Mission and suffering
The contributors to this issue of Anabaptist Witness have strained to see God amid experiences of suffering in mission, and in doing so they point to the hope of resurrection life. Articles, poems, and artwork address missionary suffering, mission that responds to suffering, and mission that causes suffering. Specific topics treated include Ausbund hymns, Sufi […]
Love is a verb
The Mennonite Church USA Convention that recently met in Orlando, Florida, had as its theme “Love is a verb.” Some New Testament verses that capture well the sentiment expressed in that theme are found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I […]
God’s Country
With the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, […]
Make me an instrument of your peace
Munny’s* head hurt. The yelling. The screaming. In his small home, he couldn’t get away from it. Munny loved his parents, but hated when they argued. He wanted them to find better ways of resolving conflict. As in many cultures, “domestic violence is a real issue [in these communities],” said Samuel*, whose work in Southeast […]
Hazme un instrumento de tu paz
Munny* tiene dolor de cabeza. Los gritos. Los chillidos. En su pequeña casita, él no podía dejar de oírlos. Munny amaba a sus padres, pero odiaba escucharlos discutir. Quería que encontraran mejores maneras de entenderse. Así como en muchas culturas, “la violencia doméstica es algo muy común [en estas comunidades],” dijo Samuel* cuyo trabajo en […]
Cross Vision
The Old Testament God of wrath and violence versus the New Testament God of love and peace it’s a difference that has troubled Christians since the first century. Now, with the sensitivity of a pastor and the intellect of a theologian, Gregory A. Boyd proposes the "cruciform hermeneutic," a way to read the Old Testament […]
On the journey with God
November is mission month. Help us celebrate what God is doing in the world and how God calls us to share the good news with others. Here are some tools to plan a Mission Sunday celebration. Below, you’ll find a sermon starter, children’s story ideas, and worship songs and readings. We hope you’ll find them […]
For such a time as this
Perhaps you were born for such a time as this. —Esther 4:14 This passage from Esther comes to my mind lately as the Peace and Justice Support Network goes about its work of strengthening and supporting peace and justice across Mennonite Church USA. As upheavals in political, economic and social realms continue to reverberate, I […]
The “M” word
Be prepared, in this booklet, to take a journey. Your guide is Paula Killough, senior executive at Mennonite Mission Network, as she describes her changing understandings of God’s reconciling work in the world. “In 2006,” she writes, “the ‘M’ word—mission—was not a part of my vocabulary.” Mission, in her view at that time, was “the […]
When one part suffers
Why is racial justice vital to mission? Because God desires to restore community. “Diversity is a biblical imperative, not a political issue, or a human resource issue,” Leroy Barber said, as he described John’s vision in Revelation 7. “John looks out and sees every tribe, tongue and nation. For him to see that, there needed […]
Cuando un miembro sufre
“Por qué la justicia racial es un aspecto vital de la misión? Por el simple hecho de que Dios desea restaurar la comunidad. “La diversidad es un imperativo bíblico, no una cuestión política, o un problema para el departamento de recursos humanos,” dice Leroy Barber, al describir la visión de Juan en Apocalipsis 7. “Juan […]
Live Your Call
Is this what my life was meant to be? Caught up in the everyday realities of life? Are you left wondering how you fit into God’s larger mission? Live Your Call empowers and motivates women to name and share their gifts as they serve God. This twelve-session Bible study guides women toward the Spirit’s gentle nudging or […]