Peace to you
25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate,[i]the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to […]
The Mission of God and the Fullness of Faith: A Reflection on John 20:19-29
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." These words, from the resurrected Jesus to his disciples, have become the namesake of Sent, Mennonite Mission Network’s church planting and revitalization initiative. They also appear at the center of John 20:19-23, the theme text for Mennonite Church USA’s bi-annual convention in 2019. On a […]
10 texts that shape my view of mission
Titus Presler, a missionary theologian, has proffered a definition of mission as “ministry in the dimension of difference.” Since mission in the Christian sense pertains to the person of Christ, we might modify this definition of mission as the process of crossing barriers of human difference, whether of race, class, or religion, in witness to […]
Biblical Storytelling and questions for reflection
If you are looking for something beyond a traditional sermon, consider biblical storytelling with reflective questions. Dozens of congregations have chosen this in the past few years! For biblical storytelling, I learn the scripture from the NRSV by heart and then “tell” it. What often happens in biblical storytelling is that the scripture moves from […]
Mission in Conflict Zones
Anabaptists around the world are engaged in costly mission in conflict zones. Some of these Anabaptists face the threat of death, kidnapping, and rape. The articles in this issue of Anabaptist Witness show that many living and working in conflict zones find Anabaptist and Mennonite theology a helpful aide to their understanding and practice of […]
Full membership in Christ’s new humanity
As human beings, it is our natural tendency to classify and separate ourselves from those who are different from us. That classification and separation takes all forms: gender, age, race, ethnicity, education, socio-economic, religion … and the list goes on. These classifications can cause discomfort, fear, and even harm depending on one’s location and situation. […]
Seeking the Kingdom – Who is called?
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 […]
Mission and creation
In the midst of the ominous message that we are careening toward destruction, there are signs of hope everywhere in acts large and small that people are taking to mitigate the effects of climate change and restore damaged lands. Essays in this issue of Anabaptist Witness explore and propose some of these hopeful acts: community […]
God’s people in mission
This book has been possible thanks to the grace of God that has guided the writers to share gracefully their time, experience, knowledge, and wisdom for the benefit of God’s Kingdom and the communities of faith. We are offering this book as testimony of God’s grace, love, promises, and hope for us and the entire […]
Paths of love through diversity
As was his habit, Francisco scrolled through e-mails before calling it a day. Almost ready to go to sleep, he saw the invitation to serve from Mennonite Mission Network. "When I read the word ‘Spain,’ my heart started beating faster," he said. It had only been a few months prior that he had begun to […]
Pasadizos de amor en medio de la adversidad
De acuerdo a su rutina, Francisco le echó un vistazo a su correo electrónico antes de finalizar la jornada laboral. Estaba a punto de irse a dormir cuando vio la invitación a servir de la Red Menonita de Misión. "Cuando leí la palabra ‘España’, mi corazón comenzó a latir más fuerte," el dijo. No […]
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 […]