I sat in church, enveloped in my sadness. Pam, our only daughter, our beloved daughter, was, by all apparent signs, dying from cancer. Why had this cruel illness chosen her? …
To look at the past is to discover the future. In reflection, the way for today unfolds. The life of Howard Raid, ordained Mennonite minister, college professor and president, builder of numerous Mennonite organizations, businessman, church and community leader and Mennonite historian, provides a reference point for us in these uncertain times …
“Shalom!” I can still hear this customary greeting from Raymond Charles, once my overseer. He nearly always began his sermons with this word of greeting, beckoning his hearers to respond with a hearty “Shalom!” …
The church today is made up of many traditions. It always has been. We can lament or celebrate that diversity, but we have to acknowledge it, despite the temptation to think our little group (and Mennonites are miniscule in the whole scheme of things) is the true church …
Most of us can easily conjure up a memory of disgrace: an embarrassing moment, a stressful event, a painful conversation. We might have felt that disgrace in the pit of our stomach or the clench of our jaw or the ache in our head …