version: accurate at the time written, but not up-to-date now Revised Standard Version: accurate, uses modern English but still "thou" and "thee" New American Standard: accurate, evangelical, excellent as study Bible New International Version: accurate, incorporates new findings, first in sales today New Revised Standard Version: strong attempt at accuracy; uses "you" for God New Living Translation: accurate, upto-date, easily read, third most sold today The Living Bible: helpful paraphrase, more suitable for beginners The Message: easily read, very deSCriptive, sometimes over translated I rather like the words of Helmut Richter: "He who prays for the guidance of the Holy Spirit has a much better chance to understand the text than he who uses the best translation based on the best manuscripts, whatever the criteria. I do not mean to discourage anyone to strive for a good text, but, please, let us get the priorities straight.".

JAN U A R Y

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17

ON THE JOURNEY BY

ROSE

BUSCHMAN

To be or not to be a world Christian Breaking free of self-centered living, embracing the call to serve MANY CHRISTIANS WERE EXCITED about the presidential election this year and donated money, time and energy to getting their candidate elected. I wonder what would happen if these same Christians got just as passionate about winning lost souls for the Lord?

What would happen if instead of attending a political rally, the church sanctuary was full when missionaries came to speak about their work?

What would happen if we voted for an increase in our support for mission projects and then supported that vote with our checkbooks?

What would happen if we prayed more for missions because we knew that every prayer counts?

What would happen if we were obedient to God's call in our lives, even if it meant giving up our jobs and going to an inner city mission, an overseas assignment or becoming full-time volunteers in our community or home church?

What would happen if we lived more simply so that we had more money to give to support people who were willing to go?

What would happen if we gave our retirement to God for His use-wherever, whenever and however?

What would happen if.... ?

I first became aware of Paul Borthwick's book, A Mind for Missions, as a footnote in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life. Borthwick says that when we become Christians we have a choice to make: to be worldly Christians or world Christians. He says, ')\ worldly Christian is one who accepts the basic message of salvation, but whose lifestyle, priorities and concerns are molded by self-centered preoccupation ....A world Christian breaks the mold of a self-centered way of thinking ... by giving God a 'blank check' of [his or her] life."

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Rick Warren puts it this way: "Worldmall. For them the risk of trying new ly Christians look to God primarily for foods they might not like was too great. personal fulfillment .... They love to Several years ago while on a mission trip to Papua New Guinea our group was attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you would never find them at a invited to a missionary home for a meal. mission conference because they aren't Among other dishes on the buffet was interested ... . Their prayers focus on their chicken lasagna. It was so tasty that I own needs, blessings and happiness .... went back for a second helping. As we They want to use God for their purposes. walked out the door the missionary said, In contrast world Christians know they "By the way, that was Sepik chicken." were saved to serve and made for a misI turned and asked, ';.\od what is sion. They are .. .excited about the priviSepik chicken?" lege of being used by God ... [and] are the With a grin she replied, "Crocodile." only fully alive people on the planet. ...

The next day I asked some of the They wake up each morning expecting missionary children about crocodile God to work through them in fresh meat. They told me they had it on a reguways." lar basis and liked it. Well, I found that I Both authors say we have a choice to did too. It actually tastes like chicken. make. If we decide to be a world ChristIf you like to cook there are some ian then we have to work on changing wonderful international recipes in Menour thinking about ourselves and others. nonite Central Committee's Extending This means we need to expand our horithe Table ... A World Community Cookzons. One of the ways Borthwick sugbook. We served Egyptian rice and lentils gests that we can do that is to get (Koshary) at our church's mission conferinvolved in firsthand experiences. While ence several years ago when missionaries going overseas to a mission field is a priserving in Egypt came to report. On mary way there are other ways to get another occasion we served Indian curry started. and rice when missionaries from India An easy way to begin is by eating at were there. This past November we had an international restaurant. Borthwick an Around the World Smorgasbord with says, "You may wonder what eating inter- foods from India, Morocco, Mexico, the national foods has to do with missions .... U.S., Italy, France and Brazil. In all cases We participate in an exercise that broadthe participants gave positive responses. ens our horizons; we identify with a difWe have a new year in which to ferent group or culture ... which is a basic broaden our horizons and become a aspect of good missionary vision." Severworld Christian. If we ask him, God will al years ago my husband and I were direct our thinking and our actions and attending a week long seminar in Washgive us a new vision of how we can ington, D.C. To our delight there were a answer his call to be his "witnesses in number of ethnic restaurants within Jerusalem (our home community) and all walking distance of our housing so on Judea (our state or province) and Samaria (our country), and to the ends different nights we dined on Greek, Chinese, Thai and Pakistani cuisine. We ofthe earth (our world)" (Acts 1 :8) . couldn't convince some of the other The election was for the next four seminar participants to join us- they years-being a world Christian is for went to the fast food court in a nearby eternity.•

L E A DE R

CONFERENCE CALL CHUCK

R BULLE,

EXECU TIVE

DIRECTOR

How's that working for you?

Rethinking our resolutions for the New lear IF YOU ARE AN ASTUTE OBSERVER of popular culture you will notice that the question in the title of this article is a favorite saying of America's favorite poppsychologist, Dr. Phil. Uyou don't know who Dr. Phil is, you have successfully fulfilled Jesus' call to be "in the world, but not of the world."

America's fascination with this television armchair psychologist says a great deal about our love for simple solutions to complex problems. In one hour Dr. Phil takes on everything from eating disorders to dysfunctional families to marital discord. He has a way of getting people to describe how they are dealing with their problems. Then he asks the rhetorical question, "So how's that working for you?"

The intent of the question is simple.

He wants people to evaluate whether their strategies are producing the life they are looking for. In most cases they are not, and Dr. Phil is there to provide other solutions, all within 60 minutes of made-for-TV therapy. It makes for good TV and a very subtle theology.

Dr. Phil encourages spirituality as part of the solution to a good life. And the theology behind this notion-Dr. Phil's father was a lifelong Sunday school teacher-is uniquely American. It essentially says that if we have problems, then God wants us to solve them and make our life work, without ever defining what ''work'' means and worse yet, leaving that definition up to each individual.

God is presented as a cooperative problem solver. If your life isn't working, then you obviously need to change your approach . Who wouldn't find this version of God appealing? If the point of God is to make my life work, then that might not mesh with what I want, need or feel.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - and can't always answer quantitatively why their faith makes sense. They simply have cast their lot with God and regardless of the outcome they know they are not the point of God's existence.

I I write all this to cast a different question on your plans for 2005. Maybe you, your church, your board or your family are looking at plans for the coming year. High on your priority list .are doing some things that work. But IS that Strangely, I have begun to sense that the goal we should be aiming for? this subtle theological shift is making sigLet's be clear. I am not encouraging nificant inroads into the life of the life choices that "don't work." I'm sugchurch and denomination. Our sermons, gesting that whether things work or not structures and questions today are practi- is not the only barometer for God's cal. Seldom is God described as God, approval. Sometimes God is uniquely period. Almost never is God the applicainvolved and active when it appears that tion point of a message. the wheels are falling off. We generally Yet if the Bible is true, God was here start our plans with a preconceived long before I was and was doing quite notion of our desired outcomes and then well without having to attend to my work towards that end. All I'm asking is struggles. Furthermore, one of the great what if we changed the starting point? chapters of the Bible, Hebrews 11, What if we asked, "Who is God, and describes the heroes of faith as consisting what does he want us to do?" Hebrews of those who died without their dreams says of the ancients, who were comfulftlled or their prayers answered but mended for their great struggle of faith, their faith no less built on a hope in the "conquering kingdoms, administering unseen, almighty God. justice, quenching the fury of Somehow, I get the sense that Dr. flames ... whose weaknesses were turned Phil might have asked Abel, Enoch, Noah, into strengths, .. . none of them received Abraham and Sarah regarding their life what was promised"(Heb.ll :39) . Their plans: "How's it working for you?" The passion was doing the work of God, not Bible reflects a different question. having God work for them.

Hebrews 11: 15 simply states, "All these I think it is time that we in the people were still living by fai th when church recapture the essence of God they died . They did not receive the without wrapping him in our plans and things promised; they only saw them and purposes to succeed. I'm sure God loves welcomed them from a d istance . And some of our plans and blesses them as they admitted that they were aliens and he chooses. Regardless, God will be God strangers on earth." and you and I have the privilege of servHmm. Strangers and aliens on earth ing him without reference to the outsometimes don't have the best testicome. Some will succeed. Others will monies, aren 't always "purpose driven" fail. And God will always be glorified!

Tht if the Bible is true, God was here long before was and was doing quite well without having to attend to my struggles.

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COMMENTARY

'04 was year of change for U.S. Conference Top news stories highlight new faces, new strategies

"0

ut with the old, in with the new" is a common sentiment at the start of a New Year. For the U.S. Conference, 2004 was a year of such ins and outs. It was a year when national convention delegates agreed with denominational leaders that long-standing ways of doing things should be replaced with new strategies. It was a year marked by a shift in familiar faces, as numerous national and binational min· istries experienced a change in top leadership, appointing new leaders from within their ranks. 2004 was also a year that bal· anced a number of "firsts" with celebrations commemorating milestone years of local and global ministry.

As your editors consider these events it seems appropriate that the Leader return to something old-commenting on

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the top news stories of the past year. In making this list, we take into account both the immediate and potential impact of a particular event, and then try to fit it into the larger picture.

Here's how that picture looks to us.

Old faces, new assignments. Do the math and you may agree that the biggest news in our denomination for 2004-and the event that has the greatest potential for impacting the future-is the new slate of leaders who assumed key positions. Just two of six national ministry leadersChuck Buller, U.S. Conference executive director, and Jon Wiebe of MB Foundation-were not installed this past year.

At the July USC convention, Don Morris was commissioned as director of Mission USA, the denomination's church planting and renewal ministry, Connie Faber as editor of the Leader, the USC

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magazine, and Randy Friesen as the MBMS International general director. Appointed in late 2003, Jim Holm was installed April 25, 2004 as the 7th president of MB Biblical Seminary.

While these individuals are new to their aSSignments, each has served local Mennonite Brethren churches in lay and pastoral leadership positions and Faber, Friesen and Holm have considerable experience with the ministry they now lead.

Their familiarity with the denomination will serve them well as they lead MB agencies into a new era of ministry in postmodern America.

Relational funding. One historic MB priority that is getting a makeover for the new millennium is global mission work.

Recognizing that the traditional method of recruiting and funding missionaries was no longer working, MBMSI recommended that North American MB conferences adopt a "relational funding" model that emphasizes the active participation of churches in setting vision and goals for global ministry. This summer delegates to national conventions in the U.S. and Canada approved the model. While our leaders have grappled with the changing realities of global mission work, the jury is still out on whether MB churches will take ownership of this new strategy.

Relational governance. Mission work isn't the only area affected by an interest in building relationships. The new USC governance model, provisionally adopted by 2004 convention delegates, also emphasizes strong relationships-in this case pri· marily among the men and women who lead denominational ministries.

The new model is staff rather than board driven and is comprised of a single "super" board rather than multiple boards.

It also includes project teams, an avenue of service for individuals interested in a short-term commitment to a specific proj· ect, and an annual gathering of leaders representing national and district denominational ministries. The nine-member lead· ership board met for the first time in September and will meet again next month. If one believes there is wisdom in numbers, it could be encouraging that this summer the Canadian Conference also adopted a similar governance model.

MUSA renewed. Only time will tell, but 2004 may be remembered as the year U.S. MB commitment to church growth and church health was renewed. Ten years ago church planting and church renewal emerged as a Significant USC priority only to falter due to organizational difficulties after an initial growth spurt. As we move into 2005, watch for new strategies in church planting, renewal and transcultural ministry from new MUSA director Don Morris.

Convention fmts. The 2004 USC convention was highlighted by several firsts . It was the first national convention to be hosted by a MUSA church plant.

South Mountain Community Church of Draper, Utah, ably hosted more than 250 MBs from across the U.S . Witnessing firsthand the ministry this growing church has among disenfranchised Mormons was a high point for many convention goers.

Convention planners have a tough act to follow.

The 2004 convention saw two national firsts-the first-ever national pastors' conference and the premier 55-plus convention. Attendance at the pastors' conference, held prior to the USC convention, exceeded the expectations of organizers and was deemed a success. The 55-plus convention, held following the USC con· vention, drew a smaller crowd than organizers had hoped for but proved to be a lively and inspirational event. Hopefully we will see both events repeated' in the near future.

Schools ranked nationally. When U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2005" issue hit the news· stands this fall, we were reminded that the

schools owned and operated by U.S. MBs are ranked among the nation's best. Fres· no Pacific University in Fresno, Calif., is ranked in the top quarter among its peers in the Western U.S. while Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., is ranked among the top private institutions in the Midwest. Given the quality of education available to our students at these two schools, students and their parents from MB churches would be remiss if they did not at least visit one or both of these institutions during their college selection process.

Church fires. Two MB congregations will remember 2004 as the year their church building burned. In March, fire destroyed the building of the Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church, one of Kansas' largest Mennonite congregations and a historic leader in the national conference. News of the fire spread quickly beyond Hillsboro and within hours photos of the burning building were posted on the Web. The congregation is meeting in the local high school gymnasium and is working on plans to rebuild. The cause of the fire was not determined.

In June, arson destroyed the Lakota Gospel Church bUilding in Porcupine, S.D. The congregation continued to meet for Sunday worship services in the churchyard and by late July construction of a new metal structure had begun on the same site. Leaders of both churches agree that the fire has reminded them that a church is more than a building.

Anniversary celebrations. Not one,

but four congregations celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2004. Carson MB Church of Delft, Minn. , hosted a homecoming celebration and reunion in July to celebrate 129 years of ministry. Buhler (Kan.) MB Church celebrated its 125th anniversary in November while Bethel MB Church of Yale, S.D., and Zoar MB Church of Inman, Kan., celebrated a century of ministry in August and September, respectively. The challenge of ministry in a rural setting is familiar to these four congregations and the recent decision by the Carson congregation to close its doors in 2005 underscores those challenges.

International celebrations. 2004 was also the year for global MB celebrations. Six countries--Canada, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast and the U.S.were represented at a June 19 prayer and praise service celebrating MB missions in Mrica. The Spanish Conference of Paraguay celebrated its 50th anniversary with a weekend event that coincided with the annual meeting of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren. The Peru MB Conference held an all-day celebration Aug. 29 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Although it was not highlighted at the July convention, 2004 was also the Golden Anniversary of the U.S. Conference.

All in all, this past year was filled with numerous reminders that in times of celebration as well as change and testing, God is with us and he is good . • JAN U A R Y

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Teens are sold on Souled Out Youth leaders witness God at work in Huron-based youth

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he youth just keep coming.

Every Sunday evening, close to a hundred high school youth meet in a former roller rink in Huron, S.D., to worship, have fun and hear biblical teaching. It's part of a youth outreach that Adam and Barb Harrington, part-time youth directors at Bethesda MB Church in Huron, say is beyond anything they could have planned for or imagined just a few short years ago.

In August 2002, the former youth director at Bethesda moved, and the Harringtons agreed to "fill the gap" until a new youth director could be found. At the time, the Bethesda youth group was about 17 young people who met on Wednesday evenings in a small room at the church.

Over the fall and winter, the youth kept coming.

The youth pastor search committee asked the Harringtons to stay on as parttime youth d irectors. They prayerfully agreed and began July 1, 2003 . Bethesda's new pastor, Rick Wolgamott, says they 22

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were "the right people" because of their enthusiasm and their ability to draw others into the vision.

The youth kept coming.

Adam continues the story: "We never would've dreamed that we'd go from a room that only held 15 people into another room that used to be the old sanctuary that could hold 40 to 50. We never dreamed that we would outgrow that ...and then when the opportunity came to buy this skating rink-it just shows us how awesome God is. His plans were way beyond what we were even thinking."

The church was considering ways to accommodate the growing group, including an expensive building project, when they noticed the town's roller rink was for sale. For much less money than it would take to build a 4,000 square-foot addition, the church was able to purchase this 14,000 square foot facility, complete with a working cafe that can seat 100, a sound system, special-effects lighting and a floor

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that can seat 800 or accommodate 1,000 standing. Adam says, "We'll never need anything bigger," but then pauses, as if hesitant to second-guess God's plans.

Bethesda quickly committed financially to the project, and the facility was dedicated Aug. 27, 2004. The fact that the facility is separate from the church building means that the ministry can be both part of and separate from the church at the same time. It is an outreach of Bethesda, and Bethesda members have shown their support in many ways. One family fixed the floors . Others have donated furniture, appliances and games and as a result the outreach has plenty of couches, two pool tables, a ping pong table and a foosball table. Darrell Fast, a volunteer with the outreach, says, "Our church has seen the excitement. " But the ministry also has its own identity and the outreach crosses denominational and community boundaries. With a conscious decision to move beyond an identity as "Bethesda youth group," the

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outreach was dubbed "Souled Out," and the former skating rink is now known in the community as the Souled Out Center.

Wolgamott says that the separate facility opens up opportunities because it is less intimidating than a church building for some people. Some half-dozen denominations are represented on Sunday evenings, and many unchurched youth attend. Eight area schools are represented, which means that youth are coming from surrounding towns and competing schools to worship and learn together.

Although a typical Souled Out evening officially starts at 6:36 Sunday evening, students show up an hour or so early. "Kids love the fellowship," says Fast. Souled Out encourages a healthy kind of friendshipbuilding with their Solid Rock Cafe and games. The program itself includes praise music with Souled Out's own band, "Picket Fence," skits, a "peer pressure" segment in which youth share testimonies and a Bible lesson.

The youth keep coming. Souled Out's opening night saw 85 in attendance. Average attendance now hovers around 100.

The fun and the high-energy program draw them. They come back because they've found a place where they can be themselves and where godly adults love them. Fast says Souled Out "offers a place of peace, contentment and hope. " He says volunteers work hard to make each student feel welcome and wanted.

Souled Out has nine volunteer staff members, in addition to the Harringtons.

Barb says that the volunteers are not "warm bodies" or babysitters, but people who love God and love teens. Fast says that Souled Out is worth the considerable time and energy he and his wife, Cherrlyn, give because ''we see lives changed."

At the same time Souled Out was growing, another youth-related outreach was taking shape-like twins growing sidebY-Side, as Adam says. Four years ago the Harringtons and several others began to dream of evangelistic events that would draw youth from allover the community.

They formed Area Youth Ministries, a notfor-profit group that organizes several large events for youth each year. AYM is funded through United Way, contributions from the Bethesda mission budget, fund-raisers and nominal fees to attend events.

And the youth keep coming. The events draw crowds. The Pumpkin Bash in October 2004 drew about 300; the Main Event in February 2005 has the potential to draw 500 to 600, according to Fast, who is also on the AYM board of directors.

The two ministries complement each other. AYM events are held in the Souled Out Center, which then draws them to the Sunday evening program. Although AYM began as a vision of Bethesda church members, Fast says they are expanding to include other area churches in order to provide a more united effort to reach area youth.

The goals for both AYM and Souled Out are simple: "Our aim is to evangelize and disciple our youth and the youth of the greater Huron area, " Adam writes in a report to church leadership. Every Souled Out meeting includes a presentation of the gospel and an opportunity to respond, according to Adam. To encourage growth in Christian youth, volunteer leaders meet during the week with small groups. Youth are encouraged to serve in various ways in Souled Out and in their local church.

Those involved with Souled Out or AYM look forward to the future with excitement. Huron, a rural town of about 13,000, is expecting significant growth in the next few years when two large meat processing plants move into the area. Wolgamott says that this facility offers potential for outreach to other groups-perhaps adults, young families or school-aged kids who need after school tutoring. Fast says that a ministry to junior high students could be on the horizon. "We just think the sky's the limit," he says.

When asked why Souled Out has grown so quickly and seems to be working so well, Adam doesn't miss a beat: "It's a God thing."

"That sounds so churchy, doesn't it?"

Barb says. "But I think both of us could echo that .... This is definitely not a human thing going on here. This is definitely orchestrated by the living God." Adam's voice is tinged with awe as he adds, laughing, "We're just trying not to mess it up."

And the youth keep coming. -By Myra Holmes

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Temple proposal concerns MBs MB

Impact on

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proposal to transform a Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C., into a major religious center-at a cost of $50 million and complete with a 10-story statue of Buddha-has significant implications for three Mennonite Brethren groups adjacent to the site.

Although the proposal has not been approved, the MBs have already turned down a multimillion dollar offer by Lingyen MountainTemple to relocate down the street.

Each of the three groups adjacentRichmond Bethel MB Church, Richmond Chinese MB Church and Richmond Christian School-are separate entities with separate responses to the proposal.

When asked how the Ungyen Mountain Temple complex, which would overshadow every building in the area, affects Richmond Bethel MB Church, pastor Brad Julihn notes there are "seen and unseen ways." From a public and community point of view, he says, "How does one treat with respect those whom you strongly disagree" with while addressing the appearance of religious bigotry? The Chinese church being on premise addresses that issue, he says.

Peter Mau, pastor of Richmond Chinese MB Church, sees the potential impact for the Chinese church, "while it may not be very big," as physical, psychological and spiritual.

Physically, traffic will increase, especiallyon days such as Chinese New Year, Buddha's birthday and the Vegetarian Festival when the temple could draw large crowds. Mau says that even if small, there will be a psychological impact on the Chinese because the images connected to a Buddhist temple have a spiritual association for them.

The current Ungyen Mountain Temple, opened in 1999, is a three-story traditional Chinese temple with 5,000 members and 38 resident monks. Although the present temple is 200 to 300 feet away, ritual chanting can be heard in the parking

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school is "seen and unseen"

lot used by the churches and the school. If Columbia MB Chinese Ministerial and building goes ahead, the complex will other Chinese churches to not sell. RBC come within 20 to 30 feet of the church. decided not to sell and relocate "for the The expansion of the temple, says betterment of the body of Christ," not for Mau is "telling us there's a big mission financial reasons. Had the church decided field (in Richmond)" and will stimulate the to sell, says Julihn, "the MB Chinese church to outreach. Committed Buddhists churches would have regarded that as are difficult to convert, Mau says, but the compromise" because conference approval Chinese church sees a great opportunity to is required for such a sale. reach the large, and continually growing, Mau says that Chinese Christians feel uncommitted Chinese population in Richit is "not right to facilitate" the needs and mond. The Chinese church holds evangeldesires of the Buddhist temple. He says it would be considered "a victory" in the istic meetings, encourages its members in one-on-one friendship evangelism and temple's eyes if the Christian churches reencourages its young people to invite located for the temple's convenience. friends to Bible study groups. Several Julihn is also "very concerned" that young people have made commitments of the temple "doesn't want the presence" of faith in Jesus Christ through these groups. either RBC or RCC in the vicinity but is Speaking for the Richmond Christian confident, he says, that "those who stand School Board, Robert Sawatsky says the inJesus' name will experience his power school will approach the temple'S proposand provision." al from "a civic perspective." He agrees Since building the complex still requires increased traffic may affect the school and approval from many sources, Mau says the notes there will be a visual impact in terms Chinese church has two prayers. The first, "Is of height and overall square footage. it God's will that this complex be built?" and Design changes have been made to make second, "If God allows it to be built, then use the complex less imposing from the front our people in a very special way." by moving the larger building back on the As the two churches and school wait property. However, the complex will still to see whether or not construction will begin, the pastors ask all MB churches to "change the appearance of the neighborhood," Sawatsky says. pray with them in this situation.- by BarRichmond Bethel Church received bara Armstrongjor the MB Herald This "unanimous exhortation" from the British article is reprinted by permission.

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Carrying a new life for others Surrogacy gives childless couple a chance for joy

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he is pregnant, and doctors confinn she is carrying a healthy baby girl. But when the infant is born this month, Kim Klein of Hillsboro, Kan., will not give her a name nor will she take her home. Instead, the small bundle of life will be a gift of love to the baby's parents, a childless couple in the Chicago area.

Kim is a gestational surrogate. The baby she carries was conceived using in vitro fertilization and belongs to the biological parents who could not have children naturally.

"I know how special our kids are to us, and [can't imagine life without them," Kim, 35, says of the three children she and her husband Todd, 39, are raising. "We can help somebody to do that- to have a child

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when they can't have one and have tried for 15 years. [ think that's the main reason I went into it."

Until about 20 years ago, couples unable to have children had only two basic alternatives-adopt or remain childless.

Today they have a third choice due to advances in reproductive technology. Artificial insemination allows for the option of a surrogate carrier.

There are two types of surrogacygenetic and gestational. A genetic surrogate is the biological mother-her eggs are inseminated with the intended father'S spenn. A gestational surrogate, such as Kim, has no genetic link to the child she carries. Both the egg and the sperm of the intended parents are joined. The embryo(s) are placed into the surrogate

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who will carry and deliver the child.

Married for 12 years, the Kleins have a heart for others who have difficulty having their own children. About seven years ago the couple discussed the option of gestational surrogacy with friends who were unable to have children. That couple successfully adopted a child and decided against gestational surrogacy; the Kleins went on to have three children of their own.

Kim's interest in being a gestational surrogate was recently rekindled and she went to the internet to learn more about it. Through her research, she discovered the Center for Surrogate Parenting, an agency in California designed to bring together intended parents and women willing to become surrogates.

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Kim talked to her husband about her desire to become a surrogate. "She told me that ever since the time she'd been working with our friends, she'd had it in the back of her mind," Todd says. "She's always said she enjoys being pregnant."

Todd agreed with and supported Kim for two reasons.

"It's something she really wants to do," he says. ''And also, because we can give a couple who doesn't have a chance to have a baby-the chance. To me, that's good enough reason to make it OK. We talked a lot about it, and we prayed a lot about it."

The couple also visited with Bruce Porter, pastor of Hillsboro MB Church, to determine that what they were about to undertake as a family was in keeping with church beliefs.

"He assured us it was within the doctrine of our church, and he thought it was a pretty neat thing we were doing," Todd says.

Similar to all reputable agencies, the California company screens surrogates to determine if they are healthy, have a sound psychological profile and have successfully delivered their own biological children.

"It was about a year-long process before we met the people that we're surrogates for," Kim says. "We did personality tests, they interviewed me, they interviewed Todd. They feel the husband is definitely a big part of this and needs to be on board. He had to do medical tests and I had to do medical tests."

Kim began attending regional support-group sessions held in Minneapolis, Minn., in the summer of 2003. The Kleins received profiles of prospective couples and narrowed their field of choices. The prospective couples in turn were given choices to be matched. Their final choice was made in October of last year. In November they went back to Minneapolis to meet with the intended parents and their counselor.

The husband is a physician in his late 50s and the wife is in her late 40s. The wife, says Kim, has had multiple miscarriages and is part of the two percent of the

population for which there is no explanathem to take home. Typically, the total tion as to why a successful pregnancy is costs for gestational surrogacy will be no not possible. "It's hard to imagine going less than $15,000 and average around through this so long," says Kim, "but it's $21,000. not uncommon."

"That was a tricky thing for me," Kim Visiting together for an evening and says. "People say, 'How can you give up again the next morning, the two couples your baby?' But it's not my baby. If it was returned home and made their decision to my egg it would be different. I couldn't do it. " embark on the medical and legal issues involved in the surrogacy process. After all The majority of their family and the legal documents were signed, Kim friends have been supportive, "We really began a regiment of medications to preappreciate the support of our Sunday pare for insemination, such as shots, pills, school class," says Todd. "It's been meanpatches and creams. ingful support. People have been there for Kim traveled to Chicago and was us." inseminated with three embryos in late Kim agrees and says, "My main conApril 2003. The intended couple had tried cern when we first went into it was not , what people would say to me or Todd. It in vitro fertilization in the past without success and had only three frozen embryos was mainly for Madison. She's in school, left. The outpatient procedure, with the and I hoped nobody would say anything intended mother present, took less than a bad. But everybody's been positive." minute and after a period of rest, Kim flew The intended mother and Kim e-mail home with her husband. Kim confirmed and talk to each other weekly and come the pregnancy with a home pregnancy test the middle of this month they will meet and later a blood test. again when the intended mother comes to Although inseminated with three Kansas to be with Kim when the baby is embryos, Kim is 'carrying only one child-a delivered. The intended couple will have a miracle baby according to Kim. "We were room in the hospital to be with the baby really excited because they say a lot of for about two days before taking her times it doesn't always work the first time," home. she says.

Will it be hard for the Kleins to give May 7, one day before Mother's Day, the baby up? the intended couple received a package "I know it will be an emotional time," from the Kleins with a small gift and the Kim says. "It's not going to be easy, but I results of the pregnancy tests. The couple feel that it will be a good emotion and called the Kleins after receiving the packtouching-that you see this family going age. "They were excited but cautiously home. I think it's something you can feel optimistic," Kim says. "They had had sever- proud that you were part of." al miscarriages."

And the Kleins hope to be part of this By law, the Kleins are not receiving child's life even when she goes home to monetary compensation for carrying the Chicago. The couples have agreed that at couple's child. The intended couple paid least for the first year, the intended parents for all evaluations, procedures, medicawill send pictures every three months and tions, travel, hotel and miscellaneous then send an annual photo for five years.

"I hope to keep in touch," says Kim, "and expenses until Kim became pregnant. The cost for prenatal care and delivery is also that there will always be a special bond the responsibility of the intended parents. there and communication." • In Kim's case, her insurance will cover pre- By Cynthia Martens. This article was first natal care and delivery. Laws vary in each published in the Sept. 15, 2004 issue of the state, but in Kansas the intended couple Hillsboro Free Press and has been updatmust legally adopt their daughter when ed to reflect current events in the Klein 's she is born and Kim hands her over to experience.

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MCC mourns Margaret Hassan's death Hassan's love for children, Irag remembered

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ennonite Central Committee leaders expressed their condolences to CARE and the family of Margaret Hassan, the CARE leader who was kidnapped Oct. 19,2004, in Baghdad and killed several weeks later. MCC workers who have had contact with her through the years admired her commitment and leadership.

"We lament and mourn the passing of one who gave her life for the welfare of others," MCC Executive Director Ronald].R. Mathies wrote to CARE. "With you, we are dismayed and outraged at this senseless killing, and the entire context and years of events that contributed to it. We have, and will continue, to pray God's comfort, courage and care in this difficult time. And we continue to work and pray for justice and peace in the region," Mathies wrote.

Although Hassan was not the only foreigner to be kidnapped in Iraq in recent months, her case was markedly differentshe had been an aid worker in Iraq for more than 25 years. Her kidnapping sparked an outpouring of sympathy from Iraqi civilians, who called for her release and held a rally on her behalf in Baghdad.

MCC worked with CARE before, during and after the U.S.-led invasion to distribute material resources, including giving out thousands of relief kits and providing equipment to hospitals to help ensure a supply of clean water.

"Many MCC workers came to know Margaret over the past decade and valued and admired her tireless commitment to the most vulnerable sectors of Iraqi society," says Alain Epp Weaver, co-representative for MCC Iraq.

Kevin King, MCC's former material resources manager and current executive

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coordinator of Mennonite Disaster Service, recalls Hassan's love for children and her excitement at handing out MCC school kits to them. She told King how she cleared her schedule to be part of school kit distributions and spoke passionately about the "bright shining wonder and glow in children's faces" upon receiving what was, for many, their first batch of new school supplies ever. Hassan, who King last met with in Baghdad in 2003, continued her work amid increasing insecurity.

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"Despite the tragedy and the dangers, she still had a love for the rebuilding of Iraq," King says. "I'll miss her. I'll always associate her with a strong leader and voice of reason, a voice of humanity. I hope and pray that her blood spilled to the ground will not be in vain, that other voices will rise up."

Despite growing insecurity in the region, MCC's work in Iraq continues through partners, primarily Iraqi humanitarian organizations . •

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Reflection on the death of Margaret Hassan THE NOVEMBER 16 MURDER OF CARE International worker Margaret Hassan prompted Ed Epp, Mennonite Economic Development Associates' vice president for resource development, to reflect on the risks of aid work. His remarks are excerpted here.

When I heard that Margaret Hassan was mur· dered, it hit me hard. I met Margaret several times in Baghdad in the 1990s. She had dedicated her life to helping the Iraqi people. When others left the coun· try, she and her family stayed. A few weeks ago, she was taken hostage. Now she is dead.

Margaret's death reminds me that MEDA is engaged in risky business. We work in two of the world's riskiest countries-Mghanistan and Pakistan.

We have a staff member living and working in Kabul.

A few years ago, a local staff member in Nicaragua was shot while working in a rural area. This is not unique to MEDA. Other agencies also do risky work.

One report indicates that since 1997 over 200 aid workers have been killed doing their jobs. When I heard about Margaret's death, I breathed a prayer for the safety of aU of our staff and for all the other development workers around the world. But for the grace of God, this could be anyone ofthem.

But we dare not stop there. Kim Pityn, MEDA's vice president for international operations, pointed out at the (recent 2004 MEDA) convention that our risks pale in comparison with our clients'. People living in poverty are at risk every day. They are at increased risk to contract diseases. They have less security in their homes. They live in areas where crime is often rampant. They do not know if they can feed, educate or house their families. When disasters hit, these people do not have the luxury of choosing to stay or leave.

At a time like this, I go to God in prayer. I pray for the family of Margaret. May God give them some comfort. I pray for MEDA workers all around the world. May God keep them all safe. I pray for people living every day in the risk of poverty. May God give them strength and wisdom to develop ways to feed and protect themselves and their families . •

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JA N U A R Y

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Events scheduled for MB pastors

M

Pastors' Orientation planned for February in Calif.

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ennonite Brethren pastors will be attending national and regional events this winter designed to educate, encourage and enrich the men and women who selVe the more than 200 U.S. MB churches.

All pastors in the U.S. Conference, including senior, asSOciate, youth and children's pastors, who have not attended a previous orientation are invited to New Pastors' Orientation Feb. 7-8 at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, Calif Presenters will include members of the Leadership Board and representatives from MB agencies and institutions. ''We hope to make this a low to no cost event, induding travel," says Chuck Buller, U.S. conference executive director. The final cost to pastors is dependent on the number of registrants. However, the cost of lodging

and food is covered by the USC budget.

Spouses are also encouraged to attend.

New Pastors' Orientation began in the late 80s as a joint venture of the U.S. and Canadian MB Conferences to encourage and introduce new pastors to ministry among Mennonite Brethren.

Southern District Conference youth ministers and their spouses are invited to the Youth Ministry Intensive Jan. 25-27 in Wichita, Kan. Thinking about youth ministry issues and creating a setting for mutual encouragement and resourcing is the twofold purpose of the biennial event. Wendell Loewen, SOC youth minister, will talk about the use of media in ministry, after which participants will critique a popular movie and/or song and create models to help youth pastors process the issues related to ministry and media. Models will then

- - --- ----

be shared with the group.

Central District Conference pastors and spouses will be gathering Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Hill City, S.D. Chuck Buller will be the retreat speaker and local musicians Julie and Dan Aughenbaugh will present a concert.

The CDC event will also be a low cost retreat thanks to a friend of Dick Nickel, CDC vice chair and chair of the district Faith and life Commission. Builder Buzz Grover has offered the motel at which the pastors are staying at no cost. In exchange for free lodging, the pastors will provide their own maid service. ''We've simply invited the pastors to enjoy Buzz's kindness and concern for pastors," says Nickel.

Pastoral retreats in the SOC and Pacific District are scheduled for July and September respectively.

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C H R 1ST I A N

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315 S. Lincoln, P.O . Box 220 Hillsboro, KS 67063 tel ; 1-800-551-1547 fax : 620-947-3266 e-mail : info@mbfoundation .com

I

IN BRIEF

NEWS FROM THE MENNONITE BRETHREN WORLD

BRlIEF Congregations nurture teens in Ministry Quest Seminary encourages students to hear God's call

T

his fall, 44 high school students from Canada and the U.S. attended one of three Ministry Quest retreats at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif, where they gained insight into what it means to be called to full-time vocational ministry. Ministry Quest is the high school component of MBBS's "Hear the Call" leadership training program with the goal of supporting churches in calling out new young leaders from within their congregations.

"I've realized that a leader really needs to focus on their relationship with God before they can minister to others,"

says participant Carmyn Hildebrand as she reflects on what she learned at the retreat.

Following the retreat, each student participates in a mentoring relationship with a leader in his or her congregation.

"Having a mentor has made me realize the importance of having older and wiser friends that care for you and are willing to help you," says Julene Buys, another member. Participants also "shadow" their pastors to see vocational ministry firsthand.

U.S. participants from MB congregations include Jeremy Lind and Ivan Eytzen of Bible Community Church, Birch Bay, Wash.; Jenny Adrian and Tracie Neufeldt of

Buhler (Kan,) MB Church; Sarah Baffa, David Koop, Steve Gramza and Rachel Hood of Community Bible Church, Olathe, Kan.; Danae Warkentin and Ryan Schmidt of Com (Okla.) MB Church; Chloe Kliewer of Fairview (Okla.) MB Church; Tyler Prieb and Ryan Adams of Topeka (Kan.) MB Church; Joanna Chapa of Grulla MB Church, La Grulla, Tex.; Ben Friesen of Memorial Road MB Church, Edmond, Okla.; Sarah Stambach, Laura Adams and Rad Beauton of Neighborhood Church, Visalia, Calif.; and Aaron Peters, Nicolas Peters and Jon Barcellos of Reedley (Calif.) MB Church. -MBBS

Bible commentary series editors recognized torial Council held in San AntoBELIEVERS CHURCH nio, Tex. Bible Commentary Series retirMennonite Brethren scholing editors Elmer A. Martens ars who will serve as new ediand Willard M. Swartley were tors were also at the meeting. recently honored. Martens, of MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Gordon Zerbe of Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Calif., who has been involved Man., has been appointed New with the project for 25 years, Testament editor and Douglas edited eight Old Testament volMiller of Tabor College in Hillsumes and wrote Jeremiah as boro, Kan., will serve as editor the first volume in the series. of Old Testament volumes.

Swartley of Associated MennoThe series is published by nite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Herald Press, a division of the Ind., served as the New TestaMennonite Publishing Network, ment editor for 12 years and in cooperation with six Believedited nine volumes. The men were recognized Nov. 19 during I ers Church denominations. The series has 19 volumes in print. the annual meeting of the Edi] A N UA RY

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IN BRIIT

MORE Weinhauer assumes N EWS new MBMSI position MCC provides aid to Congo Mennonite Central Committee is providing food to Mennonites in southem DR Congo who are struggling to help an influx of people displaced by Congo's ongoing civil war. MCC recently sent corn, manioc, cooking 011, dried fish and other relief aid totaling $22,250 to churches in the Mennonite Conference of Congo, the third Mennonite conference in the country that MCC has supported with food aid in recent months.-MCC

New FPU commencement For the first time In its history, Fresno Pacific University held commencement ceremonies in December. The mid-year ceremonies were added due to enrollment growth. More than 125 students, their families and friends were expected to participate. D. Merrill Ewert, FPU president, gave the commencement address. The December commencement is in addition to May ceremonies.-FPU

Schrock joins USC staff Stan Schrock has joined the U.S. Conference staff on a part-time basis in the area of donor development. Schrock will focus his attention on securing a group of USC supporters living in Central Califomia who will contribute annually to the USC operating budget, says Chuck Buller, USC executive director. Buller says the USC is looking for someone in the Midwest to do similar work.

CARLIN WEINHAUER OF BURNABY, B.C., has been appointed as the MBMS International mobilization and communications team leader, a new position approved by the MBMSI board in October. Weinhauer assumed his new responsibilities this month. As team leader, Weinhauer will help churches and individuals become more involved in global mission through prayer, financial support and personal participation. He will oversee the agency's printed materials and newsletters and supervise media and constituency relations staff.

Weinhauer has recently served as pastor emeritus at Willingdon Church in Burnaby, B.C., after 15 years as the congregation's senior pastor. He and his wife Marcia have served in rural miSSionary work and Christian Education ministry. Weinhauer spent several years as an administrator and professor at Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan.

The Weinhauers have made numerous mission trips to Europe, Mrica, and Asia during which they participated in mission conferences and ministry to local churches and pastors. They also brought a mission emphasis to Willingdon Church, an international church with a weekend attendance of 3,800 where English services are Simultaneously translated into eight different languages. They also led in establishing an outreach effort to Chechen Muslims, a ministry that has grown into a church of 50 adults ;tnd children with a Chechen pastor.

Weinhauer brings to MBMSI a desire

to network with people across North America in the areas of media and church relations. "Paper informs, people inspire" forms the basis for his philosophy for mobilizing people for mission involvement and introducing them to God's vision for mission. While he believes that his gifts are in teaching and discipleship, MBMSI personnel say Weinhauer also brings strength to the organization through his abilities as a team leader, prayer warrior and strategic thinker. He holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, granting him easy access to both countries.

"Carlin is a gifted and godly leader who has impacted thousands of younger leaders with his kingdom values. His love for the local church and God's mission will impact our MB family as he serves in this new leadership role," says Randy Friesen, MBMS International General Director.MBMSI

Health, human service professionals to gather MENNONITE DOCTORS, nurses and chaplains will gather with board and staff leaders of Anabaptist-related health and human service ministries at Mennonite Health Assembly to be held March 10 - 13 in Orlando, Fla.

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CHRISTIAN

This year's themeThriving in Adverse Conditions: Mission Possibleacknowledges the daunting challenges leaders and caregivers face , but focuses on Christian faith, Anabaptist beliefs and best practices as resources to strengthen them.

LEADER

Plenary speakers will be Leonard Dow, senior pastor of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, John Stahl-Wert, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, and Michele Hershberger, chair of the Hesston College Bible Department.

Jointly sponsored by Mennonite Health Services Alliance and Mennonite Mutual Aid, the purpose of Mennonite Health Assembly is to provide opportunities for Anabaptist leaders and caregivers to integrate faith and work.-MHS

CHURCH NEWS

CHURCH

NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

NE Membership

Marshall. Ark. (Martin Box)-Kathy Travarten was welcomed as a memo ber by testimony Nov. 14.

Huron. S.D. (Bethesda)-Tera lopez, Michael loewen and Joshua Hofer were baptized Nov. 14.

Reedley. Calif.-Craig Balakian, Kyle Balakian. Brooke Hughes, Paige Hughes. Nicolas, Pete and Zachery Peters. Jacob Schmidt and Alexa Wilker were baptized and received as members Nov. 14. Christine loewen, David and Marla Martin, Bobby Martin and Fritz and Susi Peters were also welcomed as members.

Bakersfield. Calif. (laurelglen Bible)-Dennis Patterson, JoNeli Patterson and Bettyjune Wedemeyer were baptized the weekend of Nov. 20 and 21.

Jennifer Anderson, Penny and Velina Engel, Bill and Becky Fallgatter, Doug Gentry, Betsy Gosling, Gary and Kara lack, Corey McKenna, Andy and Edith Middlekauff, Patrick and Michelle Mize, Steve and Serina Modugno, Julie Park, Nick and Kathi Preston, Cecil Ramos, John Shute, Allison Snyder, Geoff and lori Taylor, Henry Vicuna and Mike and Suzann Weeks were welcomed as members the weekend of Dec. 4-5.

Clovis. Calif. (College Community)Marci and TIm Bertalotto were welcomed as members Nov. 28.

Wichita. Kan. (First MB)-Melanie Dick and Alyssa King were baptized Dec. 5.

Shafter. Calif.- Ralph and Mary lou Gonzalez, laura Hockett, Joanna McGuire, Marty and Susie Ogle, Katelyn Penner and Korey Penner were baptized and received into membership Dec. 12. Julia Chavez and Mando and Jennifer Perez were also welcomed to membership.

Fellowship Huron. S.D. (Bethesda)-The congregation's first annual Turkey Bowl was held at a local slide park Nov. 25.

Denver. Colo. (Garden Park)-People brought their favorite holiday breads to a Sunday morning "Breadfest" Nov. 28.

Weatherford. Okla. (Pine Acresl-

Women's Ministries sponsored a Dec. 3 Christmas home tour. A cook-off held Dec. 19 included prizes for the winning Christmas food entries and included missionary speakers from Panama.

Dinuba, Calif.- Date Night, an "opportunity to strengthen your second most important relationship," was sponsored by the Board of Fellowship Dec. 4. Parents were encouraged to spend time with one another while their children were at the church where they were served a free dinner and provided with supervised care.

Olathe. Kan. (Community Bible)"Parents' Night Out" Dec. 4 offered food, games, crafts and movies at the church for children and a free evening for parents. The event was a fund-raiser for Ministry Quest students.

Fresno. Calif. (North Fresno)"Christmas Crumbs from the Prophets' Table" was the subject of comments by Elmer Martens at the annual carol sing-a-Iong Dec 10.

Special music, congregational singing and refreshments were also part of the evening.

Ministry Bakersfield. Calif. (Heritage Bible)A women's ministry, traditionally known as mission circle, has a new name. "Mission Connection " describes the connections women make with missions through fundraising, quilting, letters and other means.

Bakersfield. Calif. (laurelglen Bible)-"Recovering from loss, Crisis and Trauma," a seminar featuring H. Norman Wright, will be held Jan. 22. The seminar's goal is to assist people in discovering a biblical response to issues of grief and loss.

Workers New Hope. Minn.-An installation service for Pastor Steve Brooks was held Nov. 21 with a fellowship meal following.

Brevard, N.C.- Peter John Thomas, former pastor of Faith Bible.

Omaha, Neb., and church planting pastor in Brevard, has accepted the call to be the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Cape May, N.J .

Worship Delft. Minn. (Carson). Mountain Lake.

Minn. (Community Bible)-The two congregations who have met together for harvest mission festivals for over a century did so again Nov. 7. James Nikkel, director of MBMS International's Disciple Making International, was the guest speaker.

Reedley. Calif.- The Upper Room is a bimonthly Sunday evening open worship service incorporating music, prayer, meditation and art targeted at all ages.

Deaths BLOCK. SARA "SAllY." Hesston, Kan ., member of Hesston MB Church, was born May 16, 1923, to Jacob and Sara Toews Martens in lustre, Mont., and died Oct. 20, 2004, at the age of 81. On Dec. 19, 1941, she married David D. Block, who survives. She is also survived by one son, Jeffrey of Wichita, Kan.; one daughter, Jacqueline Albright of lubbock, Tex.; one brother, Nick Martens of Dallas, Ore., four grandchildren and five great grandchildren .

BRAUN. DOROTHY, Reedley. Calif.• member of Reedley MB Church, was born March 20, 1917, to Peter and Margaret Braun on the family farm in Kirk, Colo., and died Dec. 7, 2004, at the age of 87. She is survived by one sister, Caroline Gilstrap, Selma, Calif.; two brothers, Calvin and wife Tillie Braun of Keizer, Ore., and Franklin and wife Nadine Braun of Salem, Ore; and two brothers-in-law, Henry Sawatsky of Reedley and Ed Ratzlaff of Fresno, Calif.

FAUL, DelORIS, Bismarck, N.D., member of Harvey (N.D.) MB Church, was born Dec. 12, 1925, to Otto and Emma Seibel Grauman in Harvey and died Nov. 13, 2004, at the age of 78. On Aug. 5, 1945, she married Mirad Faul, who survives.

She is also survived by two sons, Wade and wife Margery of Cooperstown, N.D., and Dwight and wife Audrey of Mayville, N.D.; two daughters, Emma Faul of Mandan, N.D., and Denise and husband Brian Kesanen of Plymouth, Minn.; stepmother laura Grauman of Bismarck; three sisters, lois and husband Roland Reimer of Wichita, Kan., Cynthia Rains of Denver,

Colo., and Barbara Grauman of Bismarck; one brother James Grauman of Watford City, N.D., and four grandchildren.

FRANZ. lOREN JOE, Wichita, Kan., member of First MB Church in Wichita, was born Oct. 12, 1932, to Jake and Katie Franz and died Nov. 11, 2004, at the age of 72. On Sept.

12, 1953, he was married to Doris Duerksen, who survives. He is also survived by his mother, one daughter, Debbie and husband Merrill Miller; one son, Lindell and wife Terri; brother-in-law larry and wife Kathy Duerksen, sister-in-law Betty Crum and five grandchildren.

JOST, NORTON, Hillsboro, Kan., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born April 2, 1929, to George S. and Elizabeth Jost in Hillsboro and died Nov. 3, 2004, at the age of 75. On Sept. 3, 1950. he married Nellie Hamm, who survives. He is also survived by four daughters, Jolene and husband Don Aaron of Peoria, Ariz., Corrine Foth of Hillsboro, Carla and husband Tom Harmon of Durham, Kan., and Kris Jost of Wichita, Kan.; two sons, Richard and wife Kelly of Goessel, Kan., and Russell and fiancee Edy Brundage of Hillsboro, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

KOOP. EVELYN, Hillsboro, Kan., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Oct. 10, 1923, to John and Mary Hein Franzen. in Oolagah, Okla ., and died Nov. 23, 2004, at the age of 81 . On Nov. 6, 1942, she married Harrison Koop, who predeceased her. She is survived by two daughters, Judy and husband larry Klein of Hillsboro, Connie and husband Jack Freeborn of Florence, Kan .; one son-in-law, Vince Schroeder; two sisters, Florence Friesen of Hillsboro and Ruby Jane Couts of Hemet, Calif.• 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. lOHRENZ. CLARA ELIZABETH, Hillsboro, Kan ., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Nov. 20, 1915, to Sam S. and Justina Pullman Wipf in Huron, S.D ., and died Nov. 13, 2004, at the age of 88. On Jan. 1, 1960, she married Menno lohrenz, who survives. She is also survived by one sister, Alice and husband Kenneth Ontjes; one brother, Amos Wipf, one nephew and five nieces.

JAN U A R Y

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C1IUI{CH NI \X"

REGIER. DAN H., Reedley, Calif., member of Reedley MB Church. was born March 17, 1916, to Abraham and Anna Huebert Regier at Henderson, Neb., and died Oct. 28, 2004, at the age of 88. On April 8, 1939, he married Martha Buller, who predeceased him on Feb. 15, 19B7 he married Nancy Silvius, who survieves.

He is survived by one son, Robert Regier; four daughters, Carol and husband Bill Braun, Dorothy and husband Charles Harper, Delores and husband Randy Steinert and Diana and husband Bruce Penner; three brothers; three sisters and 14 grandchildren, 16 great grand children and three expected great grandchildren. Also surviving are Nancy's children, linda and husband Mark Vincent, Rachel and husband Bruce Uyeda and Vicky Silvius; seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

RIFFEL, ARNOLD J., Reedley, Calif., of Reedley MB Church, was born April 9, 1913, to John and Agatha Riffel at Turnhill; Sask., and died Nov. 10, 2004, at the age of 88. On Aug . 14, 1937, he married Edna Richards, who predeceased him. On March 11, 1989, he married Mary Riffel, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Paul and Timothy, one daughter, Joyce and their families.

Marie Friesen Toews in Lustre, Mont., and died Dec. 1,2004, at the age of 78. On July 17, 1952, he married Helen Rempel, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Lynette Toews of Denver, Colo., and Carol and husband Dan Harrison of Hillsboro; one son, Steve and wife Deborah of Hesston, Kan.; three sisters, Rosella Toews and Amanda Wall of Glasgow, Mont., and Marjorie Reimche of Harvey, N.D., and four grandchildren.

WALTER, VICTOR L., Yale, S.D., interim pastor of Bethel MB Church of Yale, was born

March 11, 1931, to Victor E. and Mabel Skogsberg Walter in Nigeria, Africa, and died Nov. 24, 2004, at the age of 73.

He is survived by his wife, Lenora, two daughters, Sheryl Slocum of Lake Geneva, Wis., and Larae and husband John Thompson of Elizabethton, Tenn.; two sons, Rodney and wife Melody of Avoca, Wis., and Blake and wife Jane of Wheaton, III.; two brothers, George Walter and wife Bonnie of Scotts Valley, Calif., and Paul Walter and wife Susan of St. Louis, Mo.; and one sister, Mary Davis of Aurora, Neb.

WANTED

Quartets We want to highlight long-standing MB quartets in an upcoming Christian Leader.

Please e-mail the name of your quartet to christianleader@usmb.org

TOEWS. RAYMOND BENJAMIN, Hillsboro, Kan ., member of Hillsboro M8 Church, was born Oct. 16, 1926, to Jacob J. and

Buhler MB Church (Buhler, Kansas) announces the qJening ofa full -time poo ition for

'f) South Abbotsford Church Turning Hearts Toward Jesus

Pastor of Discipleship andFarmy Ministries For IlDfe infonnatirn or to submit a resUtre. cmtact John Knapp at

For further information, visit our website at www.sout habbotsford.com.

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C H R 1ST I A N

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN MUSIC THERAPY Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses in music therapy, including music therapy techniques and competencies.

Qualifications: • A minimum of a Masters Degree in Music Therapy • Certification with the CAMT • Significant music therapy clinical experience • Successful teaching experience at the university level is preferred

ENGLISH. HISTORY· PSYCHOLOGY. SOCIOLOGY/ HUMAN GEOGRAPHY We are seeking to fill two tenure-track positions in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

These two positions are subject to funding.

For more information about these positions, please contact the VP & Academic Dean at gzerbe@cmu.ca or visit our website at www.cmu.ca.

d

MENNO SIMONS COLLEGE

Menno Simons College, a college of Canadian Mennonite University affiliated with and located on the campus of the University of Winnipeg, is inviting applications for a tenure track position in

CONFLICT RESOLUTION STUDIES

South Abbotsford Church, a growing church of 1300 in the heart of B.C.'s Fraser Valley, is seeking its next Senior Pastor. We believe that God is leading us to seek a visionary leader with strong communication skills and a deep comm itment to prayer. He will lead a multiple staff that is committed to ministry that encourages the congregation to externally-focused ministry in our community and world.

.

Canadian M ennonite University, a provincially chartered, innovative Christian university in Winnipeg, Manitoba is inviting applications to fill several tenure-track positions beginning August 1, 2005.

LEA D E R

Qualifications: • A doctoral degree in conflict resolution or related field.

• Teaching or applied experience is highly desirable.

This position is subject to funding. For more information about this position, please contact the VP & Academic Dean at dpeachey@cmu.ca or visit our website at www.cmu.ca.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. CMU is committed to equity in employment. The successful applicant will be expected to have a commitment to the church and the mission ofCMU. Applications comprised of a cover letter, curriculum vitae and contact information for three references should be submitted to: Director of Human Resources, Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 2N2 or e-malledtoswarkentin@cmu.ca.

Great Reasons To Invest with MB Loan Fund 1. Your money will help new churches build.

2. Existing churches can expand, renovate and revitalize their facilities.

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rebounds from historical interest rate lows.

5. Your dollars and cents can be trans .. formed into changed lives - one disciple, one church and one community at a time.

6. You join over 500 investors who are already committed to partnering with MB Loan Fund.

7. Our minimum investment is $100 on a Demand or Advantage Certificate and $1,000 on a Term Certificate.

8. Funds are URGENTLY needed to meet the increasing loan demand of our churches!

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YES! I want to partner in

the ministry of the local church.

Name ______________________________________ Address ___________________________________

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Zip

Phone _____________________________________ Email _____________________________________

To receive an Offering Circular and Application, please fill out this coupon and send it to MB Loan Fund.

You may also call (1-800-551-154 7) to request more information.

, , , , , , , ,, , , , ,, , , , ,, ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,, , , , ,

________________________________ • ___________________________ ___________ _________ • ________ • _________________ . - - - - - - - - • ..1

an und P.O. Box 220 315 S. Lincoln St. Hillsboro, KS 67063-0220

a supporting organization of Mennonite Brethren Foundation This shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation ofan offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in ...hich such offir. solicitation or sale is not authorized The offering is made solely by the OFFERING CIRCULAR. • Not FDIC or SIPC Insured· Not a Bank Deposit • No Conference Guarantee

u.s.

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EDITORIAL

My backyard oil spill BY

BRAD

LAST YEAR I TURNED 35 YEARS OLD. MY WIFE AND I aren't ones to sentimentalize occasions, but in this case we went so far as to have a party with a few friends . So what, you may ask, is the big occasion?

My wife sees 35 as a bit of a landmark-halfway to 40, I guess. Perhaps she expected it would be the beginning of my move out of boyhood and into maturity. We all have our dreams.

For me 35 has a new significance, because it's an age I wasn't sure I'd reach. My birthday marked two and a half years since the discovery of a malignant tumor in my brain. It marked a year and a half since the completion of the treatment process that included surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

A co-worker who survived cancer says that each birthday is a victory. Since my various doctors have told me my tumor will likely recur in a more malignant form in five years (give or take), my co-worker's statement takes on a new significance: I may not win the war, but a birthday marks the winning of another battle.

In his book Beyond the Mirror Henri Nouwen shares his experience of a life-threatening accident. He writes about the calm he felt while in recovery but reflects, "I have lost much of the peace and freedom that was given to me in the hospital.. .. I am no longer as centered and focused as I was during my illness."

Nouwen's words could have been written by me. Surprisingly, treatment was not a particularly difficult experience: it had goals, it was a process toward health. Friends and family members remarked how well my wife and I seemed to handle the experience.

The difficulty came after treatment had ended, when I was faced with a five year lease on life, an ominous black cloud in the west. What do you do with that? My wife's approach is that since we don't have any certainty when-or even if-the cancer will recur, we should live in the healthy present. There's a great deal of wisdom in her approach.

Unfortunately none of us are entirely rational beings. In this instance I find myself at the mercy of my emotions, and I struggle with the fear of death. Last year my doctor thought she might have detected the beginnings of a recurrence. For four months, as I awaited the results of further tests, I was absolutely floored .

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THIESSEN While I wanted to live in the peace of God's love and will, the reality was that I was depressed and angry. I found myself bargaining with God in a way that I didn't in my saner moments believe was theologically correct.

Having a term put on my life has eroded my sense of direction. If I only have three years left, how should I live them?

Should I let go of ambition and soak up as much of my kids and wife as I can, resting, as they say, in God's hand. As Shakespeare said, experiencing the universe in a walnut shell? Or should I grab hold of the piece of life I've been handed and live as intensely as possible, achieving as much as I can? The question paralyzes me.

These two issues-the fear of death and the struggle for purpose-are like crude oil which, if allowed to flow, will coat everything else in my life and spill onto my wife and children as well.

Somehow, I need to find the appropriate place in which to put that black smelly oil. I need to voice the fear of death and the struggle for purpose, and acknowledge their place and power in my life. But they can't be allowed to coat the flowers and lawn and chairs and the three lovely people with whom I share the most intimate parts of my life.

They need to be poured into a container of the proper size.

Not a pickle jar that I hide behind some bushes because there's too much oil for a jar to hold. And I can't indulge in a swimming pool because it would take up my whole yard. Instead, I need to locate a SO-gallon oil drum in which to place my fear and my struggle for purpose. The drum will be there in my yard, a part of my landscape forever. And when the oil occasionally spills out, I need to bend down and begin the slow and dirty job of scooping it back up, bit by bit, into its container. Then I need to go through my yard and wipe up the smudges that remain.

So my 35th birthday celebration was part of that process: in small part a victory celebration, but more so a recommitment. I will celebrate, enjoy and tend this yard that is my life, with its flowers , its beautiful people and its big barrel of crude oil. It's the place that God has given me, the only gift I have to unwrap each morning.

Brad Thiessen is a staff member at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno.