Transforming voicelessness into sharing voices together
Safwat Marzouk’s morning Bible study July 8 on the story of Joseph and his brothers makes me think of Voices Together. For years, planners and creators of the new Mennonite hymnal and worship resource listened to the stories, songs, and hearts of a diversity of people. This helped them to create a tapestry of narratives in […]
Entering the eye of the storm by touching the hem of his garment
Ana Hinojosa, speaker for evening worship July 8, shared how the storms of COVID-19 raged throughout her family, as her father almost died from virus complications. And yet, in a woman-touching-the-hem of Jesus experience (Mark 5), after seven days in the hospital with all his vital organs failing, he left the hospital and is alive […]
Pueblo MVS forges lifetime bonds
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — In the late 1960s, when Dick Lengacher served in Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) as a conscientious objector in Pueblo, Colorado, he discovered pacifism was not always popular beyond his Mennonite circle. For example, while serving on the geriatric floor of Parkview Hospital as his alternative to serving in Vietnam, […]
Naked and unashamed
Looking at the scriptures with an eye toward mission. Joe Sawatzky shares a Missional Meditation titled "Naked and unashamed." It is based on the Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday, July 11. Though they met hostility, David the king and John the baptizer were not ashamed of their devotion to God. Ephesians 1:3-14 2 Samuel 6:12-19 Mark 6:14-29 Psalm 24 Thank […]
Finding shalom with hunter-gatherers
CINCINATTI, Ohio (Mennonite Mission Network) – At the start of their seminar, ‘Changing the Narrative: Climate What?’ Jane and Jerrell Ross Richer passed out papers to each table with a single word printed on them. Environmentalist. Conservationist. Agriculturist. Hunter-gatherer. Then the questions started. What does your table’s word mean to you? What kind of response […]
Breathing in the expanse of God
I imagined the expansive prairie night sky as Dr. Meghan Good gave the sermon July 7. She opened her message on "Jesus is the Peace" by describing this: space is rapidly expanding as planets, galaxies and stars move away from each other faster than the speed of light. As a result, eventually, people standing in the […]
Lamenting, repenting, and naming
When was the last time you remember someone portraying God as a divine warrior who is like a woman giving birth to something new? Or, the last time you remember being encouraged to offer up your pain, rather than praise, to God in prayer? If you are anything like me, a pastor or speaker may […]
God delights in uncut stones
This blog post is adapted from a sermon Faith Bell gave at Fairhaven Mennonite Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she is a member. In the beginning, God created everything. When God created humans, God described this creation as very good. Despite God’s beautiful declaration of goodness, I have often considered being called human as […]
Hygiene kits help restore dignity to young women in Congo
The socioeconomic situation of our country, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is precarious. The unemployment rate is very high, and in many cases, a family can afford to send only one or two children to school at a time. Often, boys are selected first, which means girls are left at home. Many of these girls […]
Mission Network ministries address refugee needs
In a sad coincidence, Father’s Day and World Refugee Day fell on the same date this year, June 20. As we honored fathers and their role in building homes and structures to nurture their families, we also remembered those families who bravely struggle through the unimaginable forces that rip fathers from their loved ones. Mennonite […]
Sharing stories of healing, seminars of hope
Editor’s Note: Here is a roster of times and places where you will find the in-person and virtual seminars listed below. The first chapter of the Gospel of John warms our hearts with the reality of God’s incarnational embodiment in our world: "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" John 1:14 (NRSV). God […]
A dad gives and receives
Editor’s Note: Ken Regier, director of Program Human Resources for Mennonite Mission Network, was invited to write this personal reflection on Father’s Day. I began working for Mennonite Mission Network as a personnel counselor in 2002. In my role, I encouraged hundreds of young adults to consider taking time from their normal routines to serve others. Often, […]