 Congregations : Writings | View All Writings |
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Date | Author |
| Naming the Pain | 3/30/2012 | by Carolyn Holderread Heggen |
- Throughout history, different names have been used to describe the effects of the emotional and spiritual pain people who have been asked to kill experience. The name has changed but when you go back and read some of the old medical journals and diaries of medical people you realize they are talking about the same thing. Way back in the 1600's Swiss soldiers were said to have nostalgia. During the US Civil War, writers called it "the staggers" or "irritable heart," some interesting names. The terminology of WWI it was Shell Shock, and then in WWII it was Combat Neurosis and Battle Fatigue. And like I said, for the Veterans of the Vietnam War, the term was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Some of us, for years have been calling that Post Traumatic Soul Disorder. And it's interesting that although the Psalmist doesn't use scientific, psychological language, it's rather startling how similar the feelings he describes are to what Vets have been saying, and for a number of years saying. Listen again to what the Psalmists says "There is no heath in my body, my guilt has overwhelmed me, my wounds fester, I am bowed down and look very low. All day long I go about mourning. My heart pounds. My friends and neighbors stay away from me. My strength fails me. The light has gone out of my eyes. I am troubled by my sin."
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| Peacemakers on a journey | 3/30/2012 | by Joanna Shenk |
- The stories in recently published Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship illustrate that we can't be peacemakers on our own. We are called to make peace in community-with ourselves, each other, and our neighbors. Each of the nineteen chapters is authored by a different individual who reflects on their journey of discipleship, shaped by the Anabaptist tradition. With humility and joy, these authors reflect on their stories of formation in community as they seek to embody shalom in a broken world.
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| Women: the key to food security | 3/30/2012 | by Patricia Kisare |
- Women produce more than half of the world's food, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. In most developing countries, rural women produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food and are the main producers of the world's staple crops such as corn, wheat and rice. Although these facts have been common knowledge for a long time, women's role as key contributors to global food security is only now being recognized by policymakers and development experts. This is critical because agriculture can contribute immensely to global economic growth and development. How women farmers fare in the food production chain is a significant component in the fight against hunger.
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| The healing power of community | 3/30/2012 | by Brother James Dowd |
- It has been amazing to me during this nearly three month illness how central to my healing the Christian community that surrounds me has been. First, my monastic brothers who have cared for me in various ways day in and day out. My family , friends, those who minister to me and those I minister to, have given so much of their time and energy to assist in that care and in those visits to me. Again, never having been sick for a long period of time, I was stunned how much a card, or an email, a phone call or visit could mean to me from people near and far. Not because those cards and emails and visits meant so much in and of themselves, but because they represent an individual's and an entire community's prayer and love that lifted me, the one who needed caring for, up to God.
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| Broken pieces | 3/30/2012 | by Keith Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Recently I have become aware of conversations within some Mennonite circles about reaching out to wounded soldiers returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I wish to wholeheartedly affirm this idea and strongly encourage us to move from conversation to action. In particular, I would invite Anabaptist and other Peace churches around military installations to reach out to these communities as a way to help heal the wounds and wounded of war. While it is difficult to get a firm tally of those wounded in the "War on Terrorism," namely because the Pentagon is reluctant to acknowledge certain casualties (see "the invisible wounded"), the number of those sick, injured or disabled is in the tens of thousands. There is much we can do as a people of compassion and peace.
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| Spiritual wounds | 3/30/2012 | by Jason Boone |
- In February, I attended the "Healing the Spiritual Wounds of War" conference at AMBS. Carolyn Holderread Heggen expertly illustrated and explained the spiritual wounds returning veterans carry. Spiritual wounds encompass post-traumatic stress disorder but go deeper, touching the souls of those who have committed or been witness to acts of violence which go against the moral foundations of humanity. The atrocities inherent in war are well-known, but only recently has the spiritual devastation done to the soldiers who participate in war been recognized.There is hope for these returning veterans with spiritual wounds and it lies not in Veterans Administration hospitals, mental health professionals or pharmaceuticals, although some of these might have a place in helping veterans return to wholeness. The hope for healing spiritual wounds is found ultimately in God's healing love. Communities of Christian faith offer the setting for returning veterans to come to terms with these wounds and be restored spiritually.
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| May God bless your hand | 3/30/2012 | by J. Ron Byler |
- I sat in the quiet of St. Anne's Basilica in the old city of Jerusalem and remembered the story about Jesus in John 5. It was here, outside by the pools of Bethesda, that Jesus healed the paralyzed man."Do you want to be made well?" Jesus asked the man. The man was incredulous. Of course, he wanted to be made well. He'd been waiting by the side of the pool for years, but no one had been willing to help him in.
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| The power of praxis | 3/30/2012 | by Tom Beutel |
- My natural bent is to be practical. While I enjoy theory and find real satisfaction in planning, designing, and imagining, ultimately I try to find ways to get something done. My undergraduate education was in engineering and I have an engineer's practical outlook, always looking to fix a broken piece of furniture, toy or appliance, rather than scrapping it, often finding a unique way to replace an "irreplacable" broken part. The warning label "No user serviceable parts" holds no meaning for me. It may be true that something can't be repaired, but I'm always inclined to give it a try.
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| Not my inheritance | 2/27/2012 | by Keith Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Imagine my joy when my library informed me that Inheritance, the final book in The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, was available for me to check out. I quickly downloaded and transferred the audio book to my mp3 player and put in the earbuds.Man, was I disappointed.
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| Giving up Empire for Lent | 2/27/2012 | by Berry Friesen |
- Will Mennonite congregations use Lent to witness against the emerging consensus? I have my doubts. Our congregations find it easier to oppose war than to oppose the lies and deceptions that lay the foundation for war. While both require courage, opposition to war is easier because it can be articulated in socially acceptable ways: the teaching of Jesus to love our enemies, our church's traditional refusal to support war, the cycle of violence that war unleashes, etc.
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| For the sake of humanity | 2/27/2012 | by Tammy Alexander |
- I had the opportunity recently to visit Nogales, Mexico, just over the border from Nogales, Arizona. One of the places I visited was a bus station not far from the border. It was a place of waiting. Several people, mostly men, sat in detached bus seats in a large square shelter. Most had been deported through the port of Nogales in the past few days.There was nothing to do but wait. They had been dropped off at the border with little more than the clothes on their backs. Some had spent years in the U.S. and had left families behind. Others had left family in Mexico or Central America and were apprehended trying to cross the border heading north into the U.S.
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| Sustainability and simple living | 2/27/2012 | by Tom Beutel |
- The idea of simple living encompasses a broad spectrum of behaviors and lifestyles. According to Wikipedia, simple living "may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency." Eco-friendly living, organic gardening, walking or bicycling rather than driving, cooking from scratch, and preserving fruits and vegetables are examples of simple living practices.Simple living seems to be a peace practice since it focuses on minimizing our impact on the earth's resources and on our neighbor, and on reducing our preoccupation with over-consumption and accumulation of material possessions. There is a saying that we should "live simply so that others may simply live." It is difficult to argue with such an obviously "good" idea.
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| Extending God's love in Israel-Palestine | 2/27/2012 | by J. Ron Byler |
- I sat in the quiet of St. Anne's Basilica in the old city of Jerusalem and remembered the story about Jesus in John 5. It was here, outside by the pools of Bethesda, that Jesus healed the paralyzed man."Do you want to be made well?" Jesus asked the man. The man was incredulous. Of course, he wanted to be made well. He'd been waiting by the side of the pool for years, but no one had been willing to help him in.
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| Politics and Prayer | 1/30/2012 | by Tom Beutel |
- It may not always be obvious, but this column is presented under the title of "Balancing Acts." There are, I believe, several ways to look at this idea of "balancing" our faith and faith practices (in itself a balancing act type of statement!). The idea as originally conceived was to show that it is important that we work out our faith in practical ways, while yet remembering, nurturing, and utilizing the spiritual source of our faith. Ours is not simply a mystical/spiritual faith, disembodied from practical, "everyday" life issues, nor is it simply good works divorced from our recognition of and dependence on God.On the other hand we need to be a little careful with this idea of "balancing." We can be a bit to pre-occupied with whether or not we are balanced enough or what we need to do to be more balanced. I believe that balancing will to some degree take care of itself if we are earnestly seeking God's direction, listening for His guidance, and following where He leads.
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| Joseph in Egypt: A parable for Mennonites in the empire | 1/30/2012 | by Berry Friesen |
- The story of Joseph takes up more of Genesis than any other story. His suffering as a youth, the accomplishments of his maturity, and the foresight of his last words are described in considerable detail. Obviously, the author of Genesis considered his story worthy of sustained attention.On recent Sundays, as our Sunday school classes discussed Joseph's story yet again, it spoke most clearly to me as a parable for European Mennonites.
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| Let God be God | 1/30/2012 | by Max Ediger |
- "I'm an oppressor!" With those few words Kim Houn began his final reflective essay at the end of the School of Peace (SOP) 2007. The SOP is a major program of the Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF) based in Asia that brings together 20 young people from around Asia for a 14-week living/learning experience. The young people come from different faiths, ethnicities, cultures and languages and during the 14 weeks, they live together, eat together, dialogue together and argue together in a process designed to help them learn how to celebrate diversity rather than fear it. Kim Houn then explained why he saw himself as an oppressor. "As a Christian, I put God in a box and controlled the way God was supposed to relate to Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. I didn't want God to love them or to accept them unless they changed to be like me. When I go back to my home country, I am going to open the box and let God be God. And then I am going to follow God instead of trying to lead God."
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| Mennos swimming in a media sea | 1/30/2012 | by Keith Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Technology can bring about positive change. For modern day examples, one need only look so far as the so-called Arab Spring as well as other similar movements to see the impact that social media in particular can play in uniting people to bring about a more just and equal society. So I am not advocating that we throw our cell phones out the window (though I did write a song with that title a few years ago). But we need to be as intentional in our relationship to technology as with any other area of our life. Our faith should inform our relationship to media, not the other way around. In other words, my decisions regarding what technology I possess and how I use it should be driven by my Anabaptist values.
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| A king is not saved by his great army | 1/30/2012 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- In 2 Kings 6:8-23, the king of Syria sends "horses and chariots and a great army" to surround the city where the prophet Elisha is staying. Elisha's servant is dismayed by the show of military might. Elisha tells him, "Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them." Elisha prays that God will open the servant's eyes, and he sees "the chariots of fire all around Elisha."As Christians we must never allow ourselves to see displays of military might as the world's "real" power. We must remember that God is the one who saves us. Furthermore, God calls us to work for equitable and just relationships, which lay the groundwork for security and peace.
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| Christmas, the Beatles, and Mother Teresa (Christmas is all about love) | 12/29/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- Patrick Nafziger, co-pastor at Millersburg Mennonite Church, has ability to juxtapose seemingly unrelated things. He sees relationships and links that are not at first obvious and finds special meaning in coupling seemingly disconnected people, ideas, or thoughts.
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| In a world of turmoil, a light appears | 12/29/2011 | by Jesse Epp-Fransen |
- The time of Christ was one of much tribulation. In 63 BCE the Roman General Pompey captured Jerusalem and subjected the Israelites to imperial rule. In 66 CE Israel would rise up against Rome only to be defeated and in 70 CE the second Temple was destroyed.
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| Kadin's dream | 12/29/2011 | by Kadin Haake |
- I´m Kadin. I´m a 9 year old boy in 4th grade. I´m a unusual boy that doesn´t take any concern in sports yet I´m very concerned in war.
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| And so this is Christmas | 12/29/2011 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Back in June, I wrote all of you that I needed to take a sabbatical from writing this column because of two new positions I had been appointed to in the monastery.
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| A clear, well-marked sign | 12/29/2011 | by Jason Boone |
- I haven't participated in the Occupy movement. That doesn't mean I'm anti-Occupy, it's just I haven't sensed God leading me in that direction.
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| Make me an instrument of your peace (St. Francis of Assisi) | 7/27/2011 | by J. Ron Byler |
- Santa Barbara, California is the 17th highest on a list of hundreds of municipalities across the country for deporting non-criminals. Why would this be the case for a picturesque tourist town on the California coast? One of the supporting reasons almost certainly is because Santa Barbara participates in the federal program, Secure Communities, administered by the U.S. Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).ICE requires state and local law enforcement agencies in participating communities to automatically forward the fingerprints of all the people they arrest, whether or not the people arrested are guilty, or even in the country legally.
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| Choices we make, legacies we leave | 7/27/2011 | by Christina Warner |
- Isaiah 58 offers a view of two fasts. One, in sackcloth and quarreling, stands in stark opposition to a fast described in verse 7 as pleasing to God: � to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?Watching federal budget conversations can be like watching these verses play out before my eyes. Many in Congress would have us believe that stripping assistance to low-income families is absolutely necessary for a healthy economy while large portions of the country's resources are protected for defense and expensive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
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| Let us listen to each other | 7/27/2011 | by Max Ediger |
- Several months back a young Vietnamese friend joined me on a Saturday evening stroll around Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake. A recent graduate from the Faculty of Law, he is always keen to practice his English and loves getting into serious discussions on politics, religion and social issues. His dream is to join the Communist Party in the future so that he can work within the system to make improvements for his people. Our discussions are always interesting and I am constantly amazed at his provocative questions and keen interest in just about any topic.
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| Emmanuel | 7/27/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- With all due respect to Michael W. Smith, his many fans, and the multitudes who love his popular Christian song, "Our God is an Awesome God," I would like to suggest an alternative set of lyrics that focus more on the life and work of His Son, Jesus Christ, rather than on the judgment and wrath of God. I do so not to contradict or diminish the truths in the popular song, but rather to extend them to include aspects that are of core importance to Christians--that Jesus, the Son of God is the Messiah, the One who heals and delivers. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
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| Countering a powerful voice | 7/27/2011 | by Tim Huber |
- When reading the news, I'm occasionally reminded of an American soldier I met about four years ago. At the time, he was AWOL--absent without leave--and drinking 10 to 12 bottles of wine a night just to fall asleep. In post-traumatic stress disorder circles, this is known as "self-medication."He had been to Iraq, Bi'aj and Ramadi specifically, and he had seen some bad things. He had done some bad things. He had seen parents killed in front of their children, animals mutilated purely for the fun of it. He'd felt lucky to forget some of the worst atrocities, until they were resurrected in his dreams.
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| The bizarro after-Easter celebration | 6/16/2011 | by Mark Schloneger |
- Not long ago, Christians around the world celebrated Easter. In the name of Jesus, we gave greetings of life. In the name of Jesus, we decorated the cross with life. In the name of Jesus, we sang anthems of life, we preached about life, we prayed for life, we marched outside with life, we praised the God of life, we proclaimed life: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!The one who was dead is now alive, that was our message on Easter Sunday and that is our message every Sunday. In a world captivated with death, we proclaim the good news of life. As Christians, we believe that Jesus shared in our humanity in order to destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil--and to free those who are held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)I couldn't help but think of our Easter Sunday celebration when I witnessed the celebration that began the very next Sunday. This celebration continues today. It's the opposite of Easter--it's Bizarro Easter. It's a celebration of death, not life, and it carries its own message: Our enemy is dead! He is dead indeed!
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| Security in people, not prisons | 6/16/2011 | by Christina Warner |
- For many in the United States, the criminal justice system is a quiet reality. Police or court officials may be present in a community but interactions are periodic, and often in passing.For some communities however, such as communities of color and communities in poverty, the criminal justice system is a daily reality.
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| Many ways to peace | 6/16/2011 | by Brother James Dowd |
- In the past few months, change has been brewing here at the monastery, with some of it already put into place and the rest of it about to take effect on the feast of Pentecost which falls, this year, on June 12th. Change, though sometimes frightening, can be good, even very good, but it is always something that has to be worked through. For me, that change has significant consequences as I have been appointed to two new positions, both of which require a considerable amount of work.
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| Cell phones and shalom | 6/16/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- Seven years ago when our son moved to the Seattle area after graduating from college, we got a cell phone to make it easier and cheaper to keep in touch. By having phones with the same company we could call each other for free which was important during the transition from having our son live at or near home and being 2500 miles away. The phone served its intended purpose, albeit barely as reception in our area was very poor. After the first year the phone was more of a nuisance than a help and we canceled the plan.
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| The challenge of becoming a living peace church | 6/16/2011 | by Andre Gingerich Stoner |
- Since 1935, Mennonites, Quakers and the Church of the Brethren have been referred to as Historic Peace Churches. In 1985, the United Church of Christ began to identify itself as a Just Peace Church. Last month, in a statement to churches marking the end of the Decade to Overcome Violence, the World Council of Churches affirmed that "By its calling and vocation the Christian church is to be a peace church."So what does it mean to be a peace church? And how are we doing in our desire and our calling to be peace church? This was a question posed last year by the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) to all its member churches.
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| Small things are special | 5/19/2011 | by Max Ediger |
- Quang Ngai, in Central Vietnam, was not always an easy place to live. It was not just the stress of the war that kept me on edge, but sometimes the weather depressed me as well. During the cold, rainy season the sun seemed to disappear for weeks on end. Everything became wet from the misty rain that fell all day long and the extremely high humidity.It was during one of those rainy times that I drove my small Honda motorcycle through the countryside, delivering scholarships to poor students. On this day there was no misty rain. Instead it fell in sheets across the rice fields, flooding the roads in many places and finding every possible hole in my rain poncho, soaking me and my colleague until we were shivering with cold.
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| Praying for peace, paying for war | 5/19/2011 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Around Tax Day this year, I received a copy of a letter that had been sent to the IRS. It was from a Mennonite couple in Kansas and read, in part: Our religious practice calls for abstention from great harm to others, not only those with whom we are in agreement but particularly those who might be "enemies" or who have harmed us. Just as we would abstain from personal involvement in the taking of life, under constraint of conscience we cannot volunteer financial support or other resources for actions specifically directed toward killing.Each year some Mennonites and other people of conscience re-direct part of their tax dollars away from military spending and toward more life-giving purposes.
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| Making sense of our household's budget | 5/19/2011 | by Tim Huber |
- Since the last federal U.S. election, much of the debate in Washington has focused on the federal budget. This makes sense, due to the economic recession, unemployment concerns, and the recent influx of fiscally conscious Tea Party politicians.In fact, when I visited my senators and representative in the Capitol back in February, it was difficult to engage them in anything other than budget trimming discussions. (I tried to compensate, but my attempt to cast the wall along the Mexican border as an unnecessary expense didn't go so well with my congressional representation.) So the budget is a big deal.
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| Killing Osama Bin Laden | 5/19/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- The first thought I had on reading the headlines the morning of May 3 was that while the reaction of many throughout the world and in the United States was understandable and predictable, it was, nonetheless, wrong.
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| The lure of the new: a real-life struggle with living the value of simplicity | 5/19/2011 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- Several weeks ago the touchscreen on my fancy-pants cell phone suddenly stopped working. Panic-stricken, I rushed to the nearest wireless service provider before going to work. How could I survive the day disconnected? What if my husband needed me? What if there was an emergency? What if the car broke down? What if�?
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| Earth Day and Good Friday | 4/19/2011 | by Tammy Alexander |
- This year, Earth Day and Good Friday share the same day. Sadly, the parallelism seems appropriate. On the day we mark the crucifixion of Jesus, we also reflect on the damage being done in myriad ways to God's creation. This Lenten season, we have had much to lament.
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| The war business is over | 4/19/2011 | by Max Ediger |
- In Quang Tri Province of central Vietnam, 250 primary students, ranging in age from six to ten, gather at the Ho Chon Nhon Primary School to begin their studies for the new week. Like children everywhere, they are full of energy and playfulness, but quickly settle down for a very serious morning discussion. What makes this class so different from primary school classes all over America and Canada is the topic they will be gaining knowledge of. For one hour, the students learn about the dangers of bombs and mines left over from a war that ended more than 35 years ago.
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| Choices reprised | 4/19/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- The concept underlying this column, Balancing Acts, is that discipleship includes both spiritual and practical aspects. We recognize that our well-being and faithfulness to Jesus Christ as Lord involves worship, devotion, and yieldedness to the Holy Spirit of God; Jesus summarized this aspect of our discipleship in John 15:5 saying, "apart from me you can do nothing."
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| Without wood, there is no life | 4/19/2011 | by J. Ron Byler |
- After 300 years of colonization, Haiti finally gained recognition of its sovereignty in 1804. But the price was high. Haiti paid the equivalent of $21 billion in U.S. dollars today in reparations to France. It took Haiti over 100 years to pay off that debt.
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| Easter People! | 4/19/2011 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Back in the late 1970's while I was still a teenager, one of my parish priests, the late Father Ron Seguin of the Diocese of Richmond (I was raised a Roman Catholic), had a tremendous influence on my theological development. All these years later I continue to reflect on his sermons, and given the number of sermons I have heard over the years, that is quite a remarkable statement. Ron was a lover of the language and of story and with very few notes could craft a homily into a very memorable ten to fifteen minutes. One of the phrases that he liked to use, which others have used as well, was "Easter People!" Ron used to talk a great deal, not only at Easter time, but throughout the year, about the fact that we are an "Easter People!" And he used to speak that phrase just as I have written it--with an exclamation point. Ron was always excited to tell each one of us that we were part of this great group of disciples known as the "Easter People!"
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| The paper cup fiasco | 4/19/2011 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- Once upon a time (but seriously, this really happened) I stepped out of my office to walk to the corner cafe for a cup of tea. Then I remembered the mug sitting on my desk that I meant to take with me to save a paper cup. I went back and got the mug and, puffed full of virtuous feelings, headed toward the cafe.At that time I had been experiencing a sort of environmental enlightenment and was becoming aware of how so many of my lifestyle choices contribute to the decay of our world. Honestly, there were times when it was quite paralyzing; I agonized over things like flipping on the light switch.
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| A Forsythia Peacemaker | 4/19/2011 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- This month's prayer was written by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, director of Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office.
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| Coming to the table | 3/15/2011 | by Christina Warner |
- Jesus invited all people to the table to eat together. Unfortunately, if the United States today were one large economic table, it would not reflect his example. At our table, we find a growing gap between those with the highest incomes and those with the lowest. This is particularly troubling given Jesus' life example of drawing together individuals separated by the economic injustices of that period.
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| Choices | 3/15/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- The concept underlying this column, Balancing Acts, is that discipleship includes both spiritual and practical aspects. We recognize that our well-being and faithfulness to Jesus Christ as Lord involves worship, devotion, and yieldedness to the Holy Spirit of God; Jesus summarized this aspect of our discipleship in John 15:5 saying, "apart from me you can do nothing."
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| The little hibiscus that could | 3/15/2011 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- Several months ago, I found a hibiscus plant in a dumpster. Half of it was dead, but the other half was perfectly healthy. It had been raining, and as I carried it home, the dripping five-gallon planter was so heavy I thought my arms might fall off.It thrived out on the balcony until I brought it inside the night of the first freeze in late fall. Though it took up residence in the sunroom for several months, it limped through the winter. I did, too.
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| The Lenten desert | 3/15/2011 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Once again, here at the monastery, as throughout the Christian world, we have begun our observance of Lent which feels, even as late in the calendar as it is this year, to have come upon us almost unexpectedly. It always seems to me that the liturgical season that we are most likely to avoid thinking about is Lent and we find ourselves saying things like "Wow, is it that time of year already?" and "Wasn't it just Christmas?" I think this is a defense mechanism because, let's face it; I have met very few people who actually like to observe Lent. To so many, it seems gloomy, terribly old-fashioned and filled with words like wretchedness and sinfulness. Now I ask you: who likes those words?
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| Still dreaming | 3/15/2011 | by J. Ron Byler |
- Pere Simone is an 81-year-old Celesian priest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He's been helping children on the street for as long as he's been a priest, over 50 years. From three locations, he runs a school for 120 young boys and girls, ages 10-13.Pere says he just goes to the markets and invites children to come to the school. He asks them to turn in their knives and other weapons first. He helps these street children get an education, even though he knows some of them will learn to read just well enough so that they can read license plates to earn money delivering drugs.
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| Loving and suffering | 3/15/2011 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- About 15 years ago, I preached at Lombard Mennonite Church, near Chicago. I had been asked to talk about our Christian response to violence--turning the other check rather than fighting back (Matthew 5:38-42). I told stories about people who took these words of Jesus seriously, deciding to accept suffering rather than hurt someone.
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| Of righteousness and dual citizenship | 2/15/2011 | by J. Ron Byler |
- I am struck by the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 112 where "righteousness" is presented in clear relationship to "giving to the poor." Our worship, "Happy are those who fear the Lord," is side by side with our work, "It is well with those who deal generously."Or as John Dominic Crossan says in his book, The Greatest Prayer, in commenting on Leviticus 19, "the Priestly tradition resolutely refuses to separate ritual action from distributive justice." Human holiness means not "reaping to the very edges of your field," and leaving some for the poor.
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| Heart, soul and mind for peace in Colombia | 2/15/2011 | by Theo Sitther |
- In 1996, Jhon Jairo Martinez's community of about 45 families in Colombia was forced from their homes due to armed combat between guerrilla and paramilitary groups. The community eventually resettled on a farm and began farming again. However, in 2003 Jhon and others in the community began receiving threats from a local cattle rancher who wanted to use the community's farm for his cattle. Jhon was involved in a public dispute with the rancher to resolve the issue. On June 28, 2009 four armed men, presumed members of a local paramilitary group, entered his home and asked for some water. When Jhon walked to the kitchen to get the water, the men shot him. As Jhon fell into his wife's arms, they shot him a second time and fled the scene. It is believed that the cattle rancher is responsible for Jhon's death. Jhon is survived by his wife and three children ages nine, seven and two.
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| Happy Valentine's Day | 2/15/2011 | by Tim Huber |
- Another Valentine's Day has come and gone, but as I write this, the holiday-industrial complex looms over me. As a child, I never liked how favoritism, cliques, and other social constructs could infiltrate even elementary school egalitarianism. Some of us collected more than our share of chalk hearts inscribed with untrue odes, while others held true to Valentine's authentic spirit and doled edible indulgences only to a favored few.
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| Singing hope | 2/15/2011 | by Max Ediger |
- Many years ago, I was visiting friends in Burma. It was April, the hottest and driest time of the year. I was sitting in a small office with eight friends, trying to carry on a discussion about the work of the youth in the church of Burma. Without air conditioning, the room was brutally hot and the overhead fan, turning lazily and reluctantly, did little to relieve the heat. I was having a very difficult time concentrating on what friends were saying, and even began to wonder if there was any value in holding the discussion.
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| Editor's Note | 1/18/2011 | by Lisa Amstutz |
- News and notes for January.
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| Hysteria and the neighbors | 1/18/2011 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- While traveling in California last week, my family unexpectedly drove past Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp, and stopped to learn more. I came away wondering if the fear and prejudice that led to the confinement of 110,000 people during WWII could result in something similar again in this country.
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| Words fail | 1/18/2011 | by Staff |
- This month's prayer for peace was written by Bryce Miller, pastor of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship in Tucson, Arizona.
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| Breaking vicious cycles | 1/18/2011 | by Tom Beutel |
- Glen Stassen and David Gushee, in their book, Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context, emphasize the teachings of Jesus as found in the Sermon on the Mount as being transforming initiatives. Each of the major teachings gives a traditional teaching, a vicious cycle, and a transforming initiative which breaks the vicious cycle.
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| Cheap peace? | 1/18/2011 | by Michael F. Lillie |
- Peace has become something of a buzzword these days. We wish one another peace during the holidays and commit to praying for peace in our world any time we hear news about violence. I opened my sermon last week with the phrase, "may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." In the same way that Dietrich Bonhoeffer raised criticism about "cheap grace," I will take issue with what could be coined as "cheap peace."
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| A journey toward peace | 1/18/2011 | by Patricia Kisare |
- Something remarkable is happening in southern Sudan. After 50 years of civil wars that killed two million people and displaced millions more, the people of southern Sudan now have an opportunity to write a new chapter--a more peaceful chapter.
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| Two Dutch girls--a real wooden puzzle | 1/18/2011 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- I got this puzzle at the MCC Sale in Fresno, California, years ago. Before this Christmas, I had never put it together. I didn't even know what it looked like. It came in an old box, with a label on it that said, "Two Dutch Girls--A Real Wooden Puzzle."Despite having written about slowing down in my December PeaceSigns article , I struggled to finish making all my homemade gifts, host and attend holiday gatherings, pack for our visit to California, and maintain some semblance of Advent preparation. Just at the point when I felt I might come apart at the seams, I took out this puzzle.
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| In the land of false idols | 1/18/2011 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Given the holiday we Americans commemorate in January, this was going to be a column that celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King and all that he and the many who pursue a life of nonviolence have achieved in these last several decades. But I find myself needing to focus not on what Dr King and others have accomplished, but on the great deal of work we have yet to even begin. The need for nonviolence as a way of life is an unending struggle for the soul of this nation.Tucson, Virginia Tech, Columbine...I could go on and on...
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| Are we here for such a time as this? | 1/18/2011 | by Max Ediger |
- The world is at war, and it seems that our country is also at war with itself. There is so much division, so much anger, so much disinformation and confusion, and so much violence in our society. Will we ever be able to all sit down, listen to each other and in unity find a way to move toward a justpeace?
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| Prepare the way of the Lord | 12/21/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- We have a custom here in the monastery of singing a Sequence Hymn before the reading of the Gospel at our daily Eucharist. We are blessed to have a brother who composes these hymns in Gregorian Chant, using texts from Scripture that illuminate the particular liturgical season of the year. As we have been progressing through Advent, I have found myself almost mesmerized as we sing these hymns and have found myself meditating more and more deeply on these passages of Scripture as each day goes by.
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| Consuming Christmas | 12/21/2010 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- At Christmas time, most of us aren't ready to admit that we're really thinking about what we're going to get for Christmas. Instead, we say things like "it's not about getting stuff, it's about giving--that's what I love. That's what brings me joy."
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| Christmas cards for peace | 12/21/2010 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- During the Christmas season, many are busy preparing Christmas cards to send to friends and family. This year, take the time to send a Christmas card to President Obama, urging him to work for peace in the Middle East. A new website, , has postcards ready to print out and sign, making it an easy project to do with your entire congregation.
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| A wall of tears | 12/21/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- Max shares a poem/prayer written for a friend from Burma's Karen State.
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| Beyond the story: An Advent reflection | 12/21/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is, for many, a familiar one. Isaiah prophesied that a savior will be born to a virgin and will be called Emmanuel, meaning God with us (Isaiah 7:14). Micah predicted that the savior would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). That prophecies such as these refer to Jesus is not in doubt according to the biblical account. The "wise men" responded to celestial events and came looking for the new king; Herod's advisers informed them that he was to be born in Bethlehem according to the prophecies.
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| Making room | 12/21/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- Last night, I slept overnight at my church. One week each quarter, our church hosts the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), a local organization that works with churches to provide overnight transitional housing for people in our community who need it. Our congregation makes room for these guests by providing meals and spending the evening and overnight with them. My wife and I take our turns staying overnight, but usually, I get pretty grumpy doing it. I don't sleep very well in a makeshift bed. And the whole experience interrupts my morning routine. But when we go, it seldom takes very long for the stark reality of the situation to break in.
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| Resiliency and redemption: Rufina Amaya and the School of the Americas | 11/16/2010 | by Anton Flores-Maisonet |
- For the last four years, my vocational life has been devoted to walking alongside some of the poorest residents of Latin America, often times found right here in LaGrange. As co-founder of a ministry called Alterna, I seek to offer compassionate accompaniment to immigrants here in Georgia and to many of their family members in Latin America where I travel at least once a year. In 2008, during one of my visits to the highlands of Guatemala, I trekked to the remote village of El Mamonal. The reason I was drawn to this out-of-the-way aldea was to meet with a young widow and her four small children to express our community's condolences. In the prior Holy Week, on Good Friday to be exact, this family's husband and father died from a traumatic head injury sustained while working at a LaGrange area business.
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| Say to this mountain... | 11/16/2010 | by Bert Newton |
- Sam Muthiah looks and acts in many ways like a typical 14-year-old boy. Before or after church he can often be found throwing a football in the parking lot. He likes to read fantasy, such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. What sets Sam apart from other 14-year-olds, however, is his commitment to peace and justice. He speaks of wanting to hold a huge peace rally in the park and of his idea to promote fair trade in the public schools. On a personal level, he tries to wear only sweatshop-free clothing or clothes bought in secondhand clothing stores.
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| For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory | 11/16/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- The other morning, as we celebrated the Holy Eucharist here in the monastery, we monks and our guests prayed the Lord's Prayer, as we always do at the appropriate place in the liturgy. While doing so, I found myself completely absorbed in the doxology of the prayer, that part in which we pray "For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory..." and I have found myself meditating on it ever since.
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| An intersection without roads: Human rights and the environment in Alaska's Arctic | 11/16/2010 | by Todd Steele |
- With two business trips and one vacation to Alaska in recent years, I thought I knew about that great state. I was not prepared, however, for what I would learn and experience 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle.In August of 2006, I joined my first of three "Learning Tours" with New Community Project, a faith-based non-profit with its roots in the Church of the Brethren. NCP works to promote global peace through justice, care for creation and experiential learning.
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| How to cook a wolf it's not just for wartime and recessions | 11/16/2010 | by Audrey Hindes DiPalma |
- I have heard that the recession is over. If, like me, you are looking forward to a time of abundance, it might do us good to stop and think for a moment about how we've been getting along during the recession and what new habits we can take with us as we move forward.
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| Persistent injustice | 11/16/2010 | by Tammy Alexander |
- The parable of the persistent widow came to mind recently while I was reading a story about an immigrant facing a judge in a deportation hearing. Victor, 24, had been "lawfully present" in the U.S. since he came here from Guatemala at the age of 3. He has a 2-year-old daughter who is a U.S. citizen. Victor was picked up by immigration officials after a misdemeanor marijuana conviction and placed in a detention facility in rural Georgia.
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| A status quo holiday season | 11/16/2010 | by Tim Huber |
- Christmas is coming. The wrapping paper and artificial trees invaded stores before children could even initiate post-Halloween tooth decay.What better time to turn our attention to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity? The chapel--originally built in A.D. 330 and rebuilt in its present form around 565--is supposedly located on the exact spot the Christ child was born.
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| A place of welcome | 11/16/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- In Luke 19, Zacchaeus found an unexpected place of welcome with Jesus. "Today, salvation has come to this house," says Jesus, "because Zacchaeus too is a son of Abraham." Jesus says he has come to seek out and save the lost.That Jesus is meant for the lost is a lesson we have needed to learn over and over through the ages. I saw this for myself on the High Cross at Castledermot southwest of Dublin.
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| Partners across the table: a youth group object lesson | 10/19/2010 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Susan Mark Landis shares a youth group object lesson on cooperation.
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| “Keep the Rule...” | 10/19/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- My charge, as I understand it, is to write this column "Peace Before the Sun Goes Down" focusing on the spirituality of peacemaking. That is, offering suggestions and encouragements for how we might approach our lives in such a way as to further our journey toward becoming women and men of peace. Not only "working" for peace, but by "being" peace in our world. As a Benedictine monk, I live my life like all Benedictine monks, with only slight variations. That life was defined by us for St. Benedict approximately 1,500 years ago when he wrote The Rule (now known as The Rule of St. Benedict), which is that document that lays out for us how we are to live our lives day by day, year in and year out, in our pursuit of the Kingdom of God. While there are some variations from the Rule that acknowledge the changes that time has brought, we live rather closely by that Rule to this day.
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| The Palm Sunday peace parade | 10/19/2010 | by Bert Newton |
- I live in an intentional community that we call The Urban Village. We pledge together to live simply, to advocate for justice, and to wage peace. In the days after September 11, 2001, the peace dimension of our mission became both increasingly difficult and acutely urgent. By April 2003, the spirits of war and domination appeared almost unstoppable in their conquest of humanity. The largest peace movement the world had ever known had failed to stop the "shock and awe" invasion of Iraq.
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| Child nutrition means food at school and at home | 10/19/2010 | by Christina Warner |
- Kids need nutritious food consistently. Period. But in recent weeks legislation authorizing child nutrition programs (S. 3307/H.R. 5504) and has become a topic of debate as one program has been pitted against another due to tighter budgets.
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| Dialogue demands more courage than waging war | 10/19/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- The short motorcycle ride from the central Vietnam town of Hoi An took us past dark green fields of waving rice, across a small river and into a rural village with its bamboo thickets, neatly arranged houses, vegetable gardens and narrow, winding paths. The young Vietnamese driver drew our motorcycle up to a small cement house and invited me in to his family home. I was ready to sit down when an elderly man on crutches burst into the room, enveloped me in a big hug and, with much happy laughter, led me to a table and offered me tea. His eyes sparkled as he looked me up and down, my six-foot height making him laugh.
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| Faith & works | 10/19/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- In The Naked Anabaptist, Stuart Murray presents a view of Anabaptism stripped of its cultural wrappings, distilled down to a set of seven core convictions. The first core conviction is: "Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer and Lord. He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church and our engagement with society. We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshiping him."A major focus of this core conviction is the last sentence: We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshiping him. While Murray's intention in presenting and discussing this conviction is to emphasize the importance of discipleship in Anabaptist tradition--that is, the importance of doing as well as believing--the conviction as stated makes it clear that Anabaptists, and hopefully Christians in general, follow and worship Jesus.
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| Justice: Not an option | 8/17/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- Repeatedly throughout both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible makes it clear that God is concerned about justice. According to Glen Stassen and David Gushee in Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context, justice is one of the most frequent concepts addressed in the Bible: "By conservative count, the four words for justice (two in Hebrew, and two in Greek) appear 1,060 times in the Bible. Hardly any concept appears so often."
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| Keep peace within yourself | 8/17/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Sometime between the years 1420 and 1427, Thomas a Kempis wrote The Imitation of Christ, which, after the Bible, would become the most popular piece of Christian literature for many generations. It is a primer for those who wish to live the Christian life that, while specifically targeting those in Religious Life (monks, nuns, canons, etc), is applicable to all God's people. Yes, there is certainly dated language and some theology that not everyone is going to agree with. But The Imitation is a classic and I highly recommend it.
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| An ounce of prevention | 8/17/2010 | by Mary Stata |
- "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," the old saying goes. Adages about the merits of prevention abound, urging action before a dilemma or problem develops. Despite the prevalence of these truisms, our government continues to invest huge amounts of money in fighting wars rather than preventing them. As the United States faces an overwhelming deficit and high unemployment rates, military spending continues to increase. Earlier this year, the United States reached $1 trillion in operational spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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| Islam is not a violent religion | 8/17/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- "Please tell your people that Islam is not a violent religion. Tell them that true Muslims are not terrorists. Please, please tell them this for me."Tirmizy sat in front of me in the candle light, tears reflecting in his eyes. His hands grasped mine firmly and his voice shook slightly as he repeated his appeal. There was a mixture of pain and urgency in his voice, but there was also hope; hope that our friendship was sincere and that I would become his voice to a broader world.
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| SB 1070 is not the problem | 8/17/2010 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- August 12-13, twenty other Mennonites and I met in Phoenix to witness the 'facts on the ground' after the passage of SB 1070, an Arizona state immigration law. Several years ago, Mennonite Church USA had made reservations for our 2013 convention to be in Phoenix. After Governor Jan Brewer signed the law, our Hispanic sisters and brothers said they would not feel safe attending. About 70 of our 930 congregations are members of Iglesia Menonita Hispana, and estimates are that up to 70% of the members and pastors of these congregations are undocumented. Many human rights groups have called for a boycott of Arizona because of the law. Years ago, a boycott reportedly forced Arizona to begin observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Might this tactic work again?
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| Banners for just immigration | 7/20/2010 | by Stan Harder |
- "God´s Love Has No Borders--Immigration Reform Must be Just" is the message of the banners First Mennonite Church of Lincoln, Nebraska is producing and distributing to churches and individuals across the United States. Members of the church's Economic Justice Committee have spent the year educating church members about issues like poverty and global free trade. But the national mood on immigration made it clear that this was the next topic the committee should tackle.
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| Responsibility to protect my zucchini | 7/20/2010 | by Tim Huber |
- For the past year I diligently turned my compost. Using my own blend of sweat and calluses, I twice expanded the garden at our new house with an undersized and underpowered rototiller. I spread the compost by hand with a small shovel, and tried to get it to improve our very clayey (that's a word in Kansas) soil with the same poor excuse for a tiller.We gambled on planting--sowing seed in late March when frost was still very possible--but we ended up in the clear with zucchini, green beans, and snow peas before most anyone else.
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| Christian Citizenship Sunday Call to Worship | 7/20/2010 | by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp |
- This day (July 4) is a source of immense conflict for me. Actually, it has been for 42 years. 42 years ago I actually went on a sit-in strike. It began in utero. I heard all the commotion going on outside and decided to strike. My mom says that I jarred from my comfortable nest when she heard the first fireworks begin to explode. When the last booms ended, I figured it was safe to come out. I was born on July 5th.
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| A house of prayer for all people | 7/20/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- About halfway between Belfast and Dublin in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland is a Benedictine community called Holy Cross Monastery. Begun by the Abbey of Le Bec in France just over 10 years ago, its hope is to follow the vision of Isaiah 56:7 to be a house of prayer for all people.These brothers want to contribute to reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics in a land, as one brother told us, that is "marked by reciprocal violence and stained by the blood of Christian brothers and sisters."I was visiting the monastery with a group of pilgrims exploring Celtic spirituality. We spent a day there attending prayers, working in the gardens and talking to the brothers. Brother Thierry told us the monastery was established here when the abbot in Le Bec said he had a vision that it was time the community tried something painful.
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| We Vietnamese have small bodies | 7/20/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- The war in Viet Nam ended on April 30, 1975. One of the great learning experiences in my life was being in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Min City) on that eventful day. For one year my MCC colleagues and I moved about the city observing the process of Vietnam's transition from a country at war to a country struggling to build peace. It was a difficult time. War not only destroys a country's infrastructure and economy, but it also destroys relationships. Families and communities had been driven apart by the long years of conflict and healing was not coming quickly or easily.
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| I know why the caged bird sings | 7/20/2010 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- "It is my dream to go to Jerusalem. [Right now] it is all just in my imagination," the teenage girl explained to us when we visited her English class in Gaza City. Her home is less than 50 miles from Jerusalem, yet she can only dream of visiting it.The line, "I know why the caged bird sings," echoed in my head during my trip to Gaza this past January. The words were penned by Paul Laurence Dunbar during the years of Jim Crow and articulate the need to cry out against suffering and injustice. The image was later picked up by Maya Angelou.
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| Peace lamp conversations | 7/20/2010 | by Staff |
- Bek Linsenmeyer shares a bulletin announcement and litany used at North Goshen Mennonite Church to explain the ongoing importance of lighting their peace lamp.
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| Summer 2010 reading list | 7/20/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- Peacemakers seem to be doers. In fact, there may be a tendency toward a "works righteousness" with those of us who seek to intervene, to "set things right," to "speak truth to power." It seems to be difficult for humans to hold on to two seemingly different viewpoints simultaneously--for example, faith and works, spirituality and practicality, praying and doing. The result is that we seem to focus on one or the other. But it is important to be able to embrace both aspects of any situation, especially as we live out our faith. That is exactly what this column, Balancing Acts, is supposed to be about--balancing the spiritual and the practical.
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| Are you my neighbor? | 6/15/2010 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- This lawyer and I have much in common. I love to get the facts by testing what people are really thinking. I want the world to know that I'm right-so I justify myself frequently, restating what I said to be sure that I am understood. One of my great disappointments, growing up, was that I didn't attend a school with a debate team. I could talk fast, reason rapidly, cut opponents down to the quick-I'd have been good.
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| Come and see | 6/15/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- "'Come and see' is a challenge, not simply an invitation." With these words a Palestinian Christian urged a gathering of concerned international tour operators and Christian activists gathered in Geneva, Switzerland to consider visiting the Holy Lands as true pilgrims rather than simply as tourist pilgrims. For tourist pilgrims, the invitation to "come and see" implies visiting and photographing holy sites, enjoying some local food and watching a few cultural performances without spending quality time with Palestinian Christians, learning of their lives and struggles and joining with them in prayer for a lasting justpeace in the Holy Lands.
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| Thank God | 6/15/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- I stood in the Harrisburg (PA) International Airport as more than 100 military personnel and family members gathered to welcome Brian home from Iraq. The mood was celebratory with flags and red, white and blue balloons filling the lobby.Among the "welcome home" signs was one that said, "God bless the USA," and another that simply said, "Thank God."
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| The Risks of Transformation | 6/15/2010 | by Christina Warner |
- Isaiah speaks hopefully of secure shelter: "My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places" (Isaiah 32:18).In today's markets, public housing offers security to vulnerable people where the private market does not. Increased housing costs have decreased the number of affordable homes available in the United States. Consequently, there is no community where a person working a full-time, minimum wage job can afford a modest one- or two-bedroom apartment.
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| The Great Silence of the Crows | 6/15/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- We Benedictine monks have a special affinity for crows, which might seem rather odd, as many people find other birds to be more, well let's just say, lovable. But this affinity can be traced all the way back to our roots in the earliest period of Benedictine life. Only a generation after St. Benedict, St. Gregory the Great wrote what came to be known as "The Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great" with all of Book Two of The Dialogues being dedicated to the life of Benedict. In Chapter Eight, Gregory recounts a story of Benedict and a crow that has caught the imagination of Benedictines for 1,500 years.
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| Wondering how to support Arizona congregations? | 5/25/2010 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Regardless of how they feel about immigration issues, Arizona congregations are struggling in the aftermath of the recent passage of the immigration law.
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| Prophets arise! | 5/18/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- I have spent the last part of April and the beginning of May angry--really angry--with Arizona. I've never been angry with an entire state before, so this was somewhat new territory for me. But there I was. Every time I thought about Arizona, which was often, I found myself getting really worked up. I even told one of our brothers here in the monastery that I was "apoplectic over Arizona." Now that's angry.
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| Open the gates of the kingdom | 5/18/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Come, Lord, open to us the gates of the kingdom.On a weekend in April, I headed down the auto route from Strasbourg, France to Taize, an ecumenical Christian community founded by Brother Roger seventy years ago. Today the community includes 100 brothers of both Protestant and Catholic traditions from more than 30 countries.Over 100,000 youth make a pilgrimage here each year for worship, Bible study and communal work. The Taize songs, like the lyrics excerpted above, are well-known among Christians around the world. I am attracted to the Taize music because of its deep, spiritual longing for God's justice and peace.
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| He breathed on them | 4/20/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Alleluia! Christ is Risen! With that great exclamation we begin each Eucharist throughout the entire season of Eastertide, which in the Anglican Communion (and in other churches as well) begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the Sunday of Pentecost. That's a whole fifty days we get to celebrate Easter! I've always loved that Eastertide was longer than Lent. It just seemed right. So, to all of you I wish a very blessed Eastertide.
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| I tell you, if these were silent | 4/20/2010 | by Anton Flores-Maisonet |
- Last year I never had an immigrant offer me a donation for the pilgrimage but during this year's spiritual exercise, it happened a few times; offerings of food and money as expressions of appreciation for this simple act of solidarity. I've had this encounter with immigrants many times over the last four years since launching our ministry, Alterna. "Cuanto le debo?" "How much do I owe you?"Owe me? What do you owe me? You work at low wages in sweatshops in your home country as well as in our factories and fields in this country; all so that I can pay a big box a low price. What makes you think you owe me???
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| No secrets here | 4/20/2010 | by Jeanette Harder |
- Secrets. They're complicated things. Especially for kids. Kids are told to keep secrets about Christmas gifts for siblings and surprise birthday parties for parents. They're told to keep secrets about the hiding place for a house key and the password for their Facebook account. And yet, when a friend invites them to try drugs "just this once" or an uncle touches them inappropriately, we expect them to know that these are secrets they shouldn't keep? This is especially difficult because the friend or uncle may be quite persuasive, saying things like, "No one needs to know" or "Your mom will be mad" or "I'll give you that pretty necklace we saw at the store." What are kids to do? How are they to know which secrets to keep and which ones to tell?
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| The Gospel and the law of gravity | 4/20/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- In February we began looking at the idea of "just peacemaking," a concept that goes beyond pacifism and seeks to promote an environment in which peace--a holistic, all-encompassing peace that the Old Testament calls shalom--is more likely than violence. However, in March I was diverted and this month, too, I would like to set aside just peacemaking to look at another issue. It is not that just peacemaking is unimportant, it is vitally important. It is just that specific issues keep popping up that are also important, timely, and are, in many ways, a part of just peacemaking.
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| Answering to a higher law | 4/20/2010 | by Tammy Alexander |
- The headline was shocking yet predictable: "Rushed From Haiti, Then Jailed for Lacking Visas". In a country where immigrants are often scorned and where the government's focus is on enforcement and detention, it is profoundly sad--but not surprising--that more than 30 Haitian earthquake survivors wound up in an immigration detention facility in Florida.
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| Fearless love | 3/16/2010 | by Anton Flores-Maisonet |
- The immigrant knows fear. She knows fear the moment she turns her back to her home and takes her first legally unauthorized step to "El Norte." He knows fear the very moment he steps into the Arizona desert braving the brutal elements and trusting a potentially unscrupulous coyote. They all know fear every time they drive (unable to obtain a license) down a Cobb or Gwinnett County road on their way to worship, work, or Wal-Mart.
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| The German Line | 3/16/2010 | by Tim Huber |
- In the three years I lived in Germany working for the German Mennonite Peace Committee and Mennonite Central Committee, I drove an automobile twice. We used the nation's considerable bus and train system almost exclusively, and we look back fondly on our blissful ignorance of gasoline prices and ease of getting wherever we needed to go. Well, "ease" may be cutting the people of Germany too much slack. Since I have now spent a significant portion of my life waiting on train platforms, I am intimately aware of the standard German line or "queue."As this concept has moved into the contemporary age, the U.S. military simultaneously moved from the draft to an all-volunteer force. This meant an increase in advertising, which brought with it an unprecedented focus on image, branding, and marketing.
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| Just Peacemaking: Part 2--Violence and Nonviolence--Food for Thought | 3/16/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- Jesus' words in Matthew 5:38-41 are foundational for most Christians peacemakers. Turning the other cheek and going the second mile are such well known concepts that they have made their way into the culture at large. That this is so is evidenced by the fact that a search on Google of the phrase "turn the other cheek" returns a link to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, as its first reference!
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| Give what you have without apology | 3/16/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- We live in a society that often puts great value on the big things people do. Those who make large financial contributions to help the poor or provide significantly large amounts of aid for victims of floods, earthquakes and storms receive recognition and a place of honor in our communities. Those who have little to contribute may be left feeling that their small contribution is of little value in comparison. They rarely, if ever, enjoy recognition and respect. They may be left wondering if their small contribution is really valuable at all.
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| We are not just children | 3/16/2010 | by J. Ron Byler |
- "There's little attraction to me about a faith which presents itself as pro-war, indifferent to poverty and injustice, and selectively literal in its use of the Bible to justify politics and prejudices," says Kurt Neilson, an Episcopal priest in Portland, Oregon.I am finding Kurt speaks my mind more and more these days. Whether the issue is national healthcare, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, increasing poverty or decreasing dollars available for education, I wish more Christians were less interested in reducing their taxes and more concerned about caring for those Jesus called "the least of these."
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| “And what brings you to DC?” | 3/16/2010 | by Staff |
- I heard it again Sunday, about four times, as a matter of fact. Here's the long version of my answer to that question, recounting the trail from teaching in the music department at Eastern Mennonite University to a semester as a volunteer at MCC Washington Office, whose primary work is advocacy.
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| Just Peacemaking: Part 1 | 2/16/2010 | by Tom Beutel |
- In their Christian ethics textbook, Kingdom Ethics, Glen Stassen and David Gushee discuss pacifism, Just War Theory and Just Peacemaking. They assert that despite one's specific stand on war--pacifism or Just War Theory--it is important to embrace and practice Just Peacemaking.
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| Living into Lent | 2/16/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- As you are receiving this edition of Peace Signs, Lent will be just beginning, which, for those of us in the catholic liturgical tradition (in the Western Church, that includes those of us who are Anglicans, as well as our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers), carries all kinds of "baggage" that sometimes needs to be unpacked. I am not sure that Lent holds as much emotional weight for those from the Anabaptist tradition, so I thought that this month I would just offer a few reflections on the season.
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| True security | 2/16/2010 | by Mary Stata |
- In Washington, February 1 is eagerly anticipated. It's not because dreary January is departing; it's the day when the President sends his budget request to Congress. While the budget is not exactly riveting reading material, the President's request does offer a preview of policy priorities, values, and principles for the upcoming fiscal year. To be frank, February 1 is the day the Administration puts its money where its mouth is.
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| Memory matters | 2/16/2010 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Susan Mark Landis reflects on the importance of right remembering, as Moses commands in Exodus.
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| Out to lunch | 2/16/2010 | by Konrad Swartz |
- I was walking to the Supermercardo to meet a fellow youth worker. It had been raining during the night through the morning, so I skipped over puddles as I made my way. As I was crossing the street, a man called out to me. He asked if I was the guy from Belgium. The question sounded odd as I repeated it to myself. "Is there someone in La Ceiba from Belgium that everyone knows?"
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| An Iraq journey: remembering Rutba, seeing Jesus | 2/16/2010 | by Weldon D. Nisly |
- Every day for nearly seven years I have remembered Iraq and envisioned returning to that war-torn occupied land. I have longed to return to Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams and dreamed of going back to Rutba, a desert city in Western Iraq. Rutba holds a special place in my heart. I will always remember Rutba as the place where Iraqi people bandaged our wounds in a time of war.
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| Transformation and change | 2/16/2010 | by June Mears Driedger |
- "What are your disciplines for Lent?" my spiritual director asked me."Oh, I think I'm gonna give up watching 'Star Trek'," I told her. "I watch it every Monday evening with my roommates. It's kinda a ritual for us but I think it will be good for me to give it up."She studied me for a several seconds then sharply responded: "If you do that you will miss the whole purpose of Lent. You will end up with more pride--you will be proud of yourself rather than seeking transformation."
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| Living faithfully in a world of war and injustice | 2/16/2010 | by Theron Schlabach |
- WATERLOO, Ont. and SCOTTDALE, Pa. -- In the turbulent scene of human history that was the 20th century, when chaos and debilitating fear too often reigned, historian and ethicist Guy Hershberger was a leading light for American Mennonites, never giving up his patient and persistent efforts at living and refining biblical pacifism.
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| Radical Spirituality | 2/4/2010 | by John Driver |
- Convivencia Radical: Espiritualidad para el siglo xvi, Ediciones Kairós, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2007, by John Driver. Translated by John Driver.
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| Don Cachaco's three-cornered prayer | 1/19/2010 | by Anton Flores |
- Don Cachaco lives on one of the most beautiful plots of land on earth, but it's a beauty that hurts. As poor campesinos living along a lake shore in war-torn Colombia, Cachaco, Omaiyra and their children are often confronted with the lethal violence of their country's civil war as well as the structural violence of being among the poorest inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere.
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| What we owe Haiti | 1/19/2010 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Beneath the rubble of crumbled buildings in Port-au-Prince lies a disconcerting reality. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, owes large sums of money to wealthy countries and international financial institutions. This past June, debt relief advocates cheered when two-thirds of Haiti's external debt was canceled. However, Haiti still owes $641 million, much of it to the International Monetary Fund and Inter-American Development Bank.
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| Haiti's disaster: human or natural? | 1/19/2010 | by Staff |
- This morning when my congregation sang "Rain Down," my throat stopped functioning when I came to the lines, "God will protect us from darkness and death; God will not leave us to starve." Images of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, sprang to mind and tears to my eyes. Has God left the people of Haiti to death and starvation?
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| Waiting with Haiti | 1/19/2010 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Last month I wrote about the "Advent Wait" which seemed an appropriate-enough column for December. That column was focused on the Incarnation, God taking on the form of humanity, and on the future coming of Christ. I had not intended to write on the theme of waiting again this month, but given the news this week, I find I must. This time, however, it seems to me that we wait for Christ at the foot of his Cross, as experienced by the people of Haiti.
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| Who's in charge? | 1/19/2010 | by Max Ediger |
- The year was 1975 and the war in Viet Nam had just ended, leaving an uneasy calm in Saigon. There was uncertainty and fear among much of the population, but life had to go on so people were busy finding ways to keep food on the table, find work and adjust to the new environment with all of its unknowns.
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| The battle for hearts and minds | 1/19/2010 | by Tim Huber |
- Product placement has had its place in radio, television, and cinema pretty much since each medium's inception. Hershey's chocolate appeared on the silver screen in 1927. Soap operas in radio's Golden Age were so named due to being underwritten by actual soap companies and the same was true for early television programs of the 1950s.As this concept has moved into the contemporary age, the U.S. military simultaneously moved from the draft to an all-volunteer force. This meant an increase in advertising, which brought with it an unprecedented focus on image, branding, and marketing.
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| Buying peace | 12/15/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Today's Bloomingdale's ad in the New York Times had sugarplum dream gifts under $100. The exclusive "Peace, love and Bloomie's set of six socks" for sizes 0-12 months runs $28. My immediate response was, "Peace doesn't come because someone writes it on socks! Peace takes...." Well, you fill in the blank. You read PeaceSigns. You don't need this spelled out. But we all know peace doesn't come because an infant is wearing it on their socks, or we'd have peace spilling out in the streets. How trite can people get?
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| The Advent Wait | 12/15/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- I am writing this column on the day that five suicide car bombers murdered more than 100 people in Baghdad. And we wait....I am writing this column one week after President Obama told us that sending more troops, not reducing troop levels, would end the war in Afghanistan. And we wait....I am writing this column more than eight years after the "War on Terrorism" began. And we wait....Sometimes faithful Christians have to wait....
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| Abraham Lincoln and the Mennonites | 12/15/2009 | by Staff |
- Paul M. Schrock shares some interesting history on Abraham Lincoln's attitude toward conscientious objectors.
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| Fullness of humanity | 12/15/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- When Annika Martin played Jesus in our congregation's Search for the Christ Child, she screamed for 20 of her 40 stage minutes. I like to think Jesus did the same. I can only imagine new mother Mary's uncertainty, "Is he hungry? Do I dare nurse in front of these kings? Maybe he has a dirty diaper. Hard to tell with all these cow piles in here." The December nights I rocked my own newborn and wished I had memorized dozens of lullabies before she was born, I sang whatever came to mind. It was December; I sang carols. Rather quickly I decided that whoever wrote "Away in a Manger" had lived far removed from babies-or had no idea what it meant to be fully human. If my Jesus cried when he approached Jerusalem and realized people don't understand what makes for peace, my Jesus also cried just because that's what human babies do.
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| Looking for a fair economic recovery | 12/15/2009 | by Staff |
- On November 19th the Congressional Black Caucus boycotted a vote in the House Financial Services Committee on a piece of legislation meant to regulate and, if needed, dissolve financial institutions deemed "too big to fail" (H.R. 4173). The boycott was not an attempt to stop the bill from passing but, rather, to bring awareness to the unique needs and concerns of African American communities during the foreclosure crisis which made such regulation necessary.
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| Emmanuel | 12/15/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- The birth of Jesus Christ, two thousand years ago, was then, and is now, a source of great joy for all people. God did not have to take on human form and be born as a helpless human baby. He did not have to live with a human family and learn a carpenter's trade. He did not have to take on a healing, preaching ministry; nor, ultimately, to submit to a humiliating and painful death by crucifixion. God, being who God is, could have provided salvation for us humans in any number of ways, most of which we cannot even imagine.
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| Think about these things | 11/17/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- Despite his own personal hardships and problems in the church at Philippi, Paul wraps up his letter to the Philippians by exhorting them to focus on that which is true, honorable, just, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. This is not the advice of one who is oblivious to trouble and injustice. In fact, Paul is writing to the Philippians from prison as he awaits trial by the Roman government. We, as Christians, as peacemakers, and as citizens would do well to follow Paul's advice and, at least at times, try to find and celebrate that which is good even in those persons and institutions which we often identify with injustice and violence.
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| A new Colombia policy – now is the time! | 11/17/2009 | by Theo Sitther |
- Colombia is home to one of the longest running internal armed conflicts. The war is fought between various armed actors and has displaced more than four million people, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere. Each year many Colombians are assassinated, kidnapped, threatened and displaced. A rural Colombian church member explains, "What you experience only in your nightmares is our daily reality."
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| Afghanistan needs sustainable peace, not more troops. | 11/17/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- As Mennonite Christians who are called to go into the world to spread the good news of the gospel to all people, we proclaim that sending additional troops to Afghanistan is good news to no one. We believe that our personal security rests only in God and that our nation's security rests in democracy, diplomacy and development.
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| Fifty ways to fade your footprint | 11/17/2009 | by Anton Flores |
- Set to the tune of Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave your Lover," this is a collaborative songwriting project by Dorie Callies, Kathy Etchison and Anton Flores.
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| Inseparable beams of the cross | 11/17/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- The parable of the Good Samaritan was in so many of my Sunday school quarterlies when I was a child that one would think I've scrutinized every possible lesson. I got the basic one--be nice to people you meet along the way. But the wisdom of these verses is so deep that insights keep coming, year after year.
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| Not far enough | 10/20/2009 | by Tammy Alexander |
- The healing story in Matthew describes a woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years. Aside from her physical suffering, the woman was also likely a pariah in society, an outcast, unable to marry or have a family or be a part of community life.
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| Review of "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" | 10/20/2009 | by Wayne Nitzsche |
- On September 17, Perkasie Mennonite Church joined with others in Seoul, Korea, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Ottawa, Ontario, inviting people from our community to view the powerful documentary, Pray the Devil Back to Hell.
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| "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry?" | 10/20/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are well into the season of autumn, and along with the beautiful leaves and the crisp weather comes the harvest. In much of North America, we are blessed with a bountiful harvest each fall which feeds most of our people and some people in other lands as well. Our Canadian brothers and sisters have already celebrated their Thanksgiving and here in the States, ours is still more than a month away. But all of us have much to be grateful for, not the least of which is the fact that we rarely, if ever, have to worry about having enough food on our tables.
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| A persistent faith | 10/20/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- Mrs. Hai Khanjanta is a grandmother with a message for us. She does not share her message through words, but rather through her example. Grandma Hai, as her neighbors call her, is an eighty-year-old farmer from the northeast region of Thailand. She has raised ten children and now proudly boasts of having 54 grandchildren.
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| Public footpaths and dog-friendly pubs | 10/20/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- My wife and I recently returned from a long-anticipated trip to England. The trip, a dream of ours for many years, was a celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary and my recent early retirement from university teaching. As a sabbath from our busy lives it could not have been better. As a chance to see a different, beautiful, and historic land and meet some of its people, it surpassed our expectations.
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| Review of 'A Persistent Voice: Marian Franz and Conscientious Objection to Military Taxation' | 10/20/2009 | by Muriel T. Stackley |
- In today's mail is the October, 2009 issue of More than a paycheck: News from the War Tax Resistance Movement--evidence that the movement led so well by Marian Franz for 23 years is alive and well.
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| Bleeding hearts can’t change the world | 10/20/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- No question, I'm a bleeding heart. I feel hugely guilty about how good and easy my life is on a global scale.
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| Act for Peace in Uganda | 9/15/2009 | by Mary Stata |
- For the past two decades the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group has threatened communities in northern Uganda and across central Africa by brutally targeting civilians and abducting thousands of children. Even though the LRA is small in numbers (less than 1.500 members), their ruthless attacks have wreaked havoc on the region and caused massive internal displacement of civilians.
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| Trusting God | 9/15/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- Within the context of shalom--peace which permeates all of life and which is centered in well-being and right relationships--it is common to focus on nonviolence. There seem to be two somewhat mutually exclusive strains within this focus on nonviolence: nonresistance and nonviolent resistance. John Howard Yoder, Walter Wink and others have convincingly argued the point of view that Jesus does not necessarily advocate nonresistance since he himself resists evil as in the cleansing of the temple and in his heated arguments with religious leaders. The model, they would argue, is one of nonviolent resistance, not one of nonresistance.
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| When victims become healers | 9/15/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- Part 5 of a 5-part series on Agent Orange.On August 10, 1961 U.S. forces started their toxic chemical spraying in Viet Nam. Forests and crop fields were left bare and desolate by herbicides with such colorful names as Agent Orange, Agent Purple, Agent Blue and Agent White. Almost 50 years later the land is producing again. Fields of rice wave in the afternoon breezes and hillsides are again covered with trees giving cover to animals and insects that for so many years had no place to forage for food. It is easy to forget that, within the beauty of nature regaining its presence in Quang Ngai Province, the poisons remain. Some streams with crystal-clear water support no fish and many fields of rice are thin and yellowish in color. Most sadly, children continue to be born with severe mental and physical disabilities. For those of us living half-a-world away it may be easy to pick up a good book or turn on a television show and pretend that the war in Viet Nam never happened, but for the people of Viet Nam, the reminders of those tragic years of unnecessary violence are always in front of them, not just in their memories but in the lives of the many people suffering the effects of unexploded ordnance and herbicide poisons.
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| Thriving takes time | 9/15/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- A friend in his mid-20's made time to help us in the garden last week. My perennial bed perennially suffers from lack of attention. He dug up the Japanese anemone too close to the front that unexpectedly hid from view the Canterbury bells and Jacob's ladder. We divided the huge healthy plant so I could share with friends and then planted it further back. The hollyhocks and hibiscus now also seemed out of place and he put his back into digging them. While he cut down corn stalks, I transplanted shorter plants--campanulas and petite foxgloves--to the front. I even got an out-of-place purple cornflower and some yarrow back where they belonged. What an amazing hour! Although the ornamental grasses still so overshadowed the spigot that watering the plants meant scraped-up arms, I was more than satisfied.
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| The International Day of Peace | 9/15/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Since the early 1980's, the United Nations has proclaimed September 21st as the International Day of Peace, and throughout the world various vigils, commemorations, rallies, festivals and other ways to mark the day have been held on or about that date. And so, once again, we find ourselves preparing for another Day of Peace with hope and expectation. Or do we?
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| Farewell from Leo | 8/18/2009 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- July 31, 2009, I ended seven years of work with Mennonite Mission Network as Minister of Peace and Justice and 36 years of church ministry.The Gather 'Round materials encouraged me to bring a cape and let the kids talk about their favorite superhero. Eventually I was to turn the conversation toward Jesus who has the 'real' super powers.But when I asked the kids who their favorite superhero was, they all said Jesus! Well, there went the introduction to the lesson.
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| And after hearing the advice of the brothers... | 8/18/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Last month, I wrote about the importance of keeping silence in both the monastic and the wider cultures for the purpose of creating peace. But I also said that this was a two-part column and that the "other side of the coin" of creating peace is that each member of the community (however that is defined) is willingly and freely able to "speak their truth." And so here we are at next month's entry!
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| Who Is My Neighbor? | 8/18/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- Because we are privy to the full story as Jesus told it, we know what happened what happened to the man who "was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho." [He] "fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead." But the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan did not know. Each simply saw a person in serious need and responded in some way--two ignored the man in need and passed by; one, the Samaritan, helped the man.
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| Funeral for the oldest warrior, who hated war | 8/18/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Harry Patch, the British 111-year-old last survivor of the Western Front trench warfare, died July 25, 2009. His funeral packed the cathedral in Wells, another 2,500 mourners stood outside in a steady drizzle to watch on a giant video screen and the funeral was broadcast live to the nation. But the New York Times headline reads, "Funeral for the Oldest Warrior, Who Hated War."
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| Thanks for the beat! | 8/18/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Leo Hartshorn, Mennonite Mission Network Minister of Peace and Justice and Chris Hoover Seidel, Peace and Justice Support Network Administrative Assistant, ended their service July 31, 2009. New staff positions and structures are being created as Mennonite Church USA strives to serve congregations more efficiently.
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| 50 Ways to leave your lover, Mammon | 8/18/2009 | by Anton Flores |
- Below are 50 habits that my partner, Charlotte, and I have sought to undertake in our desire to love God, not Mammon. The key for us is not simplicity or voluntary poverty but a theology of enough. We are still living at a level of consumption that is not sustainable at a global level but, with God's grace we journey on. Join us on this journey to right living.
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| In the rubble that is Gaza | 8/18/2009 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- This past spring, several Members of Congress visited Gaza. Their visits were the first to Gaza by U.S. officials in three years, and came not long after the 22-day fighting between Israel and Hamas had come to an uneasy end.
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| A handshake across the oceans | 8/18/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- Part 4 of a 5-part series on Agent Orange.What message do the members of Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) have for Americans? "In the past, the war made us angry and we had to fight. We didn't understand much about America and the American people then. Now we understand more and we want to cooperate with you so all people can experience peace. When you bring this peace crane to us we have a new idea for peace. Like this small bird, we must fly forward into a time of cooperation and friendship and not go backwards to relive things that will destroy our friendship. Tell your friends in America that it would be good if they would write their names on the birds they fold. Then we can say we have a friend in America with this name."
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| Revisiting cluster bombs | 7/21/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- The April issue of PeaceSigns included an excellent and informative article by Titus Peachy () describing the problem of cluster bombs and the Mennonite Central Committee-sponsored cluster bomb postcard campaign. This issue is one that on the surface seems insurmountable, but is one that each of us can do something about.
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| Save me from my tongue | 7/21/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- As a monk, I often find myself thinking about the desert, which is, of course, where Christian monasticism first developed. In fact, we monks are taught from our earliest days to see the monastery and, in particular, our cells, as a kind of desert--even if you live in the very green and rainy (at least this year) Hudson Valley of New York State!
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| It's time to build a new world | 7/21/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- Part 3 of a 5-part series on Agent Orange.Mr. Huynh Van Thiet is 86 years old now. From 1962 until 1969 he served in the North Vietnamese army and led patrols along the east side of the Truong Son mountain range where the Ho Chi Minh Trail served as a link between the North and South. Many times planes flew over his unit, spraying the mountains with Agent Orange and other herbicides. The people tried to protect themselves from the poisons with plastic sheets but still the toxins entered their lungs and bloodstream. Today Mr. Thiet suffers from severe pain in his bones, his teeth have fallen out and heart problems burden him.
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| Lessons from mindful gardening | 7/21/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Years ago, my spiritual director suggested that I plant sage in my herb garden. She knows I need contact with wisdom in whatever form. Typically I have three types of sage in the garden, since her advice is worth heeding several times over.
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| A campaign for abundant life | 7/21/2009 | by Theo Sitther |
- The biblical vision for abundant life articulates an economic system that meets basic human needs for all people. The biblical narrative, from the Old Testament through Jesus in the Gospels to Paul's writing, calls on the church to respond to the needs of our neighbors both near and far.
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| Congregations and immigration: What does God say? | 7/21/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- An interview with M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas), PhD. Daniel is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary and will be the keynote speaker for And You Welcomed Me: A consultation of the people of God on immigration .
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| Migrant Trail reflection | 6/16/2009 | by Jodi Read |
- It happens every year. I finish the Migrant Trail (75 miles walking in the desert), am dirty as a rat, emotionally and physically exhausted after remembering people who have died and I get the question, "How did it go?"
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| There's a way. Is there the will? | 6/16/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- A youth workshop I enjoy teaching is 5% hog the M&M's . Or at least I did. I divided the participants into population groups (Europe, Africa, North America, etc.) then gave each group their proportion of the 100 M&M's that represented the earth's resources. Mouths typically fell open when they saw how many M&M's the people in the United States received. When I told them to feed their populace, some sold their children as slaves to the United States or killed the wealthy nation hogging the M&M's.
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| Guide our feet into the way of peace | 6/16/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- On June 24th, much of God's church commemorates the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist and that has given me extra reason to contemplate the legacy of the Baptist. I say "extra reason" because we monks hold St. John the Baptist in a very special place in our hearts. The Baptist, of course, was the great forerunner of Jesus the Christ and, as such, called people to a life of simplicity and conversion. That is a call that all monastics attempt to live into each day. It is a call that many Christians respond to quite deeply as they live into their particular vocations.
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| Drawing trees | 6/16/2009 | by Gloria Rhodes |
- This week I participated in STAR, or Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, a workshop offered by the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU). I was familiar with STAR, and I was eager to learn more about trauma and its physical, emotional, and spiritual effects and its linkages to violence.
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| Health care for all? | 6/16/2009 | by Tammy Alexander |
- I spoke with my sister recently to get her thoughts on health care reform. She is not a health care provider. She doesn't work for an insurance company or a pharmaceutical manufacturer. No one would consider her an 'expert' on health care policy. However, she knows more about how the health care system actually works than anyone else I know.
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| Peace cranes | 6/16/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- The purpose of my visit to Quang Ngai was to meet some of the victims of Agent Orange and to discuss with them some ways we might be helpful as they try to cope with this difficult situation. I was accompanied on the trip by Ms. Dinh Thi Vinh, longtime colleague with MCC Viet Nam.
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| What we need | 6/16/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Justice is when everyone has what they need. God wants everyone to have enough. When God invites the Israelites into the promised land, God explains the situation: There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you will obey the Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today. (Deuteronomy 15:4,5) The "commandment," of course, included caring for the needs of all.
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| In the migrant journey | 5/19/2009 | by Staff |
- This month's prayer for peace is written by Saulo Padilla, MCC U.S. Director, Office on Immigration Education.
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| Peace recruitment at Cornerstone Music Festival | 5/19/2009 | by Staff |
- The red-hot rays of the Central Illinois summer sun could not stop us as we placed our I Will Not Kill posters all over the Cornerstone 2008 event. Our message of peace and nonviolence was bold and in-your-face. No one could miss it. We were serious about bringing a seldom-heard voice to the 20,000+ Evangelical youth who populate this event. Our goal was Peace Recruitment of hundreds of young people.
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| Make foreign aid more effective | 5/19/2009 | by Mary Stata |
- Clutching my cup of coffee, I peruse the headlines each morning and often feel overwhelmed by the scale of human suffering present in this world. From Sri Lanka to the Democratic Republic of Congo to Haiti, grinding poverty continues to afflict and oppress nearly half of the planet's population. While globalization has enhanced the lives of many, its economic benefits have been unequally distributed and left billions lagging behind. Lack of health care, malnutrition, poor governance, and insufficient education exacerbate poverty. These factors make it nearly impossible for the poorest of the poor to lead healthy and productive lives.
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| Seeking asylum: Lost and trapped in the system | 5/19/2009 | by Valerie Ong |
- Imagine yourself fearful of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. You flee your country of nationality and feel unsafe returning.
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| A parable with two endings | 5/19/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- This month's column is a little different. Instead of focusing on an issue, I would like to share a parable with the readers and solicit responses. The context is as follows. Several years ago I attended a funeral at which the pastor assured those present that while we might rightly grieve the loss of a friend and loved one, nevertheless, the deceased was now with God, healed from all disease and suffering. This prompted me to consider the issue of life, death, and everlasting life to a degree that I had not perhaps seriously done before. What is the fate of one who has striven to live a good life, who has tried to live out what they were taught, but who, by some standards might not be considered a committed, "born-again" Christian?
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| Powerful sharing | 5/19/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- The responses to the question quickly pointed out our different experiences. We were attending a Christian Peacemaker Teams anti-sexism workshop and had been asked to discuss a hypothetical situation. "A woman who serves with you on the Steering Committee comments that a man who also serves has touched her inappropriately several times and made comments with sexual innuendos. She has asked him to stop and he has not. What do you do?"
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| Our economic challenge | 5/19/2009 | by Myron S. Augsburger |
- As a young man, I lived on a farm and milked cows by hand, and in processing the milk one lesson I learned is that when we skim the cream off of the milk we can still make cheese out of what is left. This is a word picture for me of what is happening in our economic situation.
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| “Peace, before the sun goes down” | 5/19/2009 | by Brother James Dowd |
- Since this column is new, I would like to talk about what, God willing, it might be and what it might become. But first, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am a brother in the Order of the Holy Cross which is a Benedictine community of monks in the Episcopal (and Anglican) Church.
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| Houses without people, people without homes | 4/21/2009 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- On my walk home from the bus stop every evening, I pass several boarded-up houses. At first glance, they appear to be abandoned--a sign of the current foreclosure crisis. On some occasions, however, I have noticed several homeless individuals on the front porch. There is a certain irony to a society that at the same time produces homeless people and empty houses.
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| Talking about finances and foreclosure | 4/21/2009 | by Melonie Buller |
- Last month, I wrote a prayer for my colleagues at a small HUD certified housing counseling agency in Columbus, Ohio. Our two full-time counselors see about 10-12 households each week, spending about two hours with each one. They listen to the story of how the finances fell apart or of the bad decisions made. They listen to what the household and the mortgage company have done so far.
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| Our boys | 4/21/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Monday was the ten-year remembrance of the shooting at Columbine. Likely you remember that day and the impact it had on your life every bit as clearly as I do. Each spring when my columbine flowers push up in the garden and the Mars-like blossoms burst forth, I pause to remember the horror of kids shooting kids.
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| The sounds of peace | 4/21/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- In 1971 and 1972, Quang Ngai was my home. Visiting this small provincial town in Central Viet Nam thirty-eight years later I had difficulty recognizing it. Almost all of the streets are now paved and the boundaries of the town have expanded considerably. The numerous refugee camps and strategic hamlets are gone and new buildings including several large hotels have sprung up throughout the town. The small dirt path that once ran along the Tra Khuc River marking the northern boundary of the town is now a wide, tree-line boulevard with cafes, parks and jogging paths.
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| Cluster Bomb Postcard Campaign | 4/21/2009 | by Staff |
- Mr. Ta Douangchom is a farmer from central Laos who had a tragic encounter with a U.S. cluster bomb one day while foraging for food in the forest. He lost both arms and his right eye when the bomblet exploded. Until then, he was not known outside of his community. But now he is lending his voice to the campaign to ban cluster bombs. And because of Mennonite Central Committee's (MCC) postcard campaign, his image is becoming known in selected U.S. Senate offices in Washington, D.C.
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| Keeping the Faith | 4/21/2009 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- My recent tour of New Orleans reminded me that the aftermath of levee breaks during Hurricane Katrina still lingers in the "City that Care Forgot." Not only that, but the devastation that the levee breaks caused highlighted the poverty, racism, opportunism, and economic injustice that have been perennial in this city, issues which are not dissimilar to other urban cities in the United States. Even though Katrina is long gone, its impact and the lessons to be learned still remain.
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| Women going to the tomb | 4/21/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- An Easter prayer by Susan Mark Landis.
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| Earth Day 2009 | 4/21/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- Earth Day is April 22, 2009, a day set aside since 1970 to focus on the health of the planet and the state of our environment. Earth Day was proposed by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda."
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| Review of Pax Avalon: Conflict Revolution | 4/21/2009 | by Staff |
- A Mennonite publisher has finally tapped into the imaginative and popular world of graphic novels. Although usually a place filled with superhumans, incredible power and violence, Herald Press has published a book with a different tinge than your stereotypical graphic novel. Steven "Reece" Friesen is the author and illustrator of Pax Avalon: Conflict Revolution. Set in the large metropolis Avalon City, Friesen's main character, Julianna Embry, holds a position in a special operations team created "to keep the peace." However unlike her counterparts, Julianna has the gift to heal. She has the ability to mend bones, wash away scars and burns, reverse sprains, all through a simple touch of her hand. She gives credit to God. And as she follows her call to bring peace to the city, another powerful individual is attempting to change Avalon city--and the world--through terrorism and hostages, cruelty and creation.
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| Lord, our people need a second line | 4/21/2009 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- A few weeks ago I was in New Orleans for meetings of the Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA. Being a musician, I was intrigued by a story I heard about some musicians who were arrested for a second line procession in the historic Treme neighborhood. Treme is probably the oldest black neighborhood in the US. It didn't receive much flooding during Katrina, so new people want to move in. Treme has been a place of political resistance for some 300 years.
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| Traffic patterns designed for community | 3/17/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- I do not know if traffic patterns really say anything important about a country or not, but the traffic here in Hanoi makes me reflect on many things.
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| Turning tables | 3/17/2009 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Sunday school didn't go as any of us expected this morning and that's GOOD! God is at work in my kindergarten-second grade students.The Gather 'Round materials encouraged me to bring a cape and let the kids talk about their favorite superhero. Eventually I was to turn the conversation toward Jesus who has the 'real' super powers.But when I asked the kids who their favorite superhero was, they all said Jesus! Well, there went the introduction to the lesson.
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| Peace, justice & simple living | 3/17/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- Is it possible that the very real problems with the world economy are in some sense God's grace? Could the loss of wealth and income and the resultant downsizing of our daily lives be a means toward a fuller, richer life with God, each other and the rest of creation? Perhaps we can understand better the words of James given above as we consider how current economic problems may, in the long run, contribute to human well-being.
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| Anton Flores-Maisonet is taking a Lenten DriveFast | 3/17/2009 | by Anton Flores |
- DriveFast is what I'm calling my 40-day Lenten fast from driving an automobile. You see, I holds two ideals that will collide this Lenten season.
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| Everything's Gonna Be Alright | 2/17/2009 | by Anton Flores |
- All the photos, except the ones taken on 9/11, are originals taken by Anton. Here he merges these audio and visual creations into what is one part prayer and one part autobiography.Enjoy as he shares the inspiration behind this song and then takes you on a journey with him through the trials of foster parenting and the joys of adoption. Trek with him to places like war-torn Colombia, AIDS-stricken Botswana and impoverished Guatemala. Struggle with him to proclaim that fearless love makes immigrants (and U.S. citizens) cross social and spiritual borders. Pray with him for a just peace in Iraq and all around this shrinking globe.
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| Believing without Trusting | 2/17/2009 | by Max Ediger |
- A young American soldier joined us for a small Bible study session we held weekly in Quang Ngai, Viet Nam back in 1972. During our study he identified himself as a "born again Christian" and asked for prayer support as he was sometimes tempted to join his army buddies in smoking, drinking and swearing. After completing our study and prayer time we chatted amicably over tea and snacks. I learned then that he was with the Phoenix Program, a notorious military operation in Viet Nam involved in assassinations designed to identify and "neutralize" through infiltration, capture, terrorism, or assassination, any civilian infrastructure suspected of supporting the opposition forces. He went on to say that when he drove in his military jeep around town or out into the countryside, he always made sure he had his pistol ready at his side, his M16 on the passenger's seat loaded and ready for action and several grenades within easy reach. "I believe in God's protection," he said. "But I don't believe in taking chances!"
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| He Qi | 2/17/2009 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- His paintings look like stained glass windows. I first noticed He Qi's paintings on a number of books I bought on postcolonial readings of the Bible. I was drawn to the brilliant colors and the non-Western depictions of biblical scenes. Recently I purchased a book of his paintings entitled Look Toward the Heavens.
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| Calling All Peacemakers | 2/17/2009 | by Jeff Miller |
- There I was in the streets of Philadelphia in the bitter cold - marching. Along with many others, I marched outside an infamous gun store.
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| Food and Peace, Part 2: Factory Farming and Health | 2/17/2009 | by Tom Beutel |
- In May 2008, we looked at the idea that food and peace are linked. This is true in a number of respects: our responsibility to feed the hungry, the way in which we grow our food and its effects on our health, where we choose to get our food from, and our eating habits and dietary choices. In part 1 of this series on food (May 2008) we considered our responsibility to feed those who are hungry. This month we will look at how the ways we grow our food can affect our health, particularly with respect to meat and related foods such as eggs.
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| Pursue Peace in Afghanistan | 2/17/2009 | by Theo Sitther |
- "…seek peace and pursue it" - Psalm 34:14The words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are promising. On her first day in office, she addressed State Department employees by saying, "There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development… And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."
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| Readings for Radicals: A Peace and Justice Lectionary | 2/17/2009 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- The Bible is filled with texts that speak of peace and justice. If one were to remove all the texts related to peace and justice, the Bible would be a much smaller book. This became clearly evident to me when I read through the three-year cycle of lectionary texts for the Christian calendar. The "Old and New" Testaments (Hebrew and Christian scriptures) speak of a God who breaks the weapons of war, calls for economic justice, incites prophetic visions of the reign of peace, and calls for care for the poor and vulnerable in society. We read of a Christ who shows the way of nonviolence and nonretaliation, engages in active peacemaking, transgresses social boundaries, and challenges unjust structures. We experience a Spirit that empowers a community of equity, transcending race, gender, nationality and politics.
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| "Peace Journey 2009" Just Around the Corner! | 1/20/2009 | by Staff |
- This is the first of a series of articles by Tom Harder on a year-long initiative by his church titled "Peace Journey 2009." Tom is co-pastor of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita, Kansas.During this past year's congregational review (based on an analysis of our "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats"), one of the opportunities to emerge was the opportunity "to boldly proclaim the gospel of peace." Among the strengths of our congregation is the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith tradition we have inherited, a tradition which understands "peace"-in its broad sense of not merely the absence of violence but of wholeness, well-being, and right relationships for all of creation-to be at the very heart of God's will for the world. Peace is an expression of the gospel that our world badly needs to hear. Given our congregation's many other strengths-our highly gifted membership, our maturity and resiliency, our strong reputation in the community-we have an opportunity, even a mandate, to "boldly proclaim" this gospel in our community and our world.
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| I pledge my allegiance to God | 11/18/2008 | by June Mears Driedger |
- Goshen College received unexpected national attention from a conservative radio host based in New York City earlier this month.The attention came because Goshen College does not play the American national anthem before sporting events which disturbed someone attending a women's basketball game who contacted radio host Mike Gallagher. He, in turn, spoke with Bill Born, Goshen College Vice President for Student Life, about the school's position on Gallagher's radio program. Gallagher also posted on his website the college phone number, fax number, and President Jim Brenneman's email address for Gallagher's listeners to contact the school as an attempt to change the school policy.
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| “Understanding Iran” Study Series | 10/21/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- "Should the United States hold talks with Iran?" Your answer may decide which presidential candidate you vote for. The correlating question is: do we know enough to answer? I toured Iran in May 2008 for 12 days and I'm not sure I know what kind of talks we should hold--the country and the politics between us are very complex.One way to learn more is by using "Understanding Iran," a three-part study series written by Richard A. Kauffman. Richard traveled to Iran with a Learning Tour sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee () and is an editor of both Christian Century () and Leader () magazines.
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| No Justice, No Peace: Peace Sunday materials from PJSN | 10/21/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- Peace Sunday will be observed will be observed on Sunday, November 2, 2008 in Mennonite Church USA congregations. The date was set to precede the November elections. In 2009, Peace Sunday will be changed to September 21 to coincide with International Peace Sunday. Although the material was prepared for a specific Sunday and for a particular denomination, this biblically based resource can be used by any congregation at any time during the year.
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| What Would You Do If...? | 9/16/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- It is predictably the case that in most discussions of nonviolence, those who favor violent action in a threatening situation will raise the question, "What would you do if ...?" Generally the question takes the form of "What would you do if a homicidal maniac or escaped convict broke into your house and threatened to kill your wife, or your children, or your mother?" or something of the sort.
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| Christian criteria for voting | 9/16/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- On what criteria do Christians base their voting decisions? Life experiences? Sunday school or small group discussions? Common sense? The Bible? Perhaps a recent Pew survey on torture () gives us answers. The survey showed that "48 percent of the general public believes torture sometimes or often is justified in order to obtain information from suspected terrorists, [but that] 57 percent of white Southern evangelicals hold that belief."
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| All I Really Want for Christmas | 9/16/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- "All I really want for Christmas is a little more peace on earth."For years, Oak Grove Mennonite Church, my congregation, has begun celebrating Christmas long before Thanksgiving with a "Global Christmas Shop." The Wednesday the week before Thanksgiving, for about two hours, our foyer is transformed into a place to buy a bit of peace and justice for the world in the name of our family and friends.
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| Front Toward Enemy | 9/16/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- One hot and humid day in 1972, I was traveling with a Vietnamese colleague in the countryside of Quang Ngai Province, Central Viet Nam. For reasons I do not remember, we stopped at a small police station along the narrow dirt road. Like most police stations in the countryside during the war, it was surrounded by barbed wire and guard posts. We passed through the guarded gate with no problem and as we alit from our Honda 50 and started walking toward the door of the station, I suddenly noticed three or four claymore mines set amongst the flowers growing in well-kept beds along the front of the building. Unexpectedly coming face to face with any mine is, in itself, stressful but when looking more closely I saw, embossed in bold letters on each claymore the words FRONT TOWARD ENEMY. All of the claymore mines were facing toward me!
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| International Meddling | 9/16/2008 | by Theo Sitther |
- "In Haiti we have a joke," Djakoli told me while I was in the country as part of an MCC-organized learning tour.The story goes like this: a woman is sitting on the side of the road, selling vegetables. A slick new shiny car pulls up, driven by a Haitian. A white man gets out, who also looks slick in his new suit and tie.The man asks the woman, "If I tell you exactly how many onions are in each box that you are selling, will you give me one box for free?" The woman is intrigued and agrees. The man then pulls out his computer. The screen shows a satellite image of the woman and her vegetables. Then it zeroes in on one box and computes a calculation. A few minutes later the man looks at the woman and says, "There are exactly 250 onions in each box."
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| Review of Come Join the Circle: LessonSongs for Peacemaking | 9/16/2008 | by Paula Russell |
- You will tap your feet and feel good listening to this CD of 14 songs sung by children and adults. There's a contagious rhythm and beat, from rap to country to hip hop to blues--music that makes learning about peacemaking fun. Children hear positive, inclusive messages about getting along with others and expressing feelings. Through catchy and thought-provoking tunes, listeners are introduced to words and phrases that may not be familiar to them--words like mediation, affirmation, negotiation, and "I" messages.
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| One Body, Many Members | 8/19/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- For several weeks this summer, in the adult Sunday School class that I teach, we have been focusing on Jesus' words to his disciples in John 13:34-35, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
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| Love notes from Cambodia | 8/19/2008 | by Valerie Ong |
- "You are lucky. I am not so lucky." I felt more embarrassed than lucky when my tuk tuk (rickshaw) driver, Keo, learned that I am studying (or will be again) in the United States. Keo is 26 years old.
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| Reflections on a Native American gathering | 8/19/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- I recently attended the Native Ministries assembly (United States and Canada) in Clinton, Oklahoma, held at the Frisco Conference Center on July 28-31, 2008. The theme was Unity and Service: In the Name of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11).
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| Lost Sons: book review by Rose Zook | 8/19/2008 | by Rose Zook |
- Mystery writer Judy Clemens does a great job of suspense in her new novel, Lost Sons, a paperback published by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA in 2008. The story follows the fictional life of Stan Windemere, a retired police detective. For two long months, he and his wife, Rose, have been waiting to hear word about their son, a naval officer recently MIA while serving in Russia. Their marriage is strained as the couple tries to cope with the tragedy.
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| The worth of water | 8/19/2008 | by Lisa Amstutz |
- My family camped last weekend at a small state park in Ohio. The weather was great, the s'mores delectable and the setting beautiful. But the water--ugh! Not only did it leave orange chunks in the bottom of our water containers, it literally curdled the creamer when we used it to make coffee. We finally bought some jugs of water for drinking and cooking, rationing carefully to make them last.
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| For such a time: Current advocacy actions | 8/19/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- We have made common the phrase, "Pray and Act for Peace." Now the Peace and Justice Support Network website has a new page to help you ACT your advocacy and stay up to date: . Three advocacy actions are current.
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| Waging Peace in Sudan | 8/19/2008 | by Tammy Alexander |
- Valentino Achak Deng was just six years old when war came to his home. At the time, Achak's life was not that different from a small child growing up anywhere. He went to school, played with his friends, occasionally got into mischief, and dreamed of owning a bicycle one day.But war was brewing in his country, Sudan. At the heart of the conflict was what is at the heart of most wars--a quest for power and money and control of land and other resources, such as recently discovered oil deposits.
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| New Resource: Reaching Up to God Our Creator | 8/19/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- This new resource box was produced by the project team of Neill and Edith von Gunten, co-directors of Native Ministry, Mennonite Church Canada, Elsie Rempel, Director of Christian Education and Nurture for Mennonite Church Canada, and John and Pat Pankratz, volunteers working with First Nations communities. It highlights the common ground of Aboriginal Sacred Teachings and the Bible, in the hope of fostering respect and understanding among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
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| Torturous policies | 7/15/2008 | by Gabe Schlabach |
- John Conyers and John Yoo were locked in an epic duel of wits. Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee Chair, was questioning Yoo, a former Justice Department lawyer and author of several legal memos supporting the use of torture. The date was June 26, 2008. The venue: a House Judiciary Committee Hearing ().Conyers began: "Is there anything, Professor Yoo, that the president could not order to be done to a suspect if he believed it necessary for national defense?"
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| War resister deported | 7/15/2008 | by Esther Epp-Thiessen |
- Today, July 15th, Robin Long is scheduled for deportation from Canada to the United States. He will be the first American war resister to be deported from Canada. He came to Canada in 2005, after serving two years as a tanker with the U.S. Army at Fort Knox. He had come to the realization that he could not participate in a war that was both illegal and immoral. Like the approximately 50 other "known" resisters who have come to Canada, he has been seeking refugee status. His final appeal was turned down on Monday, July 14. Please pray for Robin, that whatever the outcome, he may find continued courage and strength to be a voice for peace. Esther Epp-Tiessen is Peace Ministries Coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee Canada.
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| Out of sight and out of mind | 7/15/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- In a small commune in South Viet Nam's Cu Chi district, the family of 21-year-old Tran Anh Kiet struggles with the problems of daily living. His feet, hands and limbs are twisted and deformed. He writhes in evident frustration, and his attempts at speech are confined to plaintive and pitiful grunts. Kiet has to be spoon-fed. He is an adult stuck inside the stunted body of a 15-year-old, with a mental age of around six. He is what the local villagers refer to as an Agent Orange baby.
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| Word matters | 7/15/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Recently I was glancing over emails from a secular peace group debating none too politely how to stop a possible war with Iran. One message from Fred Miller, President of Peace Action of Washington state, caught my eye. He suggested that, "If the peace movement's main message is "No War with Iran," that signals to everyone that war with Iran must be very important. Since even we aren't talking about peace with Iran, peace must be unimportant."
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| Book review--Changing Paradigms | 7/15/2008 | by Jeff Walker |
- The U.S. Supreme Court on 16 April 2008 ruled that the execution of prisoners by lethal injection does not violate the Constitution, setting in motion a mass lifting of individual state moratoriums on capital punishment cases. Georgia inmate William Lynd became the first inmate to die at the hands of the state as a result of the high court's ruling. Corrections officials and death penalty opponents alike expect a veritable wave of executions across the country through the rest of the year.Thus Paul Redekop's Changing Paradigms: Punishment and Restorative Discipline could not arrive at a more crucial time.
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| Women and migration learning tour | 6/17/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- The impact of migration is experienced differently based upon one's gender. Gender is becoming an important element in migration theory.
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| It’s Time to Talk | 6/17/2008 | by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach |
- Last fall, Mennonite Central Committee was invited to host the third in a series of dialogues between Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and North American religious leaders. The dialogues have not been without controversy. President Ahmadinejad has made numerous provocative statements about Israel and the Holocaust. And the U.S. government continues to ratchet up threats to use force against Iran.
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| Food and Peace, Part 1: KISS | 6/17/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- It is safe to say that with regard to food, things are NOT as they ought to be. There are many food-related problems in the world, the most serious of which is probably the fact that 854 million people world-wide suffer from hunger with up to 300 million more at risk due to current food shortages and food price increases . It is estimated that over 10 million children die each year due to hunger and preventable diseases. This is equivalent to over 30,000/day or approximately one every 3 seconds!
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| Hearing words of wisdom in strange places | 6/17/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- "I'm not saying that every Muslim is a terrorist, but I am saying that every terrorist is a Muslim!"These words of a young leader of the fundamentalist Hindutva movement brought cheers from the angry mob gathered in an open field in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was February 2002 and the local Hindutva leaders were feeling powerful and invincible. Their call to drive all non-Hindus out of the state were bringing in large crowds and local political leaders often acted in open support of them.
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| Book Review--Borders and Bridges | 6/17/2008 | by Leonard Nolt |
- Borders and Bridges: Mennonite Witness in a Religiously Diverse World is a collection of reports on how Mennonites are working at witnessing today in numerous locations around the world. They are written by people who are actually working in those locations. The stories vary according to location, but as Stanley Green, Executive Director of the Mennonite Mission Network, writes in the foreword they "all have in common a commitment to non-coercive human engagement that values the other."
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| Subversive Songs: A reflection based on Revelation 5:6-14 | 6/17/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- At the beginning of this year, I started drawing a series of ink and scratchboard drawings I entitled with the acronym M.U.S.I.C: Musicians Undermining Social Injustice Creatively (). In this series of drawings I have drawn images of musicians with a social conscience along with lyrics from one of their songs that speak about justice, peace, nonviolence, racism, worker's rights, hunger and poverty. One of the drawings is of Billie Holiday, a jazz and blues singer with a unique vocal quality. Her music is not known to be subversive or politically provocative...except for her song Strange Fruit. It is a song about the lynching of African-American men.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/22/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal 5/22/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Reflections on Modern Activism | 5/20/2008 | by Gabe Schlabach |
- Peace and justice activism is really struggling to make a difference these days. This lack of effectiveness affects all who care about peace and justice issues, but it is especially palpable for those of us whose social justice convictions come from a deeply-held religious faith.
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| Reflections for the media on a 12-day trip to Iran | 5/20/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal 5/20/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Someone loves you | 5/20/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- As I languidly lay in my own bed at home after days on the road and closed my eyes, daring traffic patterns and huge plates of rice, bazaar shops and ancient mosques danced past. When I unpacked my suitcases, the smells of Iran wafted through the room--the dust, chicken kabobs, polluting traffic, pomegranates, pistachios and dates, the sweat of women wearing scarves and long sleeves in 90-degree weather, masked by perfumes.
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| Book Review--Plant a Seed of Peace | 5/20/2008 | by Susan Huyard |
- Plant a Seed of Peace uses the analogy of growing seeds into plants as a way of describing how our part in peace can start little like a seed and produce much. It has 43 easy-to-read stories of peacemakers who have made choices in their lives that have grown and spread in an infectious way. They are a testimony of many lives that have made a difference by putting their faith into action. It ends by inviting the reader to plant a seed and imagine the possibilities of growth into a garden of peace.
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| Can We Finally Learn from History? | 5/20/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- Many of our history books tell us of a pair of attacks in 1964 carried out by naval forces of North Vietnam against two American destroyers, the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy. We learn from our history books that these attacks took place in the Gulf of Tonkin along the coast of Viet Nam and that they were the justification for increased U.S. military action in Southeast Asia. In fact, the outcome of the incident was the passage by Congress of the Southeast Asia Resolution, or the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which served as President Johnson's legal justification for escalating American involvement in Viet Nam.
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| Lessons from Daniel | 5/20/2008 | by June Mears Driedger |
- Apparently Gandhi admired Daniel. (As in "the lion's den and the fiery furnace" Daniel.) Gandhi admired Daniel's wisdom and nonviolent resistance to the empire ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar. In contemporary language, Daniel knew how "to speak truth to power."
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| Faith and Feet | 5/20/2008 | by Valerie Ong |
- You're going to walk 75 miles in the desert!? This is usually the response I receive when I tell someone I'll be participating in an event called the Migrant Trail and walking through the Arizona desert from May 26 through June 1. I will walk along with other Mennonite Central Committee staff and constituents, as well as many other anticipated participants.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/18/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal 5/18/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/12/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal 5/12/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/9/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal 5/09/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/6/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry 5/06/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/6/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry #2 5/06/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/3/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry 5/03/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 5/1/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry 5/01/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 4/28/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry 4/28/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Created from one jewel: Journal Entry | 4/24/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Journal entry 4/24/08 by Susan Mark Landis in Iran.
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| Celebrating Creation: Earth Day 2008 | 4/15/2008 | by Lisa Amstutz |
- Last weekend, I attended a meeting of outdoor educators at a Mennonite camp to prepare for upcoming visits by several inner-city schools. During these visits, the children will experience Creation in new ways, and will perhaps catch a glimpse of the Creator in the process. A school counselor reminded us of the fears that some will feel as they disembark their buses and step into the woods. Many of them face far more dangerous situations daily, yet the natural world can seem an alien place, with unfamiliar smells, sights, and sounds.
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| Peace, Justice, and Love | 4/15/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- There are at least two problems with advocating for peace. First, there is some confusion about what peace really means. Is peace the absence of conflict, violence, or war? Is peace an inner sense of contentment or well-being? Is peace reconciliation with God? Different people and, in fact, different Christians, see peace in very different ways.Second, even when we can more or less agree on what we mean by peace, we may still disagree on appropriate means of achieving peace. Is it proper to use violent means to achieve peace? Or, if not violence, what about coercive means, force, or deception? Do the ends justify the means?
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| What is the church saying about immigration? | 4/15/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- What is the church saying about immigration? It's an important question for several reasons. First, immigration is a current and critical issue within U.S. social, economic and political contexts. Second, attitudes and policies toward immigrants affect millions of people. Third, as Anabaptist communities formed by the "politics of Jesus," the church should reflect a different posture toward immigrants than the dominant culture. Our faith calls us to respond in faithful ways.
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| Angels in Our Midst | 4/15/2008 | by Valerie Ong |
- As Iraqi refugees living in the United States, Ahmad and Farah* expressed their concerns for practicing their faith. Ahmad and Farah are dedicated Muslims but did not feel comfortable attending a mosque in the United States, to avoid any possible dangers that may stem from their public Muslim affiliation. However, they needed a way to pray to God, and found it possible to do so at a local Mennonite church.
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| Obama, Wright, and Racism in America | 4/15/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- On March 18, 2008, Barack Obama gave a speech on race in Philadelphia. It is a rare moment in American history when a public figure speaks openly and honestly about racism. Not that Obama was one to publicly address racism before this speech, unlike his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. One of the reasons Obama has attracted so many white voters, even though he is an African-American, is because he has not made race a central issue of his presidential campaign.
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| Book Review--Send Forth Your Light (Willard Swartley) | 4/15/2008 | by Muriel T. Stackley |
- Swartley has graced the Beloved Community with an always-necessary synthesis of peace and mission, this time appropriately adding "worship". This is a message for adult Christians (its eleven chapters useful for a three-month Sunday school class curriculum), but it should also permeate everything that we teach youth and (by inference) children.
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| A Letter to the Candidates: Calling for Respect and Tolerance | 4/15/2008 | by Krista Zimmerman |
- Please join Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Central Committee in signing a letter to the presidential candidates asking them to use their influence with their respective parties to encourage a respectful and tolerant immigration debate.
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| What’s the War Like In Your Country? | 3/18/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- "What's the war like in your country?" The question came from a young teenager in the city of Quang Ngai, Viet Nam. The year was 1972 and Quang Ngai, where the infamous My Lai Massacre had taken place some years earlier, was still struggling to survive the ongoing war which, despite promises from the U.S. government, saw no light at the end of the tunnel.
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| They're Counting (on) You | 3/18/2008 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- March 2-10 I walked the streets and halls of Washington, D.C., talking to the "suits and collars*" so prominent there. I studied and advocated for two issues which deeply affect our lives and the lives of millions of others--the war on Iraq and immigration. Everywhere I went, there were votes and counts to contend with. How many people in my constituency feel this way? If we vote this way, will it carry? Will it be vetoed? Is this issue worth the risk of sticking out my neck?
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| Counting the Cost | 3/18/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- Not paying the full cost of our lifestyle decisions also undermines peace in numerous ways. Biblical peace, shalom, involves the material well-being of all humans. By shifting some of the costs of our lifestyles onto others, we reduce their well-being. As we live lives of injustice, we break our peace with God who is a God of justice and requires us to be people of justice. As we harm the environment, we break shalom with God's creation.
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| Colombia Free Trade: Whose Security? | 3/18/2008 | by Theo Sitther |
- Justapaz, a peace and justice ministry of the Colombian Mennonite Church, recently released the report A Prophetic Call: Colombian Churches Document their Suffering and their Hope. This report documents cases of human rights abuses carried out by all the armed actors in Colombia, including the government forces. One such case is of a young farmer named Roberto who was shot dead, dressed in fatigues and presented as a guerilla member.
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| Holy Resistance: A Holy Week Tradition | 3/18/2008 | by June Mears Driedger |
- On Good Friday, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Abernathy left the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church a few hours after the announced starting time for the march. They led nearly forty people who were willing to be arrested by the notorious Bull Connor, sheriff of Birmingham, Alabama.
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| Living in a Strange Land | 2/19/2008 | by Max Ediger |
- Like the ancient people of Israel, many people throughout the world live as exiles in a strange land. Over 150,000 such people from Burma make their homes in crowded, unhealthy refugee camps in Thailand. Their songs, once filled with celebration as they planted and harvested their crops, are now filled with sorrow and longing--longing to live in their own homes in dignity and peace.
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| Migration and Trade Learning Tour | 2/19/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- One of the men at the No Mas Muertas station on the Mexican side of the border at Nogales was replacing his shoelaces. I looked at the tennis shoes on the men who were in line to receive food, and most of them were without shoelaces. The border patrol removes the shoelaces of those who have tried to cross over the Mexican border so that it is harder for them to run away from the border patrol if they try again.
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| Displaced in the United States | 2/19/2008 | by Krista Zimmerman |
- In the United States, we often hear about displaced people in other countries. Most of us think less frequently about people who may be displaced within the United States, a relatively wealthy and stable country.
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| M.U.S.I.C.: Musicians Undermining Social Injustice Creatively | 2/19/2008 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- As one who has been an artist and a musician for many years, I have been inspired by musicians who have used their gifts to communicate messages of peace and social justice, as well as to support similar causes through their funds and public influence.
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| Preaching to the Choir? | 2/19/2008 | by Tom Beutel |
- Several nights ago I opened a seminar series at the Christian university where I teach with a presentation on Christian pacifism. The seminar series, which runs through the spring semester, will focus on the Christian's position on issues of war and peace. The object of my presentation was to present the case for pacifism and peacemaking based primarily on Jesus' teachings of nonviolent resistance and love of enemies.
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| Epiphany: But Where is God? | 12/18/2007 | by June Mears Driedger |
- Wise women and men searching for God today need to bear the frankincense that leads them into prayer, that says, I don't know it all, I'm open to God's unknown future, to what God may do next, not just what God has done already.
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| Is there room for justice in Advent? | 11/20/2007 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- What might be different if when we begin planning for Advent and Christmas, our personal and congregational questions like, "How will I choose to be an angel, proclaiming peace to all, this year?"
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| Preparing for Advent | 11/20/2007 | by June Mears Driedger |
- As Christians, we place our hope in the fact that God is a God of peace, of justice, of love and of grace. Our hope is grounded by the transformation around us and in us that causes to grow us into a deeper experience and relationship with God.
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| Walking and Chewing Gum at the Same Time | 10/16/2007 | by Tom Beutel |
- Each of us must decide, thoughtfully and prayerfully, how best to be engaged in the political life of our country. As followers of Christ we must find ways to work within the culture, including political means when appropriate, to bring relief to those who suffer.
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| Life's no mystery | 9/18/2007 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- We rarely expect good from people who have committed horrible acts. We prefer to lock them away with little chance at true rehabilitation.
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| Fifty-cent folk | 9/18/2007 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- As we pass our offering bags on Sunday morning, my congregation now also passes globe banks, with a note saying, "doing our part to cut world hunger in half by 2015."
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| Youth Voices: Peace, Justice and Politics | 9/18/2007 | by Theo Sitther |
- The Mennonite Central Committee's Washington office is seeking essay submissions from youth on issues confronting Christians in the U.S. and around the world.
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| Fair Trade: A Matter of Peace and Justice | 9/18/2007 | by Tom Beutel |
- The issue of fair trade can be complex and confusing; however, one way to simplify the issue is to "count the cost."
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| Safety for all | 4/13/2007 | by Jodi Read |
- Safety for all: Jodi ReadAssociate for Migration and PeacebuildingWest Coast Mennonite Central Committee
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| Action Planning with Immigrant Families Affected by an Immigration Raid | 4/13/2007 | by Gilberto Pérez Jr. |
- Action Planning with Immigrant Families Affected by an Immigration Raid, Gilberto Pérez Jr., MSW, ACSW, Bienvenido Program Director, Northeastern Center, Inc.
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| For Further Action, Study and Reflection | 10/7/2006 | by Tim Sidel |
- Suggestions for further action, study and reflection to enhance the Advent Advocacy 2006 materials.
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| Action responses on the anniversary of September 11, 2001 | 8/13/2006 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Many people re-examined their lives and made huge commitments and changes after the horrors our nation suffered five years ago. Some protested against war. Some searched for the truth and told it publicly.
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| Peace Sunday 2006 | 6/20/2006 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- Resources are available for the focus on loving God and neighbor.
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| No longer afraid? | 5/16/2006 | by Max Ediger |
- Can we break down the walls rising between the U.S. and the rest of the world?
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| Intentional peacemaking: Welcoming strangers | 5/16/2006 | by Tom Beutel |
- When we limit the idea of peace we unwittingly gut the Gosepl of its very heart.
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| U.S. healthcare: A need for change | 5/16/2006 | by Glen E. Miller |
- On the issue of healthcare we must be people of compassion responding to people in need.
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| Interceding for the impossible | 5/16/2006 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- A look at prayer needs through the eyes of Christian Peacemaker Teams.
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| Evangelical Church Leaders pledge action for peace in Colombia | 4/24/2006 | by Janna Hunter-Bowman |
- Evangelical church leaders in Colombia have pledged to redouble their efforts to help bring an end to the country's brutal conflict, and they have appealed to all Colombians to "devote ourselves to serving our neighbour, even if that neighbour is an enemy."
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| Preaching peace can get you killed | 4/24/2006 | by Lora Steiner |
- On March 2, Oscar Muñoz Perez, pastor of the Colombian Christian Missionary and Alliance Church in Buenaventura, Colombia, was shot and killed by armed men. Witnesses identified the men as a part of the paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC).
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| Invitation from JustaPaz | 4/24/2006 | by Janna Hunter-Bowman |
- For me it was noteworthy that all speakers, everyone from the Mennonites and other Protestant denominations with more defined theologies to more independent evangelical and Pentecostal churches, consistently and without exception spoke of nonviolence as the only option.
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| Letter from Roy Williams, moderator, Mennonite Church USA | 3/16/2006 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Letter from Roy Williams, moderator, Mennonite Church USA about immigration
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| Los latinos anabaptistas y su relación con el gobierno estadounidense | 2/15/2006 | by Jorge Vielman |
- Nosotros los latinos somos mayoría entre las razas minoritarias de los Estados Unidos. Explicaré las tres áreas en las que los latinos están más relacionados con el gobierno del país: la militar, la migratoria y la económica.
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| Stories about Mennonites and Muslims in the US | 1/30/2006 | by Jason Shenk |
- Expanding on “Relationships between Mennonites and Muslims in the United States” from “Faith, War, and Government,” these stories present a closer look at the process and details involved when Mennonites and Muslims build relationships together. Contact information is provided at the end of each story so that interested readers can get in touch with those involved for further information or consultation. The accounts are presented with the hope that we may learn from one another, sparking new relationships that enliven and enrich both traditions.
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| Trends and Lessons from the Stories of Mennonites and Muslims | 1/30/2006 | by Jason Shenk |
- When transcribing the interviews that comprised my research, I noticed a number of significant trends and lessons that seemed to be helpful for thinking about building relationships in the context of Mennonites and Muslims.
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| Advocacy Case Studies | 1/30/2006 | by J. Daryl Byler |
- Three case studies in advocacy: Just the fax (Iraq), For such a time as this (Colombia), Bridges not walls (Israel-Palestine)
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| Lessons from the Freedom Movement: One African-American Mennonite's view of peace in relationship to life and government | 1/30/2006 | by Kenneth Thompson |
- Lessons from the Freedom Movement: One African-American Mennonite's view of peace in relationship to life and government
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| Faith, war and government (PDF) | 1/24/2006 | |
- A Mennonite Church USA study resource for congregations in response to delegate discussion and action at the Charlotte (NC) 2005 Delegate Assembly about relationship to government and the war in Iraq Published December 2005.
(548K .PDF)
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| Can’t Keep Quiet About Peace! | 6/21/2005 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- Christian peacemakers need to gather with others occasionally, and there’s a great opportunity for Mennonites and friends in Charlotte this July.
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| Susan Mark Landis's Speaker Summary | 4/14/2005 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Susan Mark Landis's speaker summary for April 2005 Call-In event.
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| Daryl Byler's Speaker Summary | 4/14/2005 | by Daryl Byler |
- Daryl Byler's speaker summary for April 2005 Call-In event.
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| David B. Miller's Speaker Summary | 4/14/2005 | by David B. Miller |
- David B. Miller's speaker summary for April 2005 Call-In event.
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| Jim Schrag's Speaker Summary | 4/14/2005 | by Jim Schrag |
- Jim Schrag's speaker summary for April 2005 Call-In event.
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| Pearl Hoover's Speaker Summary | 4/14/2005 | by Pearl Hoover |
- Pearl Hoover's speaker summary for April 2005 Call-In event.
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| Why Mennonites are so quiet about the war? | 3/9/2005 | by John D.Yoder |
- I see this as two questions: Why is corporate church quiet and why am I, as a member of the church, quiet about the war?
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| Steven Rupholdt - letter to the editor | 3/9/2005 | by Steven Rupholdt |
- As a native of Goshen, I'm proud and surprised the the only protest of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan can be found weekly on a street corner in Goshen.
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| Divided red and blue in the pew | 11/16/2004 | by Karl S. Shelly |
- When we take our cues from the world rather than the Word, we won't even listen to our enemies, much less love them.
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| Adopt a class! | 8/18/2004 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- The military has a regular presence in the public schools through recruiters and ROTC. Peacemakers have some options for offering an alternative.
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| Slaughter of the innocents | 6/16/2004 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- Jesus’ life began and ended with the slaughter of innocents, and his followers are called to oppose shedding innocent blood.
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| Avoiding sectarianism | 6/16/2004 | by Myron S. Augsburger |
- Mennonites must be careful, in presenting the gospel of peace, not to separate social value from the core of the gospel, which is Christ.
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| No more deaths | 6/16/2004 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Too many people are dying while trying to cross the desert border country between the United States and Mexico. Here are some ways to become involved in stopping the tragedy.
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| Witness for peace | 6/16/2004 | by Melanie Zuercher |
- Stan Bohn of Newton, Kan., has “followed Jesus” for most of his life by diverting his federal taxes and generally getting in trouble.
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| I hate democracy | 6/16/2004 | by Max Ediger |
- What kind of “beacon of democracy” is the United States shining on young people around the world who look for an example of justice and often find only arrogance and indifference?
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| Stories from congregations | 3/17/2004 | |
- One congregation tries to help its children learn "peace as a lifestyle" with the help of Peace Bears and posters to color. A group of Mennonites in California comes together across ideological lines after the tragedy of 9-11.
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| Why can't we all just get along? | 3/17/2004 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Susan Mark Landis reminds us that self-described "evangelical" and "liberal" Christians need each other because "our witness to the world is our love for each other," and though we are all sometimes wrong, we are also all Christ’s.
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| The Cross of Nonviolence | 2/20/2004 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- During the celebration of Lent Christian peacemakers will again be confronted with the paradox of God's salvation for the world coming to us by means of an extreme act of human violence. To put the question this teaching raises for peacemakers straightforward: Was the violence of the cross necessary for human salvation?
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| Second Mile: A 'peace journey for congregations' | 1/15/2004 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- Peace is a journey that follows many roads, a journey we take both individually and collectively. For those who want to help move their local congregation further down its own road toward peace, Second Mile can be an important resource.
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| Stories from congregations | 1/15/2004 | by Melanie Zuercher |
- In the fall of 2002, members of a study group at First Mennonite Church in Reedley, Calif. realized they had "stepped over the line" that separates active and passive involvement in social issues.
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| Christmas Greetings from Susan | 12/18/2003 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Each holiday season when I receive cards, I yearn to send notes to all the people-you! who have generously supported our work the past year.
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| Sustaining the Spirituality of Peacemaking | 10/14/2003 | by John K. Stoner |
- How do we sustain the spirit of resistance to oppression and engagement in peacemaking over the long haul?
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| Pan Y Paz: Biblical Study of the 2002 Declaration | 9/15/2003 | by Pan y Paz |
- Biblical Study of the Declaration On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Peace, September 21st
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| Pan Y Paz: Letter to Church Leaders in the US | 9/15/2003 | by Pan y Paz |
- We invite you to choose from this list of ideas to use in programming an event in commemoration of the UN International Day of Peace, September 21.
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| Pan Y Paz: Readings for sharing bread | 9/15/2003 | by Pan y Paz |
- Bible readings and commentary
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| Pan Y Paz: Letter to armed actors to be published in Colombian Newspapers | 9/15/2003 | by Pan y Paz |
- On the occasion of the International Day of Peace and Cease Fire proclaimed by the United Nations for the 21st of September, we respectfully request that all armed actors observe a cease fire for 24 hours on the 21st of September.
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| Pan Y Paz: Declaration of Nonviolence | 9/15/2003 | by Pan y Paz |
- On the occasion of the 21st of September, 2003, The International Day of Peace and Nonviolence declared by the United Nations, we invite our fellow humans to commit themselves to nonviolence in all their relationships:
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| Indonesian translation of the Atlanta 2003 Churchwide Immigration Statement | 6/25/2003 | by Gereja Kristen Injili |
- translated by Frederik Jan Kouttjie, pastor of Gereja Kristen Injili Indonesia Zion and member of the Pastoral Leadership Committee of the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference
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| Speaking Our Peace | 4/18/2003 | |
- Been wondering how to better communicate your ideas about peace to those who don't agree with you? These workshop handouts give you basic ideas and a procedure to think through.
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| What If Every Church Had Been A Peace Church? | 4/2/2003 | by Dick Davis |
- Let's review the last 1700 years of Christianity through the honest and uncensored lens of an academic historian. The history of the Christian church reads like a litany of horror and cruelty that has been perpetrated, with the blessings of the church, upon the peoples of the world.
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| Suggestions for writing statements from your congregation or conference | 3/27/2003 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Congregations, conferences, schools, and other institutions choose to write statements to remind constituents of beliefs and/or to speak prophetically, both to constituents and to the community beyond. Here are some suggestions to help you write a statement.
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| What Do We Say to the Kids? Talking about Violence and War | 3/24/2003 | by Anne Meyer Byler |
- From September 11, 2001 on, many parents have wrestled with how to talk to their children about the horror and uncertainty that came so close to home. What about the U.S.'s all-out military response, first in Afghanistan and now in Iraq? How do we share our beliefs about following Jesus, the nonviolent reconciler, in times like these?
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| Letter to congregations from Jim Schrag, Executive Director | 3/20/2003 | by Jim Schrag |
- Our country is officially at war with Iraq. What is our call from God during this time?
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| Resources for Worship March 30, 2003 | 3/20/2003 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Worship Resources and Ideas for the Sunday following the March 2003 attack on Iraq.
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| Ten possible congregational and personal responses in the face of war | 3/20/2003 | by J. Daryl Byler |
- Ten possible congregational and personal responses in the face of war
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| Messages from Mennonite leaders: God's people have hope | 3/19/2003 | by MC USA Leaders |
- A collection of messages from Mennonite Church USA leaders giving comfort on the brink of war.
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| Soul's Anguish | 2/22/2003 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- For everything there is a season, and we must not rush through our need to grieve the world's ills. The agony of our souls cannot be ignored if we are to be full and compassionate human beings. God speaks to us through deep sorrow and we must take the time to listen.
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| Conscription, Faith, and Youth | 2/22/2003 | by Titus Peachey |
- Are you Ready? Whenever the United States threatens or begins military action, this question usually arises. Will there be a draft?
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| Talking your faith with others | 2/6/2003 | by Many Great Minds |
- Many people of faith who stand against a war with Iraq have viewpoints the media want to hear and need to heed. Here are hints for effective communication.
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| Mennonite Responses to Terrorism and Possible War with Iraq | 2/6/2003 | |
- Mennonite Church USA disseminated information and ideas for nonviolent alternatives to the war on terrorism in 2002 in these ways...
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| Pressing Questions (about Iraq) | 1/16/2003 | by J. Daryl Byler |
- Still, there are many in the pews - both those who oppose and those who quietly support war - who are haunted by pressing questions as the Iraq crisis seems to be coming to a head. Here are some of the questions I hear:
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| Women's Fast for Peace | 1/16/2003 | by Larry Guengerich |
- As the threat of a U.S. invasion of Iraq escalates, Mennonite Central Committee invites women of faith to participate in a fast for peace.
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| Advent Letter from Christian workers in Palestine/Israel | 12/14/2002 | by Sonia and Alain Epp Weaver |
- An Advent letter from international Christian workers in Palestine/Israel, signed by Sonia and Alain Epp Weaver, among others.
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| Christmas peace and justice messages for Bethlehem | 12/3/2002 | by Pax Christi |
- Send your Christmas wishes and prayers to Bethlehem.
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| Additional Action Ideas for Iraq | 10/16/2002 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Several additional ways you can support Pease with Iraq.
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| Letter from Jim Schrag to Mennonites | 10/16/2002 | by Jim Schrag |
- I invite you to designate Peace Sunday, November 10, 2002, as a time for congregational discernment.
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| The Discipline of Fasting | 10/15/2002 | by CPT |
- Description, Meditations and Guide to fasting.
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| Costly War | 10/15/2002 | by J. Daryl Byler |
- Lost in the build-up for this war has been any serious admission by the Bush administration of the short- and long-term consequences of an unprovoked, preemptive U.S. attack on Iraq.
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| Conscription, Faith, and Youth | 9/17/2002 | by Titus Peachey |
- Are you Ready? Whenever the United States threatens or begins military action, this question usually arises. Will there be a draft?
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| Creating Publicity materials | 7/1/2002 | |
- Suggestions on making Signs, Banners, Leaflets and Props for a Nonviolent public action.
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| Elements of a Nonviolent Action Campaign | 7/1/2002 | |
- This is a list of possible steps for planning a Nonviolent Action Campaign.
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| Preparing for a public prayer service | 7/1/2002 | |
- If you've not planned a public witness before, especially if you're working on a volatile topic or anticipating police involvement, here is some help
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| Talking Points for Letters to Government Officials about Iraq | 6/19/2002 | by Daryl Byler |
- Advocacy message: The way of war is not the path to peace.
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| A New Psalm 46 | 6/17/2002 | by Leo Hartshorn |
- We need not be afraid, though oil spills blacken the seas and volcanoes spit ash into the skies, ... God is our everpresent help. God is our refuge and our strength.
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| Sanctuary of Peace | 1/1/2002 | by Justapaz |
- This call to be a seedbed for a Christian alternative to the violence in our country implies presenting Jesus as the mediator of a new pact among Colombian men and women, and from there to develop and offer as a service the gifts, talents and ministries that we have inherited from our forebears in the faith.
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: The peace vision of the Old Testament | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #1: The deepest, underlying point to the whole story told in the Old Testament is God's mercy and love.
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Hope for the Lamb's triumph | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #7: How does John's social criticism challenge congregations today?
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Pacifism is a faith conviction | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #8: Is pacifism an "absolute" for Christians?
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Ancient Israel's power politics | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #2: Even the greatest of the kings, David, acts with profound violence
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| Colombia Resolution, Followup Resources (PDF) | 11/1/2001 | by Susan Mark Landis |
(120K .PDF)
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Enemy love | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #5: A person who is clear about what love of enemy means probably has gained such clarity due to a fundamental faith commitment, not primarily due to rational argumentation.
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| Understanding our faith: bulletin inserts to read and share | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- These inserts can be mailed to college students and members of the military who are asking questions, used for Sunday school discussions or as background for sermons.
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Nine Modest Proposals | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #9: Nine Modest Proposals for Mennonites on the road toward peace
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Jesus and the peaceable kingdom | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #4: Who do we say that Jesus is? What do we believe about Jesus Christ?
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Prophetic Faith | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #3: Godly justice has to do with loving enemies, refusing to fight back, rejecting the desire to punish and coerce.
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| The Bible Teaches Peace: Paul, The transformation of a violent man | 11/1/2001 | by Ted Grimsrud |
- Bible Study #6: Paul remained intensely committed to serve God, but realized that the service God desires is to unconditionally love others, not to seek to do them harm when they offend his belief system
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| God is with us: Reflections for Children's time | 9/11/2001 | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Suggestions on how to talk to children after Terrorist attacks.
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| PeacemakerGuidelines | 11/18/2000 | by SOA Watch |
- Roles, guidelines, and suggestions for people performing the peacemaker role at a public action or prayer service.
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| Faith and Politics | | |
- The Bible contains contrasting images of government. One image highlights government's potential, the other its pitfalls.
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| Christlike contacts with governing authorities | | |
- God uses people of faith to confront and call authorities to fulfill their intended purpose. Here's help for your work.
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| The Reason for our Advocacy | | by Martin Shupack |
- By raising our voices on behalf of those who are struggling to overcome poverty, oppression and violence, advocacy responds faithfully to Jesus' command to "love our neighbors as ourselves."
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| Brochure: What Can One Congregation do for Peace? Spanish Version (PDF) | | by Susan Mark Landis |
- No guardes la vision para la paz de Dios para ti unicamente, compartela con tu comunidad. Una congregacion puede hacer mucho por la paz:
(64K .PDF)
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| Brochure: What Can One Congregation do for Peace? (PDF) | | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Don’t keep God’s vision for peace to yourselves. Share it with your community. A congregation could. . .
(56K .PDF)
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| Brochure: What Can One Person do for Peace? (PDF) | | by Susan Mark Landis |
- Small acts of courage make a difference. Read Through the following list and choose one act of peace you will do this week.
(398K .PDF)
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