To flow again
“I am one with the source insofar as I act as a source, by making everything I have received flow again—just like Jesus.” -Raimon Panikkar, Christophany I love this line from today’s Inward/Outward Together daily quote. It fits well with our stewardship series. It’s a good image – to think of…
Hidden churches
First, a couple updates: 1) As of yesterday, the 24/7 vigil at the Bethel church in The Hague is no longer necessary. The Dutch ruling coalition has agreed to review hundreds of children’s asylum applications, including those of the Tamrazyan family who had been sheltered in the church. This is a powerful…
MLK Day 2019: Keeping vigil in The Haag
Austin McCabe Juhnke and I arrived in the Netherlands yesterday. We ended up leaving Columbus a day early to avoid airport weather delays. We are being hosted by a couple who attends the Mennonite church in The Haag. They live near the Bethel church which is hosting the round the clock…
Kerkasiel
Kerkasiel: a customary law in the Netherlands giving a congregation the right to receive refugees during a religious service within their building. A month ago a CMC member emailed me a story about a congregation in The Haag, Netherlands. Like us, they are hosting a person – or in…
Looking back at 2018
A new calendar year is underway. It’s a good time to look back on the previous year and give thanks for how the Spirit of love, grace, and justice has accompanied us along the way. It’s also a good time to change the hard-to-pronounce Phloem and Xylem blog title to…
A season of more
This morning I was listening to a podcast where the guest made an off-hand comment that drugs – and money, the host added – make people more extreme versions of themselves. Whether or not this is true for drugs and money, it seems to be true for the Christmas season….
Thomas Merton 50 years later
“The real function of discipline is not to provide us with maps but to sharpen our own sense of direction so that when we really get going we can travel without maps.” — Thomas Merton, “Renewal and Discipline” essay in book Contemplation in a World of Action I could have…
The 2nd and 2000th coming of Christ
“And may the Holy One make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our…
Journey Forward
This past decade has been a divisive time within Mennonite Church USA, the denomination of which we are a part. MC USA was a new thing in 2002, formed as a merger of two historically distinct Mennonite groups. Differences among congregations and conferences emerged, largely focused on affirmation (or not) of LGBTQ…
Justice is restorative
Congregations and pastors can’t endorse candidates, but we can promote ballot issues. I’m writing to express my strong support of Issue 1: The Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Amendment. One of the recent book studies during Adult Christian Education at CMC was Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. She…
