The Messenger November 2021 by The Messenger

The Messenger a publication of the

Evangelical Mennonite Conference

Volume 59 No. 6 November 2021

An Advent Of Spiritual Renewal INSIDE:

Church Renewal: Can These Bones Live? page 6 Living on the Word of God Alone page 10

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The Land Where Your Dead Are Buried page 13 The Great Mwenezi Cook-Off page 16 Pastoral Prayer: Reign of Christ

page 20

Editorial

Pray for God's Peace, Power, Protection

y the time you’re reading this, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (November 7, 2021) will have passed. However, the need for prayer remains. According to Open Doors USA, in the last year there have been: 340 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination; • 4,761 Christians killed for their faith; • 4,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked; • 4,277 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned. Through two of its church plants in Canada (The Glory of Christ Evangelical Church in Toronto, Ont., and Ephrath Evangelical Church in Edmonton, Alta.), EMC has links to the persecuted church in Ethiopia. Open Doors USA’s World Watch List ranks the persecution level in Ethiopia as “very high” and it’s on the list of top 50 countries where it’s most difficult to follow Jesus. Mennonite World Conference article “Ongoing conflict cuts off congregations” says, “In November 2020, fighting broke out between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Although a 28 June 2021 ceasefire halted overt fighting, in October 2021, the UN General Secretary is warning of a humanitarian crisis, with some 400 000 people living in famine-like conditions.” Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) is the Mennonite church in Ethiopia, the largest Mennonite church in the world. Six local MKC congregations and 15 church planting centres in the Tigray region have been affected. Since a church worker at Wukro MKC died in the conflict, there is no direct way to hear about the conditions for believers in the region, says Desalegn Abebe, MKC president. Open Doors says, “Women are also subjected to specific persecution in Ethiopia. Christian women have been forced to marry non-Christians and then recant their faith. And if a woman converts to Christianity in a nonChristian area, it is most likely she will be divorced by her husband. She may lose custody of her children.” Amnesty International describes horrific incidents of sexual violence against Tigrayan women and girls committed by soldiers and militia aligned with the Ethiopian government. How can we assist the persecuted church, in Ethiopia and globally? The primary request of believers

experiencing persecution is prayer. For the Ethiopian conflict, Desalegn Abebe asks, “Pray for MKC to continue…peacebuilding activities, pray for the church to get resources to share with the affected in conflict areas and undertake more peace activities in conflict areas.” Open Doors describes five ways to pray effectively for the persecuted church: 1. Pray that whatever their circumstances, God will enable persecuted Christians to defend their faith. 2. Pray that persecuted Christians will understand and find peace in the sufficiency of God’s grace, even in their weaknesses. 3. Pray that Christians facing hardship will rely on God’s power. 4. Pray that persecuted Christians will experience God’s presence and protection. 5. Pray their witness would inspire those who seek to harm them. Sometimes Western Christians have falsely adopted the language of persecution when words like “discomfort” or “inconvenience” would be more accurate (“Happy Holidays,” anyone?). I can’t recall the source, but I recently heard speculation this is due to a lack of true persecution: we’re not actually experiencing persecution, so we need to fabricate it. Whether accurate or not, it made me think. Outrage at outside forces and people is sometimes a convenient outlet for the stress we’re under due to various life circumstances. Perhaps, instead, that energy could and should be redirected toward prayer for others undergoing much hardship. After all, the persecuted church needs our prayers! - Rebecca Roman

The primary request of believers experiencing persecution is prayer.

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Table of Contents Features

Columns

Church Renewal: Can These Bones Live? – Terry Hiebert

A Reader’s Viewpoint

10 Living on the Word of God Alone

22 A Path To Peace

13 The Land Where Your Dead Are Buried

34 His Light to My Path

16 The Great Mwenezi CookOff

35 Further In and Higher Up

– Darcy Sproule

– Joshua Dueck

– Jason Dueck

20 Pastoral Prayer: Reign of Christ – Roddy Hamilton

Departments 2

Editorial

Letters and Notices

With Our Missionaries

With Our Churches

News

In Memory

Shoulder Tapping

page

Wind Power or Engine Power? – Stephanie Unger Our Profound Need for Peace – Kevin Wiebe The Princess Patient – Karla Hein

page

Christmas for EnglishSpeaking People – Layton Friesen

36 Kids’ Corner

Christmas Angels – Loreena Thiessen

page

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The Messenger

Letters and Notices

Volume 59 No. 6 November 2021

Ministerial Hears From the Holy Spirit, Holds Women in Ministry Vote [June 2021 issue]

INTERIM EDITOR REBECCA ROMAN

ASSISTANT EDITOR ANDREW WALKER

PUBLICATION AND PURPOSE The Messenger is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 440 Main Street, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly content for the faith. Phone: 204-326-6401 messenger@emconference.ca www.emcmessenger.ca www.issuu.com/emcmessenger ISSN: 0701-3299 Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40017362 Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, MB

COPYRIGHT The articles printed in The Messenger are owned by The Messenger or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Dr. Yemiru Tilahun has rightly spoken volumes to us when he has observed that we spend a lot of time in discussion and debate taking years to work through an issue. He went on to say that we ought to depend on the Holy Spirit, whose presence we have, and he will guide us into the truth if we trust him! Did we trust him to guide us in this vote? Are we out of touch with the Holy Spirit? Were our prayers and studies fruitless? It would appear that we have less of a dilemma and more of an agenda as a Conference to pressure us to move into 21st-century thinking rather than listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. I believe with this agenda we have begun the demise of the EM Conference. If we continue in this vein more mistrust will enter and erode our unity yet further. What was the purpose of the vote? Was it a

SUBMISSIONS 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 considerence to carry editorial endorsement. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcome. Submissions should be sent to messenger@emconference.ca.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Print subscriptions are free of charge to all members and adherents of EMC churches in Canada. For all others, print subscription rates are as follows: $20/year ($26 U.S.), Manitoba residents add 7% PST. To sign up for the email newsletter or submit an address change, email messenger@emconference.ca.

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 can be sent to messenger@emconference.ca.

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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. It can refuse publication. 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.

foregone conclusion that education would be the clincher regardless of what the Spirit was saying? We recently had a vote in our church which required 80 per cent. We did not achieve that vote. This caused some turmoil and disappointment however at a later congregational meeting a sister challenged us by saying that a “No” vote could be the Holy Spirit at work in our midst and not to look at this as some kind of failure. These words were “apples of gold in pictures of silver”! Can we see this vote in a similar manner? Dr. Yemiru challenged us to listen to the Holy Spirit as we discern together. Thus my questions. Whose Holy Spirit has spoken? Whose spirit is speaking to the EM Conference, the “spirit” of man or the “Spirit of God”? – Gordon Foster Fort Vermilion, Alta.

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 are to be 250 words or less.

Note on discussion within The Messenger Every community will have a diversity of views and opinions, which provides opportunities for us to learn from each other, being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). Our discussions are inevitably impacted by our own experiences, and the

experiences of people in our lives. These discussions should also reflect the reality that some groups and individuals have not always felt welcome in Christian communities. We welcome your responses to articles and topics discussed in The Messenger. – Board of Church Ministries

Column • A Reader’s Viewpoint

Wind Power or Engine Power? Fifteen years after buying an 11-bedroom rooming house in Winnipeg’s Spence neighbourhood, Stephanie, her husband Travis and their kids, Shadrach and Rachel, embarked on a sabbatical. They left Winnipeg, towing their sailboat Schemma down south, and splashed her into the Gulf of Mexico to sail around Florida, across to the Bahamas and managed to return six months later. For details, check out www.ungersail.com. This is the fourth of a series of four articles.

STEPHANIE UNGER

By Stephanie Unger

ld school sailors chart their course based on the wind’s direction. If the wind dies, they wait until it returns. On our sabbatical, we did not do things old school! Having only six months to sail, with many days of unfavourable winds, we often used our engine. One afternoon, Travis surprised me by suddenly turning off the engine while we were still far from shore. We had been having mechanical problems so I immediately asked what was wrong. He assured me everything was fine. He was just checking to see how much the wind was helping us. The only way to determine how much of our propulsion was coming from the wind was to turn off the engine. For some reason, this really stuck with me and gathered significance as I pondered. No question, adding engines to sailboats has saved lives. An engine can help a boat outrun a storm, keep moving in doldrums or dodge a rock or ship. But long-time sailors give a sense of regret about leaving the old ways behind. They seem to miss the enforced necessity of releasing their own agenda and entrusting themselves to the wind’s timeline. There is a similar dilemma in our own lives. We were created to be filled with God’s Spirit, to move with God’s power and in the direction of God’s choosing, but we are consistently tempted to choose our own course and do it ourselves. Sometimes this temptation masquerades as godliness: “God can only guide a moving ship.” “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.”

There’s truth here, but, misinterpreted in my life, such teaching has led me to spend an awful lot of energy pressing on when the Spirit’s call may have been for me to stop, rest, or even turn around! When we keep our own engines running, we can’t discern how much of our movement comes from God. (Have you ever wondered if anything in your life can irrefutably be attributed to the power of God?) Adding our own power also makes it impossible to respond quickly to changes in the direction of the Spirit’s wind. If we keep our own engines running, we miss the Spirit’s call to stop and rest. Ironically, after running my own engine to the point of burnout, I struggled with resentment towards God—his relentless pressure on me to keep going! I want to learn how to turn off my own engine. Embarrassingly, I don’t even know how to tell the difference between my own power and God’s power. The two have been running simultaneously for far too long. I sense God’s invitation to experiment and take risks in this process. Dare to stop and listen. Trust the Spirit has the power to get me moving if I just keep my sails up and ready. Back to the analogy: a sailboat is capable of circumnavigating the globe using no power of its own. Incredible! This is the power God longs to give us.

Trust the Spirit has the power to get me moving if I just keep my sails up and ready.

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Church Renewal: Can These Bones Live? God calls for reform and renewal of churches in exile By Terry Hiebert, Ph.D.

t started with a Bible study. Young families sensed God moving in revival. The good news of salvation in Jesus transformed their lives. Bible studies formed to discover the meaning of new life in Christ. Still, their church remained traditional and legalistic. Ministers resisted these new gospel songs and “born again” sermons. Eventually the young leaders started a church to proclaim Jesus for lost friends and family. This small enthusiastic group called a pastor and the church grew. God was moving as believers discovered a personal relationship with Christ. The church saw the need to reach new people with the gospel. They moved to a larger town with a central location and changed their name to reflect their mission. Worship services, Sunday Schools, Bible studies, children’s and

youth programs followed. Young adults went to Bible schools and missionaries were sent around the world. The church was now experiencing a golden age led by a well-loved pastor. And then, almost without notice, the church lost it. Whatever it was, the members found difficult to describe. But the church kept going, maintaining their programs, hoping that it would return. They invited guest speakers for deeper life services. The leaders read and listened to famous preachers who had it. But it did not return. The church hired pastors who left frustrated and discouraged after short stays. Without pastoral leadership, strong voices within the church shared opinions of what it really was. Wellmeaning voices promoted the latest podcasts and songs from charismatics to Reformed theology, social justice to apologetics, and from

Competing visions of it caused division and good people drifted from the church.

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mega-church successes to recovering liturgical traditions. Competing visions of it caused division and good people drifted from the church. Attendance dwindled. Newcomers could sense that it had left the building and so did they. But a remnant continued believing that they were the faithful They were called by God to keep it alive, whatever it meant any more. After years on life support the church finally closed. The remnant left bitter and disillusioned.

Church renewal

efforts toward restored ideals and renewal as a more spontaneous revitalization of faith.

Ezekiel’s visions

An example of reform and renewal is found in the story of Ezekiel. The book opens with a priest living among the exiles by the Kebar River. He encounters God in four dramatic visions calling for reform and promising renewal (1:1; 8:4; 37:2; 40:2). God’s visions for Ezekiel begin with reform. The first vision reveals the glory of God and calls Ezekiel to prophesy. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says,” is a refrain throughout the book. God tells the prophet to keep speaking to the exiles even if they refuse to listen (2:4–5). The second vision of Jerusalem’s wall reveals the sin and idolatry of the people that drives God away from the sanctuary (8:6). The word of the Lord has been lost and the sanctuary needs cleansing.

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This lifecycle story represents many churches and Christian organizations, including the ones I serve. We believe that “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). But we also continue to pray, plan and work to bring about renewal in the churches and ministries we love. Tony Morgan in The Unstuck Church (2018) guides readers through the church lifecycle as I described. Experience shows that church lifespans average 70 years plus or minus. Much like our human lifespans, the need for renewal increases with age. My 99-year-old aunt Helen is a great example of physical and spiritual renewal as a secret for longevity. Craig Groeschel in It: How Churches and Leaders can Get It and Keep It (2011) admits how notoriously difficult it is to describe church health. Leading churches believe they know the secret to renewal and invite people from around the world to drink from their fountain of life. However, when we are asked to describe the meaning of renewal, there is awkward silence. Historian James D. Smith III reviews the paths believers take in making their spiritual life more genuine and vibrant. These pathways involve reform as intentional

We believe that “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

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God’s visions for Ezekiel continue with renewal. The third vision reveals the valley of dry bones (37:1–14). The Lord asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Wisely the prophet answers, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know” (v. 3). Then in a mysterious collaboration, the Sovereign Lord commands Ezekiel to call the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord. And as the prophet speaks, the breath of God enters the bones and they come to life (cf. Genesis 2:7). The Spirit’s renewal of the exiles culminates in Ezekiel’s fourth vision on a mountain top. The prophet sees a renewed temple and the glory of the Lord that filled the temple (43:5). God promises a restored priesthood and people restored to the land. Then Ezekiel sees water from the temple flowing to refresh the land like rivers in the garden of Eden (47:12). And the name of the city is “the Lord is there” (48:35).

Formation Group—eleven young adult leaders meeting every week to discuss life, ministry, and everything. I wondered how their responses would fit with the pattern of renewal found in Ezekiel’s visions. River of Exile. Leaders observed that some churches are attempting to live off a golden age from the last revival. Many churches report increasing difficulty in calling leaders, Sunday School teachers and mission workers. Vitality in churches is waning as some have stopped singing altogether. Students were concerned about going into their world and not knowing what they believe. They were looking for biblical foundations and understanding how to engage their culture. Some felt so overwhelmed by the challenges of churches that prayer was their best hope. City Walls. Leaders indicated that people have become very ideological and are self-appointed experts in politics, medicine and gender. Churches are becoming so increasingly polarized that the main message gets upstaged. Church programs are multiplying and need careful pruning. People express less need for church, but have more concerns for possessions and financial security, revealing a distrust in God.

People are coming to church to listen to the songs and sermons. But attendance can be mostly an expression of status and peer approval.

Visions of reform and renewal

Recently, I interviewed conference leaders to discover their understanding of church renewal. They graciously provided insights, concerns and plans for renewal in their churches. I also interviewed my SBC Ministry

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Students noted that pastors are preaching the comfortable parts of the Bible and neglecting some difficult messages. People are coming to church to listen to the songs and sermons. But attendance can be mostly an expression of status and peer approval. Prayer also plays a marginal role in many churches, revealing the self-sufficiency of busy people. Valley of Bones. Leaders mentioned the need to help pastors stay focused on their roles of preaching the Word, praying, and having spiritual conversations. Conference leaders see their role as encouraging their leaders and churches to stay on the mission Jesus gave his disciples. A recurring theme is motivating the next generation of leaders to take ownership of the church. Students agreed that taking up leadership and serving in the church is a next step for young adult leaders. They exhort pastors to preach truth because the pulpit has an important role in calling for renewal. Students see the opportunity of raising up the next generation of children to know and love God and the Word. This task is one for the whole church and not just for a few volunteers. Mountain of God. Leaders reflected on the goal of renewal. Perhaps the goal “is the renewed capacity to know, feel, think, worship, pray and live in lively, creative imitation of Jesus. This is the work of the Spirit, and comes about by repentance, attention to the Scriptures, fasting and prayer.” Or the goal may be that, “Jesus has called his disciples and his church to be

about the mission of proclaiming the gospel and encouraging and equipping one another in the faith in order that we might make more disciples.” Another way of expressing the goal is to “get back to the gospel and helping people deal with the reality of life which includes a lot of trauma and the need for need for redemption.” Students considered the goal of renewal. Perhaps renewal is not doing something new, but rather a retrieving what is old or lost (re-olding?). Or consider if there is trickle down from preaching and leadership and also a bottom-up renewal. “It’s almost as each individual person becomes renewed, then the body becomes renewed. And if someone in the body is suffering, or is not being renewed, that affects the whole body. So now there’s an individual responsibility to seek the Lord and know him.”

Can these bones live?

Since March 2020, many churches have experienced a form of exile that raises concerns for renewal. These God-moments come along only once in a long while. Like Ezekiel with the exiles on the banks of a river, God may be calling this generation to reform and renewal. Reform may occur as today’s prophets speak the truth of God’s Word and identify where the church needs to repent. Renewal may occur as prophets realize that it’s only by God’s Spirit that dead bones come alive. This prophetic hope can see visions of God’s river flowing out of renewed sanctuaries and into the city streets so that people will proclaim, “the Lord is there.” Terry Hiebert (Ph.D. Baylor University) is Academic Dean at Steinbach Bible College where he has taught theology, ethics, and history for the past 26 years. His wife Luann is an assistant professor of English Literature at Providence University College. He serves as church board chair and together with Luann leads a worship team at Gospel Fellowship Church (EMMC), Steinbach, Man. They have three adult children, inlaws, four grandchildren, and a dog named after a theologian-literary figure.

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Living on the Word of God Alone A testimony to the effectiveness of fasting By Darcy Sproule

ave you ever seen a vehicle where the dash in front of the driver is full of papers or books? It has scraps of notes, receipts, work sheets from a project or any other such thing cluttering up the top of the dash. While it doesn’t interfere with the driver’s line of sight, it does interfere with looking through the window. The reflection in the windshield distracts from seeing clearly ahead. Similarly, our lives can get cluttered—with things both good and bad. In a way, I consider fasting for personal spiritual growth and excellence the same as removing the papers from behind the steering wheel in my vehicle. Fasting has many benefits to it; I find myself stronger and closer to God after doing a fast. This is my testimony of the power and effectiveness of fasting; it is not a theological paper. I include lessons I have learned and the blessings and results I’ve experienced.

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Cumbersome and sanctifying

First, a look at the negative side. Fasting is not easy. If it was very simple and not cumbersome, many more would do it. It is time consuming. It requires patience and self discipline. It can be an annoyance to your daily routine and sometimes a distraction all day long. After all, who wants to not enjoy a good meal? Moving on to the positive, there are different things that happen when I fast. It is a sanctifying process in my relationship with God. It humbles me as I continue to deny myself and seek him. I am setting aside time to seek God in a unique way. It has a way of pointing out to me where there is either overt or hidden sin in my heart; this is a good thing. Pride, apathy, indifference and other things are addressed in this special time with God. This spiritual discipline is one that has amazing benefits. As I seek God with pure simplicity, I grow closer to him. I see God from a different

perspective. God’s Word comes alive and is fulfilled as I follow through. The pain my stomach reminds me there is no fuel in the tank. Yet, while my body is being temporarily starved of fuel, God is speaking to me through his word, nurturing me by his Spirit and giving me the grace to finish the tasks I need to do for the day. I am reminded it is not by bread alone that we live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).

Fasting from food

Some churches promote Lent as going without something for the season. Maybe it is electronics, or coffee or sweets or other things. Anytime we do without as an act of worship, we are taking a step of faith and maturity. Reading through Scripture, I do not find evidence that fasts had to do with anything more than food. If you are fasting, feel free to do so from different things as needed in your life; I do not want to discourage this. When reading God’s Word, however, I interpret any mention of fasting as going without food for a time.

What we do in place of eating

There can be many things that draw our attention while fasting. The prime and central focus of our fast should be Jesus. He is the one we are looking to, the one we are honouring and seeking. There will be things vying for our attention including our needs, weaknesses, sinful attitudes or thoughts, our empty stomach, advertisements for fast food and sweets, work and family.

Fasting is much more than just doing without; it is also about replacement. Simply going without food for a set amount of time has another word: dieting. By simply removing food or other such things, we are doing part of a fast. Even more important is what you do in place of eating. Being in God’s Word is a vital part of fasting. When you go without a meal, spend the time by opening your Bible and allowing God to feed you. Meditate on Scripture and pray. Allow God to minister his Word to your life and situation. When you do without food and replace it with God’s Word, you take a step of faith. You are saying to God that his Word is important to you—even more important than the essentials of our physical bodies. Prayer is the other important part of the fast. Communicate with God, presenting to him the things on your heart that are important to you or others. These prayer requests can be for yourself personally, for those around you (including family or acquaintances) and for your church. It is important to have a concise list of things you are praying about during your fast. It can be one thing or twenty things. However long the duration of your fast, remember to keep these things before the Lord in prayer every time you fast.

The three disciplines of giving, praying and fasting

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about three spiritual disciplines (Matthew 6). This teaching takes up more than half of the chapter

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Prayer is the other important part of the fast. Communicate with God, presenting to him the things on your heart that are important to you or others.

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because of the self-disciplining I have just done. I gain a sense of joy and accomplishment at completing the task. I have honed and refined my relationship with God and my theology has changed a bit. I now see him in a way I never did before as he provided for a journey I have never been on before.

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Denying ourselves while pursuing more

and amounts to roughly one-sixth of the entire sermon. The three spiritual disciplines described are giving, praying and fasting. We don’t see giving as optional; we know we should be generous. We also don’t see prayer as optional. We pray regularly—daily or more so. Why, then, do we see fasting as an antiquated concept? He did not say “if” we do them, but he said “when” we do them. It was not optional for him, yet we seem to focus on only two out of three. Of the three spiritual exercises described by Jesus in Matthew 6, each one has the same promise (vv. 4, 6, 18). You will be rewarded for giving, for praying and for fasting. Consider the reward for fasting as found in Matthew 6:18. “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” The plain interpretation here is that God will reward the one who fasts.

God is amazing, he is good, he blesses and provides. He delights to see me do this— the same thing so many in the Bible did. I am doing something new in my life, but something almost as old as the human race. I feel like I have completed spring cleaning in my heart and mind. Cobwebs and dust are removed and more room is made for the living Christ. I have stretched and practiced an overlooked and unused muscle in my body. These are among many things God does with and because of our fasting. God brings spiritual renewal and breathes new life into our frail, frustrated and discouraged bodies as we deny ourselves while pursuing him. Our conference is seeking God’s renewal in the coming season. Fasting is a specific and powerfully effective way of removing clutter from your life, making room for renewal. Please join others in the conference by taking this step of faith again or for the first time in your life. Fast for yourself, your loved ones, your church and the EM Conference.

Fasting is a specific and powerfully effective way of removing clutter from your life, making room for renewal.

Blessings I have experienced

There are many specific blessings from doing a fast of any length. Here are some I have experienced. I feel closer to God and am renewed spiritually from the journey. I am refreshed despite the difficult task, and I have seen God work specifically through the fast in my life or others’ lives. I been strengthened in my faith and have seen prayers from the fast answered. I have seen how God has blessed others and been amazed at what he did for them. I have a greater appreciation for some of the small and insignificant things

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Darcy Sproule (BA, MDiv Pastoral Ministry) grew up in the Giroux, Man., area on a mixed farm. He enjoys astronomy, cutting firewood, riding his bike and having yerba (but not coffee) with his wife Lina. He became a Christian just shy of his 20th birthday and continues to grow in his walk with the Lord.

The Land Where Your Dead Are Buried The sacredness of the land beyond cultural boundaries

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By Joshua Dueck

remember the first time meeting the postsecondary student advisor from my home reserve of Fisher River Cree Nation, I had never met anyone from here before and I was nervous. I was nervous because for basically my whole life I have struggled with knowing how to identify. I was also nervous because I have never lived on reserve, and I struggled with knowing whether I would be accepted as one of their own or seen as an economic burden. Those that know me well, know that I am not very touchy and certainly someone who avoids hugs at all costs. Though it feels like I have cried this whole week [Truth and Reconciliation week], probably most people would think I have no emotions either. However, when I met my advisor, she embraced me; I remember just wanting to hold that hug and wanting to weep. My fears of being accepted were definitively abandoned. After regaining my composure, she said some of the most profound

words I had ever heard: “Josh, you are from Fisher River Cree Nation. You are welcome home anytime. It is the land where your dead are buried.”

The value of the land for Indigenous People

I have replayed that line in my head hundreds of times, and I have come to a fuller understanding of the value of the land for Indigenous People. The significance of land is not just resources; it is significant because it holds the memories and stories of those who have passed on. This phrase became even more profound as news of unmarked graves began to emerge this year from the sites of former Indian Residential Schools. Regardless of the cause of death—whether disease or mistreatment—it is absolutely horrific in every way. In the time since the first discovery at Kamloops Indian Residential School I have heard people, even people I once

The significance of land is not just resources; it is significant because it holds the memories and stories of those who have passed on.

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respected, defend the oppressive colonial system saying it was probably just disease that killed those children. This implies it was okay for the children to be taken, it was okay for them to die away from their families, and it was okay that their bodies were not returned to their families and to their land. As I reflect, I am reminded of Joseph’s story. He was betrayed by his family, sold as a slave, taken to a foreign land, falsely accused and thrown into prison. Even after rising to power, he still longed to be in the land promised to his ancestors. Confident that God would honour his word, he gave final instructions that, on the day God would fulfill his oath to his ancestors, his bones were to be taken out of the land of Egypt and brought to the land promised to them (Genesis 50:24–26). Over 400 years later, the time when Israel received the land promised, Joseph’s bones were laid to rest on the plot of land his father had purchased centuries earlier (Joshua 24:29–33).

Where our loved ones are laid to rest

I am further reminded of burying my fatherin-law just over a year ago. I remember being

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astonished at the gentleness, care and honour bestowed upon him by the local fellowship of believers in northern Alberta. They prepared his body. They made the casket. They dug the grave and filled it by hand. Just this summer my brother-in-law returned from a trip to visit the site and brought back with him to Manitoba some dirt and a wildflower that had been growing there. Again, I was astonished by the sacredness of land, especially the physical sites where our loved ones are buried; it is an experience that transcends cultural boundaries. Within the EMC, I am sure that many of us who have buried loved ones have at special occasions such as birthdays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, or even at Christmas made “pilgrimages” to cemeteries where our loved ones have been laid to rest. For others, perhaps, where our loves ones are buried a great distance from our homes, either in another province or country, there might even be a sense of loss knowing that journeys to the site to reflect, reminisce and remember are difficult or even impossible.

The truth is our compass

I recently had the opportunity to speak at a chapel service for a local high school. Specifically, I spoke about Truth and Reconciliation. I began by asking the students: “Why does truth matter?” After a few moments of silence someone shouted, “If we know what is true, then we know what is wrong.” I responded with this story: I remember once I was out in the woods looking to harvest a deer. It was late into the season; snow was already on the ground, and I was in a new area I had never been in before. Hours passed with nothing happening. The cold got to me, so I started walking to stay warm. Before long I became disorientated; when I attempted to follow my prints in the snow, I realized I had already been walking in circles and I had no way of knowing which prints the right ones were to follow. Thankfully, I soon remembered I had a compass in my medical kit. With that compass was able to orientate myself to know which was the right way out. The truth acts for us like a compass. By knowing what is true we can also know what is untrue. That student got it exactly right! This

A lament for an ugly and shameful truth

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is why acknowledging, remembering, and learning the true story of Canadian government and the church’s partnership in the destruction of Indigenous People is so important. When we can identify what was and is wrong, shameful and evil, we will hopefully be able to orientate our lives in ways that foster compassion, understanding, and justice.

As I reflect this week on the atrocities committed against Indigenous People of Canada, I lament greatly, remembering many thousands of innocent children died while attending Indian Residential School away from their families and communities. I lament greatly in knowing that the land where many of our dead are buried are on the grounds of the schools and not in the communities of our people. As a community of believers, let us be intentional about acknowledging the ugly and shameful truth of what our country committed, together with those who vainly took the name of Christ. This is the Jesus way. Let us lament. Let us lament that it has taken so long for our country to acknowledge what it has done. Let us lament that it has taken so long for churches to acknowledge what they have done. Let us lament that so many stories and lives have been forgotten. Let us lament that the damage caused continues to harm intergenerationally. Let us lament that the systemic racism that prompted such oppressive policies continues to be perpetuated throughout the country.

The One who is Truth has not forgotten

Let us also not forget that we are convinced that the One who opposed the oppressors and the One who loved the oppressed, the one who loved children and the One who walked with the marginalized, the One who calls himself the Truth and the One who has reconciled people

to God by the shedding of his blood has not forgotten. One day, true justice will prevail that is not bound by time. Until that day, brothers and sisters, let us live lives that honour truth, and let us be reconcilers. Let us live in such a way the world will never mistake us for the wolves who clothed themselves as sheep. Let us live in a way that values people. Let us live in the imitation of Christ who demonstrated his love by the laying down his rights and even his life. Let us also commit ourselves to learning the true story. Let us be committed to being shaped in a way that honours both those who were lost and those who survived Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. Joshua Dueck (BA Christian Ministries, Steinbach Bible College) lives in Kleefeld, Man., with his wife Helyn, their three elementary-age sons and preschool-age daughter. Their home church is Steinbach EMC. He studies at Providence Theological Seminary and works as Community Life Director and Indigenous Student Advisor at Steinbach Bible College. His home community is Fisher River Cree Nation, but due to the Sixties Scoop he was raised in nonIndigenous care.

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 15

SCORE AGAINST POVERTY PHOTO/OBERT PAYENDA

After entering the Men Can Cook competition, Jawanda Clemence discovered a love of cooking. Now he helps train new competitors and has developed a number of his own recipes. Here he’s teaching a recipe for mashed lablab to a group of women. At the time this photo was taken, COVID-19 measures in Zimbabwe only included a recommendation for mask use.

The Great Mwenezi Cook-Off Men Can Cook competition transforming a community in Zimbabwe By Jason Dueck

ll of Joseph Gudo’s hard work was summed up in one small plate of food. He’d laboured for months in the field and uncountable hours in the kitchen all in service to this dish—a neat pile of mashed cowpeas (or black-eyed peas), buoyed by a bold pinch of cayenne pepper and dressed up with pops of colourful diced tomatoes and green peppers. This was everything he’d been working for, his heart and soul on a plate. That simple meal was the dish that won Gudo and his teammates the top prize in the very first Men Can Cook competition. It also cemented what he’d been learning all year—that cooking wasn’t solely a job for women.

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Sexism in and beyond the kitchen

The belief that cooking is exclusively a woman’s role is not unique to Gudo’s home, the Mwenezi district of southern Zimbabwe. Many cultures have placed the burden of all domestic skills on women for thousands of years. But when staff at Score Against Poverty (SCORE), an MCC partner in the region, began a project to teach farming skills, they saw how this pervasive belief played out beyond the kitchen. “We realized that there were gender power imbalances which were central to the food security situation within our communities,” says Caroline Pugeni, program coordinator for SCORE.

problem with a household where the husband had total authority over his wife. That was just the way things worked, they said. “According to our culture, there were very set roles,” says Gudo. “The wife was the one who was supposed to do the household chores and look after the children. And the husband was the one who was supposed to do those masculine jobs like farming, building and yardwork.” But over a few sessions, there were glimpses of success. “It began with thoughts like ‘Maybe there is need for me to assist my wife whenever my wife is not feeling well. It’s not right for me to make you cook if you’re sick,’” says Pugeni. Seeing these ideas gain a foothold, Pugeni believed they could find success in framing the idea as a positive. Instead of correcting problematic behaviour, they could support positive change. Instead of centring the idea that it was

“It began with thoughts like ‘Maybe there is need for me to assist my wife whenever my wife is not feeling well. It’s not right for me to make you cook if you’re sick,’” says Pugeni.

SCORE AGAINST POVERTY PHOTO/CAROLINE PUGENI

How does gender inequality affect food security? Since 2016, SCORE’s work has included securing plots of farmable land and teaching sustainable farming techniques to give families better access to food. But the rigid gender hierarchy caused disparities to surface. “Crops were culturally defined between female crops and the male crops,” says Pugeni. The larger cereal and grain crops were grown by men while smaller crops including legumes, garden vegetables or cowpeas were managed by women. This also led to “male” crops taking up far more space than the other crops. “But, when it comes to how those plots were managed, the women would be participating in the weeding process, in the harvesting process, in the processing of everything for the men’s crops,” says Pugeni. “But when it comes to the legume plot, it was only the women who were supposed to manage all of that.” Pugeni and the other staff at SCORE saw these imbalances clearly but knew that changing them, or even trying to address them, would be a challenge to generations of male-dominated culture. Through the funding support of MCC donors, SCORE held community meetings on gender equality—open discussions for neighbours to discuss these issues together. They saw some progress, though within a limited scope. Most men who participated struggled to identify any

Members of the second-place team in the 2019 Men Can Cook competition pose with their prizes—new sauté pans. (L to R) Agripa Shumba, Magwanda Tinago, Albert Chigaridzano and Matutu Charlse

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 17

SCORE AGAINST POVERTY PHOTO/OBERT PAYENDA

Kudzai Manavele shows off her pigeon pea plant that she successfully transplanted from another plant in the village of Chirimigwa, Zimbabwe. She learned the technique, called “ratooning”, from MCC partner Score Against Poverty.

bad to not help their wives, they focused on the idea that, yes, women have most often been the cooks of the family, but men can cook too.

Men can cook too

The rules of the competition were simple. Contestants were grouped into teams of five and would be required to grow, prepare and cook every single part of each meal they presented. The teams would be judged according to taste and presentation and the winners awarded prizes. Suddenly, some of the men were more interested in growing tomatoes and legumes despite them being “female” crops. But even that eagerness was quickly tempered by pride for some. “It was easy for me to approach my wife for help with cooking, but what was difficult was for my wife to teach me during the day when everyone can see,” says Jawanda Clemence, a participant in the first competition. “So I opted to learn at night. My wife would teach me when

kids had gone to bed. I was afraid of being shamed by other men in the village.” Clemence says most of the crowd that gathered to watch that first year came because the idea of men competing to cook was too bizarre to pass up seeing in person. He thought very little of the idea when he agreed to try it. “I wanted to laugh at my friends that were really showing an eagerness to participate,” says Clemence. “In my family, no man cooks. You marry for your wife to cook for you. What SCORE was talking about was just beyond my imagination.” And Clemence wasn’t the only one suspicious of the idea. Encouraging men to be more involved at home seemed like a good plan, but many women worried that the kitchen could just become a new place for men to wield their total authority. Instead of a new arena for oppression, the women of Mwenezi started to see changes they wouldn’t have thought possible, says Gaudencia

“Men started to share financial matters with their wives and many husbands no longer beat their wives,” she says. “There is a love now that wasn’t there before.”

18 The Messenger • November 2021

SCORE AGAINST POVERTY PHOTO/ALICE CHAUKE (2018)

The final dishes from Jawanda Clemence’s team in the first Men Can Cook competition in 2018 in the village of Chinyause, Zimbabwe. The dishes include a variety of cowpeas, pigeon peas and lablab, prepared several different ways.

Pugeni, a participant in SCORE’s agriculture program (no relation to Caroline Pugeni). “Men started to share financial matters with their wives and many husbands no longer beat their wives,” she says. “There is a love now that wasn’t there before.” And these changes weren’t just showing up at home. Out on the fields, male farmers shared the land more equitably, included the women more in planning and began planting legumes and other previously dismissed crops themselves. “It has given farmers an opportunity to know and address underlying issues that affect food security here,” says Caroline Pugeni. “It has improved food and nutrition security at a household level.”

Winner, winner cowpea dinner

The first competition took place in 2018 with eight men’s teams and six women’s teams comprised mostly of competitors’ wives. Men’s teams took the top three spots that year. Gudo’s team emerged victoriously, his mashed cowpeas named the supreme dish. And their prize? Aprons and a variety of pots, pans and cooking utensils to call their own. For placing third, Clemence was awarded a teapot that he now displays proudly at home.

Both Gudo and Clemence say connecting with their wives through the whole process changed their perspectives drastically. They see themselves more as equal partners and not as a master over their spouse. Clemence changed his tune on cooking entirely. He now teaches men practicing for the competition and has developed his own signature recipe for a nutritious porridge that he shares with anyone who’s interested. And Gudo started offering to cook, to help in the garden and to walk his daughter to school, insisting his wife take time to rest. He says he wants to show his kids what he only learned as an adult. “It shows our kids to learn to love one another. Because there was a great gulf existing between boys and girls when the boys saw themselves to be superior as the culture says. But now, it gives all both boys and girls they know that we are all human beings. We are all the same.” Score Against Poverty has recently published a collection of recipes featured in the Men Can Cook competition at https://mcccanada.ca/ media/resources/12004. Jason Dueck (Mennonite Central Committee) is a communications generalist from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 19

Pastoral Prayer: Reign of Christ By Roddy Hamilton

May your reign be a mockery to the world but good news to those who seek out truth and may we join them in the search finding you walking the streets or breaking bread or sitting by bedsides

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Create a throne room for yourself here, O Christ, but let it be the empty seat beside the anxious the lonely chair next to the confused the vacant pew next to the hungry and reign, O Jesus, as sovereign over the forgotten

May we find you in border areas on the edge of things crossing over with the foreigner May we find you among children learning to finger paint as teachers to those who long to enjoy life again May we find you with the worried silenced with nothing to say and space enough to keep it

May we find you on the wrong side of the tracks going where you should not and finding a place to lay your head among the lost May we find you singing our songs of justice and peace and removing your crown to do so May we find you with a word that lives in the hopes of the afraid and a comforting peace for those who are broken May we find you laughing at the powerful unnerving what folk think so secure while welcoming those who have nothing into your throne room

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O Jesus, reigning in the world with your upside down kingdom may we find the faith to stand with you sovereign of life and servant of all

20 The Messenger • November 2021

Rev. Roddy Hamilton ministers at New Kilpatrick Parish Church in Scotland. This is a prayer of petition for the last Sunday before Advent, known as the “Reign of Christ” or “Christ the King” Sunday.

Come and See: Following Jesus in Spiritual Renewal from Advent to Pentecost The EMC is calling churches and individuals to a season of spiritual renewal from Advent to Pentecost beginning this November 28. I need renewal. You need renewal. Our church needs renewal. Deep down we long for a closer, more vibrant, more attention-demanding, contagious encounter with our Lord Jesus. This is the cry of our hearts, the plea of our prayers and the object of our fasting. We are calling this season Come and See. We are inviting churches to devote special time to prayer for renewal during this season. We invite your congregation to invest in the spiritual life of another EMC congregation by gathering and sending a prayer team to that congregation for a weekend to pray with them. We invite you personally to join a Conference-wide fast, leading up to Good Friday. We invite churches to do a prayer vigil on Easter weekend, watching with our Saviour and rejoicing as the dawn approaches. We invite you personally to use the Come and See prayer journal that will connect you to our journey through the gospel of Luke: looking, noting, writing, praying. We invite you to participate as you and your congregation discerns. This will look different depending on where you and your church are at this time. This is not a one-sizefits-all formula. But we do have this mission from Jesus

and he is waiting to take you farther and deeper than you have ventured before. We invite you to join your EMC brothers and sisters in praying that Jesus would be seen and known in our villages and towns in new ways. For more information check out https://www.emconference. ca/come-and-see.

Gifts

Joy mfort and co

Delight your loved ones this Christmas by sharing God’s love with our global neighbours. Choose from gifts like mosquito nets, goats, clean water, books, and more. Visit mcccanada.ca/christmas-2021 for more gift ideas. EMC Messenger 2

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 21

Column • A Path To Peace

Our Profound Need for Peace

A “If you ever wonder why the world isn’t the way it should be, it’s because the world isn’t the way it should be.”

22 The Messenger • November 2021

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By Kevin Wiebe

ny one of us can take a quick look around us and realize that our world is full of conflict, darkness and pain. Beyond that, and perhaps as a result of that, I also believe that we all have a deep ache within our souls that longs for complete peace, for the blissful and eternal reign of God, who will remove all of our suffering and crying and pain. So what are some of the reasons there is such a need for peace in our world? One reason is because the world is broken. One pastor I know put it this way, “If you ever wonder why the world isn’t the way it should be, it’s because the world isn’t the way it should be.” There is a brokenness inherent in the planet we inhabit. There are earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, illnesses, wildfires and all manner of disaster that is the very embodiment of chaos, leaving endless destruction in the wake of every natural disaster. Another reason we need the peace that Jesus offers is because humanity is broken, and other people make sinful decisions that hurt us. As soon as you read those words there are likely faces coming to mind of those who hurt you most deeply. You need the peace of Jesus to bring healing to those wounds, and to give you the strength to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged you. Yet another major reason why we are in need of the peace of God is because we, too, are part of that broken humanity that sins and causes pain for others. Sometimes we are the villain in someone else’s story. Sometimes we make decisions that devastate the lives of other people, and as a result we feel the torturing feelings of guilt—helpless to change the past and feeling nothing but a chaotic agony over the pain caused at our own hands.

Add to all of this the fact that we are finite and fallible beings, who are unable to know everything or perfectly understand the mysteries of the universe and our need for peace grows even more profound. But there is good news: despite the brokenness of the world, the sinfulness of others and ourselves, and our limited capacity for understanding, we have a God who has been made known to us in the person of Jesus—who is known as the “Prince of Peace”. We follow a God who brings order to chaos, and while our need for peace is great, the peace that God gives is even greater. In John 14:27 (NLT), Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

With Our Missionaries

Christian School ‘Serving the Servant’ in Chiang Rai

BOM

THAILAND children to have a good education and learn English. In North America, we often take English for granted; here, that is not the case. If a child knows English, there are so many more opportunities available to them as they get older. Our Thai students are the future of Chiang Rai, and we are training them in Christian virtues and how to think with a biblical worldview mindset. I can’t wait to see how this is going to change Thailand. Wherever you are in the world, children want to be loved and needed. They struggle with feeling lonely and inadequate. They struggle with friendships and they need Jesus. Growing up in a Christian home does not make Amber Dueck (back, far right) feels blessed to see CRICS students grow in children automatically Christian. They need adults their relationships with God and friends. to come alongside them and help them through life. Nothing is more rewarding than getting to watch In 2015, I moved to Chiang Rai, Thailand, to serve at Chichildren grow in their relationships with God and friends. ang Rai International Christian School (CRICS) as a grade Recently, some of my students got together to pick 5 teacher, not realizing that I would still be here seven matching outfits. They ended up using their own money to years later. purchase a matching outfit for an incoming new student Approximately 20 years ago, several missionary famiwhom they had never met. lies in Chiang Rai wanted to find a way to educate their I have been blessed every year to be able to have deep children. Eventually some Thai families wanted to join, but conversations with my students about who God is, why he the government would only allow this if it was an official came to earth and died, why he made us the way we are, school. Thus began an incredible journey. In 2015, CRICS and how we should treat the people around us. It is our was officially recognized by ASCI as an accredited school. responsibility to help children grow in their understandToday we have 180 students from kindergarten to grade 12 ing of who Christ is; it should not just fall on the parents. It from 20 countries with the express purpose of “serving the takes a village to raise a child and I am privileged to be part servant.” of that village! Northern Thailand is in a strategic position in Asia as – Amber Dueck many nearby countries are closed. As a result, many mission organizations are based there. I have repeatedly heard Amber Dueck (Morfamilies express thankfulness for CRICS; they would not weena EMC) has be able to stay on the mission field if not for our school. been teaching at CRICS allows children to have a quality, international, Chiang Rai InterChristian education, and participate in extracurricular national Christian activities (theatre, sports, art and more)—all while allowSchool in Thaiing families to stay together. CRICS provides family and land since 2015. community to our students and families. She recently began We are also blessed to have students who come from serving as elemenBuddhist backgrounds. We are very upfront that we are tary vice principal in a Christian school, but these Thai parents want their addition to teaching grade 5.

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 23

With Our Missionaries

A Cross-Cultural Christmas

BOM

Jeremy and Adrienne Penner, EMC Workers with Multiply in Thailand It’s the busiest ministry time of the year! Myanmar migrant workers rarely have time off—so when it comes there’s a big outreach focus. No one here knows anything about why Christmas is a thing, but everyone likes a party! Each church holds Christmas party outreach events all over their area, sharing about Jesus coming to save us, singing songs, performing dramas, and eating delicious Burmese food and Christmas cookies. In 2020, we and our team planned 19 outreaches! Between baking, preparing, and running events it’s a busy month; and afterwards, there isn’t time to sit around because January is when follow-up starts!

Dallas and Tara Wiebe, EMC Missionaries in Mexico Christmas in Guadalajara is centred around the celebration of Jesus’ birth. In a typical year there are posadas throughout the whole month of December. These are Christmas parties that you attend with every social group you’re a part of, such as a party with every class your kid is part of at school, every sports team they’re on, every group of friends you have, as well as a church posada. It makes for a very busy month! Part of the tradition is also to pedir posada, or to ask for lodging.

24 The Messenger • November 2021

This involves those at the party splitting up into two groups. Everyone holds a candle while taking turns singing parts of a song where Joseph and Mary are looking for lodging. It concludes with the two groups joining together and continuing on with the party. As a church we also focus on inviting friends to our posada and making it a time of celebrating Jesus’ birth together. The real meaning of the celebration often gets lost in the midst of all the parties and this is a way to put the focus on Christ once again. Most of these parties happen before the 24th, as Christmas Eve is the day to gather with your family. A big meal is served late in the evening, usually close to midnight. In some areas of Mexico, presents are opened on the 24th; children are told they were delivered by niñito Dios (little God). In other areas of Mexico, presents are opened on January 6th, Three Kings Day.

BOM

Editor’s Note: One year ago we asked missionaries what Christmas looks like in their country of service—here are a few of their answers.

Travis and Rosey Zacharias, EMC Missionaries in Paraguay In Paraguay, Christmas is a very special occasion. Presents don’t arrive until January 6th when the Wise Men bring them, but on December 24th, there is anticipation as the 25th draws near. Fireworks start in the afternoon as excited children, and even some adults, light some of the smaller ones; you hear one explode every few minutes. Catholics may go to mass at eight in the evening. At around nine or ten in the evening, the smell of the charcoal lit to barbecue supper mixes with the smell of sulfur from the firecrackers. Thirty minutes later the smell of a cooking beef roast or rack of beef ribs adds to the aroma. Over the next hour-and-a-half to two hours, the smell intensifies as the meat cooks. As midnight approaches, the firecrackers increase in intensity, with one exploding every five to 10 seconds. All of these smells and sounds build the anticipation, the excitement, the hope that the 25th will soon arrive. At midnight the firecrackers reach their peak with hundreds exploding every second, the delicious meal is eaten and soon it is quiet.

With Our Churches Crestview Fellowship Church

Free Sale Allows Community Connections

CFC

WINNIPEG, Man.—Bang! Crestview Fellowship Church began September 2021 with many events! To start, Crestview Fellowship hosted their annual Free Sale on September 11. Fortunately, restrictions allowed for this event to take place again, after having to take a break from it last year. The Free Sale ran from 8 a.m. to noon in the church parking lot. This required volunteers to help move all of the Free Sale items, stored within the church, to the gym during the week, and out the church doors Saturday morning. These volunteers The Free Sale was set up in Crestview Fellowship Church’s parking lot and was well-received know that the time they put into this by the community. event is for a greater purpose. The event receives great responses from the community, and enables Committee. The fact that the church service was held outCrestview Fellowship to reach out, to connect with the side in the parking lot enabled the community to see their community, and to bless others with free items to reuse. church gathering together, and potentially spark some The following day, September 12, marked the Crestview interest within, or connections with, those going by. The Fellowship Church Sunday School Kick-off, celebrating church is very excited to get back into their Sunday School the school year and the ministries starting up for the year program, the L.O.F.T. (Living Our Faith Together) program again. This event consisted of a church service outside for youth, and the Tuesday Night Ministry for high school and a lunch provided by the creative and energetic Food age and up. That same day, Crestview Fellowship Church was able to celebrate Henry and Elsie Thiessen’s 60th wedding anniversary! This couple has been very faithful within Crestview Fellowship’s congregation and it was an honour to be able to celebrate this special day with them. While following COVID-19 guidelines, the celebration was able to be hosted in the basement of Crestview Fellowship Church, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The celebration consisted of food, speeches, special features, and a ton of fellowshipping. Many friends and family of Henry and Elsie were able to come and celebrate with them. The celebration could not have been successful without all of the thought and care Henry and Elsie’s children put into the evening and the eager volunteers within the congregation. After all of the thought and time put into all of these events, it was encouraging to see them be so successful. Crestview Fellowship Church looks forward to the many other events that God will inspire and help them to accomHenry and Elsie’s 60th wedding anniversary welcome table, where plish this year. guests could sign and write a note to the couple. – Jenaya Groen www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 25

With Our Churches Heartland Community Church

A Legacy for Landmark

HCC

LANDMARK, Man.—On Saturday, October 2, Legacy Children’s Centre celebrated its Grand Opening. It was a morning where years of dreaming and work finally came together! In 2016, Heartland Community Church (HCC) asked the question, “How do we serve the community of Landmark in a tangible way?” As a community church, HCC believes we have a mission to reach out in our community. As we were challenged to “think big,” an idea was born to see what it would take to create a daycare. A team was assembled to research and develop a plan, with Marilyn Plett (my mom) as team leader. In January 2019, Marilyn was diagnosed with terminal cancer. With the time left, she and my dad, Lloyd Plett, had conversations with family about what it means to leave a legacy. Community had always been important to them, and we all wanted to give Assisting in the ribbon cutting ceremony for Legacy Children’s Centre in Landmark, back to the people of Landmark. My parents Man., are (back) Premier and Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, RM of Tache Mayor decided to donate startup money for the new Justin Bohemier, Dawson Trail MLA Bob Lagasse, (front) Rhonda Kubanek, Faye Barkdaycare, and HCC agreed the daycare could man, Merrilee Plett, Ashley Penner, Meghan Storey, Lloyd Plett and Tami Joyal. be attached to the church building. One week later, Marilyn passed away. The name of the daycare, Legstatement. Legacy Children’s Centre Executive Director, acy Children’s Centre, is in honour of her memory, and Tami Joyal, was hired and worked to get the centre ready. it also represents the foundational belief we have in the On July 12, we welcomed our first children into the centre! importance of children to our community. Currently, there are twenty children enrolled and we The original daycare team, along with the Plett famhave room for a few more. We are also planning to conily, applied for a building grant and started fundraising struct a natural playground next spring. locally. The community of Landmark, both individuals and We thank the many people who have realized the businesses, stepped up in a big way! Within months, we dream of creating Legacy Children’s Centre. A building is secured enough grant money and donations, including the important, but the heart of the centre is the people who land, to cover the entire cost of the project. develop programming, the parents and children, and the Construction began in fall of 2020 and was completed ongoing support of the broader community of Landmark. in April 2021. NDL construction, with Allan Reimer as We hope, as we continue to grow, that our relationship our general contractor, along with many local sub trades, with the community will also grow. completed this project efficiently and on budget. We are so I know my mom is incredibly proud of this moment! thankful for all of them. Her desire was to create a joyful space where children The daycare planning team (Andy Woodworth, Evan would be treasured and families uplifted. We hope that this Rodgers, Faye Barkman, Ashley Penner, Rhonda Kubanek, centre is a tangible way Heartland Community Church can Meghan Storey, Lloyd Plett and Merrilee Plett) worked to serve our community. develop a business plan along with core values and mission – Merrilee Plett

26 The Messenger • November 2021

With Our Churches La Crete Christian Fellowship

LCCF

LA CRETE, Alta.—Greetings from La Crete, Alta. Since this is my first article and my first attempt to fulfill the reporter role, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Eva Friesen (nee Driedger). I have lived in La Crete all my life and am a proud descendant of the Coffa Dreedyash family (Coffee Driedgers). I received Christ as Saviour at age 15 and was baptized upon confession of my faith when I was 19 years old. I have been regularly attending La Crete Christian Fellowship (LCCF) since 2014, and transferred my membership in November the following year. It was here I met, befriended and fell in love with my husband, Frank. We just celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary this past July! This past spring, a part-time job opportunity opened up in our church office for an afternoon secretary. I applied, interviewed for, and was offered the position. It has been a wonderful experience, a huge learning curve, but the people I work with have been such an encouragement to me. It was through this new position that I realized that our church was without a Messenger reporter, and has been for many years. It appealed to me to be the one who would inform our Conference of what’s been happening here in La Crete. So, I asked for the opportunity and our church board appointed me.

LCCF

Introducing New Reporter Eva Friesen

Eva Friesen, new Messenger reporter for LCCF, and husband Frank Friesen.

Just as all churches across the country, LCCF has had to navigate through the maze of confusion that 2020 brought upon us. But, in spite of the difficulties, we had many reasons to celebrate! In April 2020, there was an official groundbreaking for a building expansion project. After many months of hard work, LCCF had a church dedication for the new wing on October 18, 2020. From July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, our church was able to celebrate seven weddings, 26 births, four couples who participated in parent/child dedications, 16 individuals baptized and 18 people accepted into membership. It has been amazing to witness the joy and goodness of God through these events. Within the same time frame, amid all the moments of joy and celebration, our congregation has also endured the sorrow of saying goodbye to four beloved people within our midst. Again, it was incredibly moving to see the goodness of God demonstrated through the unity of our people, supporting each other through these times of grieving. As we continue on, may we all strive to be the light of Christ to the hurting world around us, and uphold one another in prayer, united and steadfast. Official groundbreaking for LCCF’s new wing took place in April 2020, and the – Eva Friesen dedication ceremony was held on October 18, 2020.

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 27

With Our Churches MacGregor EMC

MACGREGOR EMC

MacGREGOR, Man.—Our congregation sadly bade farewell to Dan and Sandra Sawatzky, who have moved to Winnipeg, Man. They actively served the church for over 30 years, including as teachers in Sunday School, and as deacons and small group leaders. More recently Dan has been our moderator and conference delegate, and lately led the revision of our constitution and policy handbook. Sandra has done much work behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly, and in the last year or so she brought renewed life into the Sunday School program. They have served us well and, though we regret their departure, we know the Lord will bless Dan and Sandra and many others through them. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some church elections had been delayed, but recently we were pleased to elect Jeff Thiessen to the position of moderator. Several others accepted their elections as well: Linden Guenther as chairman of the Christian Education committee, Matt Sawatzky as our MDS representative, and Dakotah Guenther to the newly created position of Community Life Facilitator. Also, upon the retirement of deacon couple Sheldon and Linda Giesbrecht, David and Tammy Kruse have accepted and been installed in the deacon position. During a recent Sunday morning service, Keri Unrau was presented with a study Bible and a gift of $200 for

Sandra and Dan Sawatzky relocated to Winnipeg earlier this year.

28 The Messenger • November 2021

MACGREGOR EMC

Sadness and Joy in Leadership and Youth Changes

Keri Unrau received a study Bible upon her high school graduation.

further education, in honour of her high school graduation. We congratulate Keri for persevering in spite of COVID-19 restrictions. She demonstrated her commitment to Christ in baptism a year ago and is now studying at Providence College. – Menno Hamm

With Our Churches Fort Garry EMC

Cameron McKenzie Commissioned as Lead Pastor

FORT GARRY EMC

WINNIPEG, Man.—Cameron and Irma McKenzie were commissioned as lead pastoral couple at Fort Garry EMC on September 19, 2021. – Donita Reimer

MDS Canada Launches New Round of Grants WINNIPEG, Man.—After a successful first two rounds of funding, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada is once again offering its Spirit of MDS Fund to Canadian congregations. Created in response to the pandemic, the Fund provided a total of 81 grants worth $206,900 CDN/$161,500 U.S. in 2020–21 to help congregations and other organizations respond to needs in their communities due to COVID-19. Now MDS Canada is offering the Fund again, this time making it a regular part of its program. “When the pandemic hit, we were greatly limited in the ways we could respond due to safety and health concerns and travel restrictions,” said Director of Canadian Operations Ross Penner. “The Spirit of MDS Fund was a way for us to support congregations working on the frontlines of the pandemic disaster, doing things we couldn’t do in the spirit of MDS.” When the MDS Canada board saw the success and impact of the Fund during the pandemic, they decided to make it part of the regular program, Penner said.

News

“There are many other ongoing practical needs churches want to meet in their communities, but maybe they lack funds or expertise,” he said. Grants of up to $5,000 are available and can be used for construction or renovation projects to repair a home or make it more livable, Penner said. Other ways grants can be used include providing food or other needed resources for those in crisis; for neighbourhood ministry projects; or for other creative ideas that fit with MDS Canada’s core values of faith in action and caring relationships. As in the past, the new round of funding will focus on Mennonite/Anabaptist churches and organizations, with funding available for other churches and church-related groups on a case-by-case basis. Priority for funding will be given to applications where volunteers are mobilized to use the grants. An application for funding for the 2021–22 Spirit of MDS Fund is available on the MDS website at www.mds.org. – MDS Canada www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 29

News

Only God Could Turn Disaster into Ministry

JKI INJIL KERAJAAN

INDONESIA—In multi-religious Indonesia, many people have never been inside a church. The pandemic is changing that for residents of Semarang (population 1.8 million) and surrounding area. In coordination with the local government, police and military forces, the 2022 MWC Assembly host venue JKI Injil Kerajaan (Holy Stadium) is holding a vaccine clinic, dosing up to 8,000 people per day in a country struggling to vaccinate citizens amid a severe infection wave. “We as a church can show that we can do something in the midst of a difficult situation like this,” says Global Church Sharing fund helps Holy Stadium love neighbours and give vaccines to IndoneTimotius Tanutama. He is one of the sians amid a severe COVID-19 infection wave. founding leaders of the 30-year-old megachurch that is part of Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI), whose classes are either cancelled or moved online during one of Indonesia’s three Mennonite World Conference this lockdown period. Some are members of the congregamember synods. tion; others have never been to church or practice Muslim As thousands of people pass through the church each faith. day, “We accept them, we love them, we try to minister to “This program has let the church help the community them,” he says. and also given a chance to share God’s love with them,” The vaccines are provided free from the government says Lydia Adi, international relations representative for but Holy Stadium covers its facility costs, worker wages JKI and member of the MWC Faith and Life Commission. and provides lunches and snacks from Monday to Friday. Bible verses posted on the walls of public spaces catch Nearby, Holy Stadium Miracle Healing Centre provides the attention of the thousands of people passing through quarantine space for COVID-positive people to isolate the space, and senior pastor Tina Astaris and other church safely away from crowded living quarters. leaders also provide inspiration and prayer support. Many workplaces require vaccination and public spaces The vaccination clinic has provided opportunities for are beginning to mandate proof of vaccination. The govpeacemaking efforts. When a Muslim leader who was iniernment directs employers to refer unvaccinated staff to tially opposed to vaccination brought a group from his Holy Stadium. The church has also used its extensive social congregation for vaccination, Holy Stadium provided a media to advertise the service. special lunch to show love across faith differences. “Most people are very happy [to get vaccinated],” says “If we hold a crusade, it’s a few thousand people in one Timotius Tanutama. “The service is fast and the people are week. [With the vaccine program,] in six months, we could kind.” have one million people come through the church doors,” While supplies last, the clinic runs Monday to Friday says Timotius Tanutama. “This is something only God can from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, there are not enough vacdo.” cines to keep up. Budiman Prajasantosa, organizer, says the MWC granted JKI Injil Kerajaan $10,000 from the clinic has shut down for several days to wait for more vacGlobal Church Sharing Fund to assist with their costs for cine supply to arrive. participation in the vaccination program. Medical staff are supplied by the government; the vol– MWC unteers recruited by Holy Stadium are mainly students

30 The Messenger • November 2021

News

MCC releases research findings on historical entanglements with National Socialism

MENNONITE HERITAGE ARCHIVES PHOTO

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has released the findings of its research on the organization’s historical entanglements with German National Socialism (or Nazism) and its legacy before, during and after the Second World War. Articles examining this history are available in the Fall 2021 issue of Intersections: MCC Theory and Practice Quarterly. Over the past few years, several pieces have been published about Mennonite complicity with National Socialism and the Holocaust as well as Mennonite antisemitism. To improve MCC’s understanding of its part in this history, the organization invited 12 historians from Canada, the United States, France, GerBenjamin Unruh (front row, third from left) stands with refugee representatives in many and the Netherlands to conduct Moelln, Germany, circa 1930. Unruh, a displaced Mennonite from the Soviet Union living archival research during early 2021. in Germany and a committed Nazi, negotiated with the Nazi government on behalf of The research highlights complicated and MCC regarding a debt the relief organization owed. painful parts of MCC’s institutional history. Following the Second World War, MCC’s efforts to from death camps. It also details how MCC sought to resettle Mennonites from the Soviet Union were chalcultivate a commitment to peace and nonresistance in lenging and deeply ambiguous. MCC recognized that a Paraguayan Mennonite colony where pro-Nazi sentiMennonites were facing an uncertain and hostile future. ments were on the rise. Now living in Germany and having accepted German In response to these research findings, MCC will citizenship, Mennonites feared deportation back to the take several actions. Over the coming months, MCC will Soviet Union. develop internal staff training on antisemitism. MCC will Through this effort to resettle more than 12,000 refualso undertake a process of consultation to determine how gees, MCC downplayed and covered over Mennonite to further respond to the research findings. MCC welparticipation in Nazi military bodies. MCC assisted a comes counsel from Anabaptists and others until March number of Mennonites who had collaborated with and 2022. Recommendations and comments can be sent to benefited from Nazism, including some who committed intersections@mcc.org. war crimes and participated in the Holocaust. “We recognize that MCC is a human institution, which As well, MCC’s financial debt to the German govmeans we are far from perfect. By examining the places ernment for the transportation of Soviet Mennonites to where MCC has fallen short, we continue to learn, grow Paraguay in the early 1930s meant that MCC became and become more Christlike,” says Rick Cober Bauman, a debtor to the Nazi regime when it came to power in MCC Canada executive director. 1933. MCC turned to Benjamin Unruh, a displaced MenFurther discussion about this—and other aspects of the nonite from the Soviet Union living in Germany and a research—occured at the “MCC at 100” conference, Sept. committed Nazi, to negotiate with the Nazi government 30–Oct. 2, and at a roundtable event on “MCC, Refugees regarding this debt. and the Legacies of National Socialism,” Nov. 4, both hosted Other parts of the historical research outline how by the University of Winnipeg and sponsored by MCC. MCC worked in wartime France to rescue Jewish children – MCC Canada

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 31

In Memory

Helen Kornelsen 1929–2021

Helen Kornelsen, aged 92 years, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at Bethesda Place, Steinbach, Man. Helen was born in McTavish, Man., in 1929 to George and Annie Kornelsen. Her family lived in McTavish, then Kleefeld, finally moving to Ridgewood when Helen was six years old. After seven years of elementary school, Helen stayed home to help her

32 The Messenger • November 2021

mother with household duties and to assist in raising her younger siblings. She soon took over the family cooking, baking, canning and sewing. She also occasionally did some day work for neighbours, as well as holding some local jobs. Later, Helen decided to upgrade her education, graduating from Bible college and receiving an education degree. Following this, she taught in various elementary schools and later in high school. Helen’s faith was always very important to her. She was baptized at age 16 in Blumenort Church, and she taught Sunday School and DVBS in Ridgewood Church. In 1965, she felt God calling her to foreign missions, which led her to teaching at King’s College in Belize for 19 years. When she came home to retire, Helen felt restless, so she headed off to Paraguay to teach missionary children for three years. Helen retired in Ridgewood and then in Steinbach. She continued to be involved in various voluntary services

in her church and in the community. She worked for ACL (now enVision), she assisted EAL classes, and volunteered at the Steinbach Mennonite Heritage Village museum as well as the MCC Thrift Store. Helen has been a strong role model and an inspiration to many, with her generous spirit of service, her gratitude and contentment, and her positive approach to life. Her last years were not easy or comfortable, but you would never hear her complain. Helen is survived by three sisters, three sisters-in-law, three brothersin-law, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, six brothers, one sister, one brother-in-law and four sisters-in-law. The funeral service was held on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach, Man. – Her Family

Shoulder Tapping

Where are position ads to be sent? Please send all position ads, including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconference.ca. All ads are to be 150 words or less. All ads can be edited. Please advise us when it is no longer needed.

Additional EMC Openings Often there are more churches looking for senior, associate, youth, and interim pastors than are identified on this page. For information on additional openings, contact Conference Pastor Layton Friesen (lfriesen@emconference.ca) and Director of Canadian Church Planting Gerald D. Reimer (greimer@emconference.ca). The national office phone number is 204-326-6401. Speak with Erica Fehr, Church leadership assistant to the BLO, to request a cell number for a particular person.

EMC Positions* The EMC National office is seeking an individual with a passion for Christ, the church and missions to fill the position of Interim Director of Global Outreach (DGO) for a term of nine to eighteen months. The position is available at 60% time to full time; full time is preferred. The Interim DGO will provide leadership, guidance and direction to EMC global ministries, while promoting missions to EMC churches throughout Canada. The Interim DGO will also serve as a member of the Executive Team which will support and enhance all ministries and boards of the EMC. Qualifications include: • Degree in Christian Education or Missions or equivalent training and experience • Cross-cultural missionary experience • Knowledge of mission strategies • Agreement with the EMC Statement of Faith and Church Practices • Strong oral and written communication skills • Understanding of conference ministries an asset • Administrative experience in a mission agency or church is an asset • Knowledge of Spanish or other second language is an asset This position requires Canadian and international travel. It offers equitable pay and benefits with opportunity for professional development. Applications or questions should be sent to applications@emconference.ca. Applications will be accepted until November 22nd or until the position is filled. Anticipated start date is early January 2022.

Other Positions Beauty Out of Ashes is a mission agency serving abused and abandoned girls in Haiti. We are looking for a couple, one or both with teacher training. Instruction will be done in English. Besides teaching, the couple would work in providing supervision and oversight of the home in areas such as shopping, administrative duties, and supervision as needed. Candidates must have a deep commitment to serving Christ, be members in good standing and with the recommendation of their local church. Strong relational skills are required. Basic accommodations are provided however additional financial support would be raised by the candidates. Visit boahaiti.org for an overview of the ministry. Heartland Community Church is helping to sponsor this ministry. For more information contact lfbarkman@gmail.com or mkubanek@mymts.net. At Inner City Youth Alive (ICYA) our mission is to bring hope through Christ, and we’re seeking to fill ministry positions serving kids, youth and families in Winnipeg’s inner city neighbourhood. Available positions include ministry and administrative roles. Our diverse team members are both local leaders and from outside our neighbourhood. As a faith-based ministry we hold all staff to our lifestyle and morality commitments, and core values. ICYA and our staff are supported by generous individuals and churches from across Canada. To view full job descriptions, visit: www.icya.ca/careers or message Karen Jolly, director of programs, at karen@icya.ca.

Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church is hiring for the role of worship director. This is a two-year term position at 0.75 FTE. FGMB is a healthy, diverse intergenerational congregation of 400-plus located in the suburbs of southwest Winnipeg, Man. We believe that worship is an essential part of equipping the body for fellowship and belonging, faith formation and mission engagement. The worship director needs to be a creative and engaging person who is passionate and growing in faith. The applicant should also be gifted in leading and inviting others into meaningful worship, work well in a collaborative team environment and connect well with people across generations, and should be familiar with the video editing and digital media skills needed for production of livestreamed services. For a longer job description see fgmb.ca/jobopportunities. Email cover letter and resume to info@fgmb.ca by May 30, 2021.

Evangelical Mennonite Conference

Year to Date Financial Report January-September 2021

Income* Expenses Excess/Shortfall

General Fund 2021 1,153,269 1,106,546 46,723

General Fund 2020 1,323,858 1,198,584 125,274

We give thanks to God for the continued strong support of EMC ministries, and we acknowledge the contributions of EMC churches and individuals who give so generously. - The Board of Trustees *Income includes donations and transfers from other funds (e.g., estate funds).

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 33

Column • His Light to My Path

The Princess Patient

ISTOCK

By Karla Hein

esigner purse over cashmere sweater. She starkly contrasted the casual attire of the other restless patients. She settled herself on the leather sofa, and I concluded that she was a spoiled princess. The air felt extra stale as I heard a young boy’s relentless cough. It’s not fair, I whined. This is an obstetrician’s office, not a walk-in clinic! We shouldn’t have to worry about catching a cold! Ms. Princess jotted notes in her dayplanner and paid no attention to the coughing outbursts. Her earrings matched the planner’s cover perfectly. I hadn’t realized other women attempted such fashionable expression! I was pleased whenever I had clean clothes to wear—of any shade. Suddenly, a gut-wrenching gag erupted across the room. I heard the sound of liquid splattering on the floor. The little boy whimpered, coughed, and spewed again. Patients froze in horror. But not Ms. Princess. She quickly disappeared from the room. She was back in a moment with a wad of paper towels for the flustered mother. While trying to comfort her now crying child, the mother attempted to clean herself, the floor and her distraught son. “I have an extra set of clothes from my little boy that you can have,” Ms. Princess offered. “I have a change of clothes in my car as well,” the mother replied as she and her son hurried to the bathroom. I sat quietly, reanalyzing my earlier judgment of Princess Lady. She had resumed her position on the couch, but I no longer perceived an arrogant attitude. The mother eventually returned with her little son stripped down to his shorts, shivering. Ms. Princess again was the first to offer help. A genuine smile lit up her face as she handed the mother a little blue backpack of clean clothes. I felt God’s conviction in my heart. “You shut down any good behaviour coming from that woman based on her appearance, yet you did not leap up to help the sick, little boy. You assumed an outward humility

What compels me from indifferent observation to being moved to respond with compassion? Being transformed through humble submission to God!

34 The Messenger • November 2021

but inwardly you were annoyed with his endless coughing. This lady’s kindness shone brighter than your criticism.” Recently, I read the Parable of the Good Samaritan to my four-year-old (Luke 10:25–37). As I read to a little mind still stuck in concrete thought, I noticed that the two men deemed closest to God—the supposed good guys— passed by the hurting man. The opportunity was there “when he saw the man” (v. 31), but the choice (however subtle or laced with righteous excuse) was to avoid and move on. Enter the Samaritan who also had a moment of observation, but instead “took pity” on the victim (v. 33). The same Greek word, which means to be moved in the inward part, is used about Jesus in Matthew 9:36, “When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them.” The lawyer, who asked the famous “Who is my neighbour?” question is said to have asked because “he wanted to justify himself ” (Luke 10:29). Oh, foolish lawyer! No one can acquit himself or replace his own heart of stone! What compels me from indifferent observation to being moved to respond with compassion? Being transformed through humble submission to God! “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).

Column • Further In and Higher Up

Christmas for English-Speaking People

By Layton Friesen Conference Pastor

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f God speaks to me, it will mostly need to be in English. To really come across to me, it needs to be in the English words of my translated Bible, because that’s the best I can do. But here’s trouble: words like king, lord, father, creator and god are all polluted. King, for example, is corrupted by flavours of domination and cruelty. Father is tainted by my own regrets about fathering. Lord stirs memories of dark lords, Voldemort, Sauron and company. All human words have this brokenness hidden in them. English is a fallen language. But if English itself is a sinful, fallen business—if words like king have been ruined by our sinful actions—how can we know when we say “Jesus is King” we are saying what’s really true of God? There is simply no way for creatures like us, on our own, to know and speak truth about God. God is beyond our describing. It’s hopeless to throw our sin-clouded words or ideas up into the sky, hoping somehow they stick to God. On our own, we have no access to God at all. We simply do not have the ability to speak truthfully about God. That’s a huge problem! But! Does this mean that God, using his infinite wisdom and love, could not figure out a way to make himself understood in our sinful language? We can’t use our words to make them describe God accurately, but maybe God is just so loving and brilliant that he could show us real truth using our words. This is a question of God’s capability not of our incapability. Could God have been at work in the development of human languages, making sure that when he wanted to speak to us, there are good enough words available? Although English was invented by sinners, maybe God guarded us from so damaging our words that they could still carry divine truth. God is also able to repair words that have been ruined by human sin—words like king, god, father and shepherd can be baptized, cleansed, readjusted, turned right-side-up. For example,

a word like king is given new meaning when the King sends his Son to be born in a feed-trough and rule from a cross. And isn’t God perfectly capable of transforming our minds to understand his truth in our language if we allow him to? Revelation is all about grace. To really know God truthfully we depend on God entering our world, redefining our words and transforming our minds so we grasp what he is saying. When God speaks to us, transformed sinners, using the words and concepts he has chosen and repaired, we can truly know God. This is the wonder of Christmas. God is searching, prying, cleansing, pressing in, seeking a way to speak. God is determined that we will succeed in knowing him as he is, truthfully. Revelation is an achievement word. God has not revealed himself unless humans can get it, can understand and love what he shows. This is God’s persistent, creative love. Knowing God is not about us finding the right language for God. It’s about God finding the right human words for God. To rely on the Bible for revelation is to depend on grace, on God miraculously living as a human, finding a way to get through to our darkened minds. Hail the King in the feed-trough who speaks perfect Siamou and Anishinaabemowin and English.

Knowing God is not about us finding the right language for God. It’s about God finding the right human words for God.

www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 35

Column • Kids’ Corner

Christmas Angels

hat’s at the top of your tree? Is it an

You may not have seen an angel, but God’s promises are as real today as ever.

ISTOCK

By Loreena Thiessen

angel? The angel has become the most popular tree topper since it first appeared at Christmas in 1848 in Queen Victoria’s family. Another popular tree topper is the star. Angels and the Bethlehem Star both play an important part at Jesus’ birth. Angels appear many times in the Bible. Sometimes they appear in person. Other times they appear in a dream. They come to deliver a message, or to give a warning of danger. Sometimes they come to protect and save someone. What is an angel? The word angel comes from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger. Angels are spirits, created by God, to obey God’s commands and praise him with singing. The angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her of Jesus’ birth—that she would be his mother (Luke 1:26–38). An angel came to Joseph, too, to prepare him to be Mary’s husband Matthew 1:20–21). The Activity: What the angels said. Need: a Bible and a pencil Do: Read Luke 2:8–14 to find the missing words. 1. Shepherds kept ___________ over their flock at night. 2. An __________appeared in the night sky. 3. The angel said, “Do not be ______________.” 4. “I bring you ___________ ____________.” 5. “A __________________ has been born to you.” 6. “You will find a _____________ wrapped in __________ and lying in a _____________.”

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angel told them what Jesus would be called and who he would be. Angels came as a heavenly choir singing and praising God as they announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. They explained that Jesus was Christ the Lord and a Saviour to all people, and described where the shepherds would find him (Luke 2:8–14). The Bethlehem Star was another sign that a new King had been born. The Magi followed it to the manger where they found the baby Jesus and worshipped him as King. After some time an angel came to Joseph again to warn him to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt to escape King Herod’s evil plan to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13). God sent angels to Abraham and Sarah too, with the news that they would have a child and become parents even in their old age. It was an angel who appeared in the lions’ pit where Daniel and his friends were in danger of being killed. “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions,” Daniel says (Daniel 6:22). You may not have seen an angel, but God’s promises are as real today as ever. Angels are real, too. God promises “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). Read Psalm 91:1–16. The Messenger Evangelical Mennonite Conference 440 Main St., Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5 Publications Mail Agreement #40017362