A Menno Minute

Becoming Mennonite

I’ve often joked that my memoir will be titled Becoming Mennonite: The Emily Summach Story.
I became a member of a Mennonite church for the first time when I was 29. I didn’t grow up in an Anabaptist church, nor am I ethnically Mennonite. When people ask me how I found the Mennonite church, I used to tell them the story of a providential google search and a welcoming little congregation in rural Saskatchewan.

A Bridge Building Network

Did you know that MCA has a Bridge Building Network? 
We have only just begun, and anyone with an interest in Bridge Building can join.

Reflections on the LIVING HOPE Climate Conversation

Thank you to Mennonite Church Alberta and Manitoba for the opportunity to learn and grow in God’s creation and for putting it all together! 

Fast Food Joints and Worship Houses

Yesterday morning I greeted a homeless young man sitting quietly in a corner of our local McDonalds, a greeting which turned out to be a nice conversation.

Created in the Image of God

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (New Living Translation)

Dancing like a Twirling Warthog

“You Christians in the west are thinking your way into heaven, but we Christians in Africa are dancing our way into heaven!”  I don’t know about you, but I hope to do both, in a beautiful harmony of mind and heart. Perhaps we can get ready for this by swaying a little to the music this coming Sunday?

The Spaces Between

“The real "work" of gathering - conversations and more conversations.”

I envision God looking over our gathering, blessing each group of two or three or more. I picture God’s joy for this time where we were living and being the community that God calls us to be.

Kienna Krahn: An RJC Interview

Kienna Krahn is a first-year Grade 11 THRIVE student at RJC. Originally from Calgary, Kienna shared with us some of what she has taken away from moving provinces to complete her high school education.

What are you afraid of?

We’re all afraid of something, right?
Maybe it’s just something small we are not comfortable doing so we avoid it.

A Plot of Potatoes

Growing up on a farm near Pincher Creek, there was one constant which followed me from childhood to the present, a large garden.

Camp Valaqua Celebration Forest

For the past year or so a conversation has been taking place about creating a place at Camp Valaqua which would be available anytime to anyone wishing to spend time in this special place.
 
The concept of a “Celebration Forest” which would hold possibility for memorial benches, a labyrinth containing commemorative stones, and a fully accessible boardwalk is being imagined. An area has been identified and the trail for the boardwalk has been tentatively marked.

Unboxing Boxing Day

I spent Boxing Day unpacking boxes. I moved into my new condo six days before Christmas and was excited to make it home, after living out my suitcase for seven weeks.

Community: A Core Conviction

Community is a core conviction of Anabaptist congregations. Becoming a part of Foothills Mennonite Church this year has drawn me back into a quality of the church that gives me life. I commit to not taking being together for granted because I know what it is to be apart.

The headline read, “So long, 2022, let us hope 2023 will be better."  

As we look back, may we recognize the many ways God has been with us, even as we anticipate God’s presence in the future to come!

It's Christmas!

As I watch my son’s joyful anticipation of Christmas, I find myself reflecting on it was like for those in Israel who were waiting centuries for the Promised One. Generation after generation, the prophecy of a Messiah passed down. Each generation hopeful that this coming would happen in their lifetime, but day after day, year after year and century after century…nothing.

 

Actively Watching

“Do you see what I see?” (… do you see what I see? …)

In Praise of Beauty

We can’t live off flowers. Pretty pictures won’t cover for bad theology. But maybe our churches can benefit from seeing more beauty in our sanctuaries, in our homes, and in our relationships.

What if everyone said “No”?

What if everyone said “no?” How would we as MCA continue? How would our local congregations continue? What would be left of what we call “the church?” 

A Global Youth Summit Experience

It’s easy to forget the vastness of our global church community when we are geographically so removed from one another. And it can be daunting when we are confronted with linguistic, cultural and theological differences. But if there’s one thing I left Indonesia wanting more of, it was time together and more opportunities to learn from my church family.

My YL Experience

Hello! My name is Elijah, and I was fortunate to attend Mennonite Church Canada’s We Declare Gathering 2022 this past summer, which was my very first conference of any sort.

The Fear for God

“God, I know this is kind of rude, but what about ___________???”

Called to Bridge Building

I am honored and humbled to be writing to you as your new Bridge Building Facilitator. We have discerned together that the work of expanding our circle is important work that requires guidance, imagination, and courage to step into new spaces! I invite prayers as we embark on this work in all of our varied Mennonite communities as Mennonites in Alberta!

South Sudanese students sponsored by MCA arrive at the Meserete Kristos Seminary

These two men are a wonderful answer to prayer for the South Sudanese Mennonite Church in Ethiopia (and in Edmonton) who have been trying to find help to disciple their people for many years. And MCA is part of making it happen!

Empty Pockets

But sometimes my pockets come out empty, the only evidence of having been worn will be coffee dripped into a careless lap or mud on the hems from the short walk to and from my office at the lodge. At these times I note that the absence of detritus and wonder what I was thinking as I walked or where my eyes were cast as to not notice the bits of out of place colour on our camp’s grounds.

God Sightings

Fall is a time when I see God Sightings everywhere.

A Message worth Declaring

Our ongoing faith is not dependent on fancy theological explanations, but must be empowered by our stillness in Presence of Almighty God! Here is a message, and it is worth declaring – in many and varied ways by now in many cultures.

How Do We Declare?

The word “evangelist” literally means, “bringer of good news.” We have good news to share. The good news that Jesus brings freedom and joy as we grow into a personal relationship with God, and the good news that Jesus inaugurated God’s reign of peace and justice.

Tears and Tears: Gathering 2022

Tears and tears. As a church, according to one of our speakers, we are an emergent people. We are becoming. We are not a static entity but a wild, free, evolving, organic body. 

I Cannot Wait!

As we all know, when a child is excited about something, there is very little you can do to still their mind (or body). I often forget what it is like to be filled with such eager, childlike anticipation for something, but this year I have been reminded of what that feels like because, I too, have been experiencing those feelings in the lead-up to Gathering 2022.

What is a Story?

What could be a story from our congregation that would be of interest to others?

Random Closing Thoughts and Queries on Intercultural/Interfaith Relationships

How do you seek to see and experience God’s image reflected in your neighbour, at home, at school, in grocery stores, in community gatherings?

The ART of Hope

Poverty is the name we give to this condition. When we think about poverty, we usually think about a lack of money and the things it can buy. But is the goal of reducing poverty simply to make people better consumers? Or is it to envision a different world where all people can flourish? Perhaps such a world is what Jesus envisioned when He spoke of the “kingdom of God”. Seeking that kingdom, He said, is the key to God’s provision.

A Journey of Hope

If we are making adjustments towards living as if in the peaceable kingdom, there is hope of moving in the right direction, even if the steps are small along the way.

Reflecting God's Image

“Im“Imagine a room covered with hundreds of thousands of mirrors on the walls and the ceiling. Everywhere is covered by mirrors. Mirrors in different shapes, mirrors in different sizes, mirrors in different colours. agine a room covered with hundreds of thousands of mirrors on the walls and the ceiling. Everywhere is covered by mirrors. Mirrors in different shapes, mirrors in different sizes, mirrors in different colours."

A Design for Living

My work and commitment is to engage and to adapt, and yet never waver in its principles.  What a beautiful Design for Living!

Connecting Communities: RJC students visit Calgary Chin Christian Church

From May 2-6 RJC students set out on their Alternative Learning & Service Opportunities (ALSO) week. This time of experiential learning is intended for students to practice the lessons of service, community, and peacebuilding that are taught in the classroom out into the world. This year three groups traveled to Oliver, B.C., Saskatoon, SK, and Calgary, AB.

Why Volunteer for MCA?  Why Not?

If you receive a call from one of our Nominating Committee members asking you to consider an MCA volunteer role, ask yourself “why not?”

Spring Work Day

One of my favourite truisms is “Many hands make light work.” 

Buffalo Shout

Truth and Reconciliation -- in action.

Introduction. Check.

With just over a month under my belt as the new Alberta correspondent for the Canadian Mennonite, I would like to introduce myself.

Reflections from the New Guy

What does it look like for people to be enfolded well into the life of our communities? What does it look like to belong?

110 Percent – a Remarkable Birthday

And then, suddenly, silently, a light enters the room.
It’s all around me;
                      Not a harsh light.
It is soft and peaceful and comforting.
         It’s as if God’s arms are all around me.
 
No longer can I holler at you, Lord.
      My raging is gone,
             My heart is calmed.
                    I feel completely at peace.
Without question, I know that God is here with me.

GROUNDHOG DAY OR CANDLEMAS?

Candlemas suggests ultimate hope, brought by a light that cannot be quenched, strengthening our courage in the face of whatever adversity we may encounter ahead of us. The light of Christ’s presence will go with us in all the challenges and joys of life in this world.

Elders Among Us

"Those who Know"... some musings on Elders.

A Little Rectangle of Light

My phone is a little rectangle of light, promising to carry my messages and presence to others, promising to carry their presence to me whenever I wish. The concept is narcissistic magic.

A Culture of Appreciation

We build a culture of appreciation by noticing what happens around us. Work done by worship committees, worship leaders, song leaders, children’s story tellers, decorating committees, health and safety committees, deacons. Work done by our paid leadership and by our lay leadership. A kind word that says “I see you” goes far in giving people the energy to continue. 

To Love Our Neighbours

We can’t ever fully enter the experience of another person, but we can get part of the way. All it takes is a bit of empathy, a bit of curiosity, a bit of openness. And a bit of confidence that we, too, have something worth sharing from where we stand.

Hope:  What a beautiful thing to observe!

... I think of the variety of ways that people are immersing themselves in and reflecting one of the core aspects of God’s nature: hope. What a beautiful thing to observe!

Songs of Joy and Resistance

In our narrations and celebrations of Christmas we often gloss over or ignore the looming reality of despair.  Christmas cheer tries to just ignore despair; joy actively fights back against it.

imagining god's embrace

...for if it is our wish to experience the fullness of god’s embrace, we might practice turning from the things that hold us in their embrace … and learn to embrace god … fully.

a little more peace

An interview with Darrel Heidebrecht, author of a little more peace in the world: Reflections on my Experience with Restorative Justice

Be It Resolved

As the Be It Resolved Challenge continues throughout the winter we and others continue to ask:

Are we ready to hear what Indigenous peoples require of us? Are we, as individuals and as the Mennonite Church, fully ready to hear the Truth and take action (not just pass formal resolutions) on Reconciliation?

And this is your family…

Have you ever been introduced to a distant relative for the first time – maybe you didn’t even know they existed – and yet you immediately felt a connection with them?  After all, they are family!  Well, as part of a global Anabaptist family, we have family members all around the world, most of whom we have never met.  Yet we have deep bonds that connect us, deeper than our last name, cultural foods or language. 

God is closer to us than water is to a fish

...for the entire time, it felt like I was totally immersed in water. All was calmness – around me, in me, and through me.  

Letting Go and Holding On

Letting go of the familiar can be hard. Taking time to process and to incorporate people's concerns can help.

 

Embodying Christ as Community

The image of being a body together also affirms a sense of unity and togetherness that is found through our calling in Christ. It highlights the sense of cooperation, of working together as a team, of valuing the different pieces that together make up the whole.

International Witness Support Networks: A Pastoral Reflection

International Witness Sunday reminds us that ours is a global church and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the work God is doing around the world.

Kindness and Gentleness

We are God’s Church after all, so where or how do we manifest the fruits of Kindness and Gentleness in this moment in time?  Isn’t that the million dollar question?

Meet Steven -- our Church Engagement Minister

Whatever your God-given giftings and/or passions are, there is a place for you in the body that only you can fill. It is my goal to work to connect those pieces.

My journey with the Israel-Palestine Issue

I think I assumed that he was a convert from Islam. I assumed that all Palestinians were Muslims. That was how the media presented Palestinians. It wasn’t until I went on a learning tour with MCC in 2016 that I finally realized that Palestinian Christians are the heirs of the early church.

Busy Bees

In this exhausting cultural moment, it has seemed to me that we desperately need to hear from and to hear about a God who forgives our sin and stupidity, who loves us in spite of our weary cluelessness, who speaks kindness to all of our sadness and resignation, who offers grace in the midst of all our uncertainty and inadequacy.

Quiet

The sound of your kids enjoying this place has been music to my camp-starved ears, but today I am relishing the quiet.

Bridges in an Age of Division

I pray that we may continue to build bridges in response to God’s vision for the world and experience the deep blessings that come!

Apologies and Forgiveness?

Since the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school we have heard the repeated call for an apology from the Roman Catholic Church.

Our Villages: Varied and Valuable

Reach out to that person you think is doing so well and check in on them, they might not be doing as well as you think they are. We are people who crave connection – make your connections count.

Expanded Belonging

I raised my fist in the air in jubilation and briefly celebrated … before a moment of self reflection took over. I was happy for Andre De Grasse, but I started reflecting on why on earth I felt so connected to him; why it almost felt like when he won, I also won. It is this strange connection I unconsciously sense with all these athletes that wear a uniform with “Canada” written across it, and a kind of disconnection with anyone from another country.

A Million Resources or, the Right One?

We often say that Google can provide a million resources, but CommonWord can provide the right one.  

Accept the Invitation. Show up.

My Mennonite identity – shaped by my faith in God as revealed through Jesus – can create an opening for authentic relationship-building with people whose identity and privilege might differ from my own.

Moral Foundations, Identity and Gifts

A question: “Can we maintain our identity and welcome the gifts of others?” 

A reflection following King's College, Edmonton's Interdisciplinary Studies conference. 

An Encounter, Embrace, and Embodiment of Christ in Community

As the MCA faith family we are halfway through Year 2 of our 3 Year Action Plan, “Encountering, Embracing, Embodying Christ…in Community”. The past 16 months of health restrictions have forced us to look for different ways to connect with each other and be the community God calls us to be. I am grateful for the many ways God brings people together even during a pandemic, whether within our faith family or beyond.
 

Connecting while Distanced

Isn’t it wonderful that God can bring us together even when other circumstances are pulling us apart? I thank God that we can encounter, embrace and embody Christ in Community, even without gathering face to face.

Forgiveness in Frustration

A plea for forgiveness reaches across all time and space and applies to every human for all eternity.

On Perspective

Reading Acts leads readers to a place of perspective when facing changes in our society today.

Stuff I Say

A few weeks ago I was invited to speak at Bergthal Mennonite Church. As I was preparing, I started wondering about my “themes” and if I’m prone to saying the same things over and over again.

 

Young Children and Worship

Last fall, there was such an emptiness.  The joyful weekly connection of young children and loving adults, talking, touching, singing, laughing, praying and exploring Bible stories together was gone.  Our Sunday morning experience had disappeared.  How would we stay connected?  A new idea started percolating and I began recording Bible stories and sharing them with the whole congregation through our weekly community connection email.

My 3 Ps

“To pray, does not mean to listen to oneself speaking. Prayer involves becoming silent and being silent and waiting until God is heard” – Soren Kierkegaard.

I know not why... #338

But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day. 

My Story

I thank the people in the church, the Canadian government and its people for allowing us to be in Canada, but my heart is still with my people in South Sudan and I think of them all the time.

A Revisiting of Vision and Purpose

At times the process of reviewing of MCA’s Constitution and Bylaws may have felt more like sifting through grains of sand than thinking through important aspects of what it means to be the church. And yet documents like these name important aspects of who we are and what we aspire to be.

Building a Vision of Hope

Many of us tend to internalize the idea that building a vision of hope for the future can only be uncovered by looking forward, willing ourselves not only to learn more, but to learn faster, convinced that we must find ourselves on the forefront of some field or industry where we will then, finally, have the capacity to “make a difference.”

The Spice in Spicy

As I look back, my memory is filled with faces, names and occasions. Above all else, I see smiles. Contagious smiles.

The Yeast. The Bread.

May we see Christ in everyone we feed and in all those who join us at the table.

They who Wait upon the Lord

Biblical prophet Isaiah promises that they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; God is just, and longs to be gracious and show compassion to His creation - Blessed are those who wait for Him! King David waited for God, who with unfailing love redeemed him from sin, set his feet upon a rock, and put a new song of praise in his mouth.

Sometimes a Selfie is a Must

...my camera clicked automatically to my voice-activated call to “Smile”.

“Did I get a good picture? Let’s see.” 

Who are My People?

Who are my people? Who are your people?  Perhaps a healthy starting point for respectful relationships!

Pain and Potential

“All that kills abundant living, let it from the earth be banned: pride of status, race or schooling, dogmas that obscure Your plan. In our common quest for justice may we hallow life’s brief span.”  from the hymn, For the Healing of the Nations

The Challenges of Congregational Leadership

This has obviously been a year of challenge for our congregation. At the same time, we have experimented often and discovered much. 

A prayer for the New Year

God who makes all things new,

help us to embrace the new.

Open our eyes to a future that will look different than the past.

May we grow through and be changed by these strange times.

Restoration

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and release to the prisoners;
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. --Isaiah 61: 1-2a

Celebrations

I believe that while they may look different, our Advent and Christmas celebrations will be filled with meaning and we prepare to welcome the Christ child, who comes bearing hope, peace, joy, and love.

More Questions than Answers

Advent is all about waiting for the revelation of God’s mystery. It’s hard to wait for the Messiah; for Jesus to be born. As children it was difficult to wait until Christmas to find out what gifts we might get under the tree. But now life is difficult as we wait for other things.

A Food Truck Story

A couple of years ago, our Church Council did some brainstorming around how to begin reaching out to our neighbours.

(And so the story begins.)

An Urgent Reality

Armed with the story of our God, we can make it through this bleak Advent time and have full faith that, as our premier said, “the end of this terrible time is in sight.”

Caring Connections

The church, though structured, is made up of relationships, ours with God and with each other. To keep the church healthy and thriving, our attention to interpersonal relationships is vital. Without good connections to each other, we do not have church.

The Gift of Covid -- Do not fear...

Although Covid is a nasty bug and has devastated us in so many ways – it has also brought us gifts that we would otherwise not have.

“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.”

- Matthew 12: 48-50 CEB

A Communications Update

Most of my work thus far, seems like disseminating information one direction — from MCA and MC Canada to you. Sending out information to those who subscribe to the MCA Communiqué and those who read their church’s bulletins — whether in paper or email form.  I gather information from various people and pass it on. That said, understanding communication as passing on information isn’t the intention of MCA Communications.

Introducing Our Stories

What are our stories as congregations and as individuals within congregations?

Who tells our stories? How are they told? How do our stories inspire and shape us?  What is the purpose of stories? How can we learn from each other’s stories?

God's License

The story of Bavak, his driver's license and "just a bit more freedom in this new country which he claims is a wonderful place, given the troubled South Sudan where he has come from."

Camp Valaqua: A Place to Belong

The jubilant return of children and youth to Valaqua is something worth celebrating and, when that time comes again, we will! 

An October 31st Invitation to Dialogue with Muslims

Commonalities and connections are often experienced  at informal and formal Interfaith Dialogues. 

The Leatherman Church

We are a “multi” church that, like a Leatherman, has more individual facets and creative uses than you might ever discover.

If there is one thing I love about summer vacation it is the way it opens up space.

Reflections from our Canadian Mennonite Rep

Words, stories, and ideas. 

The Practice of Writing

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to write—certainly long before I would have considered it anything like a “spiritual discipline.”

Seeing God at Work in MCA, in our Congregations, in Ourselves

A reflection -- albeit within a conversation.

Holy Ground

Take, take off your shoes.  You’re standing on my holy ground.

This is Me

By Ruth Bergen Braun

A new MCA Communications Coordinator!

 

 

Building bridges in Burkina Faso

A Menno Minute

by Donna Entz

God brought Siaka Traore of Burkina Faso into our lives in 1979.  In spite of opposition from every direction possible, he has always been consistent in responding as Jesus would. 

Let's get JAZZED!

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens

Giving to “where needed,” on the other hand, is not as exciting. So to give it a boost, let’s jazz it up!

One year in

A Menno Minute

by Craig Neufeld

One of the biggest changes for a Pastor in moving to a new congregation, and a new province, is re-establishing a support network. 

Assembly 2020 Reflection

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens

I clicked on the Zoom “join with video” button and was met by the familiar faces of Executive and staff members. Within seconds the doorbell was dinging and new faces were popping up on everyone’s computer screens.

My Time on Human Resources at MCA

A Menno Minute

by Michael Ediger

I have just completed two terms on the Personnel Committee at Mennonite Church Alberta, and Goodness, how quickly the time has gone by!

When to speak, what to say: a Lenten reflection

A Menno Minute

by Doug Klassen, Executive Minister Mennonite Church Canada

Last weekend’s news regarding L'Arche founder Jean Vanier’s sexual abuse of at least six women had me feeling deeply grieved and angry.

What do you want?

A Menno Minute

by Donna Dinsmore, Intentional Transitional Pastor at Foothills MC

“What do you want?” The tone says it all.

If you're not cheating, you're not trying

A Menno Minute

by Will Loewen, Pastor Trinity Mennonite Church

In 1919, eight baseball players were banned from the major leagues for life because they took bribe money to lose a baseball game on purpose.

People LIke You

A Menno Minute

by Brenda Tiessen-Wiens, Moderator for MCA

One of the common phrases I read in thank-you cards and letters is “people like you.”

Safety and Challenge

A Menno Minute

by Jon Olfert, Director, Camp Valaqua

The clanging sound of a bell being struck and the echo of voices cheering in support drift to me through the forest.  Someone has just mastered a face of the climbing wall and I smile to myself, music to my ears.

Christian-Muslim Dialogue

A Menno Minute

by Donna Entz, Director of North Edmonton Ministry

It is so easy to make assumptions about others. The Muslim-Christian Dialogue forces each of us to realize that we are constantly making assumptions about those not quite like us.

A Closing Conversation

This week’s Menno Minute features a video dialogue  between Donna Entz and Suzanne Gross.

Suzanne interviews Donna about how she understands the Holy Spirit-led seeds that she has been able to plant through her ten years of work in Edmonton, on behalf of Mennonite Church Alberta, and how our Mennonite tradition and community is so very poised to continue this work.

Donna then asks Suzanne what has shaped and inspired her to accept the invitation to be Transition Lead as Donna winds down her work with North Edmonton Ministries.