Scattered throughout the letters of Paul are references to a collection he initiated for distressed believers in Jerusalem. In 2 Corinthians 8–9 Paul appeals to the Corinthians and other Gentile churches to respond to the material needs of their fellow believers in Jerusalem …
The article “Wounds of War” by Carolyn Holderread Heggen called on Mennonite congregations to “welcome combat veterans … suffering terrors of the soul.” We received little response to this call, and I have been curious whether any congregations are focusing in new ways on this national shame …
Do you imagine God with a clenched hand or an open hand? Is the God you worship a giver or a taker? …
The election of Barack Obama, now the first African-American president of the United States, marks many firsts, many changes in our nation’s history. But one change perhaps overlooked is the expanded use of the Internet and social media to reach a greater number of people than previously, particularly younger voters …
As the population continues to rise, people ask, How does God want me to care for children? This does not imply that God wants all people to be parents or schoolteachers but draws upon the biblical model of adoption and care for orphans …
Carol could never catch up financially. Before she could pay for rent, food and child care, her purse was empty. As we became friends, I often found her staring into an empty refrigerator and crying over her broken marriage. Although she was a teacher, she didn’t manage money well and was too devastated by her divorce to care …
Tears flow freely this week. Fatback died a few days ago. Liver failure. Caroline gathers us into a circle around the plastic folding table. Hand in hand—some more filthy than others …
