1. Beloved journalist dies in accident
Laurie Oswald Robinson, 64, a Mennonite/Catholic journalist who wrote and edited for Mennonite publications and church agencies for 26 years, died April 8 in a hit-and-run crash in Newton, Kan. “Laurie was a passionate journalist who excelled at stories of all kinds, especially personal profiles,” said Paul Schrag, AW editor. “Her impact on the national church as a storyteller and reporter was immense. Her intense faith, enthusiasm and kindness touched countless lives.”
2. Why I got arrested in Washington
David Cramer reflects on why he got arrested for protesting the war in Gaza: “At a local Mennonite action in December, Anna had shared about the suffering of her friends in Palestine. Here before me was a Mennonite sibling asking for her pain to be acknowledged. How could I keep from acting? I participated to weep with Mennonite siblings who weep for Gaza. What I discovered was this: The Spirit binds us together when together we are bound — in zip ties and in love.”
3. Girl Named Tom staying true to selves: Three sibling musicians navigate success while Grandma keeps things in perspective
We can sell out a theater one night, but the next morning I’ll get on my phone and look at our streaming numbers and realize our Instagram likes have been dipping, and I’ll get all in my head and depressed. So one thing that we’ve all three done is call our grandma or our mom. But it’s funnier when we call grandma because when you think of one of these little situations we’re all obsessing over and sad about on Instagram and try to tell grandma, she’s got no time for that. Like, “come on, that’s not a real thing to be worried about.” So being able to see our lives from the perspective of a 98-year-old has helped keep everything where it belongs.
4. Former MCC workers allege abuses
Seven former Mennonite Central Committee workers released an open letter June 11 alleging a pattern of workplace abuse and termination practices that disregard health and well-being. An online petition calling for greater transparency from MCC was signed by 642 people as of June 20.
5. Goshen College fires music professor
On Feb. 12, Goshen College terminated the employment of Richard Brunson, former associate professor of music and director of the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra. He had been on administrative leave for six days.
6. God did not save Donald Trump
Shane Claiborne reflects: “I’m glad Donald Trump is alive, and I’m quite confident God is, too. But my understanding of Christian theology makes me certain that God did not save the former president from assassination.”
7. Mosaic Conference board proposes withdrawal, partnership with MC USA
Mosaic’s Conference Board on Aug. 19 affirmed a proposal by Mosaic’s Pathways Steering Team, which began a process in 2022 to clarify the conference’s priorities and its relationship with MC USA and other Anabaptist communities.
8. Another election courts Amish voters
For three federal elections in a row, conservative political groups have courted the Amish vote in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Amish in Pennsylvania may have voted in slightly greater numbers this year but did not play a significant role in the election of Donald Trump, who won the state by more than 150,000 votes.
Honorable Mentions: Top three articles read in 2024 that were not written in 2024, including ones in Spanish
1. Where are marriage ceremonies in the Bible?
Although lots of people are married in the Bible, there are no descriptions of any ceremonies. Adam and Eve are “married” simply by the fact that they are made for each other and they procreate.
Gospel is a word adopted worldwide by all Christians, and its use comes mainly because in the Bible we have “the gospels.” But what is the origin of that word? Did the disciples or Jesus invent it? Did it already exist? We will try to explore that in this article.
3. ¿Qué dice realmente la Biblia sobre la lepra y qué es el estigma en el siglo XXI?
On January 30, the campaign called “World Leprosy Day” was carried out. Perhaps many have never heard of this day, or perhaps they did not pay importance to it. Perhaps many think that the disease of leprosy was from the time of the Bible. And maybe if you think this, you are possibly wrong.
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