The Messenger Vol. 52 No. 2 February 2014 by The Messenger

The Messenger Volume 52 No. 2 February 2014

Returning to the Practice of Confession page 6

INSIDE:

Can I give you a hug? page 8 The Gospel according to Moses page 10

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Editorials

The challenging figure of Jesus

istory’s most challenging figure is Jesus Christ. “All things have been committed to me by my Father,” Jesus said. “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). “What a majestic light it throws on Jesus’ estimate of His own person!” says Dr. A. M. Hunter. “He claims not only that He is the organ of God’s self-revelation, but that He alone knows God truly as Father and for that supreme knowledge all men must become debtors to him.” Hunter goes on: Jesus forgave sins—not only declared it, but did it (Mark 2:5). And he lists other challenging statements by Jesus. “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also

acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-9). Jesus said, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37-38; Luke 14:2627). “I came to cast fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49). “I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Hunter says, “These are amazing statements, to whose wonder only familiarity has dulled our ears; some of them remind us of detonating bombs.” He asks, “Who then is this who knows himself so sent, so authorised by God?” (The Work and Words of Jesus, SCM). – Terry M. Smith

A.M. Hunter: “These are amazing statements, to whose wonder only familiarity has dulled our ears.”

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Children, parents, and Jesus

hen children are dropped off at Sunday School, a parent, realizing it or not, is asking them to become familiar with the pivotal figure of human history: Jesus. Parents sometimes send their children to Sunday School to learn morals, including from the Sermon on the Mount. Yet, ironically, the Sermon contains an adult-sized challenge: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matt. 5:12). Jesus blessed children. He also upset religious and political leaders to where they killed him. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins, made unique claims, died horribly, and was raised from death. In the Sermon, Jesus also said, “Not everyone

2 The Messenger • February 2014

Jesus is equally concerned about parents and children. who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, when did we might prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:21-22). Jesus is delighted when children come to learn, but he is equally concerned about the parent who drops off a child and watches till they disappear behind the church door. – Terry M. Smith

Table of Contents Features

Columns

Returning to the Practice of Confession – Heidi Dirks

Can I give you a hug?

– Angeline Schellenberg

10 The Gospel according to Moses – Dr. Dan Block

Writings Shared

12 An Education App Looking at the Order of Service – Terry M. Smith

19 Been Thinking About A heart for Israel – Ward Parkinson

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23 Further In and Higher Up

Departments 2

Editorials

Pontius’ Puddle

14 With Our Missionaries 16 With Our Churches 20 News 24 In Memory 25 Shoulder Tapping

A lover’s chase – Layton Friesen

26 Here and Far Away Excellence in the presence of the King – Jocelyn R. Plett

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27 Stewardship Today Things I wish my Father had done – Mike Strathdee

28 Kids’ Corner

Make a List – Loreena Thiessen

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www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 3

The Messenger Volume 52 No. 2 February 2014

EDITOR TERRY M. SMITH

ASSISTANT EDITOR ANDREW WALKER

Submissions to The Messenger should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. The Messenger is the monthly publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. It is available to the general public. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcomed. Unpublished material is not returned except by request. Views and opinions of writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Conference or the editors. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement. The Messenger is published by the EMC Board of Church Ministries, 440 Main St, Steinbach, Man., and is a member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. Subscription rates 1 year $24 ($30 U.S., $45 foreign) 2 years $44 ($55 U.S., $85 foreign) 3 years $65 ($82 U.S., $125 foreign) Manitoba residents add 8% PST. Digital only subscriptions: $15 per year. Single copy price: $2 Subscriptions are voluntary and optional to people within or outside of the EMC. Subscriptions are purchased by the Conference for members and adherents. Change of address and subscriptions Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be addressed to: 440 Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: messenger@emconf.ca www.emconference.ca/messenger Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, Manitoba. ISSN: 0701-3299 Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40017362 We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities. Advertising The Messenger does not sell advertising, but provides free space (classified and display) to enhance our Conference, its churches, boards, and ministries; inter-Mennonite agencies and educational institutions; and the wider church. Ads and inquiries should be sent to messenger@emconf.ca. THE MESSENGER schedule: No. 05– May issue (copy due March 08)

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Notes Guidelines for letters

Letters published are generally to comment on issues raised in The Messenger. The magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, legality, and taste. Letters by regular mail and by fax must contain a handwritten signature with at least the writer’s first and last names and an address. For letters by e-mail, the writer’s

name and e-mail address are deemed to be an electronic signature. The writer’s regular postal address is to be included in e-mail correspondence. The writer’s name and general address are to be published. In sensitive matters, names may be withheld. Letters to the editor should be 250 words or less.

Columns • Writings Shared Revolutionary Christian Citizenship, John Howard Yoder (Herald Press, 2013). Edited by John Nugent, Andy Alexis Baker, and Branson L. Parker. 150 pp. $15.99. ISBN 9780836196887. Reviewed by Henry Friesen (The ConneXion), BA, MPhilF, BCM member. Revolutionary Christian Citizenship is another powerful new release of the writings of John Howard Yoder edited for today’s popular audience. RCC is vintage Yoder in its clarion call to following Jesus’ teachings in life, which is nothing less than a call to the kind of radical obedience that makes decisions based on what constitutes obedience, rather than settling for what we deem will yield acceptable results. In this volume Yoder addresses the inescapable political implications of the life and teachings of Jesus. How does the Christian relate to the state, and what is her responsibility to the state in terms of service, taxes, voting, and other questions of ultimate allegiance? Yoder cuts through many questions that pretend to be practical and reasonable, and yet ultimately distract us from simple obedience to the voice of our Master, without simplistic pretensions regarding the possible complexity of such obedience. Yoder’s unremitting emphasis on living in obedient truth is reflected in this quote: “Whatever our position is,

it is wrong unless it is an expression of the love of God. If trying to win an argument leads us to hate the arguer or if our debating is not reinforced by a loving life, then we have lost the truth, regardless of what happens in the debate. The final proof of our position is not that we can defend it but that, God helping, we can live it. As we do so, our lives will extend God’s love in the world by destroying the causes and healing the effects of sin” (113). It is his single-minded focus on learning from and following Jesus in daily life that makes this book highly recommended reading for all.

News

The EFC: Effective in Ottawa A half-century old, intervenes at SCC

Those who are prostituted are created in the image of God. They’re also looking for a way off the streets that will allow them to reclaim that image in their lives. That will require more than just a change in the criminal law. The EFC is considered a credible resource on the issues on which we comment because our engagement begins with biblical principles, then communicates the necessary social and statistical evidence required to support proposals for good public policy. In Dec. 2014, the EFC released a report and recommendations to the Government of Canada on the need for reform of Canada’s prostitution laws, Out of Business: Prostitution in Canada—Putting an End to Demand.

Within two weeks the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada’s prostitution laws, giving Parliament one year to reform them or lose them. The presentation in Out of Business is finding favour. It identifies that most being prostituted are not there Don Hutchinson willingly; and, their managers (pimps) and clients (johns) wield an abusive power that is both financial and physical. Those who are prostituted are created in the image of God. They’re also looking for a way off the streets that will allow them to reclaim that image in their lives. That will require more than just a change in the criminal law. It requires the engagement of Canadians, particularly the Church, in being the ambassadors of reconciliation and restoration the apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Cor. 5:20. To read more visit www.theEFC.ca/OutOfBusiness. The EFC has intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada 24 times. We have applied for our 25th. The Quebec government ordered a private Catholic high school to teach a course on religion and ethics from a non-Catholic, secular perspective. The EFC has gained a reputation as a defender of religious freedom, keeping churches open and securing space for Christian voices to be heard in the public square. We might not be Catholic, but we know if the government can tell Catholics to stop being Catholic for a few hours a week, it won’t be long before Evangelicals are told the same thing. We plan to be in the Supreme Court of Canada on March 24. Through prayer, you can be there too. – Don Hutchinson, EFC PHOTO: EFC

OTTAWA, Ont.—The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is, in 2014, celebrating 50 years of cooperation between Canadian evangelical Christians across dozens of denominations, each with their own theological traditions. The EFC’s Centre for Faith and Public Life (CFPL) was established in 1993 with the hiring of Bruce Clemenger, now president of the EFC since 2003. In 1996, the CFPL moved from Toronto to Ottawa. We’re just a few blocks away from Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada. Over the decades, the EFC has prepared discussion papers, positioning papers and Parliamentary and provincial legislature presentations on a number of issues including: abortion, education, the environment, gambling, poverty in Canada, global poverty, marriage and the family, religious discrimination, international religious persecution, pornography, prostitution and more. An article from Faith Today magazine (Jan./Feb. 2014) notes: “When Parliamentarians and committees seek you out, you know you have become an invaluable part of the process of enacting good law,” says Clemenger. He adds that staff have always built connections with Parliamentarians from various political parties as well as networks with other non-governmental organizations.

Don Hutchinson is vice president, general legal counsel with the EFC, and director of the Centre for Faith and Public Life.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 5

Returning to the Practice of Confession by Heidi Dirks

t can be uncomfortable, even terrifying, to share aspects of ourselves that are embarrassing or make us appear somehow inadequate. Whether it is sin, or something that is seen as inappropriate or undesirable, we tend to hide those parts of ourselves from others, preferring to put forward a face to the world that says we have life all figured out. While confessing our sins to God is necessary, we are also called to confess to each other. This requires vulnerability and trust, taking the risk of being hurt.

Why confess our sins to others?

In James 5:16 we are called to confess our sins to each other so that we may be healed, and we are reminded that the prayers of those who are living a righteous life are powerful. The Message says it this way: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

Confessing our sins is an important part of resisting shame.

In her book Girl Meets God, author Lauren Winner recounts her experience of seeking out a priest to hear her confession. After hearing her confession, the priest pronounces absolution, and reminds her that God has “put away all your sins.” We need others to proclaim

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God’s forgiveness and grace when we have lost sight of this promise under the burden of sin. Winner says that the reason for confession is not to be forgiven, but rather to be transformed. Dietrich Bonhoeffer has much to contribute to this topic in the context of Christian community. In his classic book Life Together, Bonhoeffer states that sin creates a barrier between us and our community, making it even more destructive in our lives. He says that sin needs to be “brought into the light” through confession to another Christian in order for it to lose its power. Once sin has been revealed and declared as sin, it is no longer a barrier to fellowship within the community.

Shame and vulnerability

Confessing our sins is an important part of resisting shame. Brené Brown has become well known for her research on the topics of shame and vulnerability. As a social work researcher, she sought to understand what shame is, how it is experienced, and the characteristics of people who were resilient to shame. Brown describes shame as the fear of losing connection with others because there is something wrong with us that makes us unworthy of being accepted. Shame, like sin, creates disconnection. Shame can be caused by sin, or believing we are inadequate in areas of our lives such as our job, physical appearance, or ability to live up to the expectations placed on us. Shame has many different origins.

We all experience shame. In order for us to combat shame, Brown argues that we need to be vulnerable. When we are vulnerable, experiencing emotional uncertainty, we are courageous enough to show who we really are. This is not easy, but it is necessary for connection with others. We need to push through the discomfort of vulnerability. Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness, but rather an expression of strength. When we are vulnerable, we often feel weak. However, when we see vulnerability in others, we generally admire them for their courage.

God’s promise of forgiveness

It is in Jesus’ death and resurrection that we are forgiven. We are promised that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and will forgive us (1 John 1:7-9). Proverbs 28:13 tells us that “whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Mercy and forgiveness of sins is not based on our actions, but on the work of Jesus. As Christians, we have the privilege of declaring this promise to those whose confessions we hear.

This is an important responsibility. Many of us have experienced the hurt of being vulnerable only to have our fear of disconnection come true. It is important to hold sensitive information in confidence, not sharing it with others unless there is an immediate concern for a person’s safety or you are required by law to do so. It certainly should not be used to spread gossip or exclude someone from a community.

To whom do we confess?

When seeking out someone to confess to, we are not limited to pastors, although they are certainly an important support available to us. Many pastors have specific theological train-

everyone in our lives will earn the right to hear our stories.

Use with caution

One caution that Bonhoeffer points out is the need to avoid having one person hearing everyone’s confessions. This person can easily become overwhelmed, making confession a meaningless routine, and potentially allowing the practice of confession to be used to spiritually dominate others. As well, he says we should only confess to someone who also confesses their sins to another Christian. Public confession is another practice that should be used with extreme caution. Bonhoeffer says that his statements apply only to

Brown says that we “share with people who’ve earned the right to hear [our] story.”Trust needs to be built in a relationship, giving us time to discover if this is a safe person with whom to be vulnerable. Not everyone in our lives will earn the right to hear our stories. ing, in addition to their experiences as a pastor and in their personal lives that enable them to walk with us as we make ourselves vulnerable through confession. Bonhoeffer says that we should confess to another Christian who understands the depth of their own sin and has accepted God’s forgiveness in their life. A person who is horrified by the extent of their own wickedness will not be horrified at the sin of a brother or sister in Christ. Brown says that we “share with people who’ve earned the right to hear [our] story.” Trust needs to be built in a relationship, giving us time to discover if this is a safe person with whom to be vulnerable. Not

confession between two people, arguing that a person does not have to confess to the entire community in order to restore the relationship with that community that was broken by sin. While public confessions may be appropriate in some cases, there can be great risk of harm to both the person confessing and those hearing the confession. A confession should not be demanded or coerced. Each of us needs the freedom to choose to confess, and choose who will hear that confession.

Seek wisdom from God

It is important that we seek God’s wisdom and guidance to know who is safe to confess to. We should also

Public confession is another practice that should be used with extreme caution.While public confessions may be appropriate in some cases, there can be great risk of harm to both the person confessing and those hearing the confession. be open to His leading, as God may use our vulnerability to strengthen relationships, or to show the other person they are not alone in their own sin. It is through confession that we are reminded that we are all sinners in need of God’s grace. Christian communities should be a place where God’s grace abounds. They become a safe place when those in it are safe, practicing confession and proclaiming God’s forgiveness in our lives. God can bring blessing and healing from our vulnerability in confessing our sins. It is a privilege to see God work in us and through us to bring His healing to our broken world.

Heidi Dirks (St. Vital), BA, BEd, is an MA student (counselling) at Providence Theological Seminary.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 7

PHOTO: TONY SCHELLENBERG

Jeannette Thiessen and Donovan Thiessen

Can I give you a hug? Including people with disabilities in the Church by Angeline Schellenberg

couple who’ve just learned their unborn child has Down’s Syndrome enter a church for the first time and are greeted warmly by a man with Down’s. He leads them to the visitor centre, and when they’ve mopped up their tears, they say, “God told us everything we needed to know through your greeter.” With one in seven Canadians having a disability, and one in 50 children being diagnosed with autism alone, individuals’ and caregivers’ need for support is great. Following Hope Centre Ministries’ IN 2013, a Winnipeg conference held on April 26-27, 2013, about fostering inclusion in the church, fellow parents and leaders shared their stories of hits and misses. (The event was endorsed by the EMC.)

Jeannette Thiessen’s story

“What meant a lot to me, when we came into McIvor Church for the first time, was seeing a banner of the world with people holding hands, and one had a wheelchair,” says Jeannette Thiessen, who was raised in the EMC. In Africa, her son Donovan, who was born with an unlisted genetic disorder, was included by the small 8 The Messenger • February 2014

group of missionary kids. When Donovan’s cancer (which put him in a wheelchair) forced the family to return to Canada for treatment, “People would say hi to us and our other kids, but not always to Donovan. It was as though he didn’t exist.” Despite youth pastor Denver Wilson’s best efforts, at youth events, “Donovan stayed on periphery. If youth group is going to work, kids with special needs need one-to-one mentoring.” “The piece that’s missing in many of our churches is awareness” from the front, says Jeannette, for example, of the fact that children with disabilities can’t be disciplined the same way. She applaud’s IN speaker Barbara Neuman’s story about a pastor’s response when a girl screamed during his message. He said, “I’d like to introduce you to a new family. Their daughter is sensitive to noises and the seams in her clothes, and sometimes gets so uncomfortable that she has to say something.” The next time the girl screamed, no one stared. Before Donovan attended Hope Centre’s Serve (a weeklong service opportunity for people with disabilities similar to MB Mission’s SOAR), Hope

Centre contacted Denver and asked him to commission Donovan. “After the commissioning service, so many people came to talk to Donovan!” says Jeannette. Jeannette and her husband Elmer “hope to create a safe place in our home for families”—not a “sob fest,” but a support group to talk about where God is, and how he sees their children, and to make a game plan for school, respite, employment, housing – and next steps. “If the child qualified for funding, they can stay in school till 21, but then what?” “I’ve never heard a faith story of someone parenting special needs. Why not share that story?” says Jeannette. Donovan—now 29, in remission, walking again, living on his own, and driving himself to his fulltime janitorial job—has his own story: when he had cancer, he heard Jesus say, “I’m not taking you to heaven now. I have you here for a purpose.” Part of that purpose is serving as an usher at McIvor; another is paving the way for others with special needs.

Brian Doerksen’s story

Worship singer/songwriter Brian Doerksen took the stage at Hope

PHOTO: TONY SCHELLENBERG

Brian Doerksen

Centre’s conference, not as a performer, but as a father. When Brian’s third child was three, Benjamin was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic condition causing a range of developmental delays. Brian and Joyce’s future children had a 50/50 chance of having it. “There’s a season where it settles into your soul. Then you realize: it means the rest of my life,” says Brian. September 1998, Brian felt a stirring: “Take a risk, now that you have all the genetic data, and have another child.” People angrily ask, “Why?” He has two reasons: to model to his daughters, who are carriers, to take the risk. And second: “We believed we’d have a child without Fragile X.” During Joyce’s pregnancy, Brian composed these lyrics, amid overwhelming fear: “I don’t know what tomorrow holds. Still I know I can trust your faithfulness.” “What people fasted and prayed with us for didn’t happen,” says Brian. He considered giving up his ministry to help raise two special needs sons, but “I sensed God wants me to keep going – a little more broken, a little more trusting.… A little later I had the picture of Joshua asking the people to choose, and the phrase ‘As for me and my house’ (Josh. 24:15). You don’t choose your household; you

take what God gives.” Isaiah, now 13, is a living love message from God. “When he wakes he’s on a single mission: to hug as many people as possible,” says Brain. Everywhere they go, Brian’s family of eight has to think “WWID”: “What would Isaiah do?” Will there be food that fits his dietary restrictions? Will there be sounds that overwhelm him? Brian doesn’t set out to write worship hits; these are his own “survival songs.” Even though his “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” and “Faithful One” are heard around the world, like other parents of children with disabilities, Brian’s heart’s cry is that the church would “truly see my children.”

Mary Reimer’s story

“I was overwhelmed and felt the need to apologize on behalf of the church,” says Faith Works pastor Mary Reimer about hearing parents’ roundtable stories at IN. “I saw how poorly equipped the churches are to enter their situation.” “I can’t imagine what it’s like for parents to navigate the turbulent water of disapproval with their kids,” she says. “We have no desire to hurt or be exclusive. We do it out of fear; rather than get it wrong, we do nothing, which hurts more than anything.” “People tend to back away from disruptive behaviour, and label the child as a nuisance instead of getting information,” says Mary. To combat this, she latched onto a tip from Neuman’s G.L.U.E. Training Manual workshop: rather than asking, “Does your child have ADHD?” ask, “Does your child have difficulties with reading, using scissors, staying focused?” Then visit each family and discuss “How can we make your child more successful and safe?”

What you can do:

● Speak positively about everyone, whether it’s your own child, your student, or the person in the next pew.

● Listen without giving advice. ● Bring a family dinner. Even a delivery pizza tastes like love. ● Invite someone with disabilities to come with you to their favourite shop, restaurant, or sports game. ● Use visuals in your class or service for people who have difficulty hearing, reading, processing, or sitting still. ● Help families form a support group. Offer space, promotion, material, budget, and encouragement. ● Create a culture that accepts outbursts of joy or pain. ● Have a toolbox of fidget toys (such as stress balls) available in classrooms and sanctuary. ● Appoint an inclusion coordinator for your church who is not a caregiver of a person with disabilities. This individual isn’t responsible for providing the hands-on support but ensuring no one falls through the cracks. ● Welcome families to speak from the pulpit, at a membership meeting, or in a Sunday school session about their diagnosis. Or invite a ministry like Hope Centre to do a needs evaluation or presentation in your church. ● Create a form for Sunday school students that focuses on needs and strengths, rather than labels: What does she like to do? How does she learn best? This article, shortened, is used with permission from the Mennonite Brethren Herald where it appeared in Oct. 2013. Editor’s note: IN2014 is in Winnipeg on April 25-26, 2014, at Covenant Christian Reformed Church (Friday and Saturday nights) and McIvor Ave. MB Church (Saturday during the day). IN is short for Include, Invite, Inform, Inspire. The EMC has endorsed the event.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 9

The Gospel according to Moses: a fresh look at Deuteronomy by Dr. Daniel I. Block

nabaptists are deeply indebted to the Reformers for their rediscovery of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ

alone. However, Luther’s close identification of Old Testament expressions of faith with legalism and the works righteousness that he found in the Roman Catholic Church of his day blinded him (and many evangelicals since his day) to the pervasive grace that drives the revelation of God as found in the Hebrew Bible. The key to rediscovering that grace in our day is to return to the Book of Deuteronomy, Jesus’ favourite biblical book. Most Christians think of Deuteronomy as a book of law, which is not too surprising since (1) the name means “second law,” (2) the book repeats the Decalogue (Ten Commands, Deut 5:6-21), and (3) it actually reiterates many laws found in Exodus and Leviticus.

No mere book of law

In its homiletical and pastoral style and tone, Deuteronomy bears a far closer resemblance to the Gospel of John or Paul’s epistle to the Romans than to Hammurabi’s Law Code.

An appeal to grace

Cast as a collection of Moses’ farewell sermons to his congregation, the book represents an impassioned appeal to believers of all ages not to forget that they are entirely the product of divine grace, and to respond to that grace with joyful obedience to the divine Redeemer and demonstrated love and grace in their relationships to others. At the heart of Moses’ gospel is the notion of love. But Moses’ understanding of “love” is quite different from that of our contemporary culture, which often views love primarily as a feeling of warmth toward someone, if not a romantic passion. In Deuteronomy—as in the Bible generally—love is not fundamentally an emotional term. Rather the Hebrew word ’āhab, “love,” may be defined as “covenant commitment demonstrated in actions in the interest of the other person.” This is what God has demonstrated toward Israel (5:10; 7:7, 9, 12, 13; 10:15), and this is how he expects his redeemed people to respond to him (6:4-5; 10:12-13; 11:1, 13; 13:3; 30:6), and to each other, even the alien (10:19).

Until and unless Christians rediscover the grace of God in Deuteronomy, the entire Old Testament will remain largely a dead book to the Church.

However, to dismiss Deuteronomy as essentially a book of laws not only obscures its true character and function, but also blinds us to the life-promising and life-giving message to be found in it. Moses’ role in the book was not that of a lawgiver—he had no authority to legislate. The only professional designation applied to him is that of “prophet” (nābî’; 18:15; 34:10), a role that is reinforced by the epithet, “man of God” in 33:1. Although we usually think of prophets as foretelling the future or forth-telling oracles, in this book Moses’ exercises his prophetic role as Israel’s pastor (cf. Num. 27:17). Not only does the book preserve a record of Moses the pastor delivering his farewell pastoral addresses to his congregation (like Jesus in John 13-17 and Paul before the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17-38); it is also exhibits the structure of a lengthy worship service, consisting of three pastoral addresses (1:5-4:10; 5:1-26:19 and 28:1-68; 29:2-30:20), a hymn of application summarizing his preaching in poetic form (31:19-22, 30; 32:1-47), and a closing benediction for each of the tribes, concluding with a climactic blessing for the people as a whole (33:1-29). After this he exits the stage. All that remains is for a narrator to attach a summary account of his death and burial (34:1-8) and his own eulogy for the man (vv. 9-12). 10 The Messenger • February 2014

The grace of demonstrated actions

When we examine the book of Deuteronomy to see how God (YHWH) has demonstrated that love to Israel we discover a brilliant and multi-dimensional gospel of grace that consists not of empty words, but of demonstrated actions in Israel’s interest. First, the God of Israel has graciously redeemed his undeserving people from slavery in Egypt. The Decalogue, the foundational covenant document opens with an announcement of God’s saving grace: “I am YHWH your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the slave house” (5:6). Throughout the book Moses celebrates this grace with reminders of God’s saving actions (4:32-40; 6:21-24; 26:18). And in his ethical commands he repeatedly appeals to Israel’s bondage as motivation for charity to others.

Israelites are not to treat one another like Pharaoh treated them; rather they are to exhibit the same redeeming grace that God showed to them (6:13-14; 10:17-19). Second, God has demonstrated his love for Israel by graciously calling this redeemed people to covenant relationship with himself. The entire book of Deuteronomy exhibits a covenantal flavour, as Moses leads this generation of Israelites in a series of renewal rituals binding them to God and God to them before they cross the Jordan. This privileged covenantal relationship is expressed in a series of epithets by which Israel is identified: they are “the people of/belonging to YHWH” (9:12, 26, 29; 21:8, 26:15; 27:9; 29:13, 32:9, 36); YHWH’s “sons” (1:31; 14:1; cf. 32:6); “a consecrated people belonging to YHWH” (7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19); YHWH’s “treasured possession” (7:6; 14:2; 26:18). Third, God has revealed his will to his people, a revelation that is the envy of the nations and that they recognize as uniquely righteous (4:5-8). Given Paul’s apparently negative views of the law in his responses to the Judaizers in the epistles to the Galatians and the Romans, and the fundamental contrast that Luther drew between the law of the old covenant and the grace of the new, it is difficult for many evangelical Christians to view Israel’s law as a grace. Rather we tend to look upon it as a burden from which they needed deliverance—despite the psalmist’s celebration of the grace and life-giving effects of the law (Psalm 119).

Jesus is the God who had mercifully redeemed Israel, called her to covenant relationship with himself, and commissioned her to be his agents of grace.

The grace of law

Moses’ clearest exposition of “the grace of law” occurs in 6:20-25, where, in response to a young boy’s question, he declares that the will of God revealed in the statutes, judgments, and stipulations of the covenant represents a climactic symbol of divine grace, alongside Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the gift of the land of Canaan. Unlike the peoples around Israel, his covenant people had no need to guess concerning the boundaries between sinful and righteous behaviour, nor the appropriate response to sin when they commit it. On the contrary, having redeemed Israel, in his grace God revealed in unequivocal terms what an appropriate “Thank you” for redemption and petition for forgiveness might look like.

Viewed in these terms, with the psalmist we agree that the more detailed the revelation of the law, the greater the grace. Until and unless Christians rediscover the grace of God in Deuteronomy, the entire Old Testament will remain largely a dead book to the Church. Our use of it will be limited to moralistic readings of the narratives and trite christologizing of Israelite characters.

Jesus is YHWH incarnate

However, we must remember that Jesus Christ is YHWH incarnate. He is the God who had mercifully redeemed Israel, called her to covenant relationship with himself, and commissioned her to be his agents of grace. This same God has graciously redeemed us from sin, made us his covenant people, and commissioned us to be his agents of blessing to the whole world. Unless we understand the way grace worked in the Old Testament our understanding of its working in the Church will be incomplete, truncated, and skewed. Dan Block, PhD, is Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, where he has been on faculty since 2005. At SBC’s Leadership Conference on April 4-5, he will speak on “The Gospel according to Moses: Rediscovering the Old Testament.”

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE APRIL 4-5, 2014

The Gospel according to

MOSES

Rediscovering the Gospel in the Old Testament with

Dan Block

Visit www.SBCollege.ca for more info

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 11

Columns • An Education App

Looking at the Order of Service

ow well does this Order of Service match your church’s worship pattern?

by Terry M. Smith

Hymns/Songs Prayer Welcome and announcements Offering Scripture Sermon Song/Hymn Dismissal/Benediction This has been called the “revivalist” format (Don P. Hustad) because it focuses on the sermon and the personal response that is to follow. Without time for collective responses after the message, “people are given the impression that the Christian faith is nothing more than listening to a sermon and then going home to lunch,” say Robert Wilson and William Willimon, Methodists and professors at Duke University. While their comment risks appearing flippant, late placement of the sermon does reduce what collective responses are possible in a service after the message. Wilson and Willimon encourage such later elements as an “affirmation of faith (Creed), offering, altar call, or prayer.” Our individual EMC churches use the orders of service that they do because they work. On various levels, they meet needs and are effective. However, opting for a revivalist format can miss rich elements or acts of worship: collective use of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, confession and assurance of pardon, and more. Various Orders of Service can express evangelical convictions. Let’s continue to reflect on the Orders of Service we use and why. In fact, explaining to a congregation why a particular order of service is used can be educational in itself.

Churches use the liturgies they do because they work, yet they need to be used more consciously as a way of educating.

12 The Messenger • February 2014

Local churches often assume their liturgy. A small illustration: as a person privileged to be a guest preacher in 46 of our churches, it is interesting to observe how many details worship leaders assume. For instance, does the speaker read the Scriptures before for the message or does someone else? Does a worship leader pray for the speaker or the speaker pray before the message? After the message, is there a closing song? Is there a benediction? If so, who does it? Does the speaker stay in the sanctuary or go to the back to greet people? None of these are wrong. What these options illustrate is how EMC churches can vary in their liturgy and assume other will follow along. However, to help new people feel at home in the congregation, teach the meaning of what we do together. A couple of other worship tidbits. First, “Why should evangelicals who know the personal, loving ‘God who is there’ be behind liberal churches when it comes to Scripture reading and worldview praying each Sunday morning?” asks Hugh Mclaren in a ChristianWeek article. Second, when someone is asked to represent, or lead, the congregation in prayer, it is fitting to use “we pray” language rather than “I pray.”

Order of Service used by Fort Garry EMC

Prelude Call to Worship (a Psalm or prayer) Congregational Singing (three songs) Reading of Scripture Prayer of Confession Congregational Singing (two songs) Reading of Scripture Sermon Congregational Singing (two songs) Communion (third Sunday of month) Pastoral Prayer Offering and Offertory Doxology

With Our Missionaries

English Please! If Only . . . ASIA The Sovereign Judge takes His seat on His royal throne. Before Him are gathered the churches he has summoned—the English-speaking churches of the world. They’ve come with binders, PowerPoint presentations, and exhibits to show the projects they have been involved in in “making disciples of all nations.” After the lengthy “show and tell” session has gone on for some time the Judge points at a large map of the world and gravely asks: “What about North Korea, Tibet, Laos, Bhutan, Bahrain, Vietnam, Morocco, Myanmar, and Uzbekistan? I have heard only scant reference to these places.“ “But these places are closed to foreign Christian ministries. We couldn’t send missionaries there,” chant the churches in unison. The Judge is obviously deeply moved and disturbed. He rises and with deep emotion addresses this English-speaking gathering of saints: “Did you ever notice that the whole world wanted what you had—English? “Did you not connect this with the fact that the whole world needs Jesus and the salvation He purchased for all nations? Did it not occur to you that you could send English teachers to live and work in every country or people group of the world, making disciples? Who do you think designed this phenomenon, this wide open door to every nation? And what did you do about it?” The crowd hangs their heads in shame. There’s some muttering about cost, safety, credibility, bang for your buck, statistics, missions studies. But there can also be heard the sound of weeping, even wailing—the remorse of a golden opportunity missed, a divine provision ignored. If only.

“Who do you think designed this phenomenon, this wide open door to every nation? And what did you do about it?”

And you? Is that an English-language magazine in your hand? Would you like to make a difference in restricted access areas of the world? Take some risks for Christ and be there? There are different ways of getting there and living and working there as a Christian English teacher—making disciples. If only. -Elmer Elmer is an EMCer who sees an open door. For information, contact the EMC national office or we can forward your e-mail to Elmer.

CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 13

With Our Churches Crestview Fellowship

Christmas program gives reason for season

PHOTO: CRESTVIEW FELLOWSHIP

WINNIPEG, Man.—Have you started or finished your Christmas shopping? Got your tree up yet? Have you started your Christmas baking? Sound familiar? These questions seem to dominate our conversations once December arrives so what a pleasure it is to attend a Sunday School Christmas program and focus on the reason for the season. Our program was held on Dec. 8 and since Sunday School is for everyone, participants of all ages presented the wonderful Christmas story with music, poems, and a skit “Footprints in the Snow.” The program was followed by a light supper (faspa) and a great time of fellowship.

Christmas program participants

Music, a children’s feature, and “Christmas By The Book” narration comprised the beautiful candlelight service on Christmas Eve.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Our annual committee elections were held on Nov. 18. Thank you to those who have served faithfully over the last years and have decided to let others have the opportunity to serve. A rest is good. Thanks also to those who have agreed to fill a vacant position or will be returning for another term. Your work does not go unnoticed. Our congratulations to Lisa and Blaine on their recent engagement. We wish you God’s blessing as you plan your future together. Now that winter has arrived, many of our church family travel to warmer climates, some for a week or so, others for several months. We pray for safety in your travels and that you will return home refreshed and maybe a little tanned. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). – Sharron Straub

Speakers

Covenant Christian Reformed Church (Fri., 7 p.m.) Concert/Story Telling Emily Colson, Ken Medema McIvor MB Church (Sat., 9 a.m.) Keynote Speaker: Emily Colson Workshops, worship, and more

Winnipeg, Man. | April 25–26 A conference about including individuals who live with disabilities

Emily Colson

LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH

14 The Messenger • February 2014

Ken Medema

Covenant Christian Reformed Church (Sat., 7 p.m.) Our Beautiful Secret movie Co-sponsored by the Evangelical Mennonite Conference

Living the Good Life

With Our Churches Taber EMC

Senior pastor and ministers chosen

PHOTO: TABER EMC

ABER, Alta.—Happy New Year! It is always exciting to start fresh in a new year full of new possibilities. Taber EMC is also excited to announce the arrival of our new pastoral couple Dick and Margaret Loewen. The Loewens officially began their position as our pastoral couple on Nov. 1, 2013, and have been settling into our church family nicely. Charles Koop, an EMC Board of Leadership and Outreach staff person, came as representative of the Pastoral couple Dick and Margaret Loewen are surrounded in prayer EM Conference and prayed over the Loewens along by Charles Koop, Abe and Anna Klassen, Abe and Eva Klassen and with deacons Abe and Anna Klassen and lay ministers Jake and Nancy Heide. Abe and Eva Klassen and Jake and Nancy Heide. The Loewens have five children: Nolan (20), Jermaine It has been a great blessing to find a new pastor couple (18), Kelsey (16), Scott (14) and Eric (12). Their oldest son, so quickly and to find a couple who so obviously have a Nolan, is currently attending Millar College of the Bible in love for the work. The Loewens have been graciously welSalmon Arm, BC. The rest of the children have moved with comed in our church and it has been wonderful to see their their parents and are making Taber their home. children get involved with youth and also worship teams. Both Dick and Margaret grew up in northern Alberta, We look forward to getting to know Dick and Margaret Dick in the Prespatou area and Margaret in La Crete. They and their children more and hope to make them feel at met and married in La Crete and lived in that area until home here. relocating to Grand Prairie in 2010 where Dick attended Our church also elected two lay ministers to join in the PRBI. pastoral work. Abe and Eva Klassen and Jake and Nancy Heide were elected to serve as lay ministers in Sept. 2013 and will be officially installed in Jan. 2014. We know they will do a wonderful job in fulfilling this calling. Praise be to the Lord for filling these leadership positions in our church with people who display such a great love for Him and love for the people around them. We are truly blessed. – Naomi Klassen

Join with Christ in shaping our

world

Pastor Dick and Margaret Loewen with their children

They worked as part of the pastoralEvangelical team inMennonite the BergthConference Boardand of Missions aler Conference for seven years both in associate 204-326-6401 senior pastoral roles. Taber is their first full-time pastorate. info@emconf.ca

Copies now available free. Contact info@ emconf.ca or 204-326-6401.

www.emconference.ca

50 Years

of MCC in Canada

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 15

With Our Churches Morweena EMC Speakers

PHOTO: MORWEENA EMC

New members in 2013

Covenant Christian Reformed Church (Fri., 7 p.m.) Concert/Story Telling Emily Colson, Ken Medema

MORWEENA, Man.—In the past year our congregation has experienced the blessing of witnessing the commitMcIvor MB Church (Sat., 9 a.m.) ment of men and women to Jesus and to life and service Keynote Speaker: Emily Colson in the church. We are richer for each person who joins Workshops, worship, and more us, and their willingness to serve is a joy. To God be the Five young people were baptized on June 9: Trenton Kornelsen, Julia glory. Covenant Christian Reformed Emily Colson Ken Medema Winnipeg, Man. | April 25–26 Hamm, Jesse Lukas, Kendall Reimer, and Francesca Harris. Standing – Janet Hamm Church (Sat., 7 p.m.) with them youth pastor Donovan Dueck (left) and senior pastor Register at www.in2014.org orare call Our Beautiful Secret movie A conference about including Isaac (right). Hope Centre MinistriesEric at 204-479Co-sponsored by the individuals who live with disabilities 4893 by April 15. Evangelical Mennonite Conference PHOTO: MORWEENA EMC

LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH Armando Fehr was baptized on Sept. 15. Catalina Janzen transferred her membership on Oct. 27.

•• Straffordville EMC Open your home or workplace to an international volunteer ivep.mcc.org

Commit a year to serve alongside others in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Latin America salt.mcc.org

Seven SEAN grads STRAFFORDVILLE, Ont.— On May 19, 2013, we enjoyed

the graduation of seven individuals from the SEAN course: of Mennonite Central Committee (front) Dave and AggiePrograms Blatz, Ann Fehr, Tina Braun, (back) Dave and Anna Froese, and Martha Bergen. – Katherine Klassen International Volunteer Exchange Program

Serving And Learning Together

Living the Good Life EMC Young Adult Retreat Feb. 28-March 2, 2014 Speaker: Pastor Darren Plett Camp Cedarwood, (Lac du Bonnet, Man.) $110 per person

No cancellation refunds after Feb. 9.

PHOTO: STRAFFORDVILLE EMC

Contact your pastor or youth leader or Nathan Plett (Nathan@prairierose.ca) Gord Penner (GPenner@sbcollege.ca) Jason Heide (jheide@semconline.com

See You There!

CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY 16 The Messenger • February 2014

With Our Churches Kola EMC

KOLA, Man.—This past year we were privileged to have David and Laura Sharp share about their ministry with New Tribes Mission (NTM). The 43 years they have served have held times of challenge, growth, but, most of all, obedience to our Lord. David challenged us with the simple question, “ Are you listening?” Romans 10:13-15 says “for ‘Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” (NLT, emphasis added). in shaping our Scripture clearly states that if we call on the Lord’s name we will be saved; this is guaranteed. But what about the 2,500 people groups who have never heard about Evangelical Mennonite Conference Christ? (NTM website). How are we reaching Board them? of Missions David challenged us to be “goers” as well as204-326-6401 “senders” to info@emconf.ca the mission field. He recognizes that Christ does not call ence.ca www.emconfer all of us to go out into the jungles; some of us are needed to provide for those who go. It is not just enough to feed the children; we need to be sending people to teach their communities about Christ. We, in North America, have been blessed with the rich Christian literature, Bible translations, and wisdom-filled pastors. But what about those who do not have a single scripture to lean on (one third of the world)? To what do Mennonite they turn? The tribe David and Laura Central served in for 10 years turned Committee in to evil spirits, living in fear of death for themselves or their Canada: A History loved ones. Babies were left unnamed because of high Epp-Tiessen infant mortality and the belief Esther that their spirits, if named, 346 pages, paper, would haunt and curse the living. $29.50. The people lived in constant fear of upsetting the evil spirits until they began to learnISBN about the gospel. Through David and Laura the tribe was 9780920718957 able to hear of God’s love, to learn about his saving grace, and many came to know Christ. The history of MCC Canada comes out of a On the eveningtradition. David called 20 people onto the richlast historical stage to display the missionary positions that were needed—including construction workers, elRead this fascinatingand andmaintenance complex story. ementary andPress secondary teachers for missionary children, CMU cooks, host parents, lawyers, business administration, cmupress.ca pilots, accountants, IT personnel, computer programmers, Toll Free 1-877-231-4570

Join with Christ

world

PHOTO: KOLA EMC

Missions Fest held on Oct. 27-29, 2013

Copies Laura and David Sharp now and supply buyers. These behind the scene workers are all available needed to support those who are called. free. My prayer is that God will continue to draw you in Contact the direction heinfo@ is calling you to go, being a “sender” or emconf.ca orthe direction, let’s make it a focus this a “goer.” Whatever 204-326-6401. year to help reach the people who live in darkness and draw them into the light.

– Alida Martens

50 Years

of MCC in Canada

Bible-Theology Children’s Ministry Counselling Missions Pre-Education Pre-Social Work Pastoral Worship Youth

www.SBCOLLEGE.ca

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 17

With Our Churches

La Crete Christian Fellowship

Amid search, grateful for ministerial staff

PHOTO: PETERS FAMILY

LA CRETE, Alta.—The search for a senior pastor continues for us in LCCF. This need keeps the board and the pastor search committee busy and asking God for direction. We know God is faithful and will provide. Church life continues with youth events, baptism and Sunday School. On Sept. 22, 2013, Russell and Lynda Peters were installed as our associate pastoral couple. We at LCCF are so excited to welcome them into our church family. Russell and Lynda both grew up in La Crete, but since being marSpeakers ried in 1998, have always made their home elsewhere. Russell completed his term at Prairie Bible Institute this summer. In August they moved with their three children Associate pastor Russell Peters with family: Brooklyn, wife Lynda, and have quickly found their place within the church and Ashtyn and Kyanna the community. Members of the ministerial pray with Russell and Currently 10 couples actively serve as deacons. While Lynda at the installation there are many others who serve in and around the church, While we seem to experience the senior pastor search many behind the scenes, these are the ministerial staff of semi-frequently, we are very blessed with many dedicated LCCF. We are thankful for the constant and faithful leadColson Ken Me Winnipeg, Man. April 25–26 staff. Gordon and Marilyn Foster have served as a lay ership this team|provides and praise GodEmily for His leading. minister couple for 12 years. Gordon and Marilyn started “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all Register at www.in2014.org aboutofincluding attending in 1981 and became a deacon couple in 1987. A conference the members the body, though many, are one body, so it at 204Hope Centre Ministries live (1Cor. with disabilities Jordan and Valean Doerksen serve in the youth pastor individuals is with who Christ” 12:12). 4893 by April 15. position. A recent evaluation showed that the congrega–Tena Doerksen tion overwhelmingly affirmed their position. Peter and Telita Janzen currently lead as interim pastoral couple. They have been faithful in lending their abilities wherever they see a need in the church.

LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH

Liv

E PHOTO: DIANA PETERS

Many people enjoyed the hospitality of La Crete Christian Fellowship during EMC convention 2013.

Open your home or workplace to an international volunteer ivep.mcc.org International Volunteer Exchange Program

Commit a year to serve alongside others in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Latin America salt.mcc.org Serving And Learning Together

Programs of Mennonite Central Committee

18 The Messenger • February 2014

Columns • Columns Been Thinking About…

A Heart For Israel

he recent passing of Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel, has coincided with my reading of the updated edition of Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour (Baker Books, 2013). Subtitled The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel, the book tells Chacour’s story of growing up in Galilee in the wake of the 1948 formation of Israel as a nation. If you have a heart for the nation of Israel, you might need to read this book. There is no question that Israel’s 65-year history as a modern nation has been laced with much turmoil, controversy and violence. On the one hand, her birth as a nation was seen as a victory and a vindication after the holocaust of World War Two. Many Christians have even seen it as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. On the other hand, the way Israel has treated her Palestinian citizens has not exemplified the character God seeks for his people. As often the case, it is a history that can look very different depending on who is telling the story.

This is the Church’s—and Israel’s— true calling: not to lay claim to or defend any particular piece of soil, but to represent her Redeemer in such a way that all the families of the earth are blessed. Sharon himself was a complicated figure. Nicknamed “the Bulldozer” for his ruthlessness as a military general in the 1967 Six-Day War, he moved to a career in politics and eventually became Prime Minister. It was under his watch as Defense Minister in 1982 that hundreds of Palestinians were massacred in the Lebanese refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. Yet U.S. President George W. Bush once famously, and controversially, called Sharon a “man of peace.”

Chacour, as a native son, gives us an on-theground view of those years of Israeli history through the lens of his deep Christian faith. He shares openly of coming to grips with his anger when, as a boy, he witnessed the displacement of his family from their home and village in 1948. The utter confusion and frustration he felt when, as Palestinians, they were suddenly considered dirty and second-class in their own homeland. Then came the despair of seeing his whole home village leveled by Zionist bombs and tanks. Chacour points to the example of his parents who instilled in him the Christian calling of responding to violence and hatred with love and peace. He saw this teaching lived out in dire circumstances. But Chacour was convinced that God’s calling for his life involved more. Shunning both the idea of being a doormat in the face of strife and of resorting to retaliatory violence, he knew Jesus was calling him to be a peacemaker in his native land. The Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount became his life’s message and work. Indeed, I think these words of Jesus in Matt. 5 are still the greatest hope for peace that our troubled world will ever have. I think this is the Church’s—and Israel’s—true calling: not to lay claim to or defend any particular piece of soil, but to represent her Redeemer in such a way that all the families of the earth are blessed. “Pray for peace in Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

by Ward Parkinson Conference Pastor

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 19

News

Dr. Rob Reimer returns from sabbatical STEINBACH, Man.—Dr. Rob Reimer, president of SBC, recently returned from a six month sabbatical. SBC practices faculty sabbaticals, after a minimum of six years of service, for the purpose of continuing education, service, or major projects. His report follows: I’d like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the SBC Cabinet for granting the sabbatical. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Terry Hiebert for taking on the additional role of Acting President in my absence. I found the sabbatical to be a wonderful time of study, contemplation, and service. I return refreshed and excited to be back leading SBC. During the sabbatical my wife Myrna and I enjoyed the opportunity to rest and to connect with friends and family locally, in Alberta, and in Kansas. The majority of my time, though, was spent in research and development of a new strategic plan for SBC. I also spent significant time in preparation for the Biblical Preaching course I will be teaching in the second semester. The sabbatical was a very meaningful time. I believe the opportunity to focus intently on planning and preparation will benefit the college in the future and look

PHOTO: SBC

‘It’s great to be back’

Dr. Rob Reimer

forward to the completion of the 2013-14 academic year and what lies ahead for SBC. It’s great to be back and I’m excited to have the opportunity to take a few students north of the Arctic Circle on a MissionX trip to Kugluktuk, Nunavut, in mid-January. – SBC

••

VBS material available for 2014 God’s hospitality chosen as theme WATERLOO, Ont.—Welcome! Give and Receive God’s Great Love is the new MennoMedia VBS material for 2014. It features five Bible stories that focus on hospitality. From Abraham and Sarah to the people on the island of Malta who helped Luke and Paul when they were shipwrecked, the stories illustrate how children can also reflect God’s love by showing hospitality. The VBS 2014 curriculum materials were written during the past year by a group of educators in Goshen, Ind., coordinated by managing editor Mary Ann Weber. Writing rotates among various Anabaptist communities across the U.S. and Canada, and varies by year.

20 The Messenger • February 2014

Welcome! Give and Receive God’s Great Love may be ordered in an all-in-one boxed set including everything needed for planning and preparation. All items are also available separately. More information is at: www. mennomedia.org/vbs. To order, call 800-631-6535 (Canada). A sample preview video with a Bible memory verse is available on YouTube. – MennoMedia

PHOTO: MENNOMEDIA

News

Mennonites, Lutherans continue journey toward reconciliation The two task forces identified several areas of progress churches. The Mennonite task force further affirmed a website (www.anabaptistwiki.org), sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen College, that provides easy access to resources related to Dr. John D. Roth Lutheran-Mennonite dialogue. The MWC task force called on the Faith and Life Commission to take a stronger role in encouraging Mennonite colleges, universities, seminaries, historical societies, information centres and tour groups to incorporate the story of MWC-LWF reconciliation. It also recommended that several MWC national conferences pursue conversations on Christian peacemaking with their Lutheran counterparts, recognizing that local contexts differ widely on this theme. On July 21, local Lutherans and Mennonites engaged in a public dialogue with the joint task forces at an afternoon service hosted by Trinity Lutheran Church in Goshen. The Lutheran task force concluded its visit with a tour of Mennohof, a nearby Anabaptist-Mennonite information centre, and an extended conversation with 25 Amish ministers and lay people on the topic of baptism and Christian witness. “After five hundred years of separation, full reconciliation will not happen overnight,” said John D. Roth, professor of history at Goshen College and secretary of the MWC Faith and Life Commission. “But we praise God for these steps toward healing within the Body of Christ.” MWC members of the task force included Andre Gingerich Stoner, Gayle Gerber Koontz, James Juhnke, Enrique Rodriguez and John D. Roth, along with Kathryn Johnson, a Lutheran professor of history who played a major role in organizing the reconciliation service in 2010. – Goshen College

“After five hundred years of separation, full reconciliation will not happen overnight,” said John D. Roth. “But we praise God for these steps toward healing within the Body of Christ.” At that service, which culminated nearly five years of dialogue, representatives of the LWF asked forgiveness for the actions of their forebears against the Anabaptists in the 16th century. They also committed their churches and seminaries to interpret the Lutheran confessions in light of the dialogue report, Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ, and to continue conversations with Mennonites on the topics of baptism and the Christian relation to the state. MWC leaders, in turn, committed themselves to promote a more balanced interpretation of the LutheranAnabaptist story, to continue conversation on unresolved issues and to encourage their member churches to seek greater cooperation with Lutherans in service to the world. In their joint meetings at Goshen, the two task forces identified several areas of progress in their mutual commitments. They noted especially the many local services of reconciliation held by Mennonite and Lutheran congregations around the world, a study guide produced by Mennonite Church Canada, and numerous examples of cooperation in service projects. They also affirmed the trilateral conversations Births on baptism that are now moving BRANDT— To Jay and Cherie Brandt, a forward among daughter, Hailey Renee, on May 30, 2013. the MWC, LWF and Catholic MINNES— To Andrew and Sarah, a son, James Arnott, on Sept. 18, 2013.

PHOTO: GOSHEN COLLEGE

GOSHEN, Ind.—A six-member task force appointed by Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Faith and Life Commission met at Goshen College with counterparts from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) on July 20-23, 2013, to review progress on the commitments that the two global communions made to each other during a service of reconciliation in Stuttgart, Germany, in July 2010.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 21

News

‘Not fair for the children to suffer’ LEBANON—In a sea of women at a meeting of Syrian refugee parents whose children attend a preschool in Lebanon, Latif Anaoun stands out. The 34-year-old father wishes his wife was at the meeting, not him. But she can’t be there—she died during childbirth, along with the infant—two more of the many victims of the conflict in Syria. As his little son, Leith, 6, cuddles on his lap, Anaoun remembers his family’s comfortable middle class life in Syria. “Here, we are suffering to eat,” he says. “I am not able to provide for my child.” Anaoun and his family decide to flee Syria when the fighting came closer to their home. He was especially worried about his wife, pregnant with their second child. If anything happened to him, he would be leaving his wife with a young son and a newborn baby. After selling a few things to get money, but not so much as to arouse suspicion, the family left in the middle of the night. They traveled to the Lebanese border, finding a place to live in Beirut. He was glad to be out of Syria, but things weren’t going well with his wife’s pregnancy. Since it was hard to get medical care in Syria—the hospitals in that country are overwhelmed—they made the difficult decision to go back to Syria, where he knew they would be able to see a doctor. The Syrian doctors did what they could, but it was too late. Anaoun lost both his wife, only 31-years-old, and the baby during childbirth. After she was laid to rest, he came back to Beirut with Leith. “It feels like a dream,” he says of the past few months. “Like a nightmare.” One thing that makes their lives a little easier are food vouchers he receives from Canadian Foodgrains Bank through a program implemented by Foodgrains Bank member Mennonite Central Committee. The vouchers allow him to save money on food so he can pay his portion of the rent in the tiny apartment he and Leith share with 18 other people. “We could be on the street if it weren’t for this,” he says of the vouchers, adding that “it’s not fair for the children to suffer this much.” Anaoun and Leith are just two of over 70,000 Syrians being helped by the Foodgrains Bank. With matching support from the Canadian government, the organization provided $5.8 million of food in 2013 and will provide another $6.5 million this year.

22 The Messenger • February 2014

PHOTO: CFGB/AMANDA THORSTEINSSON

Sharing food as an act of hope

A box of food showing the logo of the Canadian government and the Foodgrains Bank logo is unloaded off a truck for distribution. More than 70,000 Syrians are being helped by CFGB.

Along with programs in Syria, the Foodgrains Bank is also responding through its members to needs in The Philippines, following Typhoon Haiyan, and in many other countries around the world. In 2012-13 the Foodgrains Bank provided $43 million of assistance for 2.1 million people in 37 countries. Sharing food is an act that speaks of hope for the future,” says Foodgrains Bank Executive Director Jim Cornelius. “Like the bread we share at our communion celebration, it speaks to something deeper, to a community of love and care for the other, for a better world.” – CFGB

Fundraising

Faspa

Sunday, April 6, 2014, 4:00pm STEINBACH BIBLE COLLEGE featuring SBC vocal ensemble

Reserve your FREE ticket by calling SBC at 204-326-6451

Columns • Further In and Higher Up

A lover’s chase

spiritual hero of mine has been 20th century theologian Hans Urs Von Balthasar. A simple thing I have already learned from him has to do with the meaning of mystery. I had thought that mystery referred to that which we do not know. Once we understand something the mystery has been shrunk. The more you learn about something the less of a mystery it is. If I consider quantum mechanics a mystery, I should take a course on it, that will take care of it.

know someone deeply, and thus to realise their elusive depths, we need to learn in love. Love is an openness to the other’s uniqueness and to their strangeness. Without love, the quest for knowledge destroys what it seeks to know. It becomes like learning about frogs we dissect in a pan, which is the modern tendency in gaining knowledge. When we stop loving another person, they quickly become tiresome. Boredom is a failure to love. The vow to love one person intensely till death do us part at first seems foolish. Can another person sustain our attention for that long? Won’t we get bored of each other? Only if the two close themselves off to the depths revealed in love. All this is even more so of God. Sometimes we suggest that by being kind of vague and non-committal or perhaps skeptical about who God is, we are holding on to the mysteriousness of the deity. But people who have not known God have no sense of the mystery God is. For those who have walked with Jesus of Nazareth, who have noted his thoughts and acts, have lived with him from Advent through Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost 80 times over, God is a bottom-less mystery. And the deeper a person plunges into the fathomless reality that is Jesus, the more they realize that there are oceans yet to be known about God. This is love’s endless inability to reach the end. What I take from Balthasar is that if it’s a lover’s chase, pursuing knowledge of all kinds leads to wonder, curiosity and worship.

by Layton Friesen

The deeper a person plunges into the fathomless reality that is Jesus, the more they realize that there are oceans yet to be known about God.

But Balthasar says the opposite is true. True knowledge of something does not “solve” the mystery—it only deepens it exponentially. Unveiling a mystery only opens my eyes to what has not yet been grasped. We see this in human relations. If I wanted someone to tell me about the mystery that is Terry Smith, our editor, would I ask a stranger on the street? No, I would ask his wife or his co-workers. Because they know him, they could tell me all sorts of things about the mystery that is Terry Smith. It’s the people for whom Terry Smith is a common, real presence, the people who know most about how he thinks and loves, who could wax eloquent on how deeply mysterious the man really is. But there is one condition to this. Knowledge leads to mystery only when led there by love. To really

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 23

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In Memory

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on the farm or in business decisions He left a great legacy to his four sons where his commitment to integrity and their families. He will be greatly might have incurred a financial cost, missed by: wife, Helen; sons, Glenn Dad’s faith in God determined his and wife Sue; Brian and wife, Luella; path. Through the years, his commitTerry and wife, Sheila; Randall and ment to putting his faith into action wife, Karen; by grandchildren Chris Mennonite William (Bill) S. Friesen led to serving in many capacities in (Alyssa), Andrea (Scott), Cory (AlCentral 1928 - 2013 the Pleasant Valley EMC. lison), Arlin (Beth), Lance (Danielle), Committee in on the EMC Board of He served Melissa (Jason), Tara, Michael; by Canada: A where History Bill Friesen was born at Riverside, Missions he helped oversee great-grandchildren Carter, Matea, Esther Epp-Tiessen Man., on Feb. 25, 1928, to Cornelius the activities of a large number of Macy, Anabelle, Zade, Alaina and pages, paper, and Mary Friesen, the third child in a 346 missionaries and traveled to several Rory. $29.50. family of twelve. different mission stations in other While we greatly miss Dad’s ISBN His growing up years revolved countries. For many years he and presence in our family circle, we look 9780920718957 around work on the family farm Mom were actively involved in visitaforward to being re-united with him together with his parents and siblings. tion to prisoners at Stony Mountain again. of MCC comes out of a Times were often The hard,history especially in Canada Penitentiary. Funeral service Bible-Theology was held at historical tradition. the 1930’s, but therich family was close Over a number of summers, they Rosenort EMC onChildren’s Saturday, Aug. 31, Ministry Counselling and experienced many happy times opened up their home to inner city 2013, at 2 p.m. Donations in Bill’s Missions Read this fascinating complexInstory. Pre-Education and did not feel they lacked the im- and children. their retirement years, memory can be made to EMC Board Pre-Social Work CMU Press portant things in life. they volunteered with Wycliffe Bible of Missions or the Cancer Pastoral Clinic at cmupress.ca Worship In time, Bill began working at Translators in Dallas, Texas. They Boundary Trails Health Centre. Youth Toll Free 1-877-231-4570 jobs away from home. This included spent a portion of five winters there – His Family working as a farm hand and also at and made many new friends while www.SBCOLLEGE.ca the sugar factory in Winnipeg. At the they used their skills to benefit others. age of 21, he began working in lumber Dad passed away on Tuesday, Aug. camps in northwestern Ontario, a 27 at Boundary Trails Health Centre. wintertime occupation that lasted for another ten years. These efforts helped him get established in his life-long occupation of farming. In May 1951, Bill began to take special notice of Helen Brandt who lived two miles down the road. This led to them getting married on Sept. 28, 1952. Last Sept., Mom and Dad celebrated their 60th anniversary. Dad’s journey of faith began “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert The Paraguay team will be led by Flo at the age of 20, when he made a mind and a thankful heart” (Col. 4:2) Friesen. This team will be sent to pray personal commitment to follow with missionaries in Paraguay Jesus—a journey that shaped Paraguay (March 19- April 6 Full) The Guadalajara team will be led by Angel his life for the next 65 years. Infantes (Braeside). His team will pray Throughout these years, his faith Guadalajara: (March 7- March 17) with local churches and EMC missionaries never wavered and it became the For details, including costs, please email very essence of who he was. Bolivia Exposure Trip (April 3-15) dpeters@emconf.ca or call 204-326-6401 Whether it was in adversity

50 Years

of MCC in Canada

2014 EMC Prayer Teams

24 The Messenger • February 2014 Ads.indd 1

Shoulder Tapping Ministry Information Profile *With any applications for EMC church pastoral positions, candidates are expected to also register a Ministerial Questionnaire with the EMC Board of Leadership and Outreach, which can be obtained through Erica Fehr, BLO Administrative Assistant, at efehr@emconf.ca or 204-326-6401.

EMC Positions The ConneXion church in Arborg, Man, a community of one thousand, is currently seeking a half-time pastor. Arborg is in the heart of Manitoba’s Interlake, one hour north of Winnipeg’s perimeter. The church of 25 to 50 adherents is affiliated with the EMC. We practice the values of “BELLS” as we build our community; we seek to bless, eat, listen, learn and send. There is significant opportunity for other part-time employment in the community. Interested applicants should contact the pastoral search committee chair or submit a resume to peter.dueck@vidir.com. We are seeking a faithful Jesus follower with proven leadership skills. Heartland Community Church located in Landmark, Man., is looking for a young life pastor. Reporting to the leadership team and working closely with the senior pastor, this pastor will develop and lead dynamic ministries that reach youth, young adults and young families with the gospel, equipping them as disciple-makers and assimilating them in a healthy way into the church. Coordinating and leading mentorship programs is important. Needed: a visible passion for God and a strong desire to see youth and young adults grow with Christ; a degree in theology (or equivalent experience); excellent interpersonal, communication and leadership skills; and the ability to train and teach in a multi-generational setting. The pastor will demonstrate a biblical understanding and live in agreement with the HCC Statement of Faith. Living in or near Landmark is important. Please visit the HCC website (www.heartlandcommunitychurch.ca) for a full job description. Please send your resume to hccsearch@live.com by Feb. 28, 2014. Taber EMC is seeking a full-time youth/associate pastor. Candidate should have the ability to plan and oversee a comprehensive youth ministry and oversee associate pastor ministries as arranged by the church leadership. Valuable assets would be skills in sports and music. Contact church board chair Abe Klassen at 403-223-0588 or 403-331-9563. Send resumes to Taber EMC, Box 4348, Taber, AB T1G 2C7 or taberemc@ yahoo.ca.

Hillside Christian Fellowship is looking for a fulltime or interim pastor. Previous experience is preferred and housing is available. Hillside Christian

Fellowship is a rural church located on Highway 697 in the Buffalo Head Prairie area, about 25 kms from La Crete in northern Alberta. The industries that drive our community are farming and logging. We have about 50 to 60 people attending on average each Sunday. For information contact Jim Friesen at valley@sis.net or call (work) 780-928-3880 or (cell) 780-926-7717 La Crete Christian Fellowship is seeking candidates to fill the role of senior pastor. LCCF is located in a beautiful, prosperous farming and logging community in northern Alberta. We are a multi-generational congregation with a strong commitment to missions. Our average Sunday attendance is 450. The senior pastor would be a team member working with and providing general oversight to the associate pastor, youth pastor, office staff, lay minister and a large, supportive ministerial. He would have appropriate Bible college education and preferably a number of years of pastoral experience. He would agree with the EMC Statement of Faith and Church Practices. Duties include, but are not limited to, preaching, teaching, some administration and officiating at various church functions. Information can be found at www.lccfc.ca. Please contact Darryl Olson at darrylwolson@gmail. com or 780-821-0287 if you can serve together with us in this capacity. Kola EMC is looking for a full-time pastor, but would also consider an interim position. Previous experience is preferred and housing is available. Kola, in southwest Manitoba, is a small but aggressive little town in the middle of the oil patch with a lot of construction and farming in the surrounding area. We currently have approximately 100 people attending on a regular basis. For information, call 204-556-2037 or e-mail at kolaemc@gmail.com.

Other Positions Mennonite Foundation of Canada seeks a full-time stewardship consultant in its Calgary, Alta., office. This person is responsible to promote biblical stewardship of financial resources and to provide charitable gift and estate planning services. MFC offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Please submit resume by Feb. 28, 2014, to Milly Siderius, Director of Stewardship Services, 207-50 Kent Ave., Kitchener, ON N2G 3R1; msiderius@mennofoundation.ca. MCC Ontario seeks three creative, strategic leadership persons: an associate executive director, a revenue development director, and a financial controller. For information see http://serve.mcc. org/positions/employment. Postings close Feb. 28, 2014.

Bergfeld Mennonite Church (EMMC), a rural congregation in southern Manitoba, is looking for a fulltime pastor. We are an evangelical, mission-minded church of about 120. Our church has many strong committees and programs in place, especially a vibrant adult Sunday School. Contact: Bergfeld Mennonite Church, Attn: Pastoral Search Committee, Box 1478, Altona, MB R0G 0B0; abereg@mts.net; 204-324-8283 (ask for Abe). Aylmer EMMC prayerfully seeks a full-time bilingual lead pastor. Our average attendance is 300 to 350. The senior pastor would be a team member working with and providing general oversight to the associate pastors, youth pastor, office staff, lay pastors, board, and other church leaders. Please contact: AEMMC Lead Pastor Search Team: search@aemmc.ca or 519-866-3202 (chair Abe Wiebe). Camp Cedarwood, a Youth for Christ ministry 90 minutes east of Winnipeg, seeks a food service manager/cook and a prep cook. If you feel that God’s calling you, contact Scott Kelusky, Cedarwood’s director, at 204-345-8529 or cedarwood.campsite.director@gmail.com Mid-Way Christian Leadership, based in Thompson, Man., is looking for an adult life coach, youth life coach and office manager. Please email generaldirector.mcl@gmail.com for full job descriptions or inquiries. Inner City Youth Alive, a faith-based youth organization in Winnipeg, Man., is looking for a motorsport director, a dynamic person with strong leadership and organizational skills to work with youth in the race car program, Inner City Motorsport. Knowledge in metalworking, mechanical skills and use of related tools is an asset. If this is you or someone you know that would be interested and qualified, go to www. icya.ca for job details. Forward resume to Don at don@icya.ca.

Where are position ads to be sent? Ministry-related position ads are welcome. Please send all position ads, including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconf.ca. All ads are to be 150 words or less. Space is provided without charge. All ads are subject to editing and can be removed after two appearances unless prior arrangements are made to have them appear longer. Please notify The Messenger as soon as possible when an ad is no longer needed. Thank you. May the Lord bless your search.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 25

Columns • here and far away

Excellence in the presence of the King

Pursuing excellence brings honour to God’s Name, for which we strive.

PHOTO: DESIGNPICS

by Jocelyn R. Plett www.writewhatyousee. wordpress.com

’ve recently heard that it takes 80 per cent of one’s time to finish 20 per cent of a project. That is, the finishing work usually takes more time and effort than the rest of the project. In our house we also use the phrase: “Do it well the first time” when we speak with our boys about completing chores or doing homework, as they seem to display the human penchant for slacking off when they get bored or are distracted with other things. I myself find the finishing tasks of making a quilt to be tiresome, and I’m tempted to speed through them after I’ve completed the parts I like best: piecing. Speeding through, however, often causes a sloppy finished product. In this country we tend to see the results of not doing things right the first time, or in not completing projects well, almost everywhere we look: road work which is destroyed within weeks of being finished, “fancy” houses that have paint smears on the light fixtures and on the window panes, pieces of glass left in the fertilizer soil brought in for our lawn. The phrase “a stitch in time saves nine” is one that comes to my mind often as those who are responsible for these projects are often the ones who must be called back days later to fix a problem that would not otherwise have occurred had they done it well the first time. While we as children of God are gracefully not called to perfection, we are called to a high level of excellence due to the Master we serve. Colossians exhorts us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (3:23). Earlier in the text it mentions working “not only when [someone’s] eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord” (3:22b). This encouragement speaks to my heart often

Would you serve your King a “good enough” cake with no icing? as I go about my own daily work. Sometimes, as I prepare cake for teatime after the church meeting, for example, I think to myself how an hour’s work is eaten in seemingly unappreciative seconds. I am therefore tempted to offer something just “good enough”—perhaps skipping out on the icing—thinking no one will notice anyway. The Spirit reminds me in those instances that I am serving the Lord, not people, with my cake offering and asks me quietly: would you serve your King a “good enough” cake with no icing? Perhaps it’s a silly example, but it is one that reminds me that in everything I do, even the small things, I must do as though I am serving the King. He’s not a King from whom I fear punishment, but rather a King I revere and seek to honour. Pursuing excellence brings honour to God’s Name, for which we strive.

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26 The Messenger • February 2014

50 Years

Co e 20

Columns • stewardship today

Things I wish my father had done

e almost missed it on the first pass, buried under the newspapers and magazines that were filling a large recycling bin. If we hadn’t been checking each piece, it would have been discarded unnoticed. The letter. I had long forgotten having written it. My aunt, helping to clear out my father’s house this fall after his sudden passing, couldn’t believe Dad had kept the letter in his reading pile for so many years. Dad told me in 2007 that he was naming me co-trustee of his estate. I wrote the letter to suggest steps he could take to simplify things. Making his wishes clear could minimize misunderstandings. I mentioned that most people don’t state their wishes around distribution of personal effects. This is unfortunate, as disagreements about who should get an item that has fond memories attached to it is the greatest source of family conflicts after a loved one passes. Dad had many musical instruments and all five of his grandchildren play one or more instruments. Knowing his thoughts would have made some of the divvying up easier. Thankfully, no one has come to blows over any of Dad’s things. As I haul stuff hither and yon, I wish I had convinced him of a few things: ● Federal deposit insurance protects up to $100,000 at chartered Canadian banks. Similar provincial insurance protects deposits at credit unions. Like many folks his age, Dad didn’t trust banks and spread his money around. But the only difference between 10 separate $20,000 deposits at 10 institutions and two $100,000 deposits is the work required to wind them up. ● Tell your trustees where important stuff is kept. My aunt and I had to visit numerous financial institutions before we discovered where Dad had rented a safety deposit box.

● Label your keys, and tell someone where you keep them. (Ask an MFC consultant for a copy of our Personal Information Directory). We couldn’t find keys to Dad’s freezer, where a lot of important stuff was carefully wrapped in zip-lock bags. A crowbar took care of the lock, but not the answer to where safety deposit box keys were located. I found those keys hidden in the back of a dresser drawer, weeks after paying to have the box drilled.

By Mike Strathdee

● If you collect things of value, leaving records of the purchase date, maintenance schedule and so forth is helpful to trustees in establishing what stuff is worth.

Many Canadians don’t understand ● Put something in writing to inform your the consequences loved ones of your wishes for health care if you are incapacitated. Many Canadians have never prepared incapacity of failing to documents like Powers of Attorney or Advance Directives and don’t understand prepare incapacity the consequences of failing to prepare. Even when people complete these docu- documents like ments, many often don’t share details Powers of Attorney with family. or Advance Do your loved ones a favour and spell out your wishes. MFC can help. Ask for a copy of Your Will and Estate Planning Guide Directives. or meet with a consultant.

Mike Strathdee is a stewardship consultant in the Kitchener, Ont., office of Mennonite Foundation of Canada. For information on impulsive generosity, stewardship education, and estate and charitable gift planning, contact your nearest MFC office or visit MennoFoundation.ca. Do your loved ones a favour and spell out your wishes about health directives and possessions. Let someone know where your bank accounts, security deposit box, records, and keys are kept.

www.emconference.ca/messenger • The Messenger 27

Columns • Kids’ Corner

Make a List

Having a list may encourage you to do something you want to do, or need to do.

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME

by Loreena Thiessen

o you make lists? You may have seen your mother with a list. It may be a grocery list of all the food items that need to be replaced, milk, bread, or fresh vegetables. Or it could be a list of things she must do, appointments to keep, or chores to work on. The list is a reminder in case she forgets. It is important to get things done. What kind of a list could you make? One list could be naming items in a collection you already have. You could list all your stuffed animals by name or what kind of animal it is. Another list could be the things you may want to have, a wish list like the one you made for Christmas. You could make a list of your friends, or important dates like birthdays or holidays. If you have a snow day you could list all the things you will do that day, starting with “get up at 8:00, eat breakfast at 9:00,” and so on, all the way to bedtime. You could make a list of books you have read, or ones you want to read. You could list things you want to learn or do better, like bake fluffy cupcakes, or build a special bird feeder. Why should you make lists? One thing it will do is help your memory. You have to remember all the items that fit in the list.

Activity: Match the “icy” word to the right definition. 1. Water drips that grow. 2. Stars of snow. 3. A cool treat. 4. Dogs that guard the sun. 5. Gliding on frozen water. 6. A kind of fight. 7. Icy pattern on a window. 8. Balls of ice in a storm.

28 The Messenger • February 2014

Making lists will help you organize your thoughts as you put certain items in their groups. You will have to decide which ones belong together. Writing lists will help you communicate, to say what you mean clearly. It will help you write better. Having a list may encourage you to do something you want to do, or need to do. As you read your list later you will remember what’s important to you. There are lists in the Bible too. One list is found in Matthew 5:3-10. These are the Beatitudes, a list of good attitudes. In this chapter Jesus teaches how your actions affect others and how the way you treat other people will change you. You may remember them better because they are written up as a list.

snowball frost hail icicles snowflakes ice cream sun dogs skating

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