As is typical of most family get-togethers, the 80th convention of the Ontario Conference of MB Churches called attendees to “Remember, Reflect and Renew.” And like most family gatherings, the Feb. 18–19, 2011 meeting of leaders and 156 delegates at Waterloo MB Church included encouraging celebrations and tough conversations.
I’ve been hearing more and more people talk about “holidays with meaning.” It seems folks want to make a difference while travelling the world, so they use their time off…
I suppose it’s a matter of perspective. Take modern medicine for instance. The good news is that today’s medical sciences enable more and more Canadians to live longer, healthier lives.
Debate on legalizing euthanasia is on the table in Quebec, where the Federation of Medical Specialists supports changes to legislation. Meanwhile, government officials like Sharon Carstairs (Liberal senator for Manitoba), and health professionals like Dr. Edwin Hui (professor of clinical medical ethics at the University of Hong Kong and contributor to The Complete Guide to Everyday Christianity) insist good palliative care – which sees to the needs of patients and their families – effectively eliminates the need for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.
I confess: I’m mystified by some folks’ preoccupation with the “debate” about “evolution vs. creationism.” I’m puzzled by the notion that science and faith are at odds with each other. I’m troubled when people suggest that true Christian faith must include a belief in a six-day creation.
You never quite know what the effects will be of what you say or do or print. This was the case when we published a short reflection on the movie Creation. The questions posed in “A plea for understanding” (Crosscurrents, March 2010) precipitated a flood of letters. The responses from our readers centered on 2 sets of questions. First, what is the nature of science?
One of the best Christmas gifts I ever got was a passing comment from my dad. I was in my mid-teens, and I made some remark lamenting the increasing consumerism of the holidays, and how we ought to put the true meaning of the season back into our Christmas celebrations.
Twenty-two B.C. pastors, university chaplains, and campus workers gathered in Whistler, B.C., for a two-day retreat Oct. 28–29, to think, pray, and plan toward more effective engagement of college and university students.
The latest in a succession of provincial Mennonite Brethren discussions concerning the atonement took place at Gracepoint Community Church, Surrey, B.C., Nov. 3. Organized by the B.C. MB Conference’s Pastoral Ministries Committee, more than 200 B.C. pastors, leaders, and interested parties gathered in person and online for the daylong conversation.
The following is a conversation between MB Herald interim editor J Janzen and Canadian Mennonite University faculty Gerry Ediger (professor emeritus of Christian history) and Gordon Matties (associate professor of biblical studies & theology, and dean of humanities and sciences). Together, they challenge the idea that study is only for academics and explore what mindful discipleship might look like for the ordinary Christian.
Discipleship – striving to know and live like Jesus – has always been a priority for Mennonite Brethren. As the digest version of the MB Confession of Faith states, “We believe Jesus calls people who have experienced the new birth to follow him in a costly life of service to God. The power of the Holy Spirit transforms believers from the unrighteous pattern of the present age into a life of joyful obedience with God’s people.”
My oldest daughter is in Grade 1 this year. On the first day of school, my wife and I realized that we needed to teach Avry to tie her shoes. (Flip-flop-friendly B.C. weather and velcro made it easy to avoid that chore until now.)
The 90th convention of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches As MBs from around the world gathered in Metro Vancouver to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren church,…
A North American celebration of 150 years of the MB church At the winter Olympics earlier this year, the stylized image of an inukshuk was everywhere. Inuksuit, used by Inuit…
Every summer, my wife and I mark a variety of milestones. We commemorate good times and bad with friends and family: weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, the day my father-in-law passed away. By the end of August, we have prayed many blessings, eaten too much cake, blown out lots of candles, and expanded our photo album.