Ready, Set, NO
Churches and clergy aren’t allowed to endorse political candidates but we can advocate for issues. Last week the CMC Leadership Team affirmed Columbus Mennonite Church joining a sign-on campaign of organizations opposed to Issue 1. Ohio is terribly gerrymandered, giving the slight majority of Republicans across the state a…
Conference Season
It’s church conference season. This past weekend six of us headed up to Goshen, Indiana to represent CMC at the Central District Conference Annual Meeting. This coming Monday five adults and five youth will head out to Kansas City for the biennial Mennonite Church USA Convention (during which delegates will…
Pastorhood and Congregationhood
Thank you for the amazing gifts on Sunday celebrating ten years. I was quite unsuspecting. The cards were greatly appreciated and that artwork…Beautiful. For those of you who weren’t present or didn’t get a close look, here’s a picture of the 12 canvases from eight CMC artists, stories pieced together…
The Rainbow(s)
As far as I can tell, the origins of the rainbow pride flag have no connection to the biblical Noah story. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office, felt the gay community needed a symbol to rally around and asked his friend Gilbert Baker to design…
Pastorhood
This month marks ten years I’ve been at Columbus Mennonite. In a word, it’s been good, and I’m grateful to be thinking about more goodness ahead rather than looking for an exit ramp. Pastoring is many things, and I may take some liberties this month or even summer to reflect…
Word and Spirit
CMC is having a good book writing year. This past Sunday Katie Mast shared that she and Ivan have co-authored a book with their daughter Krista about the family’s journey with Krista’s schizophrenia. It’s rare enough for someone with this illness to be willing and able to write openly about…
Living a Vision
This evening is the annual Commission Workshop. This is when new and returning commission members, over 30 people, get together for a meal, get oriented to leadership and logistics, and have their first meeting of the commission year. CMC commissions are Christian Ed, Community Life, Facilities, Shepherding, Worship, plus Leadership…
Mennonites and Jews discussing Mennonites and Jews
Wednesday evening I got back from a three-day symposium titled “Jews and Mennonites: Reading the Bible After the Holocaust.” Much of the credit for this gathering goes to John Kampen who some of you know as the former Academic Dean of Bluffton University and Methodist Theological School in Ohio. John’s…
Three thoughts after BREAD Nehemiah Action
Last evening around 60 CMCers joined 1600+ folks at the BREAD Nehemiah Action at the Celeste Center. It’s the climax of BREAD’s annual cycle of organizing around solutions to problems facing folks in Franklin County. Here are three things I’m chewing on the morning after…. + One of the opening…
A message from Sudan
It’s good to have friendships across borders. It enlarges our world and personalizes distant places. In Christian language, it is the nature of the body of Christ to transgress boundaries of tribe and nation. In Christ we are one. I’d like to use this week’s midweek reflection to pass along…
