October 1994

FIRST WORDS from the editor

Do PEOPLE SEEK GOD or does God seek people? And how does the answer to that question affect our view of mission? That's one of the provocative questions posed in this issue. Gary Hardaway has a few thoughts on the topic. His article begins on page 4.

Following that, Jeffrey Anschutz explores the realm of guilt and shame. He says the two feelings are related, but are really quite different . Knowing the difference can help us build each other up in the home and in the church . It'd be a shame to skip that article, which begins on page 8.

Frances Hiebert explores one of the issues behind the controversial Re-Imagining conference held last fall. Some participants were accused of denying orthodox faith and promoting heresy . Is the concept of atonement, as it's popularly understood, really an example of "divine child abuse," as some conference participants alleged? Be pro· voked to think as you read her article, which begins on page 11.

This issue features variety We hope it makes for interesting reading Dig in -DR

COMING

• Southern District Conference regional rallies:

• OCTOBER 2- Western Oklahoma; host: Com MB Church

• OCTOBER 9- Eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas ; host: Wes t· port MB Church, Collinsville, Okla.

• OCTOBER 16-Central Kansas; host: Wichita First MB Church

• OCTOBER 23- Northwest Kansas and Missouri; host: Community Bible Church, Olathe , Kan.

• OCTOBER 30-Western Kansas and Oklahoma Panhandle ; host : Ulysses (Kan.) MB Church

• OCTOBER 28-30-Central District Conference c onvention, Rapid City, S.D.

• NOVEMBER lO-12-Pacific District Conference conven· tion, Fresno Pacific College.

QUOTABLE

• Salvation isn't what liberals or conservatives in this country think it is. It's about getting my life straight. It's not about ultimate significance. Salvation is about an adventure that was made POSSible through the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, through which I am made part of a community who will tell me who I am. You are not free to make up your life as a Christian. Your life goal is not like a gift, your life is a gift That is a very important grammatical point. Until you learn to receive your gift, you are lost. And people are lost.-ST AN LEY HAUER· WAS, INTERVIEWED IN THE

(MAY/jUNE 1993)

4 The questing life

Do people really seek God? Some Christians would say ever since Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden, humanity has been avoiding God. Are they right? BY GARY

HARDAWAY

8 Guilt and shame... the good and the bad

Guilt has a positive side to it, but shame tears down people and their self-concept. Yet many of us use shame to discipline our children-and other adults. BY JEFFREY

M. ANSCHUTZ

11 The latest feminist outrage

The Re-Imagining '93 women's conference shocked many Christians for its apparent homage to goddess worship. What can we learn from that gathering? BY FRANCES F. HIEBERT

DEPARTMENTS

Mennonite food? What readers say

Cremation for Christians

Denominational name change

The leaving

• District convention preview 22

• Heart attack claims MBM/S worker 23

• Tabor College chapel renovation 24

• Zairian MBs join effort to help Rwandan refugees 26

• Former pioneer missionary dies 26

• MEDA convention preview 27

• Doland, S.D., chyrch closes 27

ART CREDITS: Cover and page 5, Rohn Engh,' page 8, Ed Wallowitch; page 11, Dynamic Graphics; page 21, photo courtesy of Ric Hallock of the Lynden (Wash.) Tribune; pages 23-24, Tabor College photos by Orley Friesen ; page 26, Don Edkins/WCC/MCC.

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS : Ron Braun (chair), Noelle Dickinson, Jeanie Klaassen, Herb Schroeder, Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

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THE CHRISTIAN

Don Ratzlaff

Connie Faber

by GARY HARDAWAY

THE VESTING LIFE

In choosing to call ourselves or others 'seekers, ' we assume that people can and do seek God. Is this valid?

ACK IN 1970, I WAS INVOLVED WITH A group of young people excited about esus. A "Jesus Movement" was underway in those years, and even though some of the hype around this phenomenon was bogus, these 25-30 high school and college kids really

wanted to know Christ. Many had no connection at all with a church. They called themselves "The Seekers."

In Bible-believing churches today, "Seekers" Sunday school classes are increasing Church-growth strategists say we need "seeker-sensitive" services-services that plug into the language, tastes, lifestyles and learning modes of the unchurched. Otherwise, they warn, visitors will find our version of Christianity unpalatable and may stop seeking.

In choosing to call ourselves or others "seekers," we assume that people can and do seek God. Is this valid?

HIDING VERSUS SEEKING

Some Christians reject the notion that anyone ever seeks God. They

believe that since Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden, humanity has been running and hiding, not seeking and finding. Often they base their case on Romans 3 and similar passages which certainly sound pessimistic about seeking.

"There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God," (Rom. 3:11). Paul, quoting from Psalm 14 and 53, is talking here about all Jews and Gentiles. He doesn't leave much room for us to negotiate a few exceptions here and there.

Yet, elsewhere in God's Word, we find indications that people can seek God. "Anyone who comes to him (God) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Heb. 11:6) The author

Unless God drags people to himself against their will, those who come to God do so because they seek and find the way into his presence.

divides the human race into two cate· gories , those who come to God and those who don't

Those who come to God show some kind of purpose-a seeking. Unless God drags people to himself against their will, those who come to God do so because they seek and find the way into his presence

Moreover, they seek God "earnest· ly." They don't just wander into God's favor Kenneth Wuest translates the last part of the verse: "He becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek him out." God rewards tenacity and persistence in the effort to reach God. Isaiah implored his generation to "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near" (Is. 55 :6). Jeremiah proclaimed God's message to Judah: "You will seek me

and find me when you seek me with all your whole heart . I will be found by you, declares the Lord " Ger. 29:13· 14a)

HIDERS CAN BECOME SEEKERS

To understand seeking requires synthesizing and harmonizing the two contrasting themes of SCripture. Just as in the child's game of hide-and· seek, so may one who hides change into a seeker

The pessimist then reminds us that our hearts are full of sin that render us unfit for God's presence and unlikely and unwilling to desire God's fellow· ship Paul says, "The sinful mind is hostile to God" (Rom. 8 :7).

But other forces are at work too God's laws arouse our conscience (Rom. 2:15) ; creation reveals God's power and glory (Rom 1:20, Ps. 19: 1), raising our consciousness of God's absence from our lives. Encounters with God's Word, people and kingdom can cause us to want to belong to him. Somewhere in the mystery of seeking, the Holy Spirit quietly influences.

Cornelius, the Roman centurion, an agent of Roman domina· tion, is one example He knew from experience the violence in warring hearts Yet "he and his family were devout and God-fear· ing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regu· larly" (Acts lO:2·3)

Something had awakened Cor· nelius's soul to his need for God. Luke's description, "God·fear· ing," probably indicates that Cor· nelius had recognized and deter· mined to worship the One True God of Judaism . Like Ruth of Moab, he had said to himself and his family, "Their God will be my God."

However , God·fearing didn 't qualify Cornelius for member· ship in the synagogue. According to Acts 11 :3, he had not been cir· cumcised . Without that sign, he c ould not belong to the Jewish covenant community . Despite

not having an extended spiritual family, Cornelius continued his quest for God as best he knew, through charitable giving and regular prayer_

God saw not only a questing heart but a questing lifestyle-a combination of attitude and action aimed at fInding God's will. God rewarded this diligent seeker by sending the gospel and the Holy Spirit _

Watchman Nee tells of a Chinese boy taken to a temple by his mother to worship . During the ceremony, the boy looked at the idol and thought, "You are too ugly and too dirty to be worshiped." Afterward, he found a quiet place behind the temple and prayed, "0 God, whoever you are, I do not believe you can dwell in that shrine. I do not know how to find you, but I put myself into your hands."

Thirty years later, after Nee led him to Christ, the man testified, "I have met the Lord Jesus for the fIrst time today, but this is the second time I have touched God."

Long ago, I heard another story from a missionary, telling of a man who happened to pick up and read a scrap of paper with intriguing words about a person named Jesus. With a partial Bible verse as his only source of light, the man began a search for Jesus that culminated years later when some Christians introduced him to the Savior.

SEEKING THROUGH MISSION

Among the billions in the world who have not trusted Christ, some are ready for God, waiting for him to show himself, already seeking his approval and blessing. Not only individuals, but entire people groups sometimes seek God as a community. Mission history records many examples of people movements-large scale conversion by a sizable percentage of a cultural group

Russell and Elizabeth Schmidt are MB Missions/Services workers who have recently begun outreach to the Khmu people along the border of Thailand and Laos They report that a Christian leader in the village of Ban

Mae Praw "is confIdent that the entire village will convert" to Christ from the animistic Buddhism. The "Jesus " mm was shown at April evangelistic meetings there.

Earlier this year, Phone Keo Keovilay, pastor of the Fresno (Calif.) Khmu MB Church, visited that area, and was besieged with requests for preaching, teaching and counseling Although he had planned to spend the time visiting his parents, he ministered almost nonstop for two weeks.

Phil and Carol Bergen, with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission in Burkina Faso, have also seen this kind of seeking in an entire people group . The Nanerige people believe that long ago an all-wise and all-good God created the world. But something terribly wrong happened and humans became evil. God was repulsed and offended, and they are alienated.

In this culture , when two members quarrel, a third party mediates. Direct questions of one party to another is considered demeaning. They have no one to mediate between them and God. Though they have had little contact with Christians, the Nanerige have become curious about the message of Christ.

The Bergens learned of this during their first term from 1990-93. In August, they returned to Burkina Faso to translate Scripture. In 1988, the frrst members of the translation team had asked the chief of the town of N'Dorola for permiSSion to come live with them and learn the language for the purpose of Bible translation. The chief and the elders had issued an enthusiastic invitation

With the help of a highly educated man from the tribe, the team has produced the fIrst Nanerige translation of Genesis The people are beginning to hear that the Bible explains the story of their alienation.

"There is a sense of expectation," Phil Bergen says about the curiosity of the people toward missions workers People feel the Bible will free them from their spiritual predicament and are impressed with the workers ' servant attitudes and willingness to learn

a difficult language.

When the Bergens and their coworkers have learned enough of the language, they will begin to go from village to village telling the story of God's redeeming love in Christ.

SEEKERS WHO TURN FROM GOD

While unreached people sometimes yearn for contact with heaven, 20th century sophisticates refuse to acknowledge the God Who Is There. William Shirer, the journalist who chronicled the rise and fall of Hitler, wrote after his 80th birthday: "All my years .1 have searched for some meaning. Seldom have I got beyond asking the questions."

Shirer rejected the "Com-belt Christianity" of his Iowa parents as "bigotry and banality." Having ruled out the Way, the Truth and the Life, he searched only in the wilderness of secularism-and found nothing of value. He titled his memoirs Twentieth Century Journey, but the journey ends with a shrug and a question mark.

Nikos Kazantzakis, author of the controversial book The Last Temptation of Christ, announces in The Saviors of God, "It is not God who will save us; it is we who will save Godby battling, by creating and transmuting matter into spirit."

The man or woman who quests for God knows that such proud boastings are the preenings of an emperor without any clothes. The seeker knows something about nakedness, shame and guilt, and the techniques for hiding it all. But a greater reality calls.

God is there, still assuring us as he did Judah : "You will seek me and fmd me when you seek me with all your whole heart . I will be found by you, declares the Lord " €2.

Gary Hardaway is secretary for communications and public relations for MB Missions/Services in Fresno, Calif. He attends the Bethany Church in Fresno

GUILT SHAME.

the good and the bad

While guilt can have a positive influence on behavior, shame is a powerful and destructive emotion.

Y OLDEST SON

AND

I recently watched a television commercial that featured several young adults repeating their parents' favorite sayings. We both laughed at the phrases, "Don't make me stop this car," and, "Because I said so." My son said, "When we grow up, we become our

b) JEFFERY M. ANSCHUTZ

parents." Although this may sound like an affirmation, he didn't mean it that way. He felt doomed to become like me in ways he didn't want to.

I knew what he meant. We discussed his grandfathermy father. I acknowledged that more often than I cared to admit, I hear his words coming out of my mouth. As a parent, I often do what I, as a young person, said I would never do. The reality of parenting has replaced my ideal image of being a so-called "perfect parent." We go with what we know-and what we know is how we ourselves were parented.

My parents loved, nurtured and encouraged me to use all the gifts God had given me. In that respect, I feel fortunate and blessed. Yes, my parents made mistakes, but they would likely admit to many more than I could point out. The only one of consequence that they passed on to me was the attempt to control a child's behavior through guilt and shame. It's not an uncommon parenting strategy either.

All behavior is motivated by feelings, which, in themselves, are neither good nor bad. Feelings are neutral. However, feelings influence thoughts , which can be

belittling, judging others, dismissing a child's feelings, comparing, blaming adult mistakes on the child, and having unrealistic expectations.

This period is influenced by peer pressure. Appearance, physical and material similarities and differences, and being teased, are all a part of childhood and can contribute to a sense of shame. Early on, children learn to blame others; often the behavior is learned from parents. While it is developed as a survival skill, blaming soon becomes a habit, especially for those struggling with shame. Blaming is tied to a child's self-worth and a feeling that they just can't endure failing or being "bad" again.

ADOLESCENCE. During this period, physical and emotional influences seem to amplify gUilt and shame. Adolescents are confronted by physical changes, increased hormone levels, extreme emotions and need for acceptance For them, the world is black and white

As parents, we conclude that nothing we do works or makes a difference with our teens Adolescents want to fit in and be accepted. Embarrassment or rejection by other teens or adults has lasting effects. With only childhood experiences to draw upon, and if those are negative, adolescents are likely to make poor decisions.

Adolescents express emotional pain from shame through anger, resistance to authority , insubordination, acting out, fighting, sexual activity, substance abuse and suicide Adolescents tend to be hurtful to one another and

Ways to provide help and support

• UNCONDmONAL ACCEPTANCE. It is difficult to talk of forgiveness when our mouths are full of judgment. If you have a stone of judgment to throw and can't seem to put it down , contact someone else to give care. Shame is too often the result of stone-throwing and it is easy to do more harm than good.

• LISTENING. It's more important to hear people describe how they feel than to tell them how they should feel. People will learn more about faith, love and caring by our actions than by anything we say

• SPECIAL CARE. Recognize that some problems are beyond the scope of our abilities and need special care. Be familiar with resources available in the way of pastoral care , support groups and counseling

• READ ABOUT IT. Books and libraries are a tremendous source of information on shame and associated problems Books help the person in need and those providing care and support.-JMA

will often say and do things intending to be hurtful They learn the number one rule of pain: the easiest way to feel better about yourself is to make someone else feel bad

CULTURAL INFLUENCES. As parents, we should keep in mind that culture affects us and our parenting. Culture passes on several biases and assumptions to our children, often without our knowledge. In our society, children learn quickly that possessions and income are the yardstick for success or failure If they use those standards to measure their self-worth against others, they usually find a lack. They feel they have failed. Society translates this into, "If I fail, I must be bad. "

Our culture also tells us that expressing feelings is a weakness. The idea of self-reliance-of not needing anyone's help, of standing up on our own two feet, pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps-is deeply ingrained in our culture It's a message quickly picked up by our children

Parents can further reduce the communication of feelings by telling their children they are feeling the wrong thing or saying, "You shouldn't feel that way." I sometimes hear adults telling other adults that what they feel is wrong or misguided

Just when children enter the confusion of adolescence, fathers tend to pull back their emotions from both sons and daughters. Hugs and "I love you" are considered no longer necessary or even appropriate . As a culture, when we stop listening to what people say about their feelings, they keep those feelings inside

Groups as well as individuals can "shame" others into changing behavior or accepting new ideas, customs or beliefs. As Christians, we need to ensure that our actions, either as individuals or congregations, do not bring injury or shame to children or adults.

Knowing the causes of gUilt and shame is only helpful if people want to use the knowledge to become better parents , better friends and better Christians As parents, we must listen to what we are saying to our children-and what messages children are receiving from us

As friends, we must listen to what we are saying to our friends about their feelings. Are we truly listening to them, or are we communicating that their feelings (and they) don't matter?

As Christians, we can help those suffering from shame find forgiveness and fuIftllment in life. We must be willing to accept others and let them know that they are loved not only by Christ, but also by us, their sisters and brothers in Christ.

Jeffrey Anschutz is a treatment coordinator and counselor for a hospital chemical dependency program He attends the Buhler (Kan.) MB Church.

What will they think of next?

by FRANCES F. HIEBERT

HE RE-IMAGINING

'93 conference that took place last November in Minneapolis shook the foundations of Christian feminism. The aftershocks still are being felt in churches across the country. The conference was sponsored by a number of mainline denominations. Some of the representatives of these churches boldly called for worship of a new god-

On the human level, many people, men and women, are all too familiar with abuse from a father, and they want nothing to do with a God who seems to have killed his own Son for whatever reason.

dess called "Sophia." "Sophia" is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for wisdom. In Proverbs 3 and 8 "wisdom" is personified as a woman. The debate rages around whether this is only imagery to describe the wisdom of God or whether "Sophia" is a separate person of the godhead. That would make a four-person God instead of a Trinity.

Sophia as a goddess added to the Trinity is not a new idea. It was part of the gnostic heresy that threatened the early Christian church. More recently, the Shakers also accepted this idea In 1993, Sergei Bulgakov, an Eastern orthodox priest, published a book in which he teaches that Sophia is the essence of the Trinity that holds Father, Son and Spirit together. So the feminists are picking up on a heresy that is very old and keeps cropping up.

Many people at the conference in Minneapolis disagreed with the goddess idea. Others insisted that worship addressed to Sophia still was directed toward the Christian God. But much of the liturgy and many rituals performed there seemed at least to make "Sophia" into a separate person of the Godhead. Two Presbyterian theologians later criticized this idea by pointing out that it robs Jesus of his name, "the Wisdom of God," given to him in the Gospel of John and in 1 Corinthians 1:24.

That, however, was only one of the serious deviations from orthodox Christian theology at the Minneapolis conference. The sacrifice of Christ for human salvation-what we usually mean by the "atonement"-was called "divine child abuse." The question was how a God of love could require his own son to suffer such a violent death.

When we read about the conference, our question probably is this: How could these Christian people possibly come up with such ideas? Is it only that they are heretics who are out to destroy biblical Christian faith? That may be our first reaction, but perhaps we should take a closer look.

Many women, including those from Christian homes, have been physically and sexually abused. "God the Father" is an image that actually strikes terror into some hearts. And calling God's sacrifice of his son "child abuse" may not seem so outrageous if you believe that God is male and your experience of males has been terribly abusive. On the human leyel, many people,

men and women, are all too familiar with abuse from a father, and they want nothing to do with a God who seems to have killed his own Son for whatever reason.

The Bible makes it clear, however, that earthly fathers are categorically different from God the Father The Bible also is clear that God is Spirit and not a man. "Father" does not mean God is male but that God is a nurturing and loving God. But because the church has sometimes made the mistake of interpreting the fatherhood of God to mean that God is male, some people are reacting against this and are being deceived into the opposite error of making God female.

Satan is surely behind this deception, but what human fathers have done to many women and the church's misrepresentation of God's fatherhood also have played a significant part. So perhaps we need to broaden our understanding of why women would respond positively to this goddess heresy.

Perhaps we also need to ask ourselves if evangelicals today have the right understanding of the atonement. Do we make it sound like divine child abuse? I must admit that as a child I wondered why God had to kill God to pay God for our sins. As an adult, until I did some theological study on this issue, I decided there was no answer to that question. Now I believe it is a pagan idea because, for one thing, God in the biblical record never asked for and always condemned human sacrifices. Pagan idols and gods were the ones who demanded human blood.

Another reason is that I have learned that the doctrine of the atonement was changed radically after the first thousand years of Christian history by church theologians who had pagan backgrounds or who were trying to make Christianity acceptable to their own culture

The word "atonement" technically means "at-one-ment." Thomas Finger, the Mennonite Church theologian, believes it is a mistake to define this word to mean only the death of Christ as most Christians do in our time. It really should mean all the phases of Christ's actiVity-life, death and resurrection-that reconcile us to God

In the Middle Ages there was an archbishop of Canterbury in England by the name of Anselm. He strongly focused the meaning of atonement only in the death of Christ. He believed that by breaking God's laws , humanity had dishonored God and therefore God

must be paid back for his lost honor. And because the offense was so horrendous, only a perfect victim-Jesus-could pay God for the way humanity had dishonored him by breaking God's law.

It was an interpretation that fit the spirit of the times in which Anselm lived. In the Middle Ages, revenge was needed to restore the honor of kings or aristocrats who, for whatever reason, thought they had been dishonored.

This interpretation of the doctrine of the atonement has been accepted with slight variations since the time of Anselm until the present. It is now the standard evangelical explanation of the atonement. And although it may not be stated quite in these words, the assumption is that atonement means only that the death of Jesus satisfied God's need for the revenge of God ' s lost honor.

But for the first thousand years of its history, the church had a different view of the atonement. It was not that God required the death of Jesus. It was, rather, that Jesus's life, in words and actions, showed up the sinfulness of humanity People hated the Light because their deeds were evil, so it was inevitable that they should turn on Jesus and kill him. Satan, of course, was the primary force behind the murder of Jesus because Satan believed that this would give him the victory over God

Jesus did become the sacrifice for our sins, but not to satisfy God. God the Father sent God the Son in the power of God the Spirit to show humanity how to repent and live in a reconciled relationship with God-atone-ment. God gave Jesus to us although God knew it would mean the sacrifice of his life when Satan would use all his power to cause God's plan to fail either by causing Jesus to sin or by finally causing his death. So the death of Christ was not God killing God but Satan trying to kill God.

When humanity rejected Jesus and killed him, Satan believed he had won the war But that was before the resurrection! In the resurrection of Jesus, God said to humanity, "Do your worst . Refuse my love, spit on me, and hang me on a cross to die-I love you anyhow. And if you accept my love , like Jesus, you will experience a resurrection and live forever. " To Satan God said, "Your power over humanity is broken and you are defeated forever ."

This doctrine of the atonement is often called, "Christus Victor" (Christ the Victor).

The Anabaptists of the 16th century, who are the theological ancestors of Mennonites, had a view of the atonement different from Anselm's and much more similar to "Christus Victor." They especially emphasized the reconciled relationship with God that comes by claiming Christ as Savior and Lord. They went so far as to say that because of the atonement, humanity could become "divine. " They carefully insisted that this did not make them into God, but allowed them again to be part of the life of God as they had been in the Garden before the Fall. The new birth by the Spirit into the life of God is what gives people the power to become disciples and live in "newness of life. "

Anselm's doctrine of the atonement gives us the right legal standing before God and saves us from eternal damnation, but it does not actually make us righteous. God accepts us as righteous because of the death of Christ, but we are unable actually to be righteous and live holy lives The New Testament, on the other hand, makes it clear that we are expected to live holy lives and are able to do that in the power of the Spirit.

The "Christus Victor" understanding of the atonement leaves no room for an accusation of "divine child abuse." And it gives no authority to fathers to act in any other way than God acts. They are to be holy as God is holy and they are not to abuse their children, but love and nurture them.

The twin errors of God being male and God killing his Son need to be challenged. They are responsible for some women's rejection of God as Father because women connect those ideas with their experiences of:

• physical and sexual abuse from churchgoing fathers;

• second-class status in the church;

• rejection of their spiritual gifts;

• not being affirmed as the image of God like men.

So where does that leave us with those outrageous feminists? Do we have a responsibility to help them see they have the wrong idea about God and the atonement, or do we just sit back and condemn them?

Pointing our fingers at heretics always makes us feel so righteous. But remember, many of those talking "goddess" truly are thirsting after a God who really loves them. Are we our feminist sisters keepers? 62

The "Christus Victor" understanding of the atonement leaves no room for an accusation of "divine child abuse." And it gives no authority to fathers to act in any other way than God acts.

Frances Hiebert is coordinator of international student ministries at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, near Chicago . She lives in nearby Highland Park

Mennonite food?

BY BRAD KUNKEL

EVERY THANKSGIVING my entire family, which includes myself, my brother and sister, my parents, and all in-laws and grandkids attached thereto, cram into a cabin in the mountains for four days of feasting and celebrating God 's gifts. Principle among them is the mere fact that we are yet a family able to survive under such circumstances and even enjoy ourselves. Immensely.

One of the highlights of our little focus on the family is sharing the photographs we took during the past year. Last year, as per usual, I forgot mine. But Dad didn't. Dad never does. He treated us to photos of the crosscountry motor home tour. I must say, my father's photographic acumen had certainly not suffered with retirement. We witnessed a 35-millimeter survey of Americana worthy of PBS.

During the "USA from the couch" tour, the one photo that really got my attention was of a restaurant somewhere in the Midwest proclaiming its intention to serve "Mennonite food."

Now what, I found myself asking, might "Mennonite food" be? My first thought was that it must be either African or Indian cuisine. It makes sense that "Mennonite food" would be the fare eaten by the greatest number of Mennonites in the world, right?

But then I thought about what really justifies something having the description of "Mennonite" attached to it. The way I understand it, it has something to do with believing the Bible to be the verbally inspired, infallible word of God . And believing in the importance of repenting and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins. And believing in a commitment

Forum is a column of opinion and comment on contemporary issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church. Manuscripts expressing an opinion for Forum should aim for a length of 800 words. Authors must sign articles, identify their church membership and vocation, and include a clear photo of themselves.

When I returned to my faith and to my church, it was because I could not help but agree with what we as a denomination believed_

to the body of Christ as God ordained it to be embodied in the local congregation.

Mennonite food? I must be missing something here. Surely the significance of this revelation has been severely understated. The mind reels . Mine immediately wandered to some of the more maligned elements of our diet we read about in the SCriptures . I thought: "Could it be their time has finally come to be redeemed?"

Ispeak, of course, of the infamous ingredient, yeast. When I returned from vacation I found a cookbook on my shelf telling me how to prepare "Mennonite food." (Is this anything like baptism class?) Anyway, I noted that many recipes had to do with raised bread or related culinary delights. I thought: Has yeast finally 'risen' above its biblical position as a metaphor for sin and evil in this world? Can it truly be saved? Can it be "Mennonite food?" Can it believe?

Well, OK, maybe I'm teetering on the edge of cynicism here. Or maybe I went hurling over it three paragraphs ago. In any event, let me apologize to all of the makers out there of cottagecheese-inside-dough-with-a-name-thatstarts-with- "V" -but-I-don't-know-whatit-is-because-aU-the-cookbooks-spell-itdifferently. (I really do love that stuff, by the way).

The problem stems from my own spiritual pilgrimage. You see, I grew up in a Mennonite church and Mennonite family and went to a Mennonite college But I will admit to you now that my journey took me away from the faith I professed as a youth When others at our little denominational college in Kansas were out playing during mid-term breaks, I was in

my dorm room reading "The Passover Plot" and other anti-Christian literature. I was trying desperately to justify my rejection of a system of beliefs that I saw as getting in the way of what I wanted to do and be.

When I returned to my faith and to my church, it was because I could not help but agree with what we as a denomination believed. I could not be true to myself and my own intellect without acknowledging the voracity of what really defined the Mennonite people: What they believe. Our own church here in San Jose has many members who have been baptized into a faith, not a cuisine. I think, I hope, they wouldn't understand the concept of "Mennonite food." And they shouldn't.

I hope you realize I don't denigrate the importance of history and tradition. I'm looking at a book right now called Martyr's Mirror-a very thick volume devoted to Mennonites who lived and died for their faith, not for what they preferred to eat. And I praise God for the saints of the church from whom we can continue to leam-about what they know of their relationship to God , not whether they prefer their gravy with raisins.

Next time someone asks you what makes you a Mennonite, I suggest a recitation of the beliefs that make us a people of God Not the recipe for Vwhatever. ef2

Brad Kunkel, a member of the Lincoln Glen Church in San jose, Calif., works as a contractor and builder. The article he contributed to this column in our january issue, titled "/ fasted from Rush Limbaugh," was reprinted in the june 20 issue of Christianity Today.

Honest coverage

Having attended the Promise Keepers in Denton, Texas, I felt I should write to encourage you concerning your coverage of the event Guly issue). Contrary to what I read in the most recent Christian Leader (What Reader Say, September), I believe your article truly reflected the spirit and the mood of this conference.

The letter writers attended other PK conferences, not the one in Denton. Had they been at Denton they would have felt as you and I did. It is hard to feel excited and enthusiastic about a conference that was interrupted by an intermission of nearly five and a half hours, and then concluded with marginal sound equipment two hours early.

Having said this, I would concur with the respondents to your article that Promise Keepers is without question a revival movement, the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetime It spans denominational, ethnic and socioeconomic barriers in a movement to unite men of faith as this country has never seen.

Contrary to the news reports that PK is a political movement, it is a spiritual movement among men which has the potential to radically change the face of this nation. But the change is not a political change from Washington. It begins in families whose husband and father is a Promise Keeper.

Keep up the good work, Don. Roger

Ediger Enid, Okla

Grieving a church family

I am writing as a former member of the East Wichita Fellowship, which closed its doors at the end of July (July issue). I am not sure how deeply the rest of the denomination feels when a congregation decides to close. It seems natural that most people who were not part of EWF, and did not know anyone who was, view it somewhat like the death of someone they never knew.

To those of us who were part of it, however, it feels as if there has been a

death in the family . Even though my family and I moved away a little more than a year ago, EWF was stilI our "family " I feel like my husband, Duane, and I "grew up" there during the eight years we attended and were surrounded and nurtured by "family." In fact, leaving our church family behind was at least as hard as leaving behind our biological families.

Grieving for EWF, for me, has been like any other grieving process. I have experienced disbelief that closing would actually happen. The gUilt Duane and I felt about leaving an already small and struggling church was great. Over the last months, when we heard that things looked dim, we asked ourselves over and over if there was anything we could do to help. How much of this did we cause by our attitudes or actions-or inaction?

The anger has probably been the hardest thing for me to deal with. I can think of any number of people who would be easy to blame for the decreasing numbers and enthusiasm in the last couple of years. I can think of numerous more that I believe could have done something to boost our energy and morale. Many times I have almost picked up a pen to write to some of these people and tell them just what I thought. Maybe I should have, but it is probably better that I didn't because my words would have been written in anger. And why would God allow this to happen to a group of people who were simply trying to be obedient to his Word?

Fortunately, acceptance and moving on probably come a little easier r.,ffi...

Pontius' Puddle

for us, because of the distance, than it does for those who are now looking for new church homes in Wichita .

I'm not writing this to point fmgers or to put a gUilt trip on anyone, but simply because, as we have all heard, when one member (or many members) ofthe body hurts, we all hurt.

You may have people joining your congregation who are hurting from this or a similar situation. Please be sensitive to them and allow them to grieve. Healing takes time, but it can be made easier with the support and nurture of a caring church family.

Kathy Loewen Olathe, Kan.

A word of thanks

We want to publicly thank our friend and former pastor, }.B. Toews, for writing Pilgrimage of Faith, a most informative book. Well-written and researched, it offers insight into the problems the Mennonite Brethren are facing today. Not only is J.B. Toews an excellent historian, but also a prophet for our time

Recently the adult Sunday school class at the Neil Avenue Mennonite Church, which we now attend since moving to Ohio, studied men and women of the faith. At one session, we presented a study of }.B. Toews, using a tape of an interview Esther had with him several years ago. We also presented a synopsis of the book. We were blessed by the study and it was well-received by the class.

Quoting from the preface of the book: "This book seeks to provide a biblical and theological framework for the Mennonite Brethren search for

Whatever ·happened to the 1 Roman empire?

It's history-a once mighty kingdom, now a fragment in history's mosaic. Throughout, the church has endured, like this 6th century mosaic, found in a church in Madaba, Jordan. Today there are congregations around the world-some tiny, some large-all significant pieces of God's grand plan.

On its 75th anniversary, Mennonite Central Committee has helped establish a Global Church Sharing Fund for Mennonite churches elsewhere in the world.

Today's great, earthly kingdoms will fade like all others. Be a part of the enduring story. Donate to the Global Church Sharing Fund.

Contributions should be marked "5000-7003" and sent to: Mennonite Central Committee

P.O. Box 500, Akron, Pa. 17501 or 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 5K9

For further information about the Global Church Sharing Fund, please contact your nearest MCC office.

BY JIM HOLM

The leaving

OUR SON LEFT for college last week. He's the first of our two children to leave the nest. It seems like only yesterday when we brought him home from the hospital as a newborn. At that time he could fit on one of my arms-his head lying on my hand while his bottom nestled into the bend of my elbow. Now, 18 years and six feet later, he has strength enough to wrestle with me-and win. It was both difficult and necessary to see him leave. Difficult because I know what happens when kids go to college. The day I moved out of the house in Montana and aimed my heavily loaded car toward California, a subtle but immediate change occurred. My relationship with my parents was altered from that moment. Never again would myoid home be "home." From that day on my parent's house was just a place I went to visit.

I didn't know at the time what a radical break had been made. It wasn't that something had happened between my parents and me. No, not that. But I had a new home in this world-my home at school where I lived threefourths of the year. The times I spent with my parents from then on were just "vacations," and everybody knows the place where you vacation isn't home.

If I had known then how great a step I was taking, I don't think I would have left home. After all, being with Mom and Dad was safefew decisions, great security. But at the time I thought I was just going to school. I didn't think I was leaving home .

So our son's departure last week was difficult for me. It wasn't that hard for him. He thOUght he was just going to school. But I know what his departure means, and in that knowledge, I grieve. Things will not be the same again. I'm grateful that he doesn't know this. He will find out like I did-over time.

However, in addition to being difficult, it was necessary for him to leave.

First, because he needs to find his path in the world. For 18 years we have tried to direct his steps in God's way. But now we and he must find out if his faith is real, if he can know the Lord's leading as he makes his own decisions. We will, in truth, find out of what substance he is made Is his life woven of a fabric containing gold, silver and precious stones, or

is it threaded with some lesser materials?

Second, he needed to leave because the parents' home is not always the best place for an 18-year-old. High school graduation does something to young people, you know. They still like to put their feet under your table, they still want Mom to wash their clothes, they still prefer Dad to put gas in the car. But they want to run their own lives, in their own way, on their own time.

That kind of spirit doesn't always work in the house of the parents. We give our children roots, but it is not that comfortable when they spread their wings. So off to college they go. Higher education may be one of God's gifts to parents, to help the family

Then he left. He went, not to a Christian college-which I might have preferred-but to a state university, to take the major they offered. I just talked to him on the phone last night. He was completing the week of orientation for freshmen-2,300 freshmen. In addition to learning about the campus , they attended seminars on rape and assault, along with gay awareness. Oh dear. The Christian high school he attended never had problems like that.

He is there, out in that world. I had to let him go. But I'm comforted by a few thOUghts.

First, it's the same world I've lived in since I left home 28 years ago. God has taken care of me, won't he take care of our son?

Second, I know the background he has had, the grounding he received at home, in church, at school. "Train up a child in the way he should go ," the book says.

Third, I trust our son. I'm confident he will make wise choices, though probably not always my choices.

I walked into his old bedroom the day after he moved out. A great loneliness swept over me. For a moment I could have cried. Surely things would never be the same, Yet, at the same time, I was grateful. God gave us a marvelous gift for 18 years of training. Now we have sent God's gift, shaped by our hands, on to the next stage . What will happen next is up to God, and one of his sons, our son.

I'm content with that. $2

We give our children roots, but it is not that comfortable when they spread their wings.

Calif.

Jim Holm is from Reedley,

BY PHILIP WIEBE

Media rites

WHEN I READ the big newspaper headline blaring "Traditional Family Fades

From the Fore," followed by the glaring statistic that "only 51 percent of American children live in a traditional nuclear family," how would you guess I responded?

(A) Mourned the annihilation of moral absolutes.

(B) Danced on Ozzie and Harriet's grave.

(C) Turned the page.

If you guessed C, you win a framed copy of this column! Second prize is two copies! OK, I'm kidding about the prize, but not about C. According to the article, A and B were already taken by a conservative political spokesperson and a liberal demographic researcher, respectively. Or should I say disrespectively, the way spokesperson and demographer each accused the other of debasing America, the world and possibly the ozone layer.

That 's why I turned the page-to read the rest of the article. As I suspected, shoved to the margins of this Dramatic Morality Duel were a couple of mundane incidentals : (1) "Traditional family" was defined strictly as "both biological parents and their children " (2) A "broader definition of the family" allowed that "nearly three-quarters of children live in a household with two parents." Which means the article's conclusion was based on the disqualification of households harboring subversive elements like grandparents, relatives, adoptees , remarrieds, foster kids, and other shady characters.

Otherwise, the headline would have had to blare, "Traditional Family Found Firmly in First," and who wants to read about that? Borrrring! I mean, if 75 percent of U S households are essentially traditional in practice, and the vast majority of others remain essentially traditional in philosophy (maybe you know single parents who think it's a hip lifestyle choice, but I sure don ' t,) then what happens to our Great Family Values War? Poof1

But once we agree to agree in principle , there's still plenty of practice to be done in practice ...

• Starter marriages. In its continuing efforts to make bad news sound good, popular culture has now christened the concept of the "starter marriage " These "brief, early marriages, that end in divorce by age 30, " according to another newspaper article I read, are "much like the starter home of a generation ago, shed as the familyoutgrew it."

Yeah, that's a big help . "I take you as my starter spouse, to have and to hold , until 1 fmd a good deal in a better neighborhood." But wait, at the fringe of this piece was another telling detail. "At that age," admitted one starter spouse, "I didn't comprehend what it took to stay in a longlasting relationship. " Well, who does these days? We Christians? On sure, with a divorce rate right at the heals of the rest of society, and a church migration rate completely out of sight.

As any parent knows , "Do what 1 say, not what 1 do " doesn't work So we may want to lower our voices, pocket our pointing fmgers, and concentrate on relearning the meaning of longlasting relationships ourselves. Then instead of this constant haranguing, we may be able to offer our culture what it really needs: healing.

• ]V violence. I've clipped another column in this ongoing debate on whether TV influences or merely reports society's violent streak. This time the conclusion was , "I think media reflect, not set, society's trends." To which I responded: Why can't it be both?

No one would claim, for instance, that "Media's overpopulation of perfect bodies reflect, not set, Mr. and Mrs. Normal's insecurities " The Youth 'N Beauty industry, in fact, counts on media fostering flab-o -phobia. If we regular folks only had each other to look at, would Slimfast and Lean Cuisine be household trademarks? As it is , media take latent anxieties and, as they do so well, hype them into a foaming frenzy. So it is with violence: Humanity's malevolent streak existed millenniums before the invention of TV (just ask Abel,) but nothing quite so well as TV has dragged it into the light of daily life.

Why can't it be both? There's a question we could stand to ask about a lot of things The serious either/or sneer society has developed helps no one but professional protesters. Take, for example, this sorry shouting match between "conservatives" and "liberals " Why can't we be both? 1 try to be, and believe me, it isn ' t easy Suggest we have a cultural responsibility to teach moral virtue, and you get nailed by one side. Suggest we have a moral imperative to promote environmental responSibility, and you get nailed by the other. And so it goes, issue after issue Propose that each side loosen their death-grip on part of the truth in order to piece together more of the truth, and ....

Well, silly me . These days advocating "both/and " will probably only get me both the cold shoulder and in hot water

Humanity's malevolent streak existed millenniums before the invention of TV (just ask Abel,) but nothing quite so well as TV has dragged it into the light of daily life.

Ore.

Philip Wiebe lives in Salem,

Learning to walk by faith

BY MARY BETH NEAL

YOU HAVE TO learn to crawl before you can walk-even if you're 50 years old. Herbert Kliewer , a member of Birch Bay MB Church of Blaine, Wash ., who celebrated his 55th birthday June 4, has spent the past four years learning to walk again after an accident broke his neck. The resident of Christian Rest Home in Lynden, Wash ., has also learned not to let fear stand in his way.

On May 14 Kliewer walked in the 11th annual Lynden "Bike-For-Breath " Bike-a-thon for Cystic Fibrosis. "Last year I was in it in the wheelchair," Kliewer says. He completed 10 and a half miles before the rain caused him to quit.

Five years ago, Kliewer was making a hay delivery when the conveyer on the truck broke, sending him tumbling . "They found out I broke my neck I was in the hospital for five months ," Kliewer says

After being released from the hospital, Kliewer spent five weeks in a Bellingham, Wash., care facility until Christian Rest Home had an opening. When Kliewer came to Lynden he was unable to put any weight on his legs, making him totally wheelchair dependent, says Jane Nymeyer, a licensed practical nurse who is the team leader in the rehabilitation department at Christian Rest Home.

Kliewer was encouraged to start strengthening his muscles shortly after he moved to Christian Rest Home. The injury hadn't completely severed his spinal cord, leaving hope that he would be able to regain his ability to walk.

Many people wouldn't have had the strength, mentally or physically , to take on the challenge. Kliewer, who also suffers from epilepsy, could have chosen to throw in the towel. But if Kliewer had felt sorry for himself, "He would have given up It (learning to walk again) was a very slow process," Nymeyer says.

Just as a toddler learns to walk, Kliewer had to begin by crawling . Nymeyer remembers a time when crawling 15 feet was an accomplish-

ment for him . She adds that now, "He walks all over, indoors , outdoors , with a walker Herb goes all over town ."

The past several months he 's been going a step further, learning to walk with the use of canes. Kliewer choose to walk in the bike-a-thon as a testimonial of his Christian faith. He gives God all the credit for the regained use of his legs.

"There must be a reason why this happened," Kliewer says He uses his experience as a way to encourage others who are struggling. Before the aCCident, talking in front of a group would have scared him, but he 's been able to overcome that in his church.

Kliewer explains that life is short and he believes the emotions that consume us are there by our own free choice. After a setback, we can choose to remain bitter and full of self-pity, or pick ourselves up , taking stock in the blessings we still have. Kliewer says he wants to get the message across " that those who are blessed with a normal life lots of times just take it for granted."

Along Kliewer'S slow road to recovery, Nymeyer says, "The big thing was his spirit He had the real determination to work " That same determination got Kliewer and his walker out to raise funds for cystic fibrosis.

"I don 't know how I'll make it. I can ' t, but God will. I have to lean on the Lord," Kliewer says. €2

Mary Beth Neal is a reporter for the Lynden Tribune, from which this article was reprinted with permission. The accompanying photo is courtesy of Ric Hallock

of the Tribune.

don't know how I'll make it I can't, but God will I have to lean on the Lord."

Districts set for annual rallies

• Evangelism and celebration will set the tone for rallies and conventions

THE COMING OF FALL brings with it the coming of district conventions. This year these events are marked by new featuresand in one case no convention at all. Evangelism and celebration are the underlying convention themes.

Southern District

Beginning the last Sunday in September and continuing through October, members of Southern District Conference churches will gather for six regional rallies, an alternative to the traditional district convention

The purpose of these rallies is to inform, inspire and equip congregations for the ministries of the local church , the district, and for the evan-

gelism of the United States through Mission USA, according to district minister Roland Reimer.

The schedule and format are the same for each location and have been designed with people of all ages in mind. The rallies are long on inspiration and short on business. Participants can choose from among three workshops in addition to attending worship and celebration sessions. While the rallies do not include business sessions or elections, district updates and highlights will be shared.

Jeffrey Anschutz of the Buhler MB Church is a featured workshop leader at each location. His workshop will deal with ways in which congregations can accept, integrate and care for needy people. The experiences of his own family in finding their current church home will illustrate his points.

A second workshop, led by various district leaders, will highlight the issue of financial resources in the SDC and include discussion of a new funding proposal.

Reimer hopes that the third workshop will "ignite the idea of serving " A variety of individuals who have served with MB Missions/ Services, Youth Mission International and U-SERV will share their stories

Each rally will feature a video presentation highlighting SDC ministries

The rallies begin at 4 :30 p m and conclude by 8:30. A light meal will be provided by the host congregation.

This year's format is part of a newly approved plan to alternate the annual convention with regional rallies. One of the goals of the new format is to involve more people in district activities and to strengthen the inter-church network, according to Reimer . Pilot rallies held in 1992 drew about 1 , 500 people compared to the 350 people

who usually attending conventions.

The first regional rally, for the churches of Colorado , was held Sept. 25 at the Belleview Acres Church in Littleton, Colo. The sites and dates of the remaining rallies are listed on page 2 of this issue.

Central District

Evangelism is the theme of the Central District Conference annual convention Oct. 28-30 Delegates will be exposed to elements of the theme in a variety of ways, including the convention location. This year's gathering will be hosted by Bible Fellowship Church in Rapid City, S.D., which was begun in 1979 and his since grown to around 200 members.

The convention theme , "Reaching to a Broken World, " will be carried out in a unique way Friday afternoon. Delegates will be invited to travel to places of ministry in the city, including Cornerstone Rescue Mission , Crisis Pregnancy Center and one of the area prisons. A panel comprised of Single-parent family members will discuss needs of this group.

Ron Seibel, conference chair, will open the convention Friday with the keynote address calling the assembly to prayer for our broken world. Vice chair Elton Berg will deliver the afternoon message on the topic "Compassion for Broken People ."

Henry Schmidt, president of the MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. , will address the convention on Saturday. He will also deliver the closing message Sunday morning

Bible Fellowship Church will dedicate its newall-purpose building Sunday Mennonite Disaster Service workers, who served in Rapid City following a deadly flood in the early 1970s, will be recognized during the dedication. Those MDS workers introduced Rapid City residents to Mennonites and the ensuing interest spawned the start of the church .

A church-planting rally is scheduled for Friday evening. Saturday luncheons for women and men and an evening concert by Harvest Crew from T abor College round out the

Fresno Pacific College has unveiled the logo it will use to mark its 50th anniversary _ Created by FPC graphic designer John Lopes, the design symbolizes both " remembering" the past and "reaching" to the future. The school's biggest anniversary event will be held during the Pacific District Conference convention in November. The Pacific District represents the stockholders of the college corporation

Center of transformation experiences a transformation

of its own

• Tabor College chapel undergoes major renovation

LARGE CHUNKS of concrete tumbling noisily almost two stories down a chute into the truck bed below were the final pieces of what was once the balcony of the Tabor College Chapel and Auditorium.

Where panels of warmly colored stained glass once ftltered the morning sun there is now open air, providing a convenient exit for the chute. Second-floor doorways, leading only to empty space, look humorously out

of place. The maple floors are gone. Dust and debris are everywhere.

These were the telltale marks of a major renovation project which began in earnest this summer. The project is "major" for the thoroughness of the renovation, but also for its target. For ardent alumni and supporters of the college, the chapel is the "holy of holies" within the Tabor "temple," the historic Administration Building.

Demolishing the interior of the chapel has eliminated the old "look" of the room. But like the lives of students forever changed by events that have taken place within those four walls, many see this as a transfiguration.

For Tabor alumni, the chapel, built in 1920, has been more than a large room with pretty windows. It has been the hub of college life

"The chapel was the center of the life of Tabor College when I was a student," says Jonah Kliewer, chair of the music department and co-chair of the committee charged with overseeing renovations of the Administration Building. "It seemed to me when I came here as a faculty member this was still true."

Kliewer says students developed an affinity for the chapel because it was the site for daily chapel services as well as choir rehearsal, drama productions, conferences and other events. While the addition of a gymnasium in the late 1950s changed that to some degree, the chapel continued as the focus of loyalty among alumni and represents the history of the college, he says.

Many of the college's Mennonite Brethren constituency have also been transformed by events held in the chapel. In the 1930s the annual Bible conference was a pivotal tradition in the life of the school. People from as far as Minnesota, the Dakotas, Oklahoma and Nebraska joined with local Mennonite Brethren to hear such nationally known speakers as R.A. Torrey and William Evans, and leading conference expositors like D.E. Harder, J.H. Pankratz, A.H. Unruh, J.B. Toews, Waldo Hiebert, G .W. Peters and others These Bible conferences sparked campus revivals during those early years and again in the late 1950s.

Kliewer's passionate love for the chapel and its history is evident in his

The need for steel girders in the ceiling prompted a complete overhaul of the college 'hub.'

time-faded original panes from the 1920s feU to Mary.

1hree of the five "regulars" on the repair crew were former Tabor faculty: Ben Wiens, Enlil Thiessen and John Vogt. Ed Fadenrecht, a retired farmer from North Dakota and a strong Tabor supporter , and board member Ernest Wiens of Denver were also crew members. They logged more than 1,700 hours repairing the broken panes and damaged casings

An average of 15 other volunteers assisted each day with the grouting, cleaning and polishing. In all, more than 48 friends of the college worked around 350 hours on this part of the restoration project.

To protect the reconditioned stained glass, exterior plate glass has been installed in the chapel. The stained-glass panels are currently being stored and will be put in place when the renovation is completed.

Kliewer believes these windows help create the special atmosphere of the chapel. "Historically this particular space has meant so much to people we had to renovate and preserve the windows," he says.

College officials anticipate the chapel renovation will be completed by February 1995 For now, the task of finishing the shell remains before the facility can once again become a place for the transformation of students.-Connie Faber

Zairian MBs join effort to assist Rwandan refugees

• Mennonite groups aim to establish camp for 40,000

THE MENNONITE Brethren Church of Zaire has joined with two other Zairian Mennonite groups and Mennonite Central Committee to assist refugees from Rwanda.

Two North American MCC workers and three Zairian Mennonites are taking part in a three-month assignment to help establish a camp for 40,000 Rwandan refugees on Zairian church property near the airport in Bukavu, Zaire. They are working under the direction of the Zairian Protestant church body.

The three participating Mennonite groups in Zaire each named one of the team members To help pay for their team member's transportation to eastern Zaire, the churches collected a special offering during Aug 14 worship services. The donations will also purchase relief items for the refugees.

Zairian Mennonites are donating clothing and blankets as well. "This response is an act of generous love by

TRANSITION

Pioneer missionary to Colombia dies at 92

• Lillian Schafer served in educationrelated ministries for 25 years

T ILLIAN SCHAFER, 82, former pioneer missionary to Lcolumbia, died Sept. 10 in Shafter, Calif. , after several months of illness.

Schafer was born Nov. 9 , 1911 , in Alta, N.D., and was baptized into John ' s Lake MB Church near her girlhood home of McClusky, N.D.

Schafer graduated with an education degree from Tabor CoUege She arrived in Colombia in January 1946 and taught in the missionary school at La Cumbre for the next six years. She then became principal and later director of Colegio Los Andes, a Christian elementary school for Colombians

people struggling to feed and clothe themselves and their families," says Arli Klassen, interim MCC Africa cosecretary.

"The Zairian Mennonite churches are thrilled to be undertaking this joint effort with MCC," Klassen says. "They like the idea that MCC is working so closely with the churches, rather than doing its own thing. That's what we like most about this effort too."

One of the North American team

She later moved to Cali, where she was asked to begin a Christian high school for Colombian students. The national Department of Education , recognizing her strong qualifications, granted her the license The school became a reality and Schafer served as principal and instructor

When the high school passed into Colombian hands in 1971, Schafer concluded her 25-year ministry and retired to Shafter. There she took on the job of teaching English as a second language at the local high school. She taught there 11 years.

Schafer's ministry of intercessory prayer in her later years reached around the world. Her prayer list included missionaries, requests through correspondence , unreached peoples and countries closed to the gospel.

She is survived by three brothers , Herman and wife Mabel, Ernest and wife Elma, John and wife Alice aU of North Dakota; three sisters, Edna Willems , Laura Martens and husband Frank, all of Shafter, Elsie Friesen and husband Ernest of Wichita , Kan .; and 19 nephews and nieces.-From an MBM/S release

A Zarian woman prepares a thin porridge for eager Rwanda refugee children.

DALlAS, Ore.-The congregation sponsored a "Neighbor to Neighbor " block party Sept. 10. Flyers were distributed around the community for the afternoon event , which featured live music, door prizes including a hand-made comforter, children's activities and a free barbecue

• Teaching/Nurture

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)-Paul and Betty Gross of Church Prayer Ministry lnternationalled a prayer-enrichment seminar Sept. IS-20 Jean Reiswig led a seminar for children grades one through six

HENDERSON, Neb.-Ted Faszer, on the faculty of North American Baptist Seminary, Sioux Falls, S D , led two seminars dealing with Christian education and music and worship Sept 18.

DAlLAS, Ore.-A new Sunday school class is being offered this fall in which participants will prepare dramas for Sunday morning worship services

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen Bible)-Pat Verbal, a Christian education consultant and author, led a seminar for the congregation 's children's ministries staff Sept. 3.

BODYLIFE

• Celebrations

VISALIA, Calif. (Neighborhood)-The congregation sponsored a "Summer's End Picnic " at Bennett 's Ranch Sept 4

FAIRVIEW, Okla.-Jake and Martha Fast were recognized during the morning worship service Sept. 4 in honor of their 65th wedding anniversary

DINUBA, Calif.-Henry and Bertha Heier celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary Jan 2 The couple was recognized during the morning worship service and a bouquet of flowers was placed in the sanctuary in their honor by their children.

PHOENIX, Ariz. (palm Glen)-Jake and Justina Froese were honored with a card shower celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary Sept 10

DOLAND, S.D. (Ebenezer)-Clarence and Rose Wipf celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner Stella and Wade Hofer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house

• Workers

REEDLEY, Calif. (EI Faro)-David and Olga Ediger were installed as the pastoral couple of

Hationa I hnnonite

Brethren Youth Conference

fstes Park. Eo lorado

March 25 - 28 . Jgg5

the church Sept. 4. They are former MB Missions/Services workers in Peru and were on staff at the Garden Park MB Church in Denver, Colo , before coming to Fresno to attend MB Biblical Seminary

FERNDALE, Wash. (Good News)-Skip Suess was installed as senior pastor Sept 11 He and his wife, Denise, were honored with a fellowship time following the afternoon service

HAYS, Kan. (North Oak)-Pat Coyle accepted a call to be the congregation 's first associate pastor He and his wife , Lisa, will begin their ministry Oct I

YALE, S . D. (Bethel)-Pastor Elton Berg resigned, effective June 30,1995. He has not announced his plans

WICHITA, Kan. (First}-Cathy Faszer has accepted a full -time assignment as interim director of music and worship for nine months Neil Bontrager will serve as a youth ministry intern for one year

LODI, Calif. (Vinewood)-A1 and Vi Kroeker have begun their ministry as interim pastor couple.

KINGSBURG, CaIif.-Byron Neufeld and his wife, Lucy, have begun serving as interim pastor couple through June 1995 They have just returned from Russia , where they did evangelistic work for several months Mike Groft has begun serving as part-time director of music.

CLEARINGHOUSE

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

MENNONITE MUTUAL AID has an opening for a church-relations manager to enhance MMA' s relationship with congregations This position will require good relational and communication skills while working directly with advocates, pastors, and conference and denominational leaders The person must have excellent management skills, including staff supervision, planning , budgeting, and project administration Significant congregational experience and an understanding of Anabaptist denominational structures and church-related organizations are desired Anabaptist theological training is also desired Please send resume to MMA, Human Resources Dept. , P O. Box 483, Goshen,lN 46526.

HELP WANTED

LOOKING FOR STORIES : Do you remember the early days of Mennonite Central Committee? MCC is looking for stories of aid coming to villages in Russia and the Ukraine in the 1920s, as well as first-person accounts of other MCC work in its early decades. They will be used in publications and speaking engagements during MCC's 75th anniversary year Write down your experience and send it to: Anniversary Stories, MCC, P.O Box 500, Akron, PA 175010500

RESOURCES

VORP TRAINING - Crime! A Christian response? Start a church -based VORP in your area Training at the Fresno (Calif ) VORP with Ron Claassen, Nov. 5-8, 1994 Sponsored by MCC and Fresno Pacific College Call now! 1-800-909-VORP

• Youth

WICHITA, Kan. (First)-Children participating in quarterly Sunday school and clubs mission projects raised $1,436 from September 1993 to August 1994. They helped to fund four projects: craft supplies for World Impact Bible clubs, pennies for Mennonite Central Committee, school supplies for European Christian schools and Bibles for Chinese children. This fall the children are collecting stuffed animals and toys for children in Pakistan.

. DEATHS

COLLINS, ANNA FAY QUIRING, of Madera, Calif., a member of the Madera Avenue Bible Church, was born Apr. 10, 1905, to Abe and Margaret Schellenberg Quiring in Main Centre, Sask., and died July 15, 1994, at the age of 89 In 1924 she married Oscar Collins, who predeceased her. She is survived by one son, Reginald and wife Jalima of Los Angeles, Calif.; two daughters, Wanda and husband Bob Kroeker, and Barbara Jones, all of Madera; one sister, Kay King of San Leandro, Calif.; five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren

STAHL, DANIEL GEORGE, of Lake Byron, S.D., a member of the Bethel Mennonite Church of Yale, S.D., was born Mar. 25, 1938, to George and Bertha Tschetter Stahl in Huron, S.D , and died Aug. 15, 1994, at the age of 56. On Aug. 19, 1958, he was married to Bertha E. Minder, who predeceased him in 1991. He is survived by his parents; one son, Darrel K of Huron; one daughter, Shelly of Sioux Falls, S.D ; three brothers, Darwin of Huron, Douglas and wife Betty, and Donald, all of Yale; three sisters, Sharon of Sioux Falls, Elaine and husband Wil Kleinsasser, and Georgiane and husband Ken Kleinsasser, all of Hitchcock, S.D.

11IIESSEN, SAM, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro, was born Oct. 12, 1912, to Cornelius and Helena Unruh Thiessen, near Inman, Kan., and died Aug 13 , 1994, at the age of 81. On Feb. 13, 1938, he was married to Hilda Ediger, who survives . He is also survived by two sons, Richard and wife Evelyn of Fresno, Calif., Leon and wife Karin of Santa Maria, Calif.; three daughters, Leona and husband Elmer Friesen of Hillsboro, Kan., Norma and husband Bob Johnson of Denver, Colo., Betty and husband Harlan Graf of Ponca City, Okla.; three sisters, Martha Dalke, Elizabeth Ringering, Anna Willems; 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren tf2.

If you're seeking investments in enterprises that help to improve - rather than destroy - the world around you, MMA Praxis Mutual Funds were created for you. With MMA Praxis, your money will be invested in companies that seek to enhance Christian values of peace, justice, and the quality of human life. So for a mutual fund that talks the same language you do, you need to hear more about MMA Praxis.

At Palm Village, we're committed to caring for seniors. The Living Legacy Fund provides support for residents who have outlived their recources. Thanks to your generous gifts, more than 150 residents receive assistance each year. For more infonnation on how you can make a difference, call DAVID REIMER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

(209) 638-6933

STRUCTURES

GC national identity?

The General Board of the General Conference Mennonite Church is proposing the formation of a U S conference of churches to parallel already existing Conference of Mennonites in Canada The two national conferences would continue to work jointly "on programs of mutual interest , " such as overseas missions, seminary education and publishing. Factors considered by the denomination's General Board were the decline in GC

income, the proposed integration of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference, changes in denominational loyalty, board priorities, and the relationship of the General Conference to CMC and to the Mennonite Church. The General Board will process the proposal with the GCMC Integration Exploration Committee (GCMC)

END TIMES

Rapture resources

Bible prophecy experts who believe that believers in Christ will one day disap-

WORLD

·Cautious optimism·

about Haiti

GORDON ZOOK, Mennonite Central Committee

Haiti country representative, describes his reaction as "cautiously optimistic" to the dramatic Sept. 18 agreement reached between U.S. negotiators and Haitian leaders. While pleased a violent military operation was averted and economic sanctions will end, Zook is concerned the accord with Haiti's leaders left "critical issues still to be worked out. " His main concern is that General Raul Cedras did not leave Haiti and may have used the negotiations to again evade the return of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The new accord "allows a lot of room for the cat-and-mouse game to continue for the next month, if not longer," says Ed Stamm Miller of MCC's Latin America and Caribbean office. Despite the uncertainty, MCC personnel now in North America plan to return to Haiti as soon as possible. Three families are in North America; eight workers and two children have remained in Haiti. While grateful that the United States did not go into Haiti with "blazing guns," MCC administrators believe a suitable resolution to Haiti's political woes will take a long time. Decisions about how Haitians will organize themselves must be made by Haitians, with a non-violent international presence to ensure the change occurs peacefully. (MCC)

pear in an end-times event called the Rapture have created a video message for those who will be left behind. The video is titled, "Left Behind: Where'd Everybody Go?" Peter Lalonde of This Week in Bible Prophecy created the video, which also features Hal Lindsey, Dave Breese, John Ankerburg, Zola Levitt and John Walvoord. The video begins with a 20minute action-adventure portrayal of what the world may be like moments after the Rapture, then turns to the six prophetic teachers, who explain what happened, and what is ahead. "I am convinced that people will literally be going insane as loved ones and even small children disappear," says Lalonde. "People will not know what has happened There will be widespread confusion, panic and outright fear. " (EP)

POPULATION GROWTH

Non-abortion strategy

The U N Conference on Population and Development ended Sept 13 with a document to help curb population growth by the year 2010. After many hours of debate, conferees determined that the document will not advocate abortion as a method of family planning The Vatican delegation held up debate for five days because of the document's position on abortion, then joined nearly 180 other countries in forming a consensus on the document. The Vatican conceded their efforts Sept. 9 after seeing a

change in the questionable paragraph Joining the Vatican were many African, Latin American and Muslim countries which opposed the inclusion of abortion in the document The approved language states that abortion "in no case should be promoted as a method of family planning. " That statement appears twice in the document. (EP)

RESCUE

Blacklisted heroes

A mission agency on Cuba's governmental blacklist rescued refugees recently from a Sinking homemade raft Youth With A Mission's ship, Caribbean Mercy, rescued a dozen Cubans as their raft began to sink about eight miles off the coast of Cuba The rescue was "definitely orchestrated by God, " said the ship's communications officer, Dick Barkley, because the Caribbean Mercy was the only ship in the area, and arrived there at that time only because it left port in Florida 12 hours behind schedule. YWAM is one of several Christian groups officially "not welcome" in Cuba, according to information received by a worker from Wycliffe Bible Translators . (EP)

TELEVISION

Discretionary time?

The nation's four broadcast networks air a total of 47 .38 incidents of sex, violence and profanity each hour, according to the latest study by the American

&... Pontius' Puddle

Family Association, Donald Wildmon's media watchdog organization. The study of prime-time television for four weeks in May found an increase from 27.47 reported during a similar period last fall. The increase can be attributed to the AFA's decision to include the Fox network in the study. A total of 86 percent of all sex presented during the study period was depicted outside of marriage.

• In a related story, nearly 500 Christian leaders have asked advertisers to refuse to support ABC's controversial police drama "NYPD Blue" with their advertising dollars. According to the AFA, ABC lost an estimated $17-$20 million last year because of advertiser reluctance to sponsor the series, which features foul language and partial nUdity. In a recent stockholders meeting, ABC would not confirm or deny that figure (EP)

OUTREACH

Mission minded

According to World Vision, the U.S. and France both appear on the "top 10" lists for missions. The U.S . stands as the nation sending the most missionaries abroad, with some 69 ,000 missionaries going to other countries . Some 20,000 foreigners come to the U.S. as missionaries.

France, as the nation receiving the most missionaries, has 25,000 foreigners coming to work in their land. It sends out 15,000. (EP)

DEBT

Praying for a miracle

From the "SomethingGood-Needs-to-HappenToday-Dept.": Oral Roberts University is $40 million in debt Its base of supporters has diminished. Skeptics have been predicting the end of the school for years. But ORU president Richard Roberts says the school, founded in 1963 by his father, is making progress. The school is working to eliminate its debt through the sale of various properties, and Roberts is work· ing to develop relationships with other Christian organizations and schools. His goal: to have the school running in the black within three years (EP)

BUREAUCRACY

An unkind cut

To Velma Williamson and Theresa Taylor, it must have seemed like the unkindest cut of all . The sisters, who have been giving haircuts to homeless people through their Duluth Street Ministries fo r four years, were notified by a barber inspector for

the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners that they were breaking the law by cutting hair without a license, and were ordered to stop The incident made nationwide news, and was carried on the syndicated Paul Harvey radio pro-

gram. When the state board responsible for regulating barbers learned of the inspector's action, it acted quickly to solve the problem: Williamson and @ Taylor were given honorary barber's licenses, and will be permitted to continh· f d : ue t elf practice 0 provi" ing free haircuts to homeless people at Duluth's Union Gospel Mission "We started to see the need of street people about four years ago, and began cutting hair for them , " explained Taylor. "People want to look nice, to look normal. Also, it's easier to get a job if you have a haircut."(EP)

MERCHANDISING

Toying with the faith?

MOVE OVER POWER RANGERS. Take a seat Ninja Turtles. A new line of licensed character merchandise is competing for the hearts (and dollars) of America's children (and parents), and these guys have staying power. Perhaps you've heard of Noah? Jonah? Daniel? Characters from The Beginner's Bible are showing up on backpacks and lunch boxes in the back-toschool section of Wal-Mart. If they're a success, expect sleeping bags, stuffed animals, and children's clothing to follow closely. "This is a long shelf-life product," says Don Wise, one of the founders of Performance Unlimited, which publishes The Beginner's Bible. "It's not based on a fad, like Jurassic Park-it's a hit and it's gone already. Everything based on it is half-priced now." The Bible, on the other hand, is the world's all-time best-seller. To date, more than 30 major children's product manufacturers have licensed characters from The Beginner's Bible for use on their products. Halloween costumes will be released in the fall and other products will be offered in J.e. Penney's fall catalog. Major product launches are planned for Christmas 1994 and 1995. According to Wise, "Wal-Mart is leading the way in offering nonviolent, value-nurturing children ' s products of The Beginner's Bible in a limited store test. Through the success of this test, our products will be on the same shelf as other children's character products at the nation's largest retailers and in fine gift and bookstores." (EP)

Floccinaucinihilipilification

No, I CAN'T PRONOUNCE it either. Or spell itwithout looking carefully at the source. And the source is suspect at that: a flyer titled "Operation Junk Mail" from the Taxwise Giving Philanthropy Tax Institute in Connecticut. The flyer offers the receiver, in this case a colleague in our offices here, the chance to have his name removed from the organization's mailing list-just in case the mail it has been sending has become floccinaucinihilipilijication

Fortunately, the organization supplies the defmition of this word: n. the estimation of

rying about material needs-what we will eat or drink or wear-is valueless. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" he asks. Instead, value comes to our lives when we seek first the agenda of God's kingdom (v. 33),

To be is to

realize that life-the abundant, fulfilling

The Apostle Paul touches on the concept behind this word in Philippians 3, when he describes his impeccable religious pedigree: "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more : circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of something as valueless. So, if their mailings are deemed to be without vale to you, the folks at the institute ask you to tell them that on the attached postage-paid return mailer so they can kindly remove your name from their list.

First, I like this organization, even though the only thing I know about it is that its name is as unwieldy as its vocabulary. But imagine, an organization actually asking if you want to keep receiving their mailings. And paying the return postage to find out. May its tribe increase.

Second, let me say that I also like this word, floccinauc-well, you know the one . Trust me, the word

life for which we yearn in the deepest recesses of our beingcan only be found by willfully living by the

right priority.

isn't in the dictionary. My colleague tells me the fellow who directs this organization, Conrad Teltell, likes to make up two-ton words as a public-speaking gimmick. Well, he's made up a good one here. We need a word in our vocabulary that describes the "estimation of something as valueless" because we have to deal with a lot of valueless stuff in our lives. Personally, being phonetically lazy by nature, I would have made up a smaller word, like bluk, to describe such an process. But that's me.

I can think of a number of things that would achieve floccinaucinihilipilijication in my world. Like junk mail, or at least 99 9 percent of it. Or those paper place mat on the serving trays at a McDonald's Each food item is individually boxed or overwrapped anyway, so who really needs a place mat? And what about television infomercials? Aside from Lorena Bobbit maybe, does anyone really need an hour-long sell job on the amazing attributes of kitchen knives? I don't think so

Teltell's word applies to the spiritual realm as well We have biblical precedence for floccinaucinihilipilijication . Jesus, for example, said in Matthew 6 that wor-

Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless ."

But then Paul quickly adds, starting in the next verse (v. 7): "But whatever was to my profit 1 now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

I'm no Bible scholar, but I have a hunch the original Greek word translated here as "I now consider loss" and "I consider everything a loss" has the same root as our word, floccinaucinihilipilijication. Religious pedi-

grees (and we Mennonites love our pedigrees, don't we?) have been estimated as valuelesscompared to the knowledge of knowing Christ. Chasing after material needs has been deemed by Jesus to be valueless-compared to seeking first the kingdom of God.

Ultimately, the secret to spiritual vitality is little more than committing ourselves to the process of floccinaucinihilipilijication and applying it to every aspect of our lives. Not that nothing in our lives has value in and of itself. But that nothing has value compared to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is comparison shopping we're talking about. To be "saved" is to realize that life-the abundant, fulfilling life for which we yearn in the depths of our being-can only be found by willfully living by the right priority. No other person, place or thing can satisfy us Jesus knew that, ultimately, we are what we choose to pursue: "For where your treasure [value] is, there your heart will be also

1 don't know what you want to do with this new word It ' s too difficult to pronounce, even harder to spell, and certainly too heavy to carry in your pocket.

Maybe it's big enough to fill our hearts.-DR